Hi members,

Here we are heading for the holidays, and a great skiing season. If you haven't decided where to go, check out your ski trips right after you read this. Even as I write this in late October, many trips have filled out fast and you don't want to lose out. We cancel unused reservations based on penalty dates assigned to us in contracts, virtually never do we hold spaces just in case someone might sign up later. Our September Ski Fest was a huge success attended by many members and guests. If you are one of our many volunteers, you were invited to our annual volunteer party provided to you by your Board of Directors. Thanks to DJ Gary Rubens for providing a fun evening.

We are always looking for new members and volunteers. Our club can only survive with your participation. Here's what we need:

1. A social chair… Pete has been so generous to fill in, but would like for someone to take over or assist.
2. A recreation chair… Judy Burlbaugh has nicely filled him as well. She would love to have someone take over.
If you have any interest in volunteering we can help you with training, past practices, and constant support. Call or e-mail me today. 703-425-4842 and mzkbox@aol.com.

Madeline

PS Gorman Young, beloved SCWDC President (1951-2) and Honorary Member, passed away in October, six weeks shy of his 100th birthday. I’m informed that Gorman skied until he was 89, which says a lot about his love of skiing. Gorman, along with a colleague, discovered a “snow patch” in February 1951 at Cabin Mountain near today's Canaan Valley in West Virginia. Under Gorman's presidency, the Club committed itself to developing and operating this new ski area, which became known as "the Drift". This was the first ski area south of the Mason-Dixon line, and inspired construction of the Canaan Valley ski area. During the Cabin Mountain era (1951-62), our club organized its own ski school and ski patrol. Gorman wrote an account of the Club’s development of the “Drift” in the Club’s 50th Anniversary (1936-1986) History yearbook, and he ended his account with these words, “It was a great undertaking and those of us who participated were rewarded with some of the best fun of our lives.” The club magazine of April 1952, had this to say: “… In the minds and memories of a great many members, no other officer has devoted more time and energy, unflagging enthusiasm, nor brought to our club more prestige, than Gorman Young. This has been one of the most active and successful years in the club's history, despite the paucity of snow in our area. Gorman's compelling leadership was an inspiration and incentive to all officers and Council members, who deserved tribute from all members for the unusual accomplishments of the season.”

Hi Members,

As the summer comes to an end, we are looking forward to our fall and winter activities. (The heat wave is passed! Whew!)

(1) When you read this, our September Ski Fest is over, those that attended learned about all of the wonderful trips planned by our Western/international committee. If you didn't attend, check the SCWDC website (www.scwdc.org) for the trips, and especially check the Trip Status board for current availability of trips… Some trips are nearing sold out, don't lose the chance to go on the trip that you really want! Sometimes you don't know your vacation schedule that far in advance, check now, I am only trying to help.

(2) As a thank you to all of the volunteers from May 2011 to April 2012 (plus some of those volunteers serving in the next few months), the Board of Directors has planned the annual BOD =Volunteer Appreciation party on September 29 at our customary location. We always need more volunteers and would love to invite you NEXT YEAR. When you volunteer, you meet more people who are like-minded, you have a little bit more fun at SCWDC events, and you raise yourself in the ski club system to a higher level, get invited to the annual volunteer appreciation party. It's not difficult, and those of us who are current volunteers, will help you to the maximum extent. Join us! Come and have fun!

(3) In November, we plan a special meeting to promote our Eastern ski program with nine trips, and featuring our ski instructors, food and beverages, and Zumba! What is Zumba? Is it dancing, exercise, cuddling, or cutting loose? Come find out! Check the Meetings area of the magazine, or better yet, the SCWDC Website (which is 100% up to date with some changes.)

(4) Did You Know? The BOD voted to end future multi-year memberships, to simplify the membership system. Also multiyear memberships provided discounts for membership, and as our membership has declined, discounts have become problematic.

(5) The BOD approved a second sponsorship of the Warren Miller Entertainment film, to be shown at the Naval Museum and Heritage Center in DC on December 2. SCWDC sponsored a Warren Miller event last year on January 14, which wasn't the best date, but this year we were able to obtain an early December date. Get your body and mind ready for skiing! Warren Miller company produces a very exciting entertainment movie. A link to buy a ticket is posted on the SCWDC web site.

(6) Also, approved, Bernie Joiner as the Elections chair for 2013, with assistance from Jim and Yingwen Prince.

(7) Approved is the 2012 – 2013 budget - with a slight gain predicted, if the various programs perform up to their potential… Since “snow” is not guaranteed in any one year, we'll have to see, if Western, Tennis, and Eastern, those programs which traditionally produce the most income to cover our overhead (office staffing, magazine, townhouse, utilities, and other small accounts), can do it again. For your information, audited financial statements are published in this issue as we have done in prior years.

(8) Finally – a late but not forgotten congratulations to our winners and runners-up in our Marvin Stephens Mixed Doubles Tennis Tournament.
- “A” Group Winners: Tammy Vetter/Rany Simms
--Runners Up: Mary Kay Hrivnak and Gary Rubens
- “B” Group Winners: Holly and Steve Bandel
--Runners Up: Babette Lamasse/Don Bieniewicz

All Players, See You All Again Next Year!

Madeline

Hi Members,

This club cannot operate without members stepping forward to share their expertise. We have been fortunate in the past to have leaders willing to give of their time for the benefit of everyone. A good example is Lu Wright, one of our board members (2009-2012, and just re-elected) and an avid volunteer for our club, who left us suddenly last month. Among other efforts, she was a key planner for the very successful and well-attended major 75th Anniversary events (January 2011, September 2011).

We always welcome new volunteers, especially right now in these particular areas:

1. Program chairs for the following:

Recreation: some major trips have been run or planned in the last year and a half. Others are possible, including kayaking, more rafting events, frequent biking events, roller-blading, etc.?

Cultural: Ann Webster, the current chair, is turning her focus to some retirement activities after a long-time federal career, moving to Florida part-time. (After this was written, a long-time member, Joan Zawacki, agreed to be co-chair.)

Social: no chair for several years...we have long-running social events, but would anyone be interested in taking over the management?

Family: established some 8 years ago, dormant for the last several years.

We have leaders who have been in these positions for some time, but they need your help. We will give you all the support and training that you need. We need you!! Give it a go; take a chance; step up and participate.

2. Tennis party leaders: E-mail Casey Tarr at eileentarr1@verizon.net, and sign up. Casey and her husband Jack, plan about 25 tennis parties a year. They offer training and support the whole way.

3. Help with our web site: we will be making changes in our membership renewal and sign-up methods as well as changes to our web site. Many of you have asked me to change our procedures in these areas and we plan on doing just that. We will keep you all informed as we make plans to update our present policy. I would like to hear from you if you have any suggestions. Right now, I am planning to change club procedures, to offer a membership year that starts with the month you join, not the fixed year from May 1 to April 30. This will require a bylaws change at the next annual membership meeting in April of 2013.

My personal thanks to those who joined me and many others at the Marvin Stephens Tennis Tournament. A fun time was had by all and my congratulations to the winners. Marvin, our honoree, had been a member from 1950 to 2010, in other words, for most of his life.

To all of our program chairs who work so hard to make our club a success, a heartfelt thanks! Please keep in touch with your BOD liaisons and let them know what they can do to help you with whatever you need. YOU ARE THE CLUB!

Please check the SCWDC website for all upcoming events.
See you there: the next event, the next membership meeting, the next happy hour. Join in, let’s have fun.


I would like to offer you an e-mail address which will come directly to me. Let me have your ideas, suggestions and comments.   It will be “ JUST BETWEEN YOU AND ME” (alias) …the email address is mzkbox@aol.com.  (I've been in the music world for many years.)


Sincerely
Madeline
SCWDC President, 2012-2013

Madeline

Hello Members,

On April 17, you elected me as the next president. I want to convey a few thoughts to everyone in this short article. I joined the club in the early 90s participating in our tennis program. I was soon introduced to a tennis week-end trip at which I volunteered to help with a planned party. The rest is history! Volunteering to lead or help a leader has been a constant role and, I might add, an enjoyable one. It was a way to have even more fun and meet more people, than just attending.

So my approach is this:

1) We need “you” our members – you are talented – skilled and experienced – to continue to volunteer.

2) I will strive for “transparency” between leaders and the membership. What that means to me is, focusing on specific goals, explaining why we are or are not doing something, and communicating effectively. This is a “membership” club...you choose to belong, and I want you to have many reasons to continue to belong.

3) “Communication” is a big area – our magazine, website, weekly ski-o-gram, special announcements via “EventBrite”, membership meetings, and so on. I would like to review each of these areas, seek out member comments, and be sure that we are communicating effectively. So bring your ideas to membership meetings or other forums that we announce. See my email address below, you can write me with your ideas.  

4) I want to state my belief about growing membership. My own first priority is to retain members that we have now. In other words, do activities meet your needs, are they fun, what could be different if they aren’t? If you, the current member, is happy and enjoying a particular activity, I think you’ll be talking about that to friends and in turn that might lead to their decision to join the club.

5) I want to promote the club in this spirit: “We are the best.” We have the best planned trips, and the best trained leaders who conduct events in a friendly, efficient way, and we apply pretty quick fixes when something doesn’t go right. I am planning my administration to live up to that Carly Simon recorded song, “NOBODY DOES IT BETTER.”

I’d like to meet many of you at our monthly membership meetings in north Crystal City (directions are placed in every membership meeting event). I know the spring and summer months are busy ones, but I hope you’ll come to a least one between May and August, to meet me and other board members.

I would like to offer you an e-mail address which will come directly to me. Let me have your ideas, suggestions and comments.   It will be “ JUST BETWEEN YOU AND ME” (alias) …the email address is Madeline_M@verizon.net.

Madeline

Hi Members, 

On April 17 , I was elected president along with five new board members:  Carol Finley, Patrick Normyle, Rene' Thierry, Lu Wright, and Cyndy Lavoie.  Continuing board members are Leo Boelhouwer (vice president), Nancy Shimp, and Bill Johnston.

My personal theme for the next year of SCWDC events is, "We are the best" and my theme song is, "Nobody Does It Better" by Carly Simon. 

I will be posting my thoughts in this space from time to time, so check back later for a longer message.   I also look forward to meeting many of you at the monthly membership meetings.  The next one is May 1 in the Crowne Plaza in North Crystal City - directions are in the event listing.  

Madeline