KARL NAGY Memorial Award - The Alpine Club of Canada

The Alpine Club of Canada
and
The Association of Canadian Mountain Guides
KARL NAGY
Memorial Award
2007 KARL NAGY MEMORIAL AWARD
INFORMATION AND
APPLICATION PACKAGE
DEADLINE: JANUARY 31, 2007
If your application is not fully completed it will be returned for completion
to ensure our volunteer committee can properly assess all applications.
Please note the Selection Committee strongly prefers receiving
applications in electronic format. You can access and submit an
application by going to the ACC website (www.AlpineClubofCanada.ca) and
following the links or by sending all required information to
adventures@AlpineClubofCanada.ca

BACKGROUND
The Karl Nagy Memorial Award was established in 2001 to assist aspiring
amateur leaders and guides in the development of their leadership and people
skills. Until his death in 2000, Karl set an outstanding example as a mentor in the
mountains and was well known for his leadership, safety and success. Karl was
admired and loved for his exuberant attitude in the mountain environment that he
played and worked in.
Karl Nagy was born in Winnipeg in 1963 and moved to Calgary when he was a
teenager. He attended Forest Lawn High School in Calgary, and then the
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton.
In the late 70’s, while living in Edmonton, Karl became a member of the
Northwest Mountaineering Club and discovered what was to become one of his
biggest passions in life, the mountains. NAIT completed, Karl moved to Calgary
to begin a career as a Denturist. Karl was an avid student in every aspect of
climbing and quickly excelled at it. He soon became a top climber in the area,
particularly as a leading ice climber in the Calgary-Banff climbing community. He
became an active member of the Calgary Section of The Alpine Club of Canada
in 1984. He was a member and Chairperson of the Climbing Committee, and
Associate Editor of the Section newsletter, “The Chinook”. During this time Karl
led and participated in countless trips and camps with the Calgary Section.
The draw of the mountains soon won over a dental career and in the late 80’s
Karl found himself working on his guide’s exams. Karl was one of only a few
guides to pass all four exams on his first attempt. He soon became one of the top
full guides in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Karl guided in Canada, United
States, Europe, South America and the Himalayas. He worked in the heli-ski
industry for Canadian Mountain Holidays. Karl became a highly respected mentor
and instructor with the ACMG Training and Certification Program.
After Karl became a guide he continued his relationship with The Alpine Club of
Canada, teaching courses both at the National and Section levels. The early 90’s
saw Karl working at The Alpine Club of Canada’s General Mountaineering
Camps. He became very fond of the GMCs and was soon a regular.
Besides being a very fit and an extremely able climber, Karl’s real strength was in
his ability to make the climbing seem secondary to enjoying a day in the
mountains. Karl’s people skills were exemplary and his enthusiasm was
contagious - he simply loved being in the mountains.
Karl was killed in a tragic climbing accident on Mount Little in the Canadian
Rockies while he was examining assistant alpine guides in August of 2000. The
Karl Nagy Memorial Award was initiated by the ACMG and the ACC to inspire
future ACC amateur leaders and aspiring guides entered in the ACMG training
program.

AWARD DETAILS
This award is intended to provide an opportunity to ACMG candidates and/or
ACC aspiring amateur leaders to develop their leadership skills and abilities
within the ACC General Mountaineering Camp (GMC) environment. All
applicants must be current members of the Alpine Club of Canada. In the years
designated for aspiring guides, applicants must also have passed one or more of
the following exams: assistant rock guide, assistant alpine guide or assistant ski
guide.
The Karl Nagy Memorial Award Selection Committee will select one applicant to
attend a week of the GMC to observe and assist current guides and amateur
leaders. While there is no monetary value to the award, the recipient will gain
invaluable and unique leadership experience. ACC amateur leaders and ACMG
candidates will be given priority in alternating years. The year 2007 is set for an
aspiring guide.
Proceeds from the ACC’s annual Mountain Guides' Ball provide the funding
required to send the Karl Nagy Memorial Award recipient to the GMC each year.
SELECTION CRITERIA**
Preference will be given to applications that most closely fit the following criteria:
1. Show a previous history of volunteering for some type of ACC activity.
2. Demonstrate a high level of commitment and dedication to Canadian
mountaineering. (Examples of this are: putting up new routes, furthering
our international reputation through accomplishments of Canadians in the
climbing world, etc.)
3. Communicate a genuine love of and joy from being in the mountains.
4. Indicate a plan to actively pursue an ACMG guiding career and/or leading
ACC Section or National trips.
** Please note that it is recognized that not all applicants will be able to satisfy
every criteria. The Selection Committee wishes to encourage all applicants to
describe their suitability to the best of their ability.
ANNUAL PROCESS AND TIMING
The following are the steps involved in the grant application/selection process
each year:
- Notice inviting applications: Fall and Winter issues of the national ACC
newsletter, The Gazette, ACMG newsletters and other mediums as
appropriate.
- Application receipt deadline: Applications must be received no later
than January 31st at the ACC National Office. Electronic applications
preferred.
- Review of applications by the Selection Committee: February
- Announcement of successful applicant: mid March

APPLICANT INFORMATION
1.Contact Info:
APPLICATION FORM FOR THE
KARL NAGY MEMORIAL AWARD
Please submit this application electronically to:
adventures@AlpineClubofCanada.ca
Name
Age
ACC Membership Number
Email Address
Mailing Address
Phone
2. Describe your climbing, skiing and mountaineering background (please include
details of any contributions that you have made to Canadian mountaineering).
3. Describe your involvement with the ACC and/or ACMG to date (please
include details of any volunteering you have done).
4. Why are you applying for this award
5. What are your future outdoors goals
6. What are your future career goals
7. How will this opportunity assist in meeting your future outdoor/career goals
8. Do you have any other related information you would like to provide to the
selection committee
9. Please provide two letters recommending you for this award.
TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, ALL INFORMATION IN THIS
APPLICATION IS ACCURATE.
Name:
Date: