SEFTC Conference Report

Report on the South East Foot Trails Coalition Conference, May 7-10, at Pine Mountain, KY and Cumberland Gap, TN, TN. It was soggy and stormy most of the weekend, with the sun coming out brightly on the day we were leaving. We had just sat down to eat supper when we were evacuated from the dinning room of the inn due to a tornado warning. We spent the next hour or so in a utility basement or in the adjacent stairwell. A tornado touched down about 7 miles from us, but we were eventually able to resume our meals. Not put off by inclement weather determined hikers managed to take part in the many hikes offered, while others attended the educational tracts. There was a very nice square dance and mixer on Friday evening but the plans to go to the Hensley Settlement Saturday evening had to be cancelled due to the weather. The business meeting Saturday afternoon covered a lot of business and a slate of officers was chosen for the next term. Fount agreed to continue on the executive committee and will also continue as the liaison between SEFTC and TTA. Several TTA members, including at least 6 from the Murfreesboro Chapter, were at the conference. This conference was historically and organizationally important as the first one held without the financial aid or support of the America Hiking Society. (AHS dropped financial support this spring due to reduced revenues in an action similar to the State of TN dropping our Cumberland Trail Conference.) The next SEFTC conference will be in 2010 in Chattanooga.