Minutes – PVS Excom Meeting – April 27, 2010

The meeting was held at the home of Donna and John Seabold. Present were Mary Beale, John Brunelli, Sara and Charlie Huggins, Cara Jablon, Dick Laeser, Sharon Mulholland, Rosemary Schwartzbard, John Seabold, and Dottie Villers.

Sharon donned her new cap as PVS president and presided over the meeting. She welcomed first year Excom members – Mary Beale (continuing as secretary), Dick Laeser (continuing as treasurer), and John Brunelli (1 year tenure) and Dick Schwartzbard who is assuming Ellie Thayer’s 2^nd year term. Ellie is the Club’s new vice president. John Seabold and Cara Jablon are serving their second year as Excom representatives.

Minutes from the March 23^rd Excom meeting were approved.

Dick reviewed the Treasurer’s Report. There were a few expenditures relating to meetings and TOOT mailings and two deposits corresponding to membership dues. A question was asked about whether a donation had been made on behalf of one of the Club members who passed away this year. Dottie said that it had not been done yet but that she would attend to it. At the March Excom meeting, there had been a recommendation to make $100 the standard donation to a designated charity of a member who has died. Historically the Club had contributed $50 when it has made a donation. Reflecting on this decision, Cara said that she had some concerns. “It ($100) is a little high for our Club.” Cara suggested $50. Rosemary concurred, recommending a usual donation of $50 but adding “it can be amended on an individual basis”. Dottie and Dick resolved to bring the donations that have already been approved by Excom up to date.

Dave Warthen provided the Membership Report electronically. Dave continues to scan back copies of TOOT for posting on the Club website.

Events and Meetings:

April 30 – Ski Travel Show (Rockville) June 15 - Monthly meeting (Powers)

May 18 – Monthly meeting (Ufholz) June 22 – Excom (Mulholland)

May 25 – Excom (Thayer) July 27 – Excom (Schwartzbard)

June 12 – lunch with Capital Golden Skiers Nov 6 – PVS 45^th Anniversary Gala

Rosemary has pre-registered interested club members for the April 30^th Ski Travel Show. The list includes Joe Jevcak, the Comerfords, the Flakes, the Schwartzbards, the Huggins, and the Jablons.

Ski Trip Committee (STC): The spring BRSC meeting is being held at the Holiday Inn on Solomon’s Island on Sunday, May 15^th. Traditionally PVS covers the meeting costs for 3 representatives. The president usually attends. As STC chair, Rosemary will attend. Dave Lerner generally attends although he will not be able to go this year. When Dick provides the check for expenses to BRSC, he needs to stipulate whom the money covers.

Glade Flake has communicated to Rosemary that he would like to lead a PVS group on the BRSC Aosta Valley, Italy ski trip 2/25-3/5. This is not yet firm. Rosemary will be talking with the Flakes further about it.

Cara has volunteered to lead a trip to Steamboat. She is eyeing the dates of 2/20-2/26 but will move to an earlier time if Glade’s proposal becomes definite. The Snowmass trip is scheduled for 1/19-1/26. Dick Comerford has mentioned leading a trip to Keystone in December.

Sharon’s assumption of the presidency left a vacancy on the STC. Rosemary has asked Jan Marx to join the committee and Jan has agreed. Current members in addition to Rosemary include Eloise Strand, Dave Lerner, and Polli Brunelli. At one time the committee was composed of three members. While Bob Marx was chair, the number increased to six. The Ski Trip Guidelines suggest a group of five and Rosemary would like to maintain that.

Questionnaires from the Jackson Hole trip rated the hotel as good and the trip leaders as superb. Responses to the Bormio trip were very positive as well.

Rosemary said that she would prefer to have next year’s trips settled by now but that they don’t need to be voted upon until the May Excom meeting.

Charlie presented the statistics for this year’s ski trips. A total of 52 PVS members (36% of the Club) went on one or more of the four ski trips offered. Ten members went on two trips. Two members went on three trips. In the past three years, membership participation has averaged 35%. In the seven preceding seasons, participation averaged 44%. The fact that relatively few members are skiing makes it difficult to get people to go on trips let alone lead them. “The club doesn’t need to run four trips,” said Rosemary. “I think that if we can get two good trips that that is sufficient.”

“I want to make it a priority to gain more skiers,” said Sharon.

Dottie reminded Excom that the Capital Golden Skiers (CGS) are welcoming PVS to come on their ski trips. They have the same three trips every year: Vail, Aspen, and Sun Valley.

“We’re trying to mentor people to become leaders,” said Rosemary.

Charlie expressed his view that dealing with a resort directly is preferable to going through a tour operator.

Dottie said that she was happy to have the help of a vendor (tour operator) in planning the Jackson Hole trip.

John Brunelli recalled going on a number of BRSC trips that John Smith ran and that Glade was involved with. “They were good trips,” said John.

Sharon said that the Snowmass trip should come in under $2000 this year.

Charlie asked if she and Carolyn Devilbiss (co leaders of the trip) were getting more than one bid.

Joint participation with CGS: Dottie and Carolyn DeVilbiss attended a CGS’s planning meeting in March. Both Dottie and Carolyn feel that there are potential advantages to PVS and CGS becoming more involved with each other. At an earlier Excom meeting, Dick Laeser pointed out that in interacting with CGS, PVS would be linking up with another group that has the same problems it does – namely, a declining and aging membership. Dottie is encouraging PVS members to attend a joint luncheon of the two clubs at Normandy Farms on June 12^th. Previously CGS has suggested that the two clubs share activities. It should be noted that CGS has many more non-skiing activities than PVS (e.g. regular bridge games, dances at the Elks Club, hikes, etc.) Excom will need to decide if it will open its ski trips to CGS. (Two of the CGS members who went on the Jackson Hole trip this year have applied for PVS membership.) For now the two clubs plan to exchange lists of upcoming activities for publication in their respective newsletters. Dottie has volunteered to provide the PVS list to CGS for now which will include contact information.

Membership requirements: A suggestion was made to rewrite the club By-Laws. Although the Club agreed two years ago to make PVS a snow sports club, the By-Laws haven’t been updated to reflect this. “We also need to relax the requirements for membership,” said Sharon.

TOOT: Mike Strand will be guest editor of the May TOOT. The deadline is April 29. Ruth Powers will do the snail mail. Jan Marx will be the June editor. Barbara Leonhardt will do the snail mail.

Minutes submitted by Mary Beale, secretary