A.A.C., New York Section. Much of 1985 was dominated by preparations for the 83rd Annual Meeting of the Club, which was held in New York City on the weekend of December 6-8. A very ambitious, nonstop series of events was structured, all in different locations around Manhattan.

Commencing the festivities on Friday was “An Evening in Bhutan” at the Asia Society consisting of programs on the climbing and trekking potential of this remote kingdom followed by a champagne reception and buffet of Bhutanese delicacies. Saturday’s events moved to the Essex House. The day programs featured a 50-year retrospective of climbing in the Shawangunks by Rich Goldstone, a training and conditioning seminar moderated by Jon Ross and composed of a panel of experts, an analysis and discussion of the historic live telecast of Ron Kauk’s Lost Arrow climb in May, and the first American ascent of all six great north faces in the Alps in a single season by Eric Perlman. The dinner program that evening featured Nick Clinch and Dick Bass discussing the 1985 Chinese-American Ulugh Muztagh Expedition and the recent “oldest” ascent of Everest, respectively. The Heilprin Citation was awarded to Henry Hall, the Sowles Memorial Award to Jim Wickwire, and the Underhill Award to David Breashears. The weekend ended with an elaborate Sunday brunch at the Clubhouse hosted by Earlyn Church and Franc de la Vega.

In retrospect, the 1985 meeting was by far the largest such gathering in the East with over 500 present, many from out of town. In terms of spirit and good fellowship, it must certainly rank as one of the finest in recent memory. Many thanks are due to a hard working committee of Section members including Fran Allen, Jan and Angela Arnet, Jim Billipp, Priscilla Briggs, John Bruno, Mary Jane Cross, Jeanne-Marie Gilbert, Jack Reilly, Mike Shor, David Swanson, Ron Ulrich, and Peter Wood.

Setting a new precedent, this year’s Annual Meeting was run as a fund-raiser for the Club. Thanks in great part to both special individual and corporate patronage, it was a major financial success with all proceeds dedicated to the Clubhouse Renovation Fund.

Other Section events during the year included a September outing and barbeque hosted by Olaf and Gitta Sööt, a March ski weekend in Vermont at the Church’s, and a number of programs at the Explorers Club with presentations by Doug Scott, John Harlin, Fred Jacobson, and others, as well as a live concert and slide show by members of the Juilliard School Climbing Club.

Philip Erard, Chairman