Wilderness Guides Council

WGC Membership

The Wilderness Guides Council is a membership-based nonprofit organization. We exist because of our members. We exist to facilitate communication between our members, and also between our members and people outside of the WGC. We accept new members and membership renewals at any time.

Memberships for 2008 are being accepted. If you are a current member, you will receive and email to renew your membership and to register for the Gathering. If you are not a member and would like to receive the 2008 Membership Form via email, then please send a request to the current Netkeeper, Munro: netkeeper@wildernessguidescouncil.org.

New Levels of Membership:

Based on a recommendation from the Advisory Council, at the 2007 WGC Gathering, the membership decided to implement membership levels to more accurately reflect the different reasons why folks join the Wilderness Guides Council.

While most members are guides (currently, in training or retired), a number qualify for the Family membership. This one is for couples and for parents or single parents with one or more children under the age of 18. For someone to become a solo member, they must be 18 or older.

Over the years we have had a number of people join the WGC for the primary purpose of supporting the organization. We want to acknowledge the importance of supporting members, particularly those folks who participate in programs that are run by members.

If you run an organization and would like to join as one, we want to accomodate you. All the details of an Organizational Membership have yet to be defined. A workshop will be offered at the 2008 Gathering to hash out the fine print. Please plan on attending if this type of membership appeals to you.

Guide Members receive all benefits.
Solo Guide Membership: $50 - $100 sliding scale. For a single adult who is a guide.
Family Guide Membership: $75 - $150 sliding scale. For a couple or a family. This is the only way for children to be considered members.

Friend Members join as a show of support for the WGC or any of our members. This is the level of membership for questers and other individuals who are not guides and who never intend to become guides.
Friend Membership: $25 - $100 sliding scale.

Organizations may join as a show of support or because they offer programs and want to be listed as an organization in our Find A Guide online database.
Organization Membership: $200 - $500 sliding scale.

Most members renew in January or February each year.
Only current members are listed in the Find A Guide section of this website.
Only current members are eligible to participate in the Renewal Fast.

As a convenience, you can use the button below to Join the WGC via PayPal. You may use your PayPal account, or simply pay by credit card. Payment via the web may be made from many countries outside the US.

Join Online - Payment via Paypal
Choose your membership type and amount. (Adjust Qty. in Cart window for multiple memberships.)
Because of the high fees charged by PayPal, we recommend that you join by mailing in a check for your membership. That way the money stays with us and doesn't go to Paypal.

Solo Guide

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Family Guides

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Friend of the WGC

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Organization

Membership: Conditions, Services, and Benefits

Wilderness Guides Council membership consists of active wilderness guides and others in training, or anticipating training to become guides, and those subscribing to principles embraced by the Council.

Membership in the Wilderness Guides Council provides access to many benefits and services such as an annual Gathering, information about potential sites, education, fellowship and credibility.

A person is considered a member if she or he:

is committed to a sacred relationship with the earth.

is providing or intends to provide or has previously provided earth-centered healing activities or initiatory experiences.

abides by the WGC Ethics Guidelines, Bylaws and Community Guidelines.

pays annual dues.

Services and Benefits of Membership

Services

An annual Gathering featuring discussion, fellowship and mutual support, information exchange, and the chance for members to share their views.
To provide information relevant to wilderness guiding and respond to inquiries.
To facilitate meetings between members.
Registration and coordination of site selection, thereby avoiding overlap and conflict between members in site selection, and excessive impact on the land.
Access to information about potential site locations.
To promote a positive collective image of the WGC and its members.

Benefits

Information exchange and on-going education of members.
Shared commitment to the land and its spiritual and healing values.
Maintenance of the health of the ecosystems we visit.
Enhanced reputation through our professional affiliation.
Promoting cooperation and respect for each other.
The support of a community of persons committed to to the inspirational and healing values of wilderness and rites of passage in nature.
Participation in our special renewal fast
Circles on the Mountain, our annual journal

If you have questions about membership, please contact the Netkeeper:

Munro Sickafoose
netkeeper@wildernessguidescouncil.org

Membership can be lost through failing to pay the annual dues or by not abiding by the Ethics Guidelines.