Maryland Outdoor Club Announces March to May Event Schedule

Free Membership and Event Registration Available at Online Virtual Clubhouse"

COLLEGE PARK, MD (PRWEB) March 1, 2003 -for-profit organization promoting adventure sports, travel and sociability, today announced its schedule for March through May events. Members can register for these events via the clubs web site at http://www.marylandoutdoorclub.com" TARGET="_blank">www.marylandoutdoorclub.com. Membership is free and is open to all interested adults, regardless of skill level. Events vary in price, but are designed to be as low cost as possible.

Events currently on the schedule (which follows this release) include social activities – movie nights, wine tasting, pool playing – as well as outdoor activities – hiking, biking, and a walking tour of Annapolis. The MOC maintains a calendar on its web site at http://www.marylandoutdoorclub.com/events" TARGET="_blank">http://www.marylandoutdoorclub.org/events where members can view event updates and detailed information on each activity as well as register and pay event costs.

The MOC, which will celebrate the first anniversary of its founding in March, sponsors approximately 50 events per year and has more than 200 members. Primarily Maryland residents, members range in age from 20 to 60, with 85% of members in the 20-39 age range. Amy Pickwick, a Frederick, Maryland, native, who relocated back to Maryland in late 2001, founded the club. Pickwick based the MOC on a similar club she founded in Georgia in 2000, the Atlanta Outdoor Club, which now has over 900 members.

A Virtual Clubhouse

The MOC relies heavily on its interactive events and networking web site to allow people to sign up for membership, communicate with one another, register and pay for events, submit event feedback, and make suggestions for club improvements. Pickwick runs the administrative functions of the club from her home, so the web site is the backbone – the virtual clubhouse" – of the MOC. Individuals can sign up for membership online in a matter of minutes. They can network with other members, interact with the officers, and register for upcoming events. The site offers a variety of other useful features, including adventure sport tips, online shopping, recommended links, and upcoming area events of interest. The lack of overhead for a physical office permits the club to continue to offer free memberships.

In addition to the web site, the MOC features a twice-monthly e-mail to its e-mail list group with breaking news and upcoming events, and an online/print monthly newsletter, the Monthly Explorer." A monthly social/networking event is held to give members an opportunity to meet and socialize in person.

###

Sun, Mar 2 2003 - Wine Tasting (Italian)
This event is FREE to attend – but you will be given an assignment to compensate for your free admission!

Tue, Mar 11 2003 - Social Hour
Come meet the members of the MOC at one or many of our monthly social hours at Rocky Run Tap & Grill in Columbia, MD. Both members and non-members are welcome to attend and there is no need to RSVP.

Thu, Mar 20 2003 - Eat, Drink, & Shoot Some Pool
Dinner, drinks, and some pool at Rock Bottom Brewery in Bethesda, MD!

Sun, Mar 23 2003 - Easy Loop Day Hike in Clarksburg, MD
This splendid little hike (4.1 miles) through wild" woods offers an almost instant retreat from city life.

Tue, Mar 25 2003 - Tuesday Night Movies
Tuesday Night Movies occurs at the Egyptian 24 Muvico theater in Hanover, MD on the fourth Tuesday each month. Movie to be announced – members are encouraged to vote on the selections online.

Sat, Apr 5 2003 - Bike the Capital Crescent Trail in NW DC
A seven-mile bike ride through NW Washington, DC!

Sat, Apr 12 2003 - Moderate Loop Day Hike in Kingsville, MD
This moderate 5.2 mile (loop) hike, known as the Wildlands Loop, combines the Wildlands Trail, Stocksdale Trail, Sweathouse Trail, and a side trail to Long Green Creek.

Sat, Apr 19 2003 - BBQ
Eat, drink, and be merry at a backyard BBQ!

Sat, Apr 26 2003 - Difficult Loop Day Hike in Potomac, MD
This approximately 4.5 mile hike follows parts of the C&O canal path for about half of the hike, and the Billy Goat Trail for the other half.

Sat, May 3 2003 - Difficult Loop Day Hike (Old Rag Mountain)
This is a fairly tenuous classic hike to the top of Old Rag Mountain, which is arguably the best hike in Shenandoah Park.

Sat, May 10 2003 - Annapolis Walking Tour
A stroll through one of the most historic cities in Maryland. The tour includes the Maryland State House, St. Johns College, and the Naval Academy.

Sat, May 17 2003 - Easy Loop Walk in Washington, DC
This 8-mile easy loop walk through Rock Creek Park is a great way to get out for exercise and socialization.