The Spirit on Pilot Butte Is Hard To Miss, Especially Lately

You may have noticed that we mention the incredible spirit on Pilot Butte every chance we get.  Its something we are constantly aware of because its the basis for almost everything we do.  So that spirit doesn't really surprise us often, but it did today when I talked with John Ziegler, one of the four people you may have seen carrying a huge log up and down Pilot Butte the past few weeks.  Here is a picture taken yesterday:

Photo by John Alexander of Alexander's Photography, click on photo for larger view

John said he and his buddies received training from a company called GORUCK about three weeks ago

WAY COOL Photography Day on Pilot Butte

Some of you know Killer & Sparkle, two regular hikers on the Butte who are just great people and a lot of fun to be around.  Their real names are Dick & Jan Fischer.  Anyway, I needed some Butte photos and so I asked Killer to take some for me because I know he is an excellent photographer.  Killer is also extremely creative and he had a better idea.  He would like to have people show up with their cameras on Saturday, Nov. 9th, at 1:30.  People with all photography skill levels are welcome.  Just bring your

The More the Merrier

I think most people familiar with Pilot Butte would agree that there is a lot that can be done to help it be all that it can be.  With that in mind, why would anyone want just one group of people doing what they can to help?  I think the Butte is best served when people keep the goal in mind.  If the goal is to help the Butte so that it is a better place for everyone who uses it, then there is plenty of opportunity for different groups and individuals to get involved.  That is what is happening on the Butte today.  It is also the way things have always happened on the Butte.  For example, while there were two organized

Woohoo! 53 Founding Members and Counting

Can you believe we surpassed our magic number of 50 Founding Members so fast?  I think nearly 10 memberships came in just today (18 in the past three days).  We've realized that placing a cap of 50 on Founding Memberships didn't work for a whole host of reasons.  It made sense when we were ordering the buttons because we needed a quantity.  But we've since learned that a date makes more sense than a number.  So we are going to make the cutoff date for Founding Members November 15th.

Can Things Get Any Better Than This?

We've got stories for the book coming in, new members signing up daily, surprise donations that are helping people become members who otherwise couldn't afford it, lots of positive buzz, and we keep making new connections that are helping us achieve goals both now and down the road.  People just keep stepping forward saying, "I have this skill and I'd like to help."  Fortunately, we are organized well enough to be able to get most of these people involved pretty fast.  A short while back we had about 10 year round volunteers.  I wouldn't be surprised if we hit 20 pretty soon.  Its all happening so fast that it

BIG NEWS: A new book about Pilot Butte in the works

This is the big news I alluded to a few days ago.  PBSS/SMB has found a professional writer who is writing a book for us that will be sold at SMB 2014 as a fundraiser.  Tentatively titled, Tales, Tall Tales, and Outright Lies About Bend's Iconic Pilot Butte, the book will be a collection of stories written to provide maximum entertainment value.  Far from being a historical reference, the book will take into account the fact that stories change a bit with each telling.  The writer will combine that truth with her

SMB 2013 Mini Documentary

If you haven't seen this yet, consider it a premier.  Redhand Film Studios of Bend came out and did a little documentary of the SMB 2013 event.  We had no idea they would be there.  What a nice surprise!

Membership campaign update

I know you are not seeing it yet in the numbers, but you soon will.  The response to this campaign has been amazing.  Everyone wants to be a member.  The problem has been how to make it convenient to do so?  Most people want to use the paper form to sign up and there isn't a convenient place at Pilot

Great news, the blog is working

Last year we were so extremely busy making sure the event was a success that we couldn't adequately respond to comments on the blog.  So we provided no way to comment.  When we created the new blog for SMB 2014 and beyond, the first thing we did was make it possible for people to make comments.  Then we crossed our fingers in the hope that people would.  If you have ever run a blog, you probably know how that feels.  The comments help you know that people are liking what you do

Easiest way to be in the know about SMB

If you like to know what is happening when it happens, we just added a feature to let you do this.  Look for the section to the right that reads, "NEW! Follow this blog by email."  Enter your email address, click the SUBMIT button, and you're golden.  Just follow the instructions and soon you'll be receiving posts as they are made via email.

Then just make sure you visit the blog from time to time to see if there is any new information outside of the blog posts.

Next phase of membership campaign starts Monday

We launched the first phase of our membership campaign a while back and got 22 founding members.  It was exciting to see it take off so fast just based on an email.  There was another stage we were supposed to do but it wasn't possible because of our trip to Alaska and some pressing PBSS/SMB matters.  So we've been at 22 for a while.  Btw, the money from those memberships was greatly

SMB is alive and thriving

So your blogger ran off to Alaska for a much needed vacation and, while gone, I guess there were some rumors.  I'll deal with them in a minute.  First, I want you to know that Carol and I had a great time.  We lived in that rooftop tent for almost two months and are still married.  People tell us that is a testament to the type of marriage we have.  Truth is ... it is really a good tent.  Anyway, we had a great time until the national parks closed forcing us to come home a week or so earlier than we had planned.

One of the things that made the trip so enjoyable was the fact that the board of directors kept SMB moving forward the whole time.  Bob Baggett stepped in and took over my role.  Others worked on the much needed membership element, the paperwork for the nonprofit, and so on.  I kept in touch with everyone by email and phone. It all went well but we kind of dropped the ball when it came to keeping people informed about what was happening. Hence the rumors ...

I think the best way to address rumors is not to do so directly.  Sometimes you have too, but I am hoping that isn't the case here.  So I'll just tell you about what has been happening and trust that you will be able to connect the dots if you should hear some of the rumors.

Everyone I think understands what SMB started off to be.  We hold an event that celebrates the spirit of the people who use the trails on the Butte, that raises a bunch of money, and the money is used to improve Pilot Butte.  Sounds simple and it would be simple if SMB was only that.  But, as many people know, SMB quickly took on a life of its own and the reason it did is traceable directly back to that incredible spirit we were celebrating.  I've been fortunate in that I've had experiences with something like this twice before in my life.  So I knew what needed to be done.  Others who have been involved in this type of experience will tell you the same thing.  You get yourself out of the way and then follow what is happening while protecting it from people and processes that might get in the way and stop the momentum.  We did that and what emerged was an amazing organization that will do more for Pilot Butte than anybody, including us, ever dreamed possible.

You will be learning more about this organization in the coming months.  Our next newsletter will be published next month and that will be a good start.  Members will get it first and then it will be available here.  If you want the whole scoop, please consider becoming a member.  Your dues help us cover the cost of SMB 2014.  You also get some cool buttons, access to more information than you might ever want about what is happening, and easy ways to have a voice in the process.

Rumors have their place but, trust me, there is a better way to make things happen.  We don't yet have everything up and running, but we definitely have enough in place to address all concerns.  Please call me directly on the SMB phone if you have any concerns (541-306-8411).  You can also email me at bendSMB@gmail.com

All the best,
Bill