News and Views of the Far West Division, NSP; www.farwest.org, December, 2020 Volume Twelve, Issue 3 L a n c e D ues keep the NSP alive by funding - Mark your calendars: Vaughan, FWD OEC & education records, the many Jump to p. 21 to mark your Director member recognition items (plaques, NSP calendars for a host of “I should have Pins, National Appointments), the NSP clinics and events! made a left turn at office staff and support the educational Albuquerque, this training of our program leaders. Continually check out the FWD doesn't look like Patrol Reps - Please manage rosters web site, farwest.org, ….” Bugs Bunny and keep members on your roster as for updated calendar dates. repeated that theme many times in his active to ensure their service years career. If only a left turn at remain current and all member What’s Inside... Albuquerque would fix our current benefits remain active. Members Alumni program is focus, p. 22 2020 conditions and get us on a path sidelining this year can remain on your American River Bike Patrol, p. 9 towards…… normal. roster without increasing your admin Award nominations tips, p. 16 Yet, we can take a minute and duties, or you can move to temporary Big Bear pioneers training during celebrate the little normal things not patrolling. Please limit your Covid times, p. 26 between the big non-normal events. choices to just those two. Other labels Calendar of FWD Events, p. 21 This season offers challenges for all will impact years of service or access Certified program expands, p. 4 of us, the constant to Pro deals. China Peak Patrol, p. 6, 7, 8 onslaught of news is OEC refreshers Community service options, p. 21 almost all negative, a r e n e a r l y Covid-19 insights, p. 11 editors seem to completed across Election notification for FWD, p. 2 think bad news sells the Division via Events in the Far West, p. 21 better than good virtual tools, our FWD Officers, Staff; p. 28 news, I ready for a OEC candidate FWD Recognition Program theory test with classes are nearly rewards patrols, individuals, p. 16 positive news. A bit c o m p l e t e d . Instructor development, p. 25 o f b a l a n c e i s Complete the on- Mountain Travel & Rescue, p. 12 needed, go make line course, self- Newsletter editor sought, p. 4 some good news of e n r o l l i n t h e OEC program updates, p. 5 your own. Get your c o r r e c t O E C OET/“Transportation Nation”, p. 3 opening day skiing refresher course, Officers, Advisors of FWD, p. 28 and get on the and send your Patrols of the FWD, p. 27 “wave” that makes us all smile while certificate of completion to the Sea Otter Bike Classic, p. 10 zooming down the hill. instructor of record, asap. Sierra at Tahoe Hosts, p. 20 Instructors – Please check your NSP Sunrise Patrol, p. 13 Some important items for Patrols Reps education profile records for your Tri-Advisory celebrates 42nd and members, mixed with some Instructor Continue Education Clinic annual event, p. 14 observations: compliance. Each instructor shall Whitefish Mountain, Montana Members – please ensure you pay complete the Inst Dev continuing celebrates NSP alumni, p. 25 your National Dues ($60) via the email education course and any skills Women's Program, p. 15 and website before December 30, courses at least once each three years. Web site, Facebook for the Far 2020, this protects your membership, Two items are key: West Division, p. 21 service record, years of service, Pro 1) C o n t i n u e d e d u c a t i o n Lots more; see inside! Deals and OEC credential. National Instructor Development Please see Director, cont’d p .13 Addresses up-to-date? Is your mailing address and e- Far West Division address current with the National office? Remember, the FWD gets its Election Notification mailing lists and email lists directly from the National office in Denver. If 2021 - 2023 FAR WEST DIVISION you change your US mail or email — ELECTION NOTIFICATION address, to to your Member Profile to REGION DIRECTOR ELECTIONS change, and, notify your own patrol. Don't miss out on exciting future issues of FWD ‘News and Views’ and To reflect FWD By Law changes August 2020 other NSP publications! REGION DIRECTOR ELECTIONS: Per 2020 Summer Meeting FWD News and Views Bylaw changes News of the Far West Division, NSP Division Director, Lance Vaughan Be advised that Eastern Sierra and Southern California regions are due Asst. Dir., Nancy Stormswold for Region Director elections, in spring 2021. Positions are for June 1, Asst. Dir., Richard Wilson 2021 – May 31, 2023. Region directors may serve no more than 3 Arizona Dir., Andrew Youngblood Eastern Sierra Dir., Brian Haena consecutive 2-year terms. Mother Lode Dir., Amy Lindblom Northern Cal., Dave Brown Incumbents: Eastern Sierra – Brian Haena (completing his first term Professional Rep, Open position May 31, 2021) Southern California, Richard Roth Secretary, Janice Waits Southern California – Richard Roth incumbent Treasurer, Keith Dickens Per Bylaw changes - SoCA is up for Legal Advisor, Josh Masur reelection) Registrar, Ri Chan Alumni Advisor, Dr. Jim Margolis Awards Advisor, Bill Gibson Nominations are now open and will be accepted no later than February Avalanche Supervisor, Keith Church 1, 2021. Consult a region officer or your region's by-laws, officer's Certified Advisor, Dave Rhodes handbooks, and ski patrol manual for qualifications. Nominations are to be Community College Advisor, Steve submitted to the Division Election Chairperson, Janice Waits. Thorsted Conferences Advisor, Sonja Kively Instructor Devel. Super., Loretta O’Brien REGION ELECTION TIME LINE Mountain Travel, Rescue Supervisor, February 1, 2021 —Pronouncements of Candidacy and letters of Karl Chulski acceptance of candidacy due to Elections Chair/committee Nordic Supervisor, Wayne Wong April 5, 2021— Ballots sent out along with candidates' platform and Communications/Newsletter, Tim Viall statement Communications/Web, Rye May 3, 2021 — Date all ballots to be received/postmarked or if no Livingston other candidates see FWD Bylaws 5.4.2.1a — results announced Outdoor Emergency Care Supervisor, Sue Dennison Outdoor Emergency Transportation PLEASE FORWARD ALL NOMINATIONS, PLATFORMS AND/OR Supervisor, Daryl Whitcher ANNOUNCEMENTS TO: Recruitment/NorCal, vacant Recruitment/SoCal, Scott Goodman Email to: [email protected], Janice Waits, Election Chairperson, SAR Liaison, NorCal, vacant 1202 Rembrandt Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94087 SAR Liaison, SoCal, Kamran Padar Woman’s Program, Trudy Nye The FWD News and Views is published three times yearly, in September, December and February. Deadline is the end of the month prior to publication. Features, photos; send to Tim Viall, fwd- [email protected], or mail to 5854 Turtle Valley Drive, Stockton, CA 95207. FWD News and Views, December, 2020 Check the new FWD web site: www.farwest.org Page 2 The Sled Commander Decemburrr 2020 Transportation – the other requirement being attendance at an on-snow Workshop course for instructors – completion TRANSPORTATION NATION of the online Instructor Skills Review course alone will get you a one year Instructor recertification. If, during the All the fake news that's fit to print….. season, you also complete a discipline specific CE course (the Toboggan Trainers Workshop or Snowsports Trainer Well, here we go with the start to our first COVID ski Workshop course), then you will get a full 3 year renewal season! A few resorts up and down the Division have for your instructor certification. Easy peasy! already begun limited operations and all indications are that those restrictive operational parameters are already We are committed to making this season as simple as being stretched, bent, and broken – mostly by our skiing possible for you to continue as an NSP instructor. We all public. Stay tuned, stay loose, and be flexible as we wander have way too many distractions in our daily lives already, our way through what is sure to be an interesting year! and this COVID season will provide plenty of drama and distraction for all of us. Your FWD Team Transportation Effective Instructor Communication is will adhere to the KISS Principle to help us get us through vital. this year. Much of our pre-season instructor preparation has been If you have any questions modified due to CV-19 restrictions. Continuing education regarding your instructor courses, once face to face group encounters, have been recertification, please chat with Rob Maxim (Mother L o d e R e g i o n ) , D a v e Stromswold (Eastern Sierra Region), Darren Church (Southern CA Region), Andy Youngblood (Arizona Region), or Seok Joo Kim (Korea) to get answers - they are all great resources! Looking to the Future? Don't forget: The OET clinic instructor told Geoff to demo the The Nation's finest sled head laboratory toboggan. Hutch thought that meant demolish it….. Nuts & Bolts – Timberline, Mt. Hood, cancelled and yet we still have instructors whose Oregon certifications are set to expire December 31, 2020. No Hosted by the Wy'East Region of the Pacific worries; your Region OET Administrators are busy Northwest Division working with the instructor corps to make sure that we Palmer Glacier, Timberline June 5, 6, 7, 2021 allow a positive path forward. Of course, you can always contact me at any time as To those of you Transportation Instructors who may not well! Thanks for all that you do for the National Ski have a Continuing Education class already in your Patrol. Stay safe, be careful, and have fun! Patroller Profile on NSP.org, you can take the online Instructor Skills Review course! Click on the Online – Daryl Whitcher, OET Supervisor Learning button, and then follow the path to the Instructor Skills Review course for Continuing Education.