NSCF COMMITTEE STATUS REPORTS
Committee Reports
January – March 2017 www.skifederation.org
PRESIDENT Lisa Beregi, President Arizona Ski Council I hope you have had a safe and successful ski season! For those of you Bay Area SnowSports Council that haven’t had enough, a great winter out west still has many resorts Blue Ridge Ski Council open and in great shape for those “last runs”. Central Council of California
It was great to see several of you at MTS in Banff. It is always a good Chicago Metropolitan Ski Council opportunity to share some runs with Federation friends and touch base Cleveland Metropolitan Ski Council mid‐year. For those of you that were there, you know what a good Connecticut Ski Council networking experience MTS is. What I found most interesting was how Crescent Ski Council many clubs I interacted with that wanted to know the benefits of belonging to a council. So our work is cut out for us to reach out to clubs Eastern Inter-Club Ski League in our areas that do not belong to a council and share with them the Eastern Pennsylvania Ski Council added benefit of belonging to a council. Far West Ski Association
Flatland Ski Association Unfortunately, I was disappointed to hear of clubs in our member councils that are disappointed in the communication they get from their Florida Ski Council councils. They didn’t know some of the simple things that we should be Intermountain Ski Council sharing with our councils: website, trip listings, and benefits that are Los Angeles Council of Ski Clubs there for them to utilize just for a few. Please take our meeting Metropolitan Detroit Ski Council presentations, quarterly updates and monthly Newsbeat and share with your clubs at your council meetings. It seems every year one of our big Metropolitan Milwaukee Ski Council difficulties is the trickledown effect of information. It is our responsibility Metropolitan New York Ski Council to provide what we get to our clubs and theirs to share with their Midwest Sport/Ski Council members. National Brotherhood of Skiers
We are planning for our upcoming meeting at Sun Peaks in September. New Jersey Ski & Snowboard Council The Agenda Committee is working hard with both Federation members New York Capital District Ski Council and Industry to put together a schedule you will enjoy and learn from. Northwest Ski Club Council The meeting planning committee is in the process of getting the costs Ohio Valley Ski Council together for the meeting and plan to have the registration online by mid‐ May. This will give you two months to register. Orange Council of Ski Clubs San Diego Council of Ski Clubs
Check out the attached “save the date” flyer. Do note that the schedule Sierra Ski Council will be similar to last year. Plan to arrive on Wednesday, September 6th Texas Ski Council as our business meeting will be Thursday morning. Council topics will be scheduled for Thursday afternoon, leaving Friday as in the past as our Western Pennsylvania Ski Council Industry shared topic day. Saturday will be our host resort’s day to show us around. Knowing that many will be travelling some distance, Saturday’s events will end around 3pm so you can leave if needed to fly out Sunday. Please keep in mind that when you register, you will need to let us know if you will be leaving Saturday so the resort can free up unneeded rooms they are holding for us during their busy summer season. Please let Cheryl Mann know if you have any agenda topics and let me know if you have any questions regarding the overall schedule and travel.
Are you or your clubs taking advantage of the Federation Benefits? Remember to go look often at what is there and what is new.
It is an election year, so please start sending Joe Harvis names (including yourself) of nominees for our elected positions.
Juli Brace has included proposed Bylaws changes for your review in advance. If you have any comments, suggestions or other proposed changes please send them to her.
Michelle Moskowitz has stepped down from the Eastern Region Rep and Website. She has recommended Joe Harvis to take over the Website, and he has agreed. He is looking for volunteers to help with keeping the site current, as well as some tech savvy folks. Please ask members in your council to get involved and help. Margaret Crum will be the new Eastern Region Rep, so expect to hear from her soon on the east coast.
At the Annual Meeting last September, you agreed that a cost associated with the meeting was acceptable if necessary. The suggestion was also made that this could open up the possibility of a council hosting our meeting. Michelle Moskowitz will be researching the feasibility of this idea. Please help her if she reaches out to you for thoughts, suggestions and information about your council meetings.
It is election time for many councils. Please send us your updated Presidents information for the roster including their name, email and postal addresses, home, work, cell and fax numbers.
Lastly, I will be sending out an email after this Update goes out with several questions. Please be looking for it and respond as some questions will be needed information for the Federation and a preliminary head count for planning the Sun Peaks meeting. Thanks in advance for your help!
I look forward to seeing all of you in September!
VICE‐PRESIDENT William Shadbolt, Vice President Please refer to the RFP and Long Term Planning Report for details pertaining to those committees.
SECRETARY Jane Gutierrez, Secretary Last December, I took on a new and expanded position at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. I went through a rigorous training period, and began my new position in March of this year. Because of the new demands of my job, I will not be able to move forward as secretary of the National Ski Council Federation. I hope that in the future I will discover another way to contribute some time to the organization without impeding on the commitment to my profession. If any of you know of someone who is interested in the position, please let Joe or I know and we will be able to give a summary of what’s expected.
I truly appreciate the prompt submissions to this Quarterly Update. Looking forward to seeing you all at the convention in September!
The membership roster is attached. Please review it and let us know of any changes in your contact information including name, email and postal addresses, home, work, cell and fax numbers.
TREASURER Cheryl Mann, Treasurer Clubs were invoiced for dues and we have received 22 of the 29 councils to date. Requested assistance from Exec committee in obtaining dues from the remainder of the clubs. The bank balance as of 4/11/2017 is $15,333.35.
Need to follow up with IRS to see if our fiscal year issue was remedied. The IRS admitted a data entry error changing our fiscal year to year end instead of as requested.
COMMITTEES AGENDA Cheryl Mann Discussed potential agenda topics at the Texas Ski Council Bid Fest with vendors. Lisa Beregi did the same thing at MTS for the committee.
Need to contact regional representatives and industry representatives to begin an active preparation of the agenda. The current agenda plan is to have a lengthy session on planning a trip where the vendors would address each step of the process and the councils would do the same. The thinking is to have a “transparent” bid preparation.
AUDIT Susan Donlan There is nothing to report now since work on the audit committee won’t begin until spring. I am available for any further discussion regarding the recommendations stated in the Financial Records Review presented at our last Federation Meeting.
BENEFITS Joe Harvis Please visit our website at www.skifederation.com for information about all our special member benefits. We have fabulous products and offers so check them out.
We ae finalizing a new Travel Insurance provider with International Medical Group through their iTravelInsured group. Once finalized the offer will be posted to the website. Check for details soon.
We are currently working with a new provider of Goggles with interchangeable lens’ and straps. The straps can have your club or council logo included. Stay tuned.
We are actively pursuing additional vendors to add to our nationwide program. If you or any of your members have any suggestions to make the site better, or can recommend any new providers, we will be glad to pursue them. Please send us any suggestions and contacts as they are always welcome.
In addition, please continue to send NSCF benefit offers to your council and your club members. We have worked hard to bring you these benefits, so let’s use them! Why not add links to the attached list on your club and council websites if you haven’t already done so? How about listing these benefits in your newsletters and announce them at meetings?
Please help us to make our offerings known to all our members. Get the word out often.
As always, if you know of a product/vendor we should pursue, please notify us at [email protected].
BYLAWS Juli Brace Attached separately are the Bylaws including changes that were proposed at the August 2016 meeting. Please review them for discussion and final vote at the next meeting.
Below is the text of the proposed new policy, Removal from Office, to be discussed at the next meeting. Comments are welcomed of course before then.
Removal from Office An Officer, Chairperson or Delegate may be removed from his or her office/position by the NSCF Board for failing to fulfill his or her duties, or for other just cause.
Any NSCF Officer, Chairperson or Delegate may initiate the removal proceedings by delivering a written or emailed request, specifying the grounds asserted for removal to 2 (two) of the 4 (four) elected Board Members of the NSCF.
The NSCF Board shall read the request for removal, consider the charges, and, if there is an affirmative vote for removal, the Vice President or Secretary will send out the request to all voting members.
Removal of said person shall require a 3/4 vote of the constituent council representative membership.
Any comments or changes to the standing rules or bylaws should be sent to Juli at [email protected].
INTERNATIONAL Michael Calderone Was just at MTS. Working on getting contacts and gauge interest in hosting NSCF. Will be sending out emails shortly and see what response we will get.
LONG TERM PLANNING William Shadbolt We will use the planning survey results to start to develop a plan to move forward to sustain the NSCF into the future. We need further ideas and discussion. If you are interested in working with the committee, please contact me at [email protected].
MEMBERSHIP Lydia Hill The committee will be convening shortly to put the finishing touches on our Associate Membership program and work toward signing up our industry partners as associate members.
NOMINATING Joe Harvis We’re getting closer to our annual meeting and with that our elections. It time to starting thinking about who you want to lead us for the next two years. Nominations are open for all 4 officer positions, President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. Please send your nomination requests to [email protected].
PUBLIC AFFAIRS Jo Simpson Newsbeat. Regularly sending out the “NSCF Newsbeat.” Newsbeat is published monthly with occasional issues covering two months. Contributions are welcome.
On the Political Front. Ski areas are greatly concerned about the effect that the warming of the planet will affect their operations in the future.
The NSAA Journal reports that a group of senior Republicans has released a proposal for a revenue‐neutral carbon tax. The group, led by former Secretary of State James A. Baker III, with former Secretary of State George P. Shultz and Henry M. Paulson Jr., a former secretary of the Treasury, worked together under the Climate Leadership Council.
The Council’s plan, the Conservative Case for Carbon Dividends, calls for a carbon tax starting at $40 per ton of carbon dioxide produced with the rate scheduled to rise over time. All of the revenue would be returned to households as a quarterly dividend, and border adjustment tariffs would be applied to carbon‐intensive imports from countries lacking an equivalent carbon‐pricing mechanism.
Mr. Baker was quoted in the New York Times as saying that it was time for the Republican Party to engage in the discussion of global warming beyond simple denial. He said that, like many Republicans, he was skeptical that human activity was the main cause of warming, but that the stakes were too high for inaction. “I don’t accept the idea that it’s all man made,” he said, “but I do accept that the risks are sufficiently great that we need to have an insurance policy.”
For more information, visit www.clcouncil.org.
REGION REPS EASTERN Michelle Moskowitz We held a conference call in February with minimal participation from the Eastern Councils. We discussed a few ideas for topics for the annual meeting. Margaret Crum will be taking over as the Eastern Region Rep.
CENTRAL Ray Piwowarczyk Met with most of the Central councils at MTS last week. No major problems to report. Councils and clubs in the Federation with only a few exceptions are having the same problem everyone is having with millennials not joining clubs. One exception, that seems to work in Chicago, has their meetings at modern sport bars or chain restaurants and stopped requiring membership on Midwest value trips.
WESTERN Gloria Raminha The Presidents of the Western Region met Friday, April 7th, 2017 in Sacramento, CA. With a record snow year in the mountains this year, all Councils have been very this ski season. Additionally, more of the Councils along with FWSA have extended their travel programs by adding more adventure (non‐ski) trips. The FWSA website is www.fwsa.org where information about the organization can be found along with the FWSA travel calendar for the next two to three years out.
RESOURCE CENTER Joe Harvis Pending development on new Website.
RFP William Shadbolt Joe Harvis assisted with creating a RFP request letter to the industry. We are looking for hosts for both 2018 and 2019. The RFP request went out to the industry on April 10th.
SOCIAL MEDIA Pat Harvey We passed our goal of 500 likes for the NSCF Facebook Page and are now up to 519. Breakdown of our fans is 51% women and 48% men and the average age range is 55‐64. The Page’s fans come from 19 countries in addition to the US and live in 20 States and D.C.
I am working with Sophia Stampley at Jane Gutierrez's request on setting up Instagram for NSCF. We are also working with Joe Harvis to set up an email address, [email protected]. Members of the Social Media Committee will be added to this email group. This will be a central email address for the Committee. I am working on getting NSCF up and running on Twitter and will be coordinating with all who expressed interest in assisting in the Social Media areas.
VIRTUAL SILENT AUCTION Michael Calderone Will have the donation request letter done this week. Will be sending out requests by mail and email by the end of the month. The Auction site has a 6‐month window on which it will be up, so I am waiting to set it up.
WEBSITE Joe Harvis
Now that the ski season is over and spring has arrived it is trip planning time for next season. Please encourage your clubs to update the activities database on the NSCF website with all their trips and other club events.
Michelle has decided to take a step back and work on another NSCF project. We wish her well in her new task and thank her for her dedication and contributions to the website. As the new chair of the committee, I would like to ask your help in recruiting some new people from your councils. We could use a few new people, including some that have a technology background.
We are continuing to update the site with new posts on a regular basis, both items of interest as well as videos. Please check the site often. We are also continuing pursuit of sending updates out whenever there is an update to the site. We have been having difficulty getting this to work but we continue to work on a resolution.
Earlier this year Joe sent out the code to allow Federation Councils and Member Clubs to display their Clubs’ trips that have been entered into the database—ON THEIR OWN WEBSITE. This was sent to Lisa (Crescent Council) as an initial test which was successful. It was also demoed to some New Jersey council clubs as well. It is available to all at the asking. He will customize it for each council and club.
This is a key benefit. Each Council should encourage their clubs to enter their trips into the database and request the customize code for their club or council. Contact Joe ([email protected]) with to request your customized search code.
NEWS FROM THE COUNCILS CONNECTICUT The Connecticut Ski Council (CSC) has enjoyed a wonderful Winter Season! We kicked things off with our annual fundraiser and dance at the Windsor, CT., Marriott in November, with over 500 in attendance. In January, we hosted nearly 100 children and young adults at the Mt Southington, Ct. ski area with a 'Kids Learn to Ski day'. The council provided lessons, a lift ticket nd an 'after school' pizza party. 10 of our Clubs competed in our 10 week 'Monday Night Racing' competition ‐ again at Mt Southington. We capped the season with the annual "On Snow' three day ski competition and dinner dance at Loon Mountain in New Hampshire. During the season, the 30,000 individuals in our 43 Member Clubs were abler to use their current CSC stickers to gain great discounts at our participating Vermont and New Hampshire mountain resorts, as well as the advance Ski Voucher sales that were available to all. In sum, a great time and lots of Winter FUN for all!!!
EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA SKI COUNCIL 2018 National Inter Club Winter Carnival in Breckenridge, Colorado, January 26 ‐ February 3, 2018
This first‐time event is less than a year away and space is getting limited. With the 2017 MTS behind us, interest is intense and many clubs from around the country have put this trip on their radar. It began as a dream, then a suggestion to the resort rep five years ago and here we are waiting for it to happen. There are a maximum of 800 spots available. So far 644 have been requested leaving only 156 open for interested clubs. The event has been coordinated by the Eastern Pennsylvania Ski Council and is open to any ski clubs in the United States.
Breckenridge is well known for the town’s mining history and Victorian buildings. Main Street is lined with diverse shops, restaurants to satisfy any pallet and bars to dance the night away. The town’s annual International Ice Sculpting Festival is being held during the week. Teams from around the world use their talent to create intricate designs from 10‐foot square blocks of ice. For your skiing and riding pleasure, Breckenridge, Keystone, Vail and Arapahoe Basin are included in the lift ticket. There will also be several Carnival events throughout the week, including a themed banquet which will be a highlight of the week. Simple to ornate costumes will be judged by the resort reps with prizes awarded to the best dressed! The Carnival package includes lots of other on‐mountain and après‐ski events including a fun Carnival race.
Sign up now! You don’t want your members asking you why your club didn’t attend, when they hear how much fun their friends had during this event. Contact Dave Schoneker at [email protected] or Bob Smith at [email protected] for all the details and how to get your club on board. You can also get lots of information at our website: www.interclubwintercarnival.com
FAR WEST Intermountain Ski Council and Bogus Basin Ski Club are hosting the 85th Annual FWSA Convention June 7‐11, 2017. All NSCF members are invited to join us for our first convention in Boise, Idaho. If you have never been to Boise, this is your opportunity to have a truly exciting and unique experience.
Optional activities begin on Weds, a day earlier than prior years, with A Taste of Idaho – a visit to a luxury hot springs in Idaho City followed by a dutch oven dinner. Thu‐Fri activities include Rafting on the Payette River, Wine Wobble & Pub Crawl, Golf Tournament, day at Bogus Basin Resort, Bike Tour of Boise Greenbelt and Nature Center, and a Fountain Party in The Grove Plaza. The Friday evening Silent Auction at the Boise Centre is free and open to the public. Attendees can bid on more than $85,000 in ski and travel packages, most packages going for much less than their actual value.
The FWSA Snowsports Leadership Academy will hold three seminars, two on smart management of ski clubs and one on taking care of your equipment. Public Affairs panels will cover topics related to climate change, forest management, ski area development, Snowsports legislation, ski history, safety and insurance.
Our keynote speaker and special guest is Charlie Linville, a Boise native, who became the first military amputee to summit Mount Everest in 2016. Other special guests include US Olympians, members of the US Ski and Snowboard Team, and athletes from Women’s Ski Jumping USA.
The Saturday evening Awards Banquet will recognize outstanding volunteers, industry members and recipients of the 2017 FWSA Snowsports Builder Awards. A live band and dancing will follow the dinner. For all the details about the 2017 FWSA Convention go to: http://www.fwsa.org/
INTERMOUNTAIN Live from Boise, Idaho it is Far West Convention time! As we near the June 7‐11 dates I can’t help to remember the beginnings of this journey. I attended my first FWSA convention in Bellevue, WA in 2008. I made mental notes on all the activities and components of the convention. Every year after, I watched as the leadership made changes to enhance and improve upon each convention. My passion grew as I envisioned hosting it in a recreationalist heaven, Boise, Idaho.
So much to do and so little time but we have planned a 4‐day happening that you will never forget. If it is excitement, you’ll have on our river rafting day on the Payette River. If it is relaxing, you’ll enjoy it Friday on our beautiful Green Belt ride with wine tasting and lunch. Or soaking in a mountain hot springs, Wednesday (if you can make it in early.) Our Day on the Mountain will be enjoyable and refreshing; so much to see and do. You’ll find the BoISe truly is a Hidden Gem.
The Intermountain Ski Council extends through 4 states and has 10 different clubs. We are spread out and have pride in our own areas. Our clubs are very district in character. We have delegates coming from most clubs in the council, some for the first time. The excitement is spreading.
I want to invite all of you to come and experience a wonderful time in our community that is welcoming and eager to show it off to you. I think you will feel at home when you arrive. The people at the Grove Hotel are truly gracious with their hospitality. I suggest you call and make a reservation today (888‐961‐5000). Go to the FWSA.org web site and check out everything about BoISe.
NEWS FROM THE INDUSTRY SPORTS AMERICA Mike Hibbard What's new is Sports America has nothing to do in the summer. Where we live is a pretty special place. Ski clubs and even councils are looking for opportunities in the summer. I have attached a flier you can send out. OR you can take the full version of what people can do in the area with the below. I have attached some photos. Photo 35 was taken about 6 am the other morning facing east and #28 was the same spot, but looking west. In #28 that is not smoke, but a little mist rising off the vineyard.
Historically, Sports America Tours is known for coordinating and implementing large scale ski trips all throughout North America. Our company is based out of an office in Santa Rosa, California. We have decided to expand our horizons and begin exploring closer to home. We want to take our experience and expertise coordinating events and help people explore the lovely place that we call home. Sixty‐thousand acres of vineyards and 424 wineries such as Francis Ford Coppola, KJ, Jordan, Korbel, Ferrari Carano is just the start. Sonoma County reaches far beyond wineries and offers a whole host of beautiful sights and fun adventures. Sonoma County is also #6 in the nation for craft breweries. Lagunitas, Hop Monk, Bear Republic and Russian River are just a few of the favorites. For the outdoor enthusiast, spend an afternoon canoeing down the Russian River, or engage in a round of golf next to the Pacific Ocean or on one of our inland courses and enjoy a hike through some of our 70 state and regional parks. Other places to explore include the Safari West, a 400‐ acre wildlife preserve, or visit old growth redwood groves where trees are 1,600 years old and as tall as a football field is long. You can also zipline through and above these redwood forests or spend a day on the coast visiting oyster farms followed by lunch on Bodega Bay. We also offer whale watching (seasonal), and Biking Magazine rated Dry Creek Valley as world class and one of the top seven most beautiful locations in the world. To top it off, one of the best assets of Sonoma County is the weather. We have many micro climates where the weather can be quite different between valleys, but the average summer time high temperature is 80‐82 degrees, average rainfall is no more than 0.2 inches a month, and the relative humidity is about 37%. Sonoma is so different and the best!
STOWE Shawn Owens BROOMFIELD, Colo.—Feb. 21, 2017—Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN) today announced that on Feb. 17, 2017, it entered an agreement to acquire Stowe Mountain Resort from Mt. Mansfield Company, Inc. (MMC), a wholly owned subsidiary of American International Group, Inc. (AIG), for a purchase price of $50 million, subject to certain adjustments. Stowe Mountain Resort will be Vail Resorts’ first mountain resort on the East Coast and complements the Company’s network of 10 world‐class mountain resorts and three urban ski areas.
This acquisition brings together Vail Resorts, the world’s leading mountain resort operator, with AIG Global Real Estate (AIGGRE), a best‐in‐class real estate developer, who share a common vision for the long‐term success of Stowe Mountain Resort as the premier, high‐end resort for skiers and snowboarders on the East Coast. Vail Resorts is acquiring all of the assets related to the mountain operations of the resort, including base area skier services (food and beverage, retail and rental, lift ticket offices and ski and snowboard school facilities) at Mount Mansfield and Spruce Peak. Other facilities such as the Stowe Mountain Lodge, Stowe Mountain Club, Stowe Country Club and certain real estate owned and held for potential future development will be retained by MMC.
“We’re thrilled to add Stowe Mountain Resort to our family of world‐class mountain resorts. With the investments in both mountain infrastructure and base area facilities that AIG has made over the years, Stowe Mountain Resort has become the premier, high‐end resort for East Coast skiers and snowboarders. We look forward to working with AIG to continue enhancing the guest experience and to ensure the resort’s long‐term success,” said Rob Katz, chairman and chief executive officer of Vail Resorts.
Stowe Mountain Resort in Stowe, Vt., has a long history of providing outstanding hospitality and adventure for its guests and has reinforced its internationally respected brand with world‐class improvements both on and off the mountain. The resort’s newest facilities and improvements include the Spruce Peak Adventure Center, the new Meadows Quad on Spruce Peak, Evolution Stowe’s RFID tickets, passes and gates and the new Shops at Spruce Peak. Spruce Peak also has new high‐speed lifts, new base facilities and gourmet restaurants. MMC will retain ownership of the renowned Stowe Mountain Lodge at Stowe Mountain Resort, a 312‐room hotel and spa that has already been recognized as one of the greenest and most luxurious mountainside hotels in the world, and additional slopeside real estate opportunities.
Operations at the resort for the remainder of the 2016‐17 ski season will continue in the ordinary course as will future summer and winter seasonal hiring. Vail Resorts will be retaining the vast majority of the resort’s year‐round staff. Vail Resorts looks forward to integrating Stowe Mountain Resort into its Epic Pass and other season pass products for the 2017‐18 winter season, subject to the acquisition closing. With the Epic Pass, Vermont skiers and snowboarders will have unlimited access locally at Stowe at an attractive price as well as the best of the West at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in Tahoe; and Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada.
TELLURIDE Ryan Dohnal Telluride thanks all of our ski club and council friends on a great season! We had over 315 inches of snow this season, and were happy to share it with many of you. Special thanks to Texas Ski Council and Cleveland Metro Ski Council for their great trips this year. The focus now turns to our summer operations and all the great activities available. Time to start thinking hiking, mountain biking, fly fishing, and jeep tours in Telluride!