Upclose and Personal - Norm Winn
 In this section of the newsletter we will be interviewing a different member of the either the Foundation Board, a grantee, or a donor. Today we are talking with Norm Winn, a Foundation board member since 1997. Norm has been a member of the Mountaineers since 1968, serving as a board member from 1973-1978 and 1985-1986; President from 1975-1977; Vice President from 1973-1974; Chair of the Conservation Division from 1978-1979, 1988-1990 and 1998-2001; and Mountaineers Books management board member in 1982. Norm has also been a leader outside the Mountaineers, serving terms as President of the Washington Wilderness Coalition, the Washington Environmental Political Action Committee, and the Washington Environmental Alliance for Voter Education; a board member of Olympic Park Associates and Mount Rainier Park Associates; and as an active member of the Sierra Club and numerous other groups.
Norm, tell me about some of your experiences with the Mountaineers and the Mountaineers Foundation?
I've been deeply involved in both the activities and conservation divisions of the Club for many years.
I took the Basic Climbing class in 1968 and completed the Intermediate Climbing class with my wife five years later. I then led Basic and Intermediate climbs for 25 years, including 14 successful summits of Mt Baker and a number of nine-day climbing outings to places like the Wind River and Teton Ranges in Wyoming, the Frank Church area of Idaho, and the Waddington, Bugaboo, and Selkirk Ranges in British Columbia. My climbing resume includes first ascents (four in the North Cascades, including a route on Mt. Agnes), along with climbs in Europe, South America and Africa. I'm also an avid sea kayaker.
At the Foundation, I've been enormously satisfied by the opportunity to serve on the Community Grant Screening Committee. I believe my years of environmental experience help the Committee as it sorts through the many deserving issues and groups represented in a typical pool of grant applicants and then makes the grants that will have the most significant impact. I've also enjoyed my service on the Planned Giving and Finance Committees.
Why do you continue to donate your money and time to the Mountaineers Foundation?
I believe deeply in the purpose of the Foundation.
I am particularly committed to the Community grants program, which funds environmental programs across the Northwest. This program is unique in so many ways. It funds groups doing important work that are often "under the radar" of other donors. In many instances, a grant from the Foundation for a small portion of a program's cost is a "stamp of approval" that the group can use to successfully raise additional funds from foundations that would not otherwise have considered a grant. The program also lends support to small environmental groups in states, like Idaho, Montana, and Alaska, where there has traditionally been less political and economic support for environmental issues. Finally, this program is a catalyst for projects where we live and most often play - the Puget Sound area.
I'm also amazed by the talent, commitment, passion, and diverse interests reflected in the Foundation's board. It's a great group of people and I'm proud to be a member.
Norm, what are some of the goals that you have for the Mountaineers Foundation?
As you might expect, I want the Foundation to continue to grow, particularly in terms of its community grant program, where it fills such a unique niche.
I want to thank you Norm for taking the time to share some of your thoughts with us today.
William "Bill" Lahr 1919-2008
We have recently been honored by a generous legacy gift from William "Bill" Lahr. Bill was born in California in 1919. He served in the armed forces, worked at Boeing, and was the lead art handler at the Seattle Art Museum from 1960 to 1984. Bill graduated from Queen Anne High School in 1937 and continued on to take classes at the University of Washington. Bill and his wife of 54 years, Dorothy, who passed away in 2000, were avid mountaineers and shared a mutual interest in trains and railways, volunteering for the West Coast Railway Association. Bill was a long time member of Seattle Mountain Rescue and the Mountaineers Club. Dorothy used to tell people that she "tied into Bill's rope and never let loose." The couple were long-time volunteers for the Mountaineers Players and the Kitsap Forest Theater. Dorothy was proficient at making costumes and Bill worked on sets and other "behind the scenes" projects.
Bill passed away on January 12, 2008. Our condolences and deep appreciation go out to the Lahr family and his many friends in the Mountaineers.
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