FAQ

Who is eligible to join Sundance?
We welcome all men and women 18 years old and older. We do not discriminate based on sex, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, HIV status, physical disability, age or national origin.

What is the ratio of men to women?
Right now, men outnumber women, but that has been changing rapidly in the past couple of years, in part due to the establishment of the new women's Yahoo! group. As of Oct '09, we have over 80 active, visible, and enthusiastic women members. If you are a woman interested in Sundance, please click here to join the SundanceWomen Yahoo! group and get connected to other Sundance women. And please help spread the word about Sundance and its rapidly growing women’s community!

How much does it cost to join Sundance?
Annual dues are $40, or $20 for students.  There are no further costs, except for the activities themselves, which are always at-cost (see detail below). Your membership will last 365 consecutive days starting from your join date.

How do I join Sundance?

Complete the online Sundance Membership Application form and pay your dues by major credit card. You will then be able to access the online events calendar, past newsletters, and receive future newsletters each month. Besides listing details about upcoming outings and events, the newsletters also include many club contact information, news and seasonal outing ideas for potential leaders.

Who leads Sundance outings?
Outings are led by Sundance members themselves. Each Sundance outing is lead by two co-leaders, one of whom has led at least one previous Sundance outing. This ensures that each outing is run by someone who has led other outings and that each outing leader has a backup.

What do you mean by an all-volunteer organization?
Sundance has no paid staff. From the Board of Directors to outing leaders to those who maintain our website and prepare our monthly newsletter, all are volunteers who get a lot of satisfaction in their contributions to Sundance. Sundance is what its members make it.

How can I lead a Sundance outing?

First go on an outing or two to see how outings are run and then contact the team captain for the activity for which you are interested in co-leading an outing. Also see the useful .PDF article called “How to lead a Sundance outing” on the Archive page. Contact information for team captains is listed every month in Crosswinds, Sundance's newsletter.

Does every member have to lead an outing?

No.  You don't have too. Just remember that outings are volunteer-led and and it really helps Sundance fulfill its mission when members volunteer to lead or co-lead an outing. 

How hard is it to lead outings?

Depends. Some outings are less involved and others more so. You could lead a hike where everyone meets at a designated time and place and make use of public transportation- relatively easy. Or , you could organize a canoeing/camping trip requiring more research, reservations,  carpool co-ordination, etc. etc. - More complex. In either case, there are lots of people willing to help. Contacta Team Captain to get started! 

Where do Sundance members live?

About 41% of Sundance members live in Manhattan, 17% live in New Jersey, and 37% live in New York State outside of Manhattan, such as Long Island and the Hudson Valley. The remaining members are from Connecticut and as far as Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. 

How does transportation work?

Most trips are both public trans and car-friendly and so accessible to members from many different locations, with and without cars. For outings that are not accessible by public trans, car pools are arranged by outing leaders to match participants with cars to those who don't. Car/vehicle rentals can also be arranged by leaders in some  circumstances.

What is the cost of an outing?
All Sundance outings are at-cost. This means that except for your individual cost when using public transportation, one's share of car pooling expenses, admission fees to outside events (such as Museums,  i.e. non-Sundance entities) and whatever food you might bring or restaurant costs there are no additional costs for a Sundance outing. Weekend or longer trips of course will cost more as they involve the cost of lodgings and may have higher transportation costs.

How is Sundance governed?
A seven member Board of Directors consisting of a chairperson, treasurer, secretary, membership director, outings director, media outreach director and a community relations director meet monthly to conduct club business. There is an election to select board members in the late fall.  Any member who has led one outing and has been a member for one year is eligible to run in the board election.

How are Sundance activities organized?
There are 8 activity teams, each one headed by one or two team captains who promote leadership for their activities, and hold meetings as necessary to plan upcoming outings.