Mountain Maids
Missouri Mountain Maids were organized in
1974 at the Annual Fall Rendezvous of the Missouri Trappers Association, as an
Auxiliary to the Missouri Trappers Association. Immediately after organizing, we
affiliated with the Conservation Federation of Missouri. Though one of the
smaller affiliates, we have supported the Conservation Federation faithfully
over the years. We provide at least one item for their fundraising silent
auction each year. A few members have faithfully attended the annual convention
each spring and taken part on the various committees. The Conservation
Federation is a conglomerate of outdoor organizations. Interacting with these
groups teaches you their interests and concerns, which are very much like those
of the trappers. Each group wants to be able to use the area of Missouri that
interests him/her whether for hiking, fishing, trapping, hunting, bird watching,
camping, swimming/scuba diving, or whatever. Most of the time these areas are
the same and it is necessary to respect each other's interests and be able to
interact with them.
It is the intention of The Mountain
Maids to provide an avenue of activities for family members while the MTA
members were involved in their meetings and activities.
We first became involved in food service,
providing as a courtesy, a simple lunch on the premises that would not require
the members to have to leave their fellowship and conversation. This mushroomed
into providing the food service for the fur auctions and eventually providing
the menu and serving the MTA Hog Roast at Fall Rendezvous (Of course, we no
longer do the fur auctions.)
Mountain Maids have sponsored other
activities at our Fall Meetings;
Fur sewing workshops, Children's activities,
fur/pelt demonstrations, the trapping portion of the Environmental Education
Workshop of Becoming an Outdoor Woman (BOW).
For fundraising other
than food service, we have made quilts ,the first one in 1976, and numerous
others through 1999. In 1991 we produced a Cookbook, copies of which are no
longer available. Each year we have a fundraising activity with items that would
interest our members or individuals with an interest in the outdoors. We also
have a "white elephant" silent auction at Fall Rendezvous. This always
creates good conversation as well as a few dollars.
Those funds have been used to benefit the
trappers associations and conservation activities and conservation education.
Over the years we have contributed generously to the National Trappers
Association for projects and activities to maintain, preserve and defend
trapping and related activities in the United States. We have contributed to
various other states that have had to defend the right to use traps. Most importantly, we have contributed
scholarships and monetary assistance to Environmental Educational Workshops that
prepare schoolteachers to incorporate environmental education into the
curriculum in their classrooms. To be effective Environmental Education must begin on the elementary school level.
Our most recent contribution were two
Lewis & Clark traveling trunks for the Missouri Department of Conservation
to be used in the educational program promoting the upcoming 200th anniversary
of the Lewis & Clark expedition. The Missouri Trappers assisted us by
donating two traps for these trunks.
Some ladies question our name, MISSOURI
MOUNTAIN MAIDS saying they do not want to be a "maid". The name was
chosen unanimously at the organizational meeting in 1974 as the feminine of
MISSOURI MOUNTAIN MEN. Members feel the name is appropriate because our bylaws
state we are to complement (enhance/fulfill) the activities of the MTA. A change
has been discussed at least three times over the years, but the vote was always
the same retain the original name, because it is our heritage.
Annual dues
are $3.00.
Meetings are held twice a year in
conjunction with Spring & Fall Rendezvous of the MTA.
For more
Information Contact;
Charlene Kelsick
Rt. 2, Box 168-EC
Doniphan, MO 63935
(573) 593-4796