May 5, 2025
Here are a couple of topics to update you on Board activities:
Housekeeping
A revision to the Bylaws was unanimously approved. The major change is an additional method for adding members to the Board, allowing a current member to recommend/nominate a person for consideration. A two thirds positive vote of the current board members is required to place the nominee on the Board.
Erica Stones, currently a Member at Large, is taking over as Secretary starting June 30, 2025. Blakely LaCroix has served in this role for many years and remains on the Board as a Member at Large.
Since our last Board meeting in September thru April 2025, we received 56 1-year memberships, 3 life-time, 3 10-year and received donations from Chuck Thompson, Michael Bronson, Bill Zwick, Randee Hill and Carey Horowitz. Thank you!
Potential Alternate Trip Leader
Our last newsletter reported on the PATL change. This change allowed for an individual to be listed twice in the lottery. We had anticipated that this would markedly increase the number of applications. It did not. For launches in 2026, the main lottery received 7700 applications, which is slightly greater than the 7593 average for the past 10 years. On a related statistic, the average number of privates from Lee’s to Diamond for the past 8 years is 6348. The Colorado River Management Plan caps this number at 7052, i.e. a 90% level of utilization.
Courtesy Flyer
We have been coordinating with the GC River Guides on updating the courtesy flyer and designed a new flyer specific to GCPBA – who are we and what do we do. Hopefully these will be available for distribution this summer. Intended distribution are the private outfitters, snail mail to new members, the Park and orders from the GCPBA store.
Upcoming Board Meeting
October 17-19, 2025 has been scheduled for the next meeting in Flagstaff. We look forward to meeting with Park personnel to discuss topics du jour such as the fee increase for non-commercial trips.
Best wishes for a great summer and many boating opportunities. As always, please contact us at gcpbamail@gmail.com We enjoy hearing from you and reading your trip reports.
John Vrymoed, President
Grand Canyon Private Boaters’ Association