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A Social Club For Snow Skiers and Sports Enthusiasts
Contents
- May Meeting
- Two TSC Adventures: Durango and Alyeska
- No Longer Purgatory, Durango's Heaven!
- "The Last Frontier" Austin Goes Alaska
- "Whistling" at All That Canadian Snow!
- Austin Skiers' Summer 2002 South Seas Trip!
- Important Business Items Here Please Read!
- Nominees for the 2002-2003 Executive Committee
- FROM the TOP - NOTES from the PRESIDENT
- March Door Prize Winners
- From the Editor...
- OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
- Information
Date and time: Tuesday, May 14, 2002, 7 - 9 P.M.
Location: Holiday Inn Northwest
8901 Business Park Drive (Mopac & 183)
343-0888
Annual members only business meeting! (no guests)
by Carter Rowles, Trip Chair
Durango has changed its name, and the Austin Skiers found out just how heavenly it was! We set out on February 9 for our adventure on this Texas Ski Council (TSC) Winter Shootout, and things were pretty smooth. Even Bob Sharpe found the going easy once he finally arrived back at the airport after racing home to retrieve his forgotten ID. Everyone spent the first day in Durango becoming familiar with this Western-flavored town, their roommates, and the classy Strater Hotel (built in 1887). Greg Freeman took a break from college and joined his family of Bryan and Holly Ice as the group met at the Strater to join the rest of the TSC for the Welcome Party. Race Director Lou Horwitz (who else?) briefed the troupe on the upcoming races, and the next day we all hit the slopes; well, some of us "hit" more than others as Sterling Carroll and Lou collided on one of the runs - fortunately everyone was fine. Chuck and Janice Tysor saw skiing in a whole new light as they brought young daughter Ashley. And the bottom of the hill found Mark Bachelor, Becky Beechinor, and a few others in their regular posts enjoying the sun, music, sights, and "beverages" every day. Brian and Shannon Kruse enjoyed their first Club trip, and Brain particularly loved the rolling hills, and in his words, "rolling down the hills." They said they'll see us again on a future trip! Sue Sharpe conquered her fear of racing and now has assured us that after a few clinics she'll be "going for the bronze" in a future TSC race.
After a few days of the white stuff, many took a midweek break and headed for other activities. One popular choice was the famous Durango-Silverton narrow gauge railroad this remaining piece of a once interstate route is a National Monument, offering breathtaking views through the Colorado high peaks to the historic mining town of Silverton. Jon Martin, Meg Mallon, and Bob and Sue Sharpe took in all the incredible experiences on the train. Hank Miller and Scott Cates decided to snowmobile up into the wilderness toward Wolf Creek. And midweek also saw the arrival of the short trip small group, led by Wendy Buck. Welcome, short-timers! Besides the main group, John and Valerie Serocki came from the other direction, Del Mar, California. New skiers Sandi Tolces and Kara Thompson progressed well and reported thorough enjoyment for their first Club trip. They were initiated into the Club by being forced to race from one end of DFW airport to the other in order to make the connection to Durango. All the while Sandi was wanting to stop to use the bathroom. Only after boarding the plane was she able to use the facilities! Kara and Sandi both passed initiation with flying colors! In fact, they fit right in with our group and kept us in stitches the rest of the trip. The short trip's first afternoon in Durango was spent eating and shopping. By the time some had emerged from Lady Falconburg's for lunch, Sandi had a menu item named after her! We called it "The Sandi". And evenings found the Strater Office occupied by the likes of Kevin Collins, Wendy Buck, Bob Stemper, and others enjoying a game of Klackers or trying to figure out who the writer was of the mysterious secret notes. Other night owls enjoyed the grilled Bison Brats at the Carvers restaurant, and great jazz at a local club.
Thursday was race day, which turned appropriately snowy and cold, and as usual the Austin Skiers were up to the task. Lou Horwitz innocently offered to give Wendy, Sandi, and Kara a ride to the mountain. Little did he know that he would be waiting for them every morning to get themselves together and climb into his truck for our daily ride to the slopes! He was regaled each morning with Kara's antics at the hotel the night before. After calling the front desk repeatedly for such items as towels, a hairdryer, towels, toilet paper, more towels, a towel rack, blankets, and towels, I'm sure the staff were somewhat relieved to see her depart on Sunday morning! And on the mountain, the racing was fast and furious. The fourth gate challenged Jana Moore as she crashed beautifully, with no serious injuries but some extended recovery time. Sandi had never raced before (boy did she pick the wrong trip!) but after some prodding by Carter, Lou, Wendy, and Dale she agreed to give the Club race a try! Although she didn't medal on race day, she tried the NASTAR course over and over on Friday, and even talked the guy in the race shack into giving her a silver medal - and deservedly so! Speaking of medals, they came a-plenty- winning Club race golds were Dale Young, Lou Horwitz, Lee Walker and Carter Rowles; silvers went to Bryan Ice, Sterling Carroll, and Rainer Vanoni; bronze winners were Chuck Tysor, Wendy Buck, Jenny Peterman, and Bob Stemper. And Lee Walker continued his usual dominance in the Individual races by winning the Super Senior Mens' Gold (by a mile, it should be noted!), while Dale Young won (again as usual) the Mens' Senior Gold, Lou Horwitz won Gold in the Men's Open, and Wendy Buck Silver in the Womens' Open! We even had two "almosts" as Carter Rowles placed 4th in the Senior Mens' and Rainer Vanoni 4th in the Super Senior Men's. In addition, Holly Ice, Scott Cates, Brian Kruse, Bob Sharpe, Mark Bachelor, Kevin Collins, Jon Martin, and Hank Miller successfully completed the course and earned points for the Club. Thanks to our racers, which was nearly all our group, for a great result Austin Skiers took FIRST PLACE overall, having 23 of our group participate and we coming away with 11 medals! We ended up with more than double the points of our nearest competitor!
The last few days of the trip were spent with more of the same, and were highlighted by the TSC Farewell Party on Friday. Probably the most challenging run during this time was trying to get 50 Austin Skiers on a 30-passenger bus ride back to the Strater. But after all was said and done, we thoroughly enjoyed the 2002 Winter Shootout Week. Speaking for the short trip, Wendy says "the short trip was just that, too short! We would love to have stayed a few more days to play, but on Sunday we headed home. It was a fabulous trip for skiing and making new friends. I know I can't wait till next year to do it all again!" And speaking for all, thanks go to Patrick Rothe and Meg Koch of Durango Mountain and Caryn Prater of the TSC for all their hard work, and to Wendy Buck for heading our short trip (and for contributing to this article). What a host of good-time memories we'll have for years to come!
by Cherilyn Hack, Trip Chair
Anchorage
On March 1, our intrepid group set off from Austin for the exciting (and long!) trip to Alaska as part of the TSC Final Showdown. Our mid-afternoon flight and nine hours of travel time ended with a 15 minute bus ride to the Captain Cook hotel in downtown Anchorage. Our check in went smoothly and everyone received their TSC pin, credentials, and room key. A short time later, many of us signed up for the long list of optional activities (breakfast buffet, cultural center, pub crawl, and of course Alyeska resort lift ticket vouchers. Jackie Bayly-Bryant chose flight seeing and the wild life cruise to round out her week. After a good night's sleep, many of us awoke for the exciting start of the internationally-famous Iditarod dog sled race. We talked with a number of mushers, hugged the dogs, and took lots of pictures while waiting for the 10 a.m. start. Some of us found the cold a bit too much, so we wandered down the street to join warmer crowds and watch the staggered two minute interval start of the racers. After that, people were on their own. Calvin Fujii, Peggy McConnell, Tim and Henri Atkinson went to the Alaskan Native Heritage Cultural Center and were able to buy jewelry and get their picture taken with the local artisans. Many people went shopping, while Denise Younger, Claire Osborn and Cherilyn Hack took a taxi to the Anchorage Zoo and to see a grizzly and polar bear that were raised together, Siberian tigers, and an Indian elephant. It was 42 degrees in Anchorage, and rumor had it that Del Rio was only 18 that day! Later, most of our group decided to dine at the Brewhouse, just down from the hotel. The food was excellent, and the desserts were yummy. Those not yet tired rode a bus to Chilkoot Charlie's, a collection of bars that Playboy ranked number one at a ski resort. With nine bars and three dance floors, this place had lots to offer, from Swing dancing to the Russian Room. After a late night, we made our way back to the Captain Cook, taking in too little sleep.
Alyeska Resort
Sunday, the Magic Bus Company ran buses all day long so people could go out to the Alyeska Resort whenever they wanted; many took in a full day of skiing, while others lingered in the hotel. With such a clear day, we were able to view Mt. McKinley from the 18th floor of the Captain Cook. That night, the TSC Welcome Party was held in the ballroom, with local eateries providing a taste of their wares, besides the several food stations serving reindeer sausage, cheese, fruit, etc. Raves were heard throughout the room about the brownies from the Aloha Café and the ice cream from the Ice Cream shop. Monday morning dawned with several problems arising at the hotel. Although full every weekend, the hotel wasn't used to 300 Texans all wanting to do the same thing at the same time. There was a long wait for breakfast, rentals and exchanging the vouchers for lift tickets. Fortunately, Sportours, the TSC representatives and the Alyeska Resort personnel met to resolve the issues that came up. By evening, most of these problems were resolved, and many people were impressed with the quick and effective response. That night, 18 Austin Skiers had reservations to dine at the Seven Glaciers Restaurant, a tram ride to the mountain top above the resort. We arrived just at sunset and had a spectacular view from our table. Crab legs were in season and offered as a special add-on to any of the meals on the menu. Our table tried everything from crab cakes to salmon bisque and venison to filet with crab legs. Several bottles of wine circled the table and much oohing and aahing could be heard over the desserts. It was a delightful way to end the day.
Throughout the week, people went off on their optional adventures. Dog sledding seemed the most popular after the Iditarod excitement. The wildlife cruise on Monday saw a whale besides the usual eagles, sea otters and sea lions. After the cruise, they were treated to a visit at the Alaskan Big Game wild life park where they saw a baby grizzly and porcupine. Snowmobiling proved the most dangerous option for the week, with different injuries reported each day from cracked ribs to broken collar bones. Thomas Thrams, Nancy Hawkins and Jeff Bachschmid were among the lucky few who took a 5 hour snowmobile ride to view glaciers and ice falls up close. Greg Bryant was the only one from our club to try heli-skiing and reported a day of 23,000 vertical on seven flights. Cherilyn Hack, Robin Braun, Cathy Scholl and Stacey Fenton were disappointed when their midweek Salmon fishing trip was canceled due to high winds. After a day of great skiing, lots of people found their way to the large hot tub, which had a fantastic mountain view. Ed Buster was one of the few that got a foot massage while soaking, another unique service provided by the Trip Leader. Small parties of people went out to eat each night, although most of the eating places were in the hotel itself. Keith and Debbie Finley were waiting for a table one evening when a woman collapsed on Keith; turned out it was just dehydration and she was okay eventually. Rhonda Gomez, Julia Buchanan and Kim Moorman were cracked up by the Trip Chair's "mother" waiting up late routine. All were still smiles during picture taking in the dog sled and snowmobile in the lobby. The front desk staff drove a shuttle full of people out to the highway to catch a better view of the Northern Lights. Doyle Spigener and Donna Clearman were two of the sleepy people that braved the cold night air for the viewing.
On Race Day, Pat Manieri helped hand out racing bibs at breakfast or at the bottom of the lift. Despite the small number of Austin Skier racers, our club did great, coming in 4th (more results below). First time racers Keith and Debbie Finley say they enjoyed it enough they'll do it again. Katie and daughter Leslie Terzakis both got points for the Club and had a good time too. The mountain picnic was held during lunch, with an all you can eat buffet of reindeer sausage, potato salad, homemade buns and watermelon. Greg Trumbo and others were spotted taking advantage of the food, and the one drink per person ticket. That night found the Austin Skiers having a pizza party in the moose head fireplace lounge on the 2nd floor, with fudge (not mine!) and leftovers, all shared with the drivers and hotel staff in reward for their kindness that week. Some spent Friday skiing all day, while others took their final optional adventures. The TSC Awards Dinner followed that night, with a great dinner, door prizes, the awards presentations, and DJ dancing. Greg Bryant took first place in the Mens' Open Individual race(!), while wife Jackie received the Bronze Womens' Open Individual medal. Greg Bryant and Calvin Fujii got Club race gold medals, Jackie received a silver, and Ed Buster would have gotten a bronze if they were awarded. Judy Field, our Sportours contact, broke her ankle while snow mobiling, on Friday, which meant Cherilyn Hack was asked to be in charge of the 27 participants going on to Talkeetna. Judy was wheeled onto the floor to accept her applause for an outstanding job in making the TSC Final Showdown a success. All too soon, the room emptied, and last minute luggage was loaded onto the four buses heading for the airport. Debra Phillips managed to hook up with a friend from Anchorage, and do some last-second shopping before meeting up with the group at the airport. Soon that group was on their way home.
Talkeetna
With clear blue skies, we drove by noon towards more mountains, stopping for food and rest along the way, towards Talkeetna and its Outdoor Nature Center and activities. Check in at the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge was smooth; everyone dined in the hotel, at another fine restaurant, then saw a terrific presentation by Steven Gilroy, a photographic tour guide. One "thrilling" experience was doing the hot tub, which in weather hovering around 0 degrees meant frozen faces (or any other part that wasn't in the water). We received a Northern Lights wake up call at around 1:15 a.m.; almost everyone opted to stay in bed and watch out their windows, while a few of us heartier souls spend the hour bundled up outside in the wind and cold. While this particular show lacked characteristic reds and greens, it was still spectacular! Flightseeing was the next day's event, with the first shuttles off at 9:15 a.m. Since it was still too windy to circle the mountain, the remainder of the day was spent doing shorter Mt. McKinley flyovers. It was somewhere between 20 and 30 below zero as we thrilled to fly over the glaciers and craggy rock outcroppings, with snow as much as a mile deep in some areas! The Talkeetna Outdoor Center (TOC) meant strapping Nordic skis on our boots, or hitting the gift shops, bars, restaurants, and candy shops. Next it was off to dinner, with the Main Street Café, Fairview Pub, and the Teepee were popular spots; then it was back to the lodge. Teka Lambe from TOC attempted to find us a masseuse, ice fishing and someone local that did dog sledding since all the tour companies were out with the Iditarod.
Monday found everyone heading downtown for Howard Carbone's talk on climbing Mt. McKinley. His presentation was riveting, covering the extremely high winds and low temperatures on the mountain, the 800 successful climbers per year (half the number who attempt it), the demands to keep the mountain clean of climbers' "junk", and other fascinating subjects. Also some went dog sledding, Nordic skiing, or guided snowshoe tours. Around 2:15 p.m., we took a group picture with the mountains as backdrop and said good-bye to another great place. Back into Anchorage for the trip home; Deborah Doyle left us here for a few extra days in Alaska before heading to a 6 week Outward Bound experience. Our last Alaskan sunset was lovely. Out to Anchorage airport, through several connections, and finally home mid-afternoon on the 12th. It was strange after this trip to experience Austin's warmth and lack of snow! But after a long adventure, we were all certainly gratified to be the first Club members to experience "the Last Frontier" of Alaska!
Editor's Note: For a longer, more detailed version of this article, please go to our Web site.
by Chuck Bohman, Trip Chair
Our Austin Skiers group was so excited about the prospect of skiing in Whistler, Canada, that we raced ahead of our luggage late Saturday night, February 16, 2002. By early Sunday morning, the bags had caught up with us and the games began! Former Austinites Bill and Linda Demestihas drove to Whistler from Oregon to join Jack and Carolyn Hall and catch up on old times.
Sunday on the slopes was a bit tricky. As someone said, "Skiing Braille sharpens ones edging ability." Due to the layers of fog, everyone was forced to pick just the right altitude only to find hundreds of other skiers there as well. And after the day's events ended, The Fire and Ice Show, complete with ski and snowboard jumpers, snowmobile stunts, and flame twirlers dazzled onlookers that evening. With President's Day on Monday, there were multitudes of skiers enjoying the sunny slopes. If only I had remembered to bring a camera to enjoy the beautiful scenery. George Washington must've been a skier, because by Tuesday morning, there were eight inches of snow waiting for us on the mountain. Ed Tennison did the "first tracks" and said it was better than you know what! Wonder where wife Terry was? Our Space City skier Lee Holsenbeck also gave first tracks high praise. With all the skiing done that day, no one had to worry about calories at the pizza party set up by Sarah Tapley with help from Kathy Hubbell, Richard Langford and Jim Hamilton at Tex Corleone's that night. Seen at the party were James Anders, Kay and Rich Bymark, Ron Dusek, David Grayson, Jeff Horowitz, Kevin Locke, Carol Jens, Emily Pogue, and Bill Woody.
Wednesday was another terrific day, filled with clear skies. Alan Stanley and Heather Lucier did the Mountain Tour with a guide to themselves giving them extra hours for free! We didn't see much of Patsy Glantzberg or Marina Navarrete though, probably due to cute ski instructors. More snow fell all day and night Thursday, so that by Friday morning, we had over 20 inches of fresh powder! This proved to be challenging to most everyone. But, it was loads of fun laughing at everyone digging themselves out of the deep snow. Jack Hall and Bill D. were seen having a snowball battle in the street, while Linda D. and Carol Hall enjoyed snowshoeing a trail around Lost Lake. If you see Jerry Tapley, be sure and ask him what he guarded so closely in the hat box. Guy and Eileen Thompson had a rare treat with a week long visit from their grandkids, in from Seattle.
The recipe of combining friendships, great snow, beautiful vistas, and a quaint village for dining and shopping made for wonderful memories of Whistler 2002.
Trip Chair: Wendy Buck
Come with us on an epic journey to the South Seas! This two week extravaganza begins in Fiji, where we fly from Los Angeles. We will spend seven nights at the five-star Sheraton Resorts Denarau Island hotel on the island of Nadi. Here we can enjoy golf, tennis, relaxing on the beach, and scuba diving, as well as other water sports or sightseeing. There is an option to take one of several dive trips instead of spending your time at the Sheraton. After soaking up the sun, we will fly down to Queenstown to spend seven nights at the Copthorne Resort Hotel on Lake Wakatipu. In the adventure capital of the world, we can choose from such activities as bungy jumping, jet boat rides, boat trips on the lake, fantastic scenic tours, and more! There are four ski areas to enjoy while we are there. The price includes round trip air from Los Angeles (add approximately $360 for air from Austin), breakfast throughout the entire trip, all airport/hotel transfers, and 12 nights lodging. Price doesn't include departure taxes from New Zealand and Fiji. This is going to be a great trip! Don't miss it! This trip is currently full, but contact the Trip Chair as space may still be added!
Trip Size: 12 skiers
Be sure to look thoroughly through next month's (June's) newsletter. We'll have the new signup rules in detail, and since our signup procedure is changing drastically from last year, you need to be informed of our mail signup procedure! And you need to renew your membership in May or June to be eligible for first spots on next year's trips! Also, due to the large number of proposed By-Law changes, we did not publish them in this newsletter issue to save space. Please refer to the Web site www.austinskiers.org and the link to the By-Law changes to look these over! If you don't have Web or e-mail access, please call Editor Mike Hagye and he'll mail or hand you a copy (e-mailers can get an e-mailed version by writing newsletter@austinskiers.org.
Remember our .pdf version of the newsletter is now available, especially with color pictures! To view or download a copy, go to our Web site and select the "Club Newsletters" link. Once there you have a choice beginning with March's newsletter of selecting "Web Page" (the standard format) or "Adobe Acrobat" (.pdf version).
Finally, our Web site photo album is really filling up with great trip pictures, now including the spectacular Grindelwald/Greece trip! Check it out on our Web site by clicking on the "Photo Album" link on the left side of the Home page. Enjoy! If you have trip pictures you want to post, contact our Webmaster, Cliff Hoagland at skiwebmaster@austinskiers.org.
A Nominating Committee composed of Jim Howalt, Mary Gasal, Kathy Collins, Lou Horwitz and chaired by Tere Ayson, has put together a slate of candidates for the next Club year to be presented at the May 14th Business Meeting. Again, we had a difficult task since we had more qualified candidates than available positions. After several long meetings, many phone calls and even more emails, we have an excellent proposed slate of candidates. We worked hard to include new members while maintaining a core of existing experienced officers. Our By-Laws also provide that further nominations may be made from the floor at the Annual Meeting, provided that consent to sever has been secured from the nominee.
The Nominating Committee presents the following members to be considered for officers for the 2002-2003 Executive Committee:
President:
Doug Jordan
Newsletter Editor:
Mike Hagye
VP of Trips:
Liz Earhart
VP of Special Activities:
Cindy Berry
VP Trip Planning:
Gary Roth
Secretary:
Barbara Bobo
Treasurer:
Wendy Buck
VP of Marketing:
Marcia Honeycutt
VP of Programs:
Jon Martin
Director:
Cindy Carlson
VP of Membership:
Donna Peterman
Webmaster:
Kevin Juhl
Hard to believe another ski year has come and gone. It all seems like such a blur with all the trips, activities and changes taking place. Changes? Yes, we have had several committees hard at work recommending changes for our club. First, the Nominating Committee has put together a wonderful slate of proposed officers to lead our Club for the next year see p. 7 for this lineup. And I hope you will plan to attend the next Club meeting where we will vote on their election (see p. 9).
Another committee hard at work has been the By-laws and Standing Rules Review Committee. This team led by Neil Martin and composed of Anthony Beissner, Doug Jordan and me, reviewed our important code and policies and recommended several changes. Well maybe that should be many changes as we have over 50 for your approval, which will be voted on at the next Club meeting. Most changes are minor, but there are a few major ones. We are eliminating 2 Director positions, making the Past President position a voting member of the Executive Committee, as well as the Web Master position. We changed the name of the Publicity VP to Marketing VP, and shifted some duties between some of the offices. There will be a change to the Standing Rules that will affect all Club members. After more than 10 years, the committee and the board recommends an increase in our Club membership dues. These will increase $5.00 for both categories of memberships a Single Membership will now be $35 a year and a Family Membership will be $45 a year. To see all the changes, please visit our Web site for a complete list.
Another special committee, led by Liz Earhart and which looked at our trip sign-up process, was hard at work this year. Her committee is proposing some major changes to the sign-up process and rules: all trips will go on sale in mid-July and paid members will be able to mail in their trip application and deposit money. This means the annual "sign-up" meeting in September is no longer as we've known it! The committee also identified several goals for changing the trip sign-up process. They are:
eliminating the hassle our members go through to sign-up for trips (long lines at the September meeting);
generating more money in the Club bank account to cover trip deposits;
better trip size management by having more time to increase or decrease trip spaces;
reducing Club expenses by having smaller signup meetings in August and September
All the details of the trip sign-up rules will be published in the June newsletter watch for this important development! Things will be very different for your trip sign-ups this year!
In addition, the Trip Planning Committee is still busy researching and pricing ski destinations for 2002-2003 ski year. The TSC Bid meeting is now history, being held the 19th-21st of April, and the selections have been made. So I now present to you our TSC choices for 2002-2003:
Thanksgiving trip, Nov. 26-Dec. 1:
Breckenridge
Traditional trip, Jan. 4-11, '03:
Whistler
Expedition trip, Jan. 24-Feb.1
Lillehammer, Norway
Winter Shootout, Feb. 15-22:
Jackson Hole
Final Showdown, Mar. 1522:
Quebec, Canada
Summer Expedition, July 2003:
(*date subject to change)Costa Rica
It was a challenging process eliminating some of the choices, but I believe you will approve of the selected TSC trips. And THANK YOU to all those who sent me their opinions on the proposed trips. Your feedback helped our club delegates make the tough decisions on the trips, but don't make up your mind yet. Liz's committee will add 4 or 5 more Austin-only trips this month to fill out the schedule and tempt your pocketbook (rumor has it that there could be a trip to France or Germany in the works). I have a feeling the 2002-2003 trip line-up will have us all wondering how can we go on them all. The Newsletter as usual will have more details on all our trips in June.
As you can see, your Executive Committee and many other Club volunteers have been hard at work this year. But we still need your help and input. Please get involved when you can. Come to the Business Meeting next month and vote!
Tere Ayson
Park City insulated Mug
Charles Gordon
Club Med eyewear retainer & boot tote
Mary Lyons
Jazzercise T-shirt
Mary Gasal
May 10-12 spring campout near Blanco, Texas
May 14 monthly meeting at Holiday Inn Northwest
May 18 canoeing at Zilker, lunch at Chuy's
May 26 canoeing on the Colorado River
For questions on Special Activities, contact Cindy Berry, Activities V.P. at activities@austinskiers.org .
June 1 bike ride & lunch @ Salt Lick
June 11 monthly meeting TBA
June 15 "Cajun Boil" at Lake LBJ
For questions on Special Activities, contact Cindy Berry, Activities V.P. at activities@austinskiers.org .
This is the last chance to sign up for our Spring Campout in the Hill Country near Blanco. One price of $10 for adults and $5 for kids includes barbecue dinner Saturday and breakfast Sunday morning (all other meals are on your own). Come out Friday for the tranquility of the land and stay Saturday for volleyball, biking, and/or shopping in nearby Blanco or Wimberley. Or, just come Saturday night for an old fashioned barbecue (beer) and barn dance (still $10 for adults, $5 for kids for just Saturday night only). Please make reservations with Cindy Berry by writing a check for $10 per person by May 6. Questions? Write Cindy at activities@austinskiers.org . Also, if you're interested riding motorcycles out to the campout, write Mike Hagye at newsletter@austinskiers.org .
We have 3 ongoing activities throughout the summer. First, join us for 9 every week after work! We hit the links Tuesday or Wednesday evenings; tee offs begin about 5 p.m., usually at a centrally convenient course (Lions, Morris Williams, others). If interested, contact Otis Sikes at (osikes@aol.com) or Cindy Swannack at (cswannack@csmtg.com) to play that week and/or get on the golf e-mail list. Please sign up for that week before showing up! Also, we have a terrific and fun co-ed softball league team (with several championships!); practices are Monday nights at Ramsey Park, games Wednesday nights (location TBA). At press time, 1 male is needed, females also welcome. Call Ben Mathis if interested in playing, or Cindy Berry at (activities@austinskiers.org ) if you want to be a part of our "bleacher bums" cheering section! Finally, "Captain" Hank Miller has started a list of "maties" to join him for sailing days on Lake Travis. Costs run about $20 to $50 per person depending on the size of the party and half day vs. full day. Hank will probably go Sundays in May and into June. He'll also be offering sailing for beginners to help get your sea legs going. For all of this, contact Hank at (hank@bga.com)
This month is our annual Business Meeting for members only; guests and visitors are not allowed to attend (although they can come to the social time beforehand)! We'll be voting on the submission of next year's slate of Officers and Directors, and of changes to the Club By-laws (see p. 7 for how to see these changes). There will also be brief reports of each of this year's officers in their particular area (membership, trips, publicity, etc.). As is the case with all our meetings, we'll have an informal social time first (guests allowed), followed by the Business Meeting (guests will be dismissed). This meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn Northwest; if you haven't been there or forgot how to get there, see the April newsletter (also available on the Web site) for the directions. See you there!
Saturday, May 18, we'll meet at 9 a.m. in the Canoe rental area on Barton Springs in Zilker Park for a morning of canoeing. Work up an appetite or just join us at Chuy's on Barton Springs for lunch. Bring your sunblock! Also, if you're interested in taking a canoe trip down the Colorado (er, the river in Texas, not the Grand Canyon!) on Sunday, May 26, call Ben Mathis .
First, on Saturday, June 1, we'll meet at Dripping Springs Middle School at 9 a.m. for a Hill Country bike ride, followed by an 11:30 lunch at the Salt Lick. Also, Saturday, June 15, there's a Summer 'Cajun Boil' party at Lake LBJ; there'll be a per-person charge for the 'boil', and you're requested to bring a Cajun side dish or any dessert. BYOB. For details contact Cindy Berry at (activities@austinskiers.org)
Mankind's greatest curse? Easy; "fine print." Not only is this horrid invention of some paranoid schizophrenic intolerable to read, it's become like a plague, spreading its virus into all our products, services, professions, commercials, ads, our very fabric of life. No one likes it, most of us ignore it, yet there it sits, the playground for nerds and lawyers (easy Counselor(s), don't get upset, we know it's your job!). But this "fine print" as repugnant as it is, often serves to protect us from abuse, exploitation, and even harm. And some varieties of "fine print" are even noble and welcome; did you ever stop to think that our U.S. Constitution is "fine print" for defining our society? Sometimes the small print presents big ideas.
Okay maybe it's not even close to the Constitution, but our Club's by-laws are our "fine print". I bet many of you don't know two words from them, where to find 'em, or even that they exist. Yet, at the annual May meeting, as usual, we're (you're) voting on upgrades, deletions, and changes to this "Club Code." A By-Laws Committee, formed from our Board members, works hard for months to examine this stuff, and bring suggested changes to the full Board, then to you, for approval. Okay, maybe the Founding Fathers they're not, but these folks spend time really considering what's been written down for over 30 years, and try to tune it for the good of the Club (you!). It's not necessarily fun to read and discuss all this "fine print", but it's the Board's job (which most of them properly take seriously). Now it's your turn. Page 7 of this issue discusses the by-law changes, which this year are numerous. Take a look in the back of your Club phone Directory you'll find the by-laws there then go to our Web site to look at the proposed changes (we'll have the entire by-laws on there, too); contact a Board member if you don't have a Directory or Web access and we'll get you the by-laws and proposed changes. Take about 15 minutes and read them over. I bet they're more interesting than you thought. Find out what the President's supposed to do, what committees exist and why, and what money you owe (and might be owed!). See what we're proposing to change and ask why. Hey, it's true that a rubber stamp "yes" vote at the May meeting saves time, but maybe just this once you can use this occasion as an opportunity to find out how, and indeed why, our Club ticks. Make this "fine print" really fine!
Mike Hagye
President Tere Ayson
president@austinskiers.org
| V.P. Trips Doug Jordan | |
| V.P. Trip Planning- Liz Earhart | |
| V.P. Programs Elva Hibbs | |
| V.P. Publicity Gary Roth | |
| V.P. Membership Barbara Jacquin | |
| V.P. Special Activities Cindy Berry | |
| Secretary Barbara Bobo | |
| Treasurer Cindy Swannack | |
| Newsletter Editor Mike Hagye | newsletter@austinskiers.org |
| Webmaster Cliff Hoagland | skiwebmaster@austinskiers.org |
| Past President Anthony Beissner |
| Cathy Collins | |
| Mary Gasal | |
| Jim Davis | |
| Neil Martin |
The Austin Skiers' newsletter is published monthly, 12 issues per year. Subscription is included with payment of yearly membership fee. Articles and correspondence should be addressed to the Editor by e-mail at newsletter@austinskiers.org or by phone (see above). Deadline for submission is the 15th of each month. Send issues regarding the Club Web site to skiwebmaster@austinskiers.org. For more information on the next Club meeting or other related activities, contact any of the following:
Austin Skiers is a non profit ski club
For questions on Special Activities, contact Cindy Berry, Activities V.P. at 248-9544.
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