I joined the Fire Safe Council because of the Woodies. As an admirer of teamwork, volunteerism, and the outdoors, I was hooked after my first outing. My ignorance of fire abatement work was not a big deterrent; people were patient and watchful, and kept me out of trouble. I was struck by the camaraderie, the hard work, and general good feeling. And like many a Woodie before and since, I came away tired, yet pleased that I had helped to do something useful for the community.

I asked people recently via email why they joined the Woodies and why they stayed. As you might imagine, people who responded wanted to contribute to community safety. Viv Larson wrote that she wanted to “walk the talk” about fire safety. Physical work to help others was also attractive, as was the experience of seeing immediate results from one’s work. Several people shared Jim Taylor’s cheerful observation that “these people don’t just talk, they really work!” No long meetings—you show up and you start to work—and after a short time you see that you are making a difference. A property that was overgrown is now cleaner and safer. A pile of logs is now firewood available at the Help Center.

Everyone agreed with Roberta Corbin and Larry Kueneman’s statement that its “hard work but fun”. Its fun because we are outside on a beautiful mountain. (Many are the times we just look around in awe—Woodies tend to delight in nature.) Its fun because people care for each other and watch out for each other’s safety. (We have never had a serious accident.) And its fun because we are generally in good humor and some of us are really funny. (Watching Janice Fast trade barbs with Ron Bowles is a highlight, and you can’t stay blue while hearing Ron Perry’s laugh.) It is also a human quirk that “its always more fun to work on someone else’s property than our own”, Judy Tochtrop points out, especially when with the group you do in several hours what it would have taken you days to accomplish alone.

One of the interesting things about the group is that it is close to being self-organizing, i.e., people choose the work they want to do while matching their abilities to the needs of the moment. Doris Lombard describes it this way: “All of our energy channels into working together. The job gets done and done well. I see each person find the exact job that needs to be done and they do it. A log too heavy? There’s someone right there to help.” In the same vein, Jerry Julian notes the “unselfish work ethic” of the group. Our abilities and skills vary, but we all find a way to contribute to the goal.

Doris elegantly sums up by writing: “It is an uplifting experience and continues to renew my faith in the potential goodness of humanity.” This is true for me, and I think for many of us. It points to a simple truth--people can come together to do good things--something well known on this mountain, with its many fine service organizations. If you are interested in joining the Woodies, we welcome you. Give us a call at 659-6208.