When you become a Friend of Georgia State Parks, you become more than just a park visitor. Being a Friends member has a "price" beyond the dollars you hand over for membership, and that little bit extra -- volunteering -- carries rewards greater than the discounts and perks .

It's certainly not obligatory that you volunteer, but when you do it changes your perspective. You get to know the folks who work at the park, you get to know the park itself, you see what needs improvement from an insider's point-of-view, and you have the ability to make the park better.

There are as many different volunteer opportunites at each state park as there are different species of trees. But at Chattahoochee Bend, we will have the unique experience of actually building our park! How exciting is that!?

Volunteer Committees

For the past few months the board of directors has been discussing committees and ways to help the Bend Friends and volunteers become more active, beyond cleanups and trailblazing.

Our members and volunteers roster is nearing the size of a small community. Volunteer Committees are a great way to put your special skills and talents to use for the benefit of the community!

Volunteer Committees will meet on their own to develop plans and activities. The Chairperson or a delegated representative will attend the Board of Directors Meeting to present the plans to the Board.

Our current Volunteer Committees are:

Trails ~ Scouting, routing and trail section leader opportunities. (Trail building... that's just about everyone!)

Botanical ~ get out on the trails and identify what we have out there — it would be great to go along on Trail Scouting and Routing missions to help us avoid sensitive spots or areas. Take photos and eventually assist with an intepretive display in the Visitor Center.

Events ~ Plan and coordinate big events, such as the Annual Meeting and Grand Opening, including phone calls, legwork and setup.

Membership ~ assist with sign-in at Volunteer Days, handle new member signups, conduct membership drives at local events...

Fund Raising ~ invite local businesses and organizations to donate funds (or time, since in reality, time is money).

Riverkeepers ~ paddle patrol the Hooch for debris and navigational hazards.

Equestrian ~ equine trails, facilities maintenance and activities.

History and Preservation ~ learn all you can about the park property through bookwork and on-site archaeological work -- and prepare to present that in the park's Visitor Center.

Communications ~ website, general email, newsletter, and eventually a lot more stuff!

New ~ Make a Donation! Donate (via PayPal) to the Friends of Chattahoochee Bend and help us prepare the park to open in 2011. Your contribution will be used to purchase and/or rent the tools, materials, machinery and supplies we will need to build the 24+ miles of trail at the park.

Chattahoochee Bend Officers and Directors

Every Friends chapter has an administrative Board of Directors that performs many duties for the chapter and for the chapter’s home park. In 2008, as Coweta County moved forward on improving the main access road to the park, a group of citizens formed a Steering Committee that set the foundations for the Friends chapter.

A charter was written, amended, tweaked and sent to the Friends of GA State Parks organization. In January 2009 the Friends of Chattahoochee Bend State Park (FoCBSP) was officially chartered — the first chapter in Georgia history to form before construction even started!

Many of the Steering Committee members elected to serve on an interim Board of Directors until the first Annual Meeting in June. 10 of the 11 interim FoCBSP Directors were reelected (one declined to continue service). The Board of Directors for 2009-2010 is:

Glenn Flake, President – Mr. Flake is the former President of Newnan Hospital.

Buck Altschul, Vice President – Mr. Altschul is the Director of Land Development at Forestar Group.

Pam Giles, Secretary – Mrs. Giles runs a homebased business making delectable BBQ sauce.

Robert Hinely, Treasurer – Mr. Hinely is a Realtor with Lindsey's, Inc.

The other board members are: Stephen Bush, Sarah Fay Campbell, Dean Jackson, Janell Jones, Tammy Lovvorn, Bill Mayer and Steve St. Laurent.

A Friend's Passing

The Friends of Chattahoochee Bend lost one of our own last week. On Tuesday, May 11, Mr. Bob Johnson died after suffering a stroke. A memorial service will be held Saturday, May 22 at 4:00 p.m. at Cornerstone United Methodist Church located at 2956 Sharpsburg-McCollum Rd in Newnan, GA.

Bob enjoyed his daily workouts at the Y, being on the trail hiking, and had been putting in a lot of work at The Bend. In light of that, it should come as no surprise that in lieu of flowers the family has requested that donations be made to either the YMCA or Chattahoochee Bend State Park. The information for those donations is below.

Summit Family YMCA
1755 East Highway 34
Newnan, GA 30265

Friends of Chattahoochee Bend State Park
c/o Coweta County Convention & Visitors Bureau
100 Walt Sanders Memorial Drive
Newnan, GA 30265

(or use the Donations link above).

Membership in the Friends of Georgia State Parks has its privileges! Members get free admission to all Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites, as well as a free night of camping or round of golf (without cart), tickets for the SAM Shortline Railroad, and discounts at state park shops.

A one-year individual membership is $50 and includes a state park parking pass, an individual historic site pass, one night of camping or round of golf and one adult rail ticket. The family membership is $75 and includes two park passes, up to six historic site passes, one adult and one child rail ticket, and two nights of camping or rounds of golf.

There are higher levels of membership with more perks. Being a Friend is a great value, as a state park pass alone costs $50 !

Members choose to be affiliated with a specific chapter. That chapter receives a portion of the membership fees to help the park.

To join, go to:
www.friendsofgastateparks.org
or call 770-975-7533.