Hello snow lovers. Hope you enjoyed August 2020. Welcome to Level 9 of Jumaji! haha
First, a special CHEERS! to each of you who have come out to happy hours, sent emails, connected with us on Facebook “Hootline” group, or subconsciously sent us positive vibes. Our club exists because of YOU! Thank you for sticking with us during this unanticipated Covid Season.
Our club was busy over the past few months adjusting and adapting… so we may continue to have fun and offer cost effective trips and activities. We started up virtual board meetings, followed by socially distanced outdoor board meetings, and are now busy preparing for the upcoming year. Meanwhile, our members enjoyed several happy hours, kayaked, and elected the 2020-2021 board. The social events over the past two months have proven to be a great, outdoor success. Clearly, we all wanted to enjoy summer and be outdoors with friends, while being able to socially distance and wear masks when appropriate. We all survived the black diamond kayaking the Kinni in August… and have stories to tell… ask about it at the next event.
In September, we have a lot to offer. Save the date for the Membership Drive and Trip Sign-up night at the beautiful outdoor space at 7 Vines Winery in Dellwood, MN. We also have a wonderful Biking/Walking Event hosted by Gary, Amanda, and Ben B. Keep your browsers set on Hootline.com for all of our latest events!
Did you see the website for the Call for Trip Leaders? We need two leaders for the Whitefish, MT trip and two leaders for the Val di Fassa, Italy trip. Being a trip leader is a rewarding opportunity to guide the group towards a fun adventure down the slopes and through the town. Beyond the discount you get on the trip, you gain valuable insight on the local fun stuff to do in the area. Also, don’t worry if you’re a first timer and want to volunteer solo… we always look to partner leader strengths. If you’re interested in this opportunity, please let Ross or any Board member know of your interest.
Speaking of Board members, please welcome our two NEW board members and congratulate the returning board members, some to new roles! Check out their photos and descriptions on the Contacts page.
Bob Fagerlund joins us as an enthusiastic Programs Co-Chair after being an active member the past couple of years. From my time in knowing him, he has two ‘Claims to Fame’. First, he sought out our club by finding us on the internet. He read all of our bylaws before becoming a member. How many of us can say that?! 😊 His second is that he is willing to repeatedly take a slope to perfect his skiing skills and techniques while jamming to tunes in his headphones.
Michele (Shelly) Ring joins us as the other enthusiastic Programs Co-Chair after being an active member for the past several years. Shelly simply radiates fun. She is excellent at knowing how everyone can feel at ease and have a good time. If she hasn’t made you smile, then you haven’t talked with her long enough. She dominates the slopes and appreciates the après-ski at the end of the day.
Ben Gandy returns as VP of Membership. Throw a $20 bill at him for your membership dues. You may find him on the slopes being fearless in his extremely coordinated orange and blue ski outfit… or après-ski anytime of the day. At least he’s easy to find!
Ross McLean returns as VP of Trips. Planning trips is the core of our club, just like Ross himself. He is infinitely kind and able to ski with anyone in the club on any run… at least once, but we all know it will be at least twice.
Gary Heaser continues to rock as Treasurer. He keeps us under budget and on track to survive low income years like this one. Gary’s claims to fame are his extensive 3M Ski Club t-shirt collection and knowing all the cheap places around town to teach kids how to ski.
Char Franey makes her comeback as appointed Auditor. She balances both the financial records and the board. We can find Char cruising down the slopes like a pro in the morning but heading home early enough to hit the hot tub or welcome hungry dinner guests.
Sue Malecha is our new Secretary. Sue records all the decisions we make, action items needed for the meeting minutes, and key points needed for future meeting notes. We can find her effortlessly swooshing down the slopes… likely to the next meet-up spot.
Felix Lin takes on the Member-At-Large role as well as Historian. Felix has extensive club knowledge and isn’t afraid to speak up. He is part of our club’s elite who always has a smile as he glides down the glades, rides the bumps, or glistens through the trees… as recorded by his Go Pro.
Ben Bungarten rocks another dual role as Publicity Chair & Webmaster… which have become kinda the same thing over time. Ben makes sure we have clear communication of upcoming activities via the website. He’s helping the club advance into the future with web forms and online payments. Keep an eye on him, if you can… he just blasted down the slopes in the trees to your left.
Garrett Maas also returns with loads of experience as Past President and appointment as MSC Rep. He is our link with past Board decisions as well as area clubs via the MSC (Midwest Sport & Ski Council). Garrett is often found swooshing up next to you at the next meeting spot on the slopes, until he sees the sign for “Huckleberry Mud Pie”. Garrett joins Felix in the pursuit of the best skiing video.
We thank Rachel Konzem for leading up the Programs over the past year! We had fun seeing some new sights and trying several new locations. And thank you, Laurie Ashworth, for multiple years of service on the board. Your invigorating new trip ideas got us to thinking about summer in a whole new way! Thank you both for your volunteering!
And now a few housekeeping notes… as all of you current members are aware, we missed having our annual Year End Celebration with banquet, photo slide show and awards, as well as our fundraising silent auction. Because we usually raise funds at the end of the year to fund some activities the following year, sponsored activities will be minimal. If any of you have some great ideas on how to raise funds, please send along your ideas. 😊
Some members are wondering where the club stands on the face mask/covering topic. To be clear, we are a 3M Club, so we follow guidance from 3M. This means, in Minnesota, we continue to follow the Governor’s order on face coverings as that what 3M is doing. We appreciate all of our members continuing to show respect for others by also following this guidance. Just as we look out for each other on the slopes, it’s good to see we look out for each other during this unusual Covid Season. As President, I personally appreciate everyone looking out for the health of our fellow skiers and boarders, and I take comfort in knowing this is only temporary. This too, shall pass.
And finally, apparently you all aren’t ready for a coup yet, so I was re-elected as President. My goals last year were to bring more awareness of our club internally at 3M and what we have to offer to our members. I believe we met that with an increased 3Mer membership rate, using our Club Card for Black Diamond Discounts around town, and listing ski resources on the website. This season, I’d like to continue to build those goals and encourage local ski trips, while continuing all that is wonderful about our club. I’m not sure what I’m always known for, but I do know that I am a straightforward person… I’m slowly learning to put things softer. I suppose it comes with my 99% Finnish heritage… someone told me there is not natural word in the Finnish language for “please”… but there is one for “thank you”. So on that note…
Kiitos, Grazie, Danke, Merci, Tack, Спасибо, Thank You, members, for everything you do! The entire Board is looking forward to a successful, fun year!
Your club president trying to respectfully steer this ◊◊ (Black Diamond) Season on behalf of all members,
Joanne
