Minutes- PVS Excom meeting – March 27, 2012 (submitted by Mary Beale, secretary)
The meeting was held by conference call. Participants included Mary Beale, Melissa Fitzgerald, John Holt, Cara Jablon, Dick Leaser, Jan Marx, Ray McKinley, Dick and Rosemary Schwartzbard, Ellie Thayer, and Dave Warthen.
The minutes from the February 21st Excom meeting were approved.
Dick (Laeser) gave the Treasurer’s Report. The combined Checking and Savings account balance is $15,280.55. Ray said that using figures that Dick had provided, it appeared that the Savings account was making 3/100 of 1% interest. Dick confirmed that the amount was very small. “Savings accounts just don’t pay,” said Dick.
Dave Warthen provided his usual monthly Membership Report electronically ahead of tonight’s meeting. Profiles of the five applicant members who will be voted upon for full membership at the April Annual Meeting will appear in the April TOOT.
Events & Meetings:
April 11 – LOGs (Potomac Grill) May 4 – Wash DC Ski Travel Show
April 17 – Annual Meeting (Heitchue) May 15 – monthly meeting (June Read’s daughter)
April 22 – Andorra post-trip party (Hines) May 22 – Excom meeting (conference call)
April 24 – Excom meeting (Fitzgerald)) June 2 – The Music Man (Arena stage)
April 28 – Textile Museum tour (Jan Gibson) June 19 – monthly meeting (TBA)
John Smith will be organizing the 2nd LOGs luncheon, this time at the Potomac Grill in Rockville, MD, at 1 pm on Wednesday, April 11th.
Dave (Warthen) has prepared a notice for TOOT announcing the Annual Meeting on April 17th. Half the alphabet will bring appetizers and the other half will bring desserts. This has worked nicely in the past with the only potential hitch being an overabundance of delicious food. Melissa volunteered to oversee the event. Paper supplies (plates, napkins, cups, etc) and coffee will need to be provided as well.
Dick and Rosemary will be away a week in April and will miss the Andorra post-trip party and the April24th Excom. If several people will be away for the April 24th Excom, it may be prudent to change the date or “meet” by conference call.
This year’s Ski Travel Show will be at the Marriott Hotel at Tyson’s Corner on Friday, May 4th from6:30-9:30. Everyone is invited and encouraged to go. Rosemary has prepared an announcement for the April TOOT.
The BRSC spring meeting will be held at the Tyson’s Maggiano’s restaurant. PVS provides the financial support for 3 members to attend.
Dick Laeser has reserved 20 group tickets for the Arena Stage production of The Music Man on Saturday, June 2nd at 2 pm. So far 6 tickets have been spoken for. The price is $60 which is far lower than the $99 fee charged online.
TOOT: The upcoming editor schedule for TOOT has Dave (Warthen) taking April and June, Jan (Marx) May, and Marvin Hass July/August. With the majority of members receiving TOOT electronically, there is more freedom with its size. However, there is some debate regarding the length of articles. “Four or five pages is just too much,” said Ray. Dick Scwartzbard agreed that shorter was better. The Andorra trip that included stays in Barcelona and Madrid was special and warranted greater coverage. “We have so much trouble getting people to write that we’re thrilled when they do,” said Jan. She related that one member had told her that an issue of TOOT had been so long that “I didn’t bother to print it out”. Dick Schwartzbard summed up the dilemma when he said “some people like the New York Times and some people like USA Today”.
Ski Trip Committee (STC): Over 80% of the Ski Trip evaluations are in from the Andorra trip. So many people had an excellent time. Meals, hotels, leaders Ray and Nancy McKinley -all received high praise. “I thought it was just a fabulous trip,” said Rosemary. Over ten people rated it better than the trips they have taken in the past.
The trips for 2013 are beginning to take shape. There is a preliminary proposal from John Holt and John Lyon to lead a PVS contingent on the BRSC trip to Big Sky Montana scheduled for February 2-9, 2013. John Holt has led trips for the Ski Club of Washington DC (SCWDC). John Lyon has participated in many ski trips and has facilitated hikes for PVS. Lodging will be at the Huntley Mountain Lodge which offers ski-in/ ski-out convenience. A final price has not been set but an approximate figure is $1240/person double occupancy not including air fare. The last PVS trip to Big Sky was in 2007 led by Jan Marx. More details and a firm price will be available by July when the trip will be presented to the PVS membership. A motion was made to approve the Big Sky proposal. It was passed unanimously. The wholesaler for the trip is Judy Miller. John (Holt) was encouraged to offer the sleigh ride dinner at the Lone Mountain Ranch (approximately $85) as an option during the trip.
Liz Warren-Boulton has just submitted a proposal for a trip to the Canyons Resort in Utah which would run from March 24-31, 2013. The McKinleys led a trip there in 2001 and it is at least 50% bigger now. It too offers ski-in/ski-out convenience. The proposal does not include air fare. Flying into Utah is so easy now that it’s more beneficial for individuals to make their own arrangements. The 7 night lodging at the Canyons Grand Summit Hotel would come to about $1534/person double occupancy. Ray said that he had one major reservation with the trip and that was that there was no associate trip leader identified. Cara offered to be the associate. “I know that whole area very well.” Cara felt that the trip was awfully expensive (air fare, dinner, and lift tickets are not included in the price quote). Rosemary said that the last week in March had been chosen because it was the least expensive week in March. A suggestion was made to arrange the trip through wholesaler Doug Hortstman. Ray said that Doug had once arranged a trip for 20-30% less than what Ray would have gotten on his own. “He knows that entire area.” Rosemary said that she would discuss it with Liz. “We could have Doug do a pricing and see how that comes out.” “The trips are going to be around $2000 these days,” cautioned Rosemary. “We’ll send back new info via email.”
The STC also discussed other trip possibilities. The Committee decided not to have a partial (i.e. no air, no parties) trip to Snowmass two weeks before Big Sky. It would create unnecessary competition. The Club will wait to go to Snowmass again when it has a willing leader. Dick Comerford has mentioned leading a group on the BRSC Trois Valley ski trip in March of 2013. It’s still early in the process of arranging trips. Leaders don’t have to have all the information in to the STC until May.
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