The Club
The Chemeketans is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1928 united in a common interest in outdoor activities. We are a membership organization with about 700 members based in Salem, Oregon. Our primary activity is day hiking but includes many other outdoor activities and special events. We schedule cross-country ski trips, snowshoe outings, bicycle trips, canoe/kayak adventures, backpacks, mountain climbs, and picture nights where members and guests share their adventures. Other events include museum trips, urban hikes, car camps, and building and maintaining trails. There is a program for those who wish to share in the club's ever expanding commitment to conservation of natural resources. We have an Annual Banquet and a two-week Annual Outing which provides meals and hiking adventures for up to 100 people each week.
For some interesting pictures of our early history, see: Chemeketans Early History
Our Name, our Emblem, and our Mountain
"Chemeketa" is a Native American name which roughly translates as "meeting place". It was the name that indigenous peoples used for the area that is now Salem, Oregon. Our emblem, the Thunderbird, was regarded by Native Americans as a harbinger of unlimited happiness. Mount Jefferson is our symbolic mountain.
Meetings
Our Executive Council meets monthly, usually on the first Wednesday. All members are welcome to attend these meetings. See our online calendar or the monthly Bulletin for the latest meeting time and location. We hold our Annual Business Meeting in January and members are encouraged to attend, as we often vote on important matters concerning the Club. When participating in scheduled activities, we gather at an agreed upon meeting time and place to check in with the activity leader and arrange car-pooling. We publish Activities in abbreviated form on the Activities Calendar, with more detail and contact information in our monthly Bulletin.