President’s Report
October 2007
Ted Hlynsky
Hello
Masters,
Well summer is over, fall activities are in full swing
and our favourite season will soon be upon us.
So, it’s time for planning our winter activities.
Over the summer the Masters Executive and Head Coach
have spent considerable time and effort in planning a good program for the
upcoming year and to position us for the
future. We have a great program this
year as you will see outlined.
One key issue that the club is facing is need to replace most of our aging equipment. We have however very limited financial
reserves. As discussed at the AGM, we
will be levying an additional $50 equipment fee this year to cover the cost of
replacing our equipment. Depending on
how our fundraising efforts go this year, we may need to levy this in future
years as well. We plan on keeping the
current year membership fees the same as last year.
The highlights of the program are outlined below.
I look forward to seeing everyone at the upcoming
Registration Night/Open House at Winnipeg Harvest on Tuesday October 30th. This is a great opportunity to discuss this years program and events.
In the meanwhile, you can download the registration forms from our
website. www.manitobamastersskiclub.com
and complete these before you arrive to simplify the registration process.
The Program
As in prior years the general program includes a
combination of training and races. This
year, there are some slight modifications to the program including.
·
Training - This year the program will
include a greater weighting of training during the early part of the season, in
order to prepare skiers at all levels to improve their general skiing skills as
well as race techniques and tactics.
·
Races – This year there will be 8 races
over the course of the year. The current
year schedule is posted on the website. It features a return to a combined race
series. All members run the same courses but throughout the year the level of
challenge increases so that all members can experience the excitement that
racing offers and use the skills that they possess while acting as a test of
their skill too. This is a progressive approach to accommodating the needs
unique to our club.
·
Race Category Changes- Race categories to be reduced to
4 general categories instead of 5 with the groups formerly known as Platinum
and Diamond amalgamating. This last group to include results tabulated on the
basis of age as well as an overall category championship.
·
New Learning Groups Designations as follows:
-
Former
Bronze training group (new Skier Essentials) would be used for teaching
the more basic skiing skills. Whenever possible there will be additional
volunteer coaches scheduled at on a few nights as the regular program.
-
Former
Silver training group (new Learn to Train) would be taught more advanced
skiing skills and introductory race skills (primarily classic techniques to
promote better line before other tactics are learned).
-
Former
Gold (new Learn to Race) and Platinum training (new Train to Race)
groups would be focused on high performance training for racing in the modern
environment.
-
It
is not necessary to train in the same group now as you race. You select your
group based on the techniques that you need to improve. Recognize that skiing
is like building a pyramid. Some things can’t be learned unless you have built
the foundation for it first.
·
New
Masters Learning Tools- To support the goal of learning at your own pace,
accurately self selecting your group and yet having a solid idea of what that
implies for your learning our Head Coach has undertaken the project of adapting
the major training tool used by coaches in Canada, the Snowstars
Program, to the needs of the adult skier and racer in our club. This help in
providing a more consistent lesson planning tool for the club coaches was one
of their requests this year. This will mean that as we go forward it will be
possible for you to know what is being taught and why in order to meet your
goals, whether that is to be a better skier or a better racer.
·
Optional Training – In order to provide additional
opportunities for skill or racing improvement and potentially raise additional
funds for the club, Glenn has agreed to three additional training sessions at
Holiday Mtn. for members and non members. These three additional training sessions are
over and above our regular program and would be provided at a fee for
non-members and at a reduced additional fee for members. We have noted that many Manitoba skiers would
like to improve their skiing skills before going to the mountains for a ski
vacation, but are unable to participate as Masters members. This provides an opportunity to not only
raise funds for the club, but provide an introduction to the club and our
training program to non members. The fee
for this will be $35 per session or $90 for the “Three Pack” for non-members
and $25 per session or $60 for the “Three Pack” for non members. Lift tickets are extra but are again at a
reduced rate for members. This can be a great Christmas gift. Enrollment will be limited. You may wish to
invite friends who ski to attend our registration night to get further
information on this program and purchase the one or three pack. This is a great value. A single 2-hour group
performance lesson at Norquay is $82 with a one day
being $105 [www.banffhorizons.com]. This
equates to a $315 value for the “Three Pack”. It also really exposes the value
that our members get by joining the full regular program as well
·
Mountain Camps – Due to the success of the prior
year’s mountain camp and at the request of members, two optional mountain camps
are available through our club to members and non-members at an additional
fee. Members will pay a lower fee than
non-members at the Mountain Camp will.
o
Fall 2007 Mountain Camp – There is a two day camp offering
on November 22 and 23rd at Banff.
What a great way to get a jump-start on the season! Open to Gold and up
members only (8 max.) no non-members.
o
Spring 2008 Mountain Camp – We are planning a 5-day mountain
camp tentatively scheduled in February based on the format of last year’s camp.
·
Asessippi Trip -
As in prior years we will continue with the Asessippi
Ski Trip. Register (And Pay) early to
ensure you get your place on the bus.
·
CSIA Training – For any members wishing to obtain
the CSIA Level 1 certification a course is offered over two weekends. Register
through the club.
·
MASS Races – Master’s members, who are looking
for a little more competition than our club races provide, are welcome to race
at any of the MASS races. In order to do
so, a national race card must be purchased (see new membership category). The schedule of MASS races is included on the
MASD website www.skimanitoba.com. As
our races are club races only there is officially no
provincial championships for Masters racers but the MASD Provincial
Championships in March has been opened to those of us who take sign up for the
National Competitors Card to act in this capacity.
The
current year program enhancements provide a great opportunity to improve the
skiing skills of members and non members alike.
This is a great opportunity to ski in Manitoba with your friends,
neighbors and acquaintances. See the
website for time and dates for the entire year’s program. Bring a friend and come out to the
registration night October 30th and Bib Night on November 14th to
get further details on this year’s great program.
2007-8 Fees
The fees for the basic Manitoba Masters Ski Club
program have remained virtually the same as last year. As discussed at the AGM, we will be levying a
$50 equipment fee to begin the program of raising funds for replacing
equipment. This is detailed further
below.
There are number of optional programs available to
members for an additional fee as discussed above. The fees for these additional programs are
outlined on the registration form. This
will be available on the website for your reference and completion prior to the
registration night.
Equipment Replacement
Program
As many of
you are aware, much of our equipment is on its last legs. This is not due to any abuse or misuse of our
inventory but primarily a result of the age of the equipment. Other clubs
replace these items on a much more frequent schedule. Though we have been
fortunate until now to avoided the associated cost we have encountered many
equipment problems recently such as:
·
Gates - Most of our gates have broken or
shattered over the year, we currently do not have enough gates to run a race,
so new gates are being ordered.
·
Timing – Timing equipment has proven to be
finicky causing a number of delays in races as well as some frostbite to our
race committee members. We need to look
to make our current equipment more reliable due to poor connections at some of
our hills. We are planning to have
wireless components added to our current timing equipment to allow more
reliability in timing, as well as the flexibility to use timing for
training. It can then be used at other
locations such as our mountain camp.
·
Radio’s – Prior to last year our radios
went missing. As a result, they need to
be replaced. Gord
Dalling has been most generous in allowing the club
to use his biking club’s radios. Thank
you so much Gord.
We would like to buy new radios.
·
Video Camera– Video has proven to be a popular
and very useful tool for coaching and individual skill development. As there is
expected to be increasing use of this very effective tool in the future we
cannot continue to rely on individual camera equipment for club use. A club camera will allow us to use video on a
more extensive basis in training as well as for races. Thanks Glenn for the use of your camera in
the past.
·
Bibs – I know some of our members really
appreciate the snug fit of our current bibs, to be streamlined for racing! However, a few of our members seem to find
the fit a little to snug for their liking.
While the old ones were free it’s time for some new ones.
·
Drill Bits – Drill bits get dull and make
hard the work of the coaches setting the course. These need to be replaced periodically.
Overall we
need to raise approximately $10,000 over the next two years in order to
purchase this equipment. The priorities are those pieces needed to run the
races first.
The Challenge
Our club
does not currently have enough cash in the bank to purchase the equipment
needed. In order to meet the expectations of the members the club has run a
deficit in the last number of years. Our
2006-7 season, was the first in a number of years that we actually had a small
surplus, to contribute to the equipment replacement fund. As a result, a member survey was conducted
during the spring asking members about their preference for fundraising of the
$10,000 required. The most popular
responses were to levy an equipment fee of $50.00 per year for the next two
years as well as to hold various fundraising events. The $50.00 fee was also strongly supported at
our AGM in the spring. As a result of
your feedback the following fundraising program has been put in place.
Fundraising
·
Equipment Replacement Fee - So in order to be responsive to
our members we will be levying an equipment fee of $50.00 for the 2007-8 season in addition to the regular annual membership
fee. We may need to levy this fee again
in the 2008-9 season as well, depending upon the
results of the Raffle and Sponsorship.
·
Pontiac G5 Raffle - General Motors has donated a Pontiac
G5 to Manitoba Alpine, this season to be raffled off. As the members were looking for fundraising
opportunities, we have agreed to participate in this raffle. All of the ski clubs in Manitoba have also
agreed to participate. This is a great
opportunity to raise funds for the club and promote the club to others. Approximately 50% of each ticket we sell will
go to our club. Tickets will be $5.00
each or 3 for $10. If enough tickets are
sold, this may obviate the need to levy an equipment replacement fee in future
years. Gail Kozun
has volunteered to organize the tickets for this program.
·
Sponsorship – We are currently putting together
a sponsorship package which we can take to our current sponsors as well as to
other new sponsors. This will include
opportunities such as:
o
Bibs – Corporate logo’s can be placed on
bibs for sponsors.
o
Start and Finish Flags – Start and finish flags can
display a sponsors name and logo.
o
Event Hill Flags- Additional highly
visible banners at the side of race courses and used on hill to identify a
Masters group program
o
Website – Sponsors can be recognized on our
website.
If you have contacts at any organizations which you can
identify which would like to participate in our sponsorship program, please
contact Glen McDonald or myself. Glen
McDonald has taken on the task of leading the charge on obtaining sponsorships.
With the strong support of the membership in our
fundraising initiatives we should be able to purchase the equipment we need
over the next two years.
We would like to have a member volunteer to be our
fundraising chair to assist us in reaching our financial goals. If you would like to take on this important
and challenging task, please let me know.
Constitution / Bylaws
A committee has been formed to develop bylaws for the
club. The club has been operating for a
long time without clearly articulated bylaws.
The committee consists of the Doug Allen – Chair, Russ Kubara, John Childs and myself. After the committee has developed these, the
Board will review and provide any suggested amendments. The Bylaws will then be provided to the
general membership for review and approval.
Please plan on attending this year’s AGM
to raise your voice in this important matter.
If anyone has specific expertise in this matter, please let Doug know.
Jackets
If anyone would like to order a Masters jacket, you should
do so now, in order to ensure that it will be here for the ski season. The jackets are very well made, look great
and work well for our climate. They are
also a very good deal. In addition they
are the best form of advertising imaginable for our club. If you would like to
place your order please contact Glen McDonald. (gkmcdon@mts.net)
Concluding Remarks
This is a very exciting year for the club. It is the most ambitious program that the
club has undertaken to date. It provides
a wide variety of skiing opportunities for members. It is the first year there is a program
available for non members to ski with the club. Please bring a friend to
registration night to get an idea of what the club has to offer. I would like to thank the Club Head Coach and
Executive Team for the work and dedication to the club. I look forward to seeing everyone at registration
night on October 30th at Winnipeg Harvest and Bib Night on November
14th at the Charterhouse to further discuss our program for the
coming winter. I’m sure it will be one
of our best years.
Regards
Ted Hlynsky, MMSC President
For More Information Please contact the following:
Program Information on racing, instruction or training and
the new club instructor program- Glenn Allen, Head Coach gallen54@gmail.com
Jacket Program, Sponsorship & Fundraising project –
Glen McDonald, Secretary gkmcdon@mts.net