On Saturday, June 3, 2023, at the Vienna City park, the River to River Trail Society held its annual meeting. 20 members and guests gathered to hear speakers; listen to the business report and elect officers & board members for 2023-2024. 

Fred Scott was the “chief chef” and everyone else brought something to share as potluck. It was all nutritious and good. President Bill Gilmour had a sheet printed out and distributed copies of the activities over the last year, including the number of hikes, the number of hikers we entertained, the work activities various members participated in at different times, such as trail maintenance, trash blast etc. One of the Societies’ Big achievements was the placement and dedication of the statue of our founder, John O’Dell, at the church at Herod, Illinois along IL Rt. 34. 

We had 3 speakers for the day, 2 were from the U.S. Forest Service. Ellen Bogardus-Szymaniak, the acting Forest Supervisor for Southern Indiana and Southern Illinois. She talked about that she had never been in the area, and that she was highly pleased & surprised with its beauty. Next, the new District Ranger, Dennis Wilson spoke, how he wants to foster cooperation and promotion of the area. Then, last a member of the Society, who hikes with us, Susan Wygant is a geologist. She gave a quick, informative presentation on the basics of the geology of Southern Illinois, and had several charts/maps to go along with her talk. 

    Mart Watson gave the treasurers’ report, we have a positive balance, with no outstanding bills, and Gillum Ferguson updated us on the kerfuffle with Moline, Illinois and their bike way and wanting to also name it the “River to River Trail”. 

    The officers elected are the same as last year, and we do have 1 new board member, Steve Melville, who operates Rim Rock Dogwood Cabins, of Karbers Ridge, Illinois.  Steve replaces Todd Carr.

   We then closed the meeting and adjourned to partake of the delicious food, and enjoyed chatting with each other, and we did take a group picture.  Several had brought their bikes, and rode up to the Tunnel on the Tunnel Hill trail and back, after everything was over. 

Respectfully submitted, 

Chris Drone