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AMC honors resident with Distinguished Service Award

Sam Jamke (center) is pictured at the awards ceremony with John Judge, AMC president (left), and Rol Fessenden, chairman of the AMC Board of Directors.

BOSTON, Mass. – The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) honored Ruth “Sam” Jamke of Bedford with its Distinguished Service Award at the 141st AMC Annual Summit held Jan. 28 in Norwood, Mass. The award recognizes those AMC volunteers who have contributed outstanding efforts to the mission of the organization, for a sustained period of time, and at the very highest levels. This award recognizes long-term commitment to enhancing and sustaining the integrity of AMC’s conservation, education and recreation mission.

For more information on AMC’s volunteer awards, visit www.outdoors.org/

volunteers/awards.

Jamke joined AMC in 1983 and is well-known throughout the club through a range of volunteer communities and staff departments. Her volunteering began in the New Hampshire Chapter where she is a hike leader and instructor. Jamke served as Chapter Chair starting in 2006 and stepped up as Regional Director in 2010, representing the northern chapters on the Board of Directors. She is a respected Adventure Travel leader and recruits new leaders and participants by sharing images and stories from her many trips abroad with audiences inside and outside AMC. Jamke currently serves as Chair of August Camp – a popular full-

service camp that changes its location year after year. In all of her volunteer roles, Jamke has advocated for the visibility of volunteer programs as integral to the organizational identity both internally to members as well as in communications to the public. Jamke is a member of the Board of Advisors and is a Lifetime Member of the AMC. She recruits people to the Summit Society and serves as a mentor for many new volunteers.

Founded in 1876, the Appalachian Mountain Club promotes the protection, enjoyment, and understanding of the mountains, forests, waters, and trails of America’s Northeast. AMC helps people of all ages and abilities to explore and develop a deep appreciation of the natural world. With chapters from Maine to Washington, D.C., guidebooks and maps, and unique lodges and huts, AMC helps people get outdoors on their own, with family and friends, and through activities close to home and beyond. We invite the public to support our conservation advocacy and research, youth programming, and care of 1,800 miles of trails. Visit www.outdoors.org.

This was submitted by Sam Jamke, who also noted ” I am a longtime Bedford resident and volunteer not only for AMC, but also for the Animal Rescue League, the National Forest Service, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) and UNH Cooperative Extension.”