About Outdoor SIG

What is Outdoor SIG?

It's the Outdoor Special Interest Group of the JET Program. It's a meeting place for all outdoor interests……an information clearinghouse for the outdoors of Japan and those who go there. With hundreds of members nationwide it's a network to DO IT OUTDOORS!!!

OSIG events include hiking, camping, snowsports, watersports, skysports, onsen visits, mountain biking and many more.

The Japanese outdoors contrary to popular belief are abundant, beautiful and certainly unique. Japan is a mixture of extremes….from the heat of Okinawa and the Bonin Islands (aka Ogasawara)….to the snow and mountains of Hokkaido. In between it all you have Japan's national symbol, Fuji-san, the 'most climbed mountain in the world' towering above everything at 3776m (12,388ft). As you'll soon notice as you get outdoors in Japan, extremes also pertain to how prepared the Japanese are….. decked out in either the full gear (mid-summer hiking in knee-high gaiters) or next to nothing (dress shoes on the trail!).
Bottom-line……OutdoorSIG is a way for you to bridge the unknown, get outdoors in Japan and share what you discover!

OutdoorSIG is entirely on-line……with such benefits as the email discussion list, the seasonal e-newsletters and a database of articles, annual events nationwide, the interactive website and this the main-page website. Let's here from you….. we're dependent on volunteers getting involved.

OSIG sponsors a number of annual events. These include: a pre-season Fuji-san climb, the Powda-topia trip (powder heaven in Hokkaido and Aomori), the Bonin Islands Paradise trip, a trip to Niigata-ken's Sado Island Earth Celebration and many many many many more. For more info go to the EVENTS section.

Ultimately OutdoorSIG is dependent on it's members getting involved (however small the effort it add to the cumulative goal to get outdoors!)…..anything from posting messages or hosting an event, right up to becoming an OSIG prefectural rep, or even strapping on the boots with the national crew. The hope is that OSIG will continue to snowball.

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Who runs Outdoor SIG?

This organization is run by a group of volunteer JETs. However, in order to grow we need everyone to get involved. All OutdoorSIG (OSIG) representatives play a key role in making OSIG work and grow. Since our birth a few years back we have grown to be the largest Special Interest Group (SIG) within AJET!! With so many people in OSIG we need to bring the organization and development down to a LOCAL LEVEL…..and get EVERYONE OUTDOORS!!
Outdoorsig was founded in 1998 by an outdoor enthusiast JET in Aomori who recognized the need for more outdoors related information for JETs in Japan. Before 1999 the national crew of OSIG consisted of just one person… Toby Weymiller, (who often hucked his freeskiing carcass over large cliffs). For one year he single handedly ran Outdoorsig: compiling newsletters, mailing them out, liaising with AJET, etc. The following year he enlisted the help of two Iwate JETs. Together they were able to increase membership and organize more events. In 2000 Outdoorsig was still sending out paper newsletters 2 or 3 times a year. In May of 2001, however, we changed over to a web-based organization. The reasoning was simple, this would allow us to interact better with our members, and give us more time to organize new events. Indeed, it has allowed us to grow in ways never thought possible. For example, it has enabled us to enlist the help of local volunteers in areas where no one has been in the past, as well as spread the word about Outdoorsig to new JETs who have not yet arrived in Japan. Today there are 12+ members on the National Crew and 47+ prefectural reps!!! (more than one rep per prefecture in some cases)

BENEFITS TO GETTING INVOLVED WITH OSIG:

*Complimentary OSIG membership for all national crew and prefectural reps (ken reps).

*National crew members have an OSIG exclusive email account accessible from any net capable computer.
(e.g. signup@outdoorsig.com email account for Membership Recruitment)

*Positions run for about a year from April 1st to March 31st (April to July is a transfer period)

*Crazy amounts of respect from your peers:)

THE NATIONAL CREW: (12 members)

(FOR A DETAILED LIST OF RESPONSIBILITES SCROLL DOWN……..)

PRESIDENT pres@outdoorsig.com
NATIONAL EVENTS STAFF (x2) events@outdoorsig.com
NEWSLETTER EDITORS (x2) newsletter@outdoorsig.com
MAIN-PAGE WEBMASTERS (x2) webmaster@outdoorsig.com
INTERACTIVE-PAGE MANAGER interactive@outdoorsig.com
MEMBERSHIP ADMINISTRATOR admin@outdoorsig.com
TREASURER treasurer@outdoorsig.com
MEMBERSHIP RECRUITMENT signup@outdoorsig.com
ECO LIAISON eco@outdoorsig.com

THE DETAILS…….National Crew and Ken Reps……

PRESIDENT pres@outdoorsig.com

Responsibilites:
Liaise with AJET
Liaise with the National OSIG Crew and assist them when required
Liaise with other SIGs
Create a welcome message for new members
Endorse events and authorize OSIG sponsorship (in co-operation with the Events Staff)
Submit articles to the newsletter (including a Pres' Message)
Write a short mid and end of year report to send to AJET
Aid the Membership Recruitment with the OSIG presence at the Welcome (summer) and Renewers (spring) conferences
Anything else that needs to be done that isn't covered by someone else!

NATIONAL EVENTS STAFF (x2) events@outdoorsig.com

Responsibilites:
Liaise with ken reps about events
Liaise with any OSIGers who are organizing events
Endorse events and authorize OSIG sponsorship (in co-operation with the Pres)
Promote and organize the national level annual OSIG events
Submit articles to the newsletter (including an Upcoming Events column)
Update the 'Annual Events' section on the mainpage as needed

WE ALSO HAVE EVENT COORDINATOR POSITIONS….. part-time positions for a PARTICULAR EVENT ONLY…..

(for a full description of go to EVENT COORDINATORS in the EVENTS section)

OSIG EVENT COORDINATOR POSITIONS INCLUDE:

NEWSLETTER EDITORS (x2) newsletter@outdoorsig.com

Responsibilites:
Compile 4 newsletters (September 20, Late November, March, June)
Compile (and hound people) for articles to appear in the seasonal OSIG e-newsletter and conduct interviews/find comics/quotes for newsletter
Create, produce, and edit the newsletter and upload in HTML if possible
Ensure the e-newsletter and back-issues are on the OSIG main website (with the aid of the main-page webmaster)
Notify OSIGers by email that the newsletter has been posted
Ensure of the newsletter are accessible through the main OSIG website
Think of promotions for newsletter contributors
Liase with other organisations ie. http://www.snowjapan.com
http://www.outdoorjapan.com/
Submit articles to the National AJET Newsletter (AJET Across Japan)

MAIN-PAGE WEBMASTERS (x2) webmaster@outdoorsig.com

Responsibilites:
Update, maintain, and build the main OSIG website: http://www.outdoorsig.com
Put the e-newsletter on-line (with the aid of the newsletter editors)
Promote the main OSIG website to OSIGers (via email, newsletter)
Keep offline version of site updated for use at conferences
Submit articles to the newsletter (including info on the main-website developments)

INTERACTIVE-WEBSITE MANAGER (like a second Events position) interactive@outdoorsig.com

Responsibilites:
Manage the Interactive website of OSIG: http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/outdoorsig/
Promote the interactive page especially the database on it to OSIGers (via email/newsletter etc)
Support the main-page webmasters
Find and Liaise with the Prefectural OSIG Reps and help them organise events. Post their details on the interactive page
Find outdoor related articles on the web. Circulate them by:
a) email
b) posting them on the OSIG websites
Submit articles to the newsletter (including info on interactive-website developments)

MEMBERSHIP ADMINISTRATOR admin@outdoorsig.com

Responsibilites:
Compile and maintain an OSIG members database (Fall intensive)
Add, remove and update members
Keep a database of OSIG prefectural reps and members. Work with Interactive-website Manager to get database in use
Manage the OSIG email discussion list
Send the prefectural membership lists to each ken rep during the Fall
Set up and manage the prefectural rep email accounts
Submit articles to the newsletter (including any admin info updates)

TREASURER treasurer@outdoorsig.com

Responsibilites:
Compose a Quarterly Balance Sheet (MBS) and send it to the AJET SIGs Liaison Officer
File receipts
Process reimbursements to national crew members, ken reps etc.
Send a midyear and annual budget to the AJET SIGs Liaison and President
Liaise with the National AJET Treasurer re: receipt of OSIG dues
Liaise with the Member Administrator re: new member fee payment
Submit articles to the newsletter (including info on finances)

MEMBERSHIP RECRUITMENT signup@outdoorsig.com

Responsibilites:
Work together with Admin Organize an OSIG presence at the Tokyo (summer A, B and C) conferences
Organize an OSIG presence at the Renewers conferences (spring)
Liaise with Pref. Reps to further membership recruitment at the local level
Inform potential members about the benefits of joining OSIG
Produce and update recruitment materials (posters, pamphlets, lookbook, Cd-rom to display the website)
Further signup methods (eg on-line signup for OSIG)
Submit articles to the newsletter (including info on recruitment developments)

ECO LIAISON eco@outdoorsig.com

Responsibilites:
Build eco-friendly programs (e.g. An Eco Corner in the newsletter and on the website)
Promote Earth Day and other Eco events (e.g. Roll your own blackout etc) in co-operation with Events Staff
Liaise with ECO SIG (the Ecology Special Interest Group of JET) http://geocities.com/green_in_japan/
Submit articles to the newsletter (including info on Eco programs in OSIG)

PREFECTURAL OSIG REPS (a.k.a. KEN REPS)

Click here for Prefectural Reps email addresses

The National OSIG Reps work in conjunction with the OSIG ken reps to get OSIGers to "Do It Outdoors!" We want OSIG to grow from the bottom up. This means getting people involved locally. In order to do this we need to get OSIG down to the LOCAL LEVEL.

This is where the ken reps come into play. We are asking that each Prefectural Representative organize a minimum of two OSIG related events each year, (the OSIG calendar year is from April to March). The events can be anything that is related to the outdoors, such as hiking , skiing, camping, mt. biking, running, triathalon, onsening, hanami (flower watching), anything!!

Organizing an event is easy!! Just get in touch with the Events Staff at events@outdoorsig.com and they will help you get your event advertised, offer advice on the logistics and even sponsor your event. Yeah that's right! We give you money! In return all we ask for are articles on your event (either write them yourself or ask someone who participated) which can be included in the newsletter and posted on the OSIG website.

That's about it. Pretty easy job eh?

Responsibilites:
Promote OSIG at the prefectural level
Organize a minimum of two annual events in their area
Invite OSIGers and non-OSIGers alike to join those events
Submit articles on events
Collect outdoor related info pertaining to their area (eg trails, Mts., outdoor stores etc)
Find and brief a successor

SOME IDEAS FOR PREFECTURAL REPS……
*A day hike up any Mt. in your area
*An overnight camping trip on a riverbank
*A trip to an indoor climbing wall
*A river rafting trip (with a local adventure company)
*A weekend road bike tour
*A day of downhill Mt. Biking
*A ski trip to the local hills
*A spring snow hike
*An onsen road-trip
*Or anything outdoors related……….

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How can I get involved?

OutdoorSIG needs it's members to get involved. You could do any number of things depending on your interests:

*JOIN THE NATIONAL CREW (see the list above)…..for tons of respect

*BECOME A PREFECTURAL REP (local events in your area!)

*ORGANIZE AN EVENT (we'll sponsor it!) (go to events to find out more)

*WRITE AN ARTICLE FOR THE NEWSLETTER (send to newsletter@outdoorsig.com)

*JOIN THE OSIG DISCUSSION LIST……AND FIND INTERESTING OUTDOOR RELATED ARTICLES TO CIRCULATE (go to interact to find out more)

*GO TO THE OSIG INTERACTIVE PAGE ….AND POST A MESSAGE OR PHOTO

*OR ANY OTHER IDEA YOU MIGHT HAVE TO IMPROVE OSIG!!

Just drop us a line at pres@outdoorsig.com and tell us you wanna help out!

Nothing happening in your area? Contact Outdoor SIG, through your prefectural rep (yourkenname@outdoorsig.com) and find out how you can organise your own event! OSIG relies on it's members to get involved. If there's something that you want to do, then the chances are that other people will want to as well.

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