Newsletter and Calendar
February 2001
Editor: Lynn Kovacs

STATE OF THE COUNCIL ADDRESS
Can you believe how fast this year has flown? It's hard to believe
it's almost March, when it seems like just yesterday we were still
planning the season. We're hoping you're having a great winter, in
spite of Mother Nature.

One of my own personal goals this year, my first as Council Chairman,
was to communicate, communicate, communicate! With that in mind, I
thought I'd "communicate" a little "report card" on the year so far,
and let you know what your Board has been doing.

We created a theme this year at our August planning session: "How
Can We Give Back To Our Clubs". With that theme in mind, we came up
with several goals, among them: reinstituting "President's Night,"
producing and distributing membership cards, getting our scholarship
committee set up as a viable charitable corporation so that folks
could make tax-free contributions, expanding and enhancing the trips
offered by the council, setting up and working diligently on safety
issues important to our members, helping PACRAT with their plans to
enhance racing, and setting up a mutually beneficial commercial
membership program that would provide access to club members for our
sponsors, and provide benefits from those sponsors to our (newly!)
card-carrying club members.

I am VERY proud of the success we've achieved so far. Marilyn Sigler
worked hard to get our membership cards printed and distributed, and
she did a great job getting our club presidents together for
President's Night. Sylvia Kearns put together the council's
first "Safety Night," and the video on knee injuries shown at that
meeting is now being shown at the club level. Mary Olhausen did
outstanding work on the Blitz, despite some pretty adverse weather
conditions, and she continues to work very hard on improvements to
the web site, which has been designed and maintained by Chris Miller
(thanks, Chris!). Don Schuster has put hours and hours of effort
into compiling a list of member bennies, which will soon be displayed
on our web site. Linda McGavin worked very hard to handle the
logistics for our first silent auction-and what a success it was
(Linda also helps produce our wonderful directory)! Mae Bell has
done outstanding work as your treasurer, and put a tremendous amount
of effort into getting the council into the 21st century-you can now
pay for council trips with your VISA!! Russ Stanton, your travel
director, has lots of trip ideas, and is sponsoring the council's
first ever "Cheap Trip," a no-frills, fun time in Reno. Diane Hicks
and her committee have just presented proposed by-laws for their new
charitable organization, and Linda Orlando is managing to keep
minutes of it all! Last (but goodness knows not least!) your PACRAT
Chair/race director, Lynn Kovacs, is wearing two hats! Lynn not only
chairs the PACRAT board, she's the editor of this newsletter! PACRAT
took the bold step of inviting snowboarders this year. Rumor has it;
PACRAT has more snowboarders than any other league in the Far West
Ski Association! Washington membership director Joel Carlson has
really grown our membership in the Evergreen State-way to go, Joel!
Kudos also to Barb Parshall, who developed and markets our commercial
membership program.

And speaking of that program, we have to credit much of our success
to the support of our many commercial members. Contributions from
companies like G.I. Joe's, Mt. Bachelor, INCA Snowboards, Sunshine
Village in Banff, Equity Group/Re-Max Realtors, and many, many others
give us the resources to continue to provide what we hope are some
terrific benefits to you, the club members. Visit our web site, find
out who they are, and please help us by giving them your business
whenever you can!

Your Council still has more things we want to do. Bringing back the
Ski Fair, putting together more and better Council trips, and
continuing to build upon and improve our safety program are among
some of the things we're currently working on. If you have ideas
that can help us, or other thoughts about how we can help your club,
just let us know. Contact us at www.nwskiers.org with your ideas and
comments. We've got lots of talent and energy just waiting for you!


Warm regards,
Sheri Parshall
Chairman, Northwest Ski Club Council


UPCOMING CLUB & REGIONAL TRAVEL & EVENTS

(Open to all NWSCC club
members)
Skiyente Ski Club's King Winter, March 10, 2001, Charlie's at
Government Camp, Mt. Hood


Cascade Ski Club's Shawn Patrick Cradit Memorial Race,
March 17,
2001, Timberline, Mt. Hood, Pre-registration sign-up will run through
March 15, and event day registration is at 10:00. General entry fee
is $20, or $10 for Cascade Ski Club members. The race is open to all
ages and ski/board abilities. This registration includes the race,
prizes, after race party, and dinner. Shawn was killed in an
accident this past December, and Cascade Ski Club has renamed this
annual ski and snowboard event in his memory. For more information
or to register, call Gretchen at (503) 272-9204 or Ryan at (503) 622-
1425. All proceeds donated will benefit the Cascade Ski Club
Scholarship Fund.


Ski and Tee Challenge
, April 21, 2001, Mt. Hood, OR, Combine ski
racing and a golf scramble all in one day! And support the Mt. Hood
Ski Patrol in the process. Entry fees are $500 per each team of
four. Fees include a lift ticket and race at Timberline, coffee,
pastries, and a sack lunch from Timberline, greens fees and cart
rental, and 18 holes of golf at The Resort At the Mountain. The day's
events end with dinner and an awards banquet at The Resort At The
Mountain.


FWRA Racing Championships
, Northstar-at-Tahoe, April 5-8, 2001:
NWSCC/PACRAT came in First Place for points earned per racer this
past April, and our goal is to sweep the championships in 2001! The
trip will cost approximately $400 including airfare - however airfare
is increasing. This trip is always great fun for everyone! Billie
Jo Rease is the trip captain and is accepting $50.00 deposits. She
can be reached at


Skiyente's Putt and Poke 2001,
Sunday, May 6, 2001: This event will
include nine holes of golf at Fairway Village Golf Course, Vancouver,
WA, and darts, lunch, and prizes at Ron's Sports Page in Vancouver.
There is limited availability, so do not delay in contacting Sandy
Schill at (360)256-3623 to register.


2001 FWSA Convention,
Reno, Nevada, June 7 - 10, 2001
This event will be held at the Peppermill Hotel Casino. Golf or
tennis tournaments, or tours to historic Virginia City or Harrah's
National Automobile Museum will be offered on Friday. A silent
auction filled with ski trips to Europe and North America, and many
other great destinations is planned for that evening. Saturday's
schedule includes speakers; representatives from many of the best
resorts in North America; a Saturday night banquet and dance; and,
award ceremonies. Room rates start at $79 per night. Reservations
must be made by April 30, 2001 to ensure the discounted room rate.
Call (800) 282-2444 to make room reservations, and use the Group Code
#RFWSA01 for the discounted rate. Call Southwest Airlines at (800)
433-5368, and use ID Code A8112 for a 10% discount on roundtrip
tickets. Registration materials will be available in March. Contact
Marilyn Sigler at marski@... or (360) 883-6937, for
information.


NWSCC's Third Annual 'Clubs 4PLAY',
Sunday, July 29, 2001, Glendoveer
Golf Course, Portland, OR Schnee Vogeli Ski Club took 1st Place last
year, and is strategizing to defend their title!!! Each club is
allowed no more than four 4-somes. Tee-off is set for 10:00 AM on
the East Course. The $47 entry fee includes 18 holes of golf, a BBQ,
and prizes. Entry forms will be available at the March NWSCC Council
Meeting, or contact Diane Hicks at dskier@... or Marilyn Sigler
at marski@....


FWSA

Western Ski Heritage Prize and Award 2001
Steamboat Springs Ski Resort is sponsoring a competition to honor
those individuals who have made a significant contribution to
preserving some facet of FWSA's activity in the sport of skiing. It
may also be awarded for history projects, which show the service
provided to the local or regional community. It is not a service
award but recognition of specific work to preserve history.

There is a 4-day ski prize at Steamboat Springs for the winning
historian. Steamboat Springs has graciously donated this prize for
the Western Ski Heritage award, its second prize in this year.
NWSCC's club members who may have a history project suitable for this
award are eligible to participate. The deadline for submitting
material is April 15, 2001.

Specifications for nomination:
There is no formal template for nominations, but content per the
specifications would be greatly appreciated. The nomination must be
for an individual and the nominator must be indicated on the
nomination. The nomination should be a brief one or two page letter
addressed to John Watson, Box 2768, Fallbrook, CA, or
geospace@.... John can be reached at (760)-723-6539.

The history project (or projects) that serves as the basis for the
nomination should be briefly described. The medium of the preserved
material should be identified - printed, electronic, photographs,
narrative text, oral history. The duration of the effort required to
produce the project - or whether it is ongoing - should be stated.
The relationship to FWSA's history or to the community of skiers or
to the local or regional community at large should be described.
The location of the material where it may be viewed by judges should
be specified. Availability of the material for display at the
upcoming FWSA Convention and annual meeting in Reno, NE this June is
desirable and should be specified if feasible. Proposed disposition
of the completed project materials should be mentioned. Brief
biographical material on the nominee is also desirable.


NWSCC CLUB NEWSLETTERS & EVENTS - what other clubs do?
After reading a sample of NWSCC member club newsletters, I thought
that some of you might be interested in what some of our clubs offer
their members.

Club Newsletters: Several club newsletters include a monthly
calendar of upcoming events and activities.
Several newsletters include business card size advertising purchased
by club members. These were mostly at a nominal fee paid one or
more months in advance, and help support their member directories
and/or newsletters. At least one club allowed paid advertising for
products and/or services relevant to club interests.

Monthly letters from the clubs' Presidents is a popular feature
article, and one club newsletter includes a Member of the Month
article.

Club Fundraising
At least three clubs sponsor an annual ski-swap as a major
fundraising event. The clubs earn a commission on previously owned
items that are sold, as well as on new merchandise sold by retail
participants. The clubs also sell new merchandise donated by area
retailers and club members.

Club Activities
Most clubs' events now extend beyond snow sport activities and
include golf, dancing, cultural events, card and board games,
bicycling, hiking, camping, road trips, and so forth.
Charitable and service related activities include Adopt a Highway,
fundraising for various charities and foundations, Race for the Cure,
Cancer Ski Out, and many more.
Some clubs provide hot-lines, message boards, and carpooling message
boards.


SNOWSPORT INDUSTRY NEWS
Utah's Preparation for Winter Olympics 2002
Terry Richard of the Oregonian was the guest speaker at NWSCC's
recent Council meeting. He recently returned from a 10-day trip
scoping out many of the preparations for next year's Winter Olympic
Games. Bryce Canyon has a new Nordic center of approximately 50
kilometers set aside for Nordic skiing and snow-mobiling. Kerns,
Utah is the home of the new $30 Million skating and recreation
venue. Deer Valley will host the mogul and aerial ski events, while
Park City is preparing for the snowboard and Alpine GS events. Snow
Basin has a new downhill course that will probably be ranked as one
of the top five in the world. And Snow Basin has installed two new
gondolas and one high-speed quad in anticipation of the popularity of
the Men's and Women's downhill events. Terry noted that although The
Canyons will not host any of the Olympic events, this is his favorite
of the closely situated resorts. Terry assured everybody, that he
had the opportunity to ski at all of the areas he visited. Terry
also noted that the greater Salt Lake City area offers many other
sites and activities in addition to the Olympics events.


FUTURE TRAVEL

USRSA Ski Week, January 5 - 13, 2002, Park City, Utah Stay tuned for
details. This should be an inexpensive trip, as Utah ski areas are
booked for the upcoming Winter Olympics, but scrambling to bring
people before and after the events.

FWSA Ski Week, January 26 - February 2, 2002, Copper Mountain, CO.
Copper Mountain offers over 2,400 acres of lift-serviced terrain
segregated into beginner, advanced, and expert terrain, each located
on different parts of the mountain. Prices will be approximately
$850, excluding airfare. NWSCC clubs will be limited to only 62
spaces. Over 30 deposits have been received. To sign-up send a $50
refundable deposit to Sylvia Kearns at 7006 NE 72nd Circle,
Vancouver, WA 98661, or call her at (360) 260-7169.


MEMBER BENEFIT PROGRAMS

G.I. Joe's Wintertime 10% Discount
Show your NWSCC membership card at the time of purchase at any G.I.
Joe's store, and receive a 10% discount all regular priced ski and
snowboard related merchandise, including racks.


NWSCC REPORTS AND NOTICES

2000 - 2001 PACRAT Race Schedule
Sunday, March 11, 2001 - Timberline
Sunday, March 18, 2001 Meadows - location change
Saturday, March 24, 2001 - Meadows, immediately followed by Rat
Attack / Awards Party
The PACRAT season is well under way. The races have been well
attended - even in the rain, and this year's friendly competition is
as serious as ever. The introduction of snowboarders has been well
received. Please call the PACRAT World Headquarters at (503) 796-
1112 for current race information.


Scholarship Committee
The US Development Ski Team invited Kevin Francis, a previous NWSCC
Gold Medal Scholarship recipient to compete in Europe this winter.
The Scholarship Committee Committee's drafted Bylaws have been
submitted to the NWSCC Board.
Applications for the 2001 Scholarships will be sent to area coaches
in March.
Contact Diane Hicks at dskier1@... with any questions or comments.


NWSCC Electronic Distribution List
To sign-up for the ListServe: go to the home page of NWSCC web site:
www.nwskiers.org and follow the simple instructions.


NWSCC Newsletter
Club Presidents and newsletter editors:
This newsletter is intended to provide NWSCC member clubs with
information about travel and events, as well as industry related
news. But is there other information that you would like to see?
Please let me know. Send your comments and suggestions to Lynn
Kovacs NWSCC P.O. Box 1915, Portland, OR 97207 or Llkovacs2@....


2000-2001 Northwest Skiers' Directories
Contact Linda McGavin at lindam@... to request directories.


Travel Flier Information Requirements
Travel fliers and notices disclosing travel dates or costs for any
NWSCC sponsored trip must state "Washington State Seller of Travel
#601-825-024" on the flier/document. This rule applies only to NWSCC
trips where NWSCC receives money from clubs or participants. It
does not apply to individual club trips. Contact Sheri Parshall with
questions at (503) 245-3782 or cougskier@....


NWSCC's Commercial Membership Program
The program benefits our commercial members. Contact Barb Pressentin
Parshall at (503) 514-4621 or for information


NEXT MEETING:

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2001
Agenda: TBA
6:30 P.M.
Gourmet Stuft Pizza
4200 Mercantile, Dr., Lake Oswego
(503) 635-1313


Directions:
From I-5, take Lake Oswego/Hwy 217 Exit
Drive east on Kruse Way toward Lake Oswego
Turn right on Mercantile (next to sign for the Keg Restaurant) into
the business park.


CONTACT SHERI PARSHALL FOR INFORMATION
(503) 245-3782 or cougskier@...