PRESIDENT’S COMMUNIQUE WHAT A START TO WINTER

By: Dave Newman

What a start to the winter! The winter storm that hit much of the state in mid-December brought snow to most areas. And a LOT of snow in some, which included a heavy coating of ice before the snow. This combination resulted in trees and brush blocking the trails in a way most have never seen before. As I write this in early January most areas are finally getting their trails opened after working on them for weeks. If you follow these clubs on Facebook you have seen the pictures. The amount of volunteer hours it has taken has been nothing short of amazing. I hope if you live in this area of the state, and you had time and were physically able that you helped in some way. If not, I certainly hope you weren’t one of those complaining about the trails not being open. Hats off again to our amazing club members and a huge thank you to every one who helped get the trails open for all to enjoy!

Directors Meeting In Siren

I am writing this immediately after the directors meeting in Siren on January 8. Many directors and reps along with their spouses and families where able to come for the entire weekend to do some riding. The trails were great and the weather and scenery couldn’t have been better. Burnett and Polk counties did an awesome job getting their trails cleaned up after the December storm and they had plenty of snow. It hasn’t always been possible to attend these January meetings and have the local trails open, so it is always a treat when we can.

These directors and reps give up their time to attend four of these meetings each year, many times having to travel to the other side of the state. So, if we can include a little fun and better yet, some snowmobiling in with the meeting it makes it a little more worth their effort.

THE MAKE-UP OF THE AWSC BOARD

The AWSC board is made up of one director from each county in the state and most counties also have a rep that can attend and vote in place of the director if they can’t make it to a meeting. This makes for a very large board. Most organizations do not have to deal with over 70 voting board members. While it can be challenging at times, it does give us representation from every area of the state. And it also allows these directors to take the information from the meeting back home to share with their clubs.

Thank You

I want to thank these individuals for their commitment and dedication. We throw a lot of information at them during these four-hour meetings and appreciate their input and participation in the discussions we have. While they are elected by their county’s clubs, they attend these meetings as volunteers like everyone else in the AWSC. The AWSC does reimburse them some for their mileage, but the rest of the cost to attend these meetings comes out of their own pockets unless their county helps cover some of their expenses. THINK SNOW!