The meeting began at 7:40 p.m.
Attendance: Diana Lynn Rau (President), Mike Lohman (Vice-President), Christine Lee (Secretary), Charlie Rau, Stephen Lee, Lisa Bornfriend (Firebird Designs), Jessica Jortberg (Winter Park Competition Center), Jon Kuhns (Coach Middle School), Karen Fletcher.
Discussion about the new webpage addition for which Grand Nordic is seeking a grant. This would entail having an administrator for this feature (possibly Lisa Bornfriend) who would be paid from the grant. The goal would be to have all Grand County x-c events and organizations on this website with info about these events and a link to the websites of the corresponding organizations. The grant has to be submitted to the Grand County Tourism Board by September 28 but Diana needs all information, logo and the way the program would be titled by Friday, September 16. This means all the Nordic Centers, schools, special event organizers have to give her all the info by this date.
Our Grand Nordic webpage will be linked to a logo perhaps titled: “All Things Nordic/XC in Grand County”. For the grant we have to submit a framework of what we are going to put together and submit an estimate of total expenses needed. If the grant is okayed this would be a building year.
Diana had asked for a theme/title for this addition to our webpage. What about the following theme? GRAND COUNTY – MORE K's, MORE DAYS. Everyone thought this was a great title.
A question was raised if Grand Nordic should advertise on the webpage of the Tourism Board. Yes, we should, was the answer.
EVENTS: Mike Lohman (with Karen Fletcher) and title sponsor Grand Park will be putting on a family relay race on Sunday, January 22 at Grand Park. It will be the day after Devil Thumb's Stagecoach X-C race. Mike thought that it would be a way of promoting fun and spectator-friendly racing for skiers of all ages and abilities while promoting the Nordic opportunities here in Grand County. He is hoping that, being held on the same weekend as the Stagecoach Race, skiers will stay over to compete with their friends and families at this relay event on Sunday. All proceeds from this event will benefit junior skiing and racing in Grand County. He and Karen are working on the specifics and hope to have them soon.
Jessica Jortberg is the new Nordic Program Director for the Winter Park Competition Center. She has been hired to set up a program for middle and high school x-c skiers that would go beyond what they have in the schools. It would train them to be ready to compete with other junior racers in Colorado. She also mentioned that it would really help to know dates for other races so as not to have as many conflicting dates.
SKI SWAP – Will be held at Devil's Thumb on Friday, October 28, 2016 at the Broad Axe Barn. Set up and gear check in will be from 5-6 p.m. The event itself will be from 6-8:30 p.m. As in previous years we will have a dessert table. Christine Lee volunteered to be coordinator with help from Mike Lohman. Diana and Charlie will set up the signs, Mike will contact previous donors for discounts for our member benefits, Al Rothenbach will be in charge of memberships and Christine Lee will get volunteers to help man the membership table, sales (bells and hats) table and dessert table. We will also have volunteers walk around and help people who have questions or need information on buying equipment. (Diana will ask Al to put all info about the swap on the website}.
Diana will again ask for 15% of Devil's Thumb and Snow Mountain Ranch sales. Grand Nordic gets 20% of individual sales. We will have an additional line on the swap sheet that says if individual items are not sold they have to be picked up that day after the swap or if the sellers don't want the items they can donate these items to Grand Nordic Ski Club as a tax write-off. This gear will be sold and the money used for scholarships or, if not sold, donated to school x-c programs.
FREE LESSONS: There will be three free lesson days.
Snow Mountain Ranch -- Sunday, December 4
Devil's Thumb -- Saturday, December 10 (Tommelfest)
Grand Lake -- Sunday, December 18
RANCH2RANCH TREK: Will be held on Saturday, February 4, and will be SMR to Granby Ranch. Details are being worked out. The money made from this race will be used for scholarships.
SCHOLARSHIPS: Discussion on a policy for awarding scholarships. In previous years we have paid 100% of middle school students ' fees but these were usually in the $25-$30 range. Larger invoices were given 50% of the total. Also Grand Nordic has helped pay for some of the equipment needed by high school racers.
What do we do now? Who do we sponsor? How much money do we have? All questions that have to be answered. C. Lee recommended that we establish a base budget of $3000 for scholarships. From that amount we would pay the full price for elementary and middle schools x-c fees ($35 this year) with the students having to write a letter telling us why they need or want this scholarship. For high school students who need new equipment Grand Nordic would donate up to $200.00 for the purchase of such equipment with a recommendation from the coach and a letter from the recipient. Jessica informed us that the kids who are in her program may be paying up to $3000 per year and they might also use some monetary help. Grand Nordic would not be able to donate this total amount but Diana, Christine and Mike felt that we could provide some help in the form of a smaller monetary scholarship for Grand County skiers. If we do so Jessica recommended that any recipient of funds should also do community service. A motion was made that Grand Nordic would give scholarships from $300-$500 based on financial need and availability of funds and a pledge of community service hours (to be determined) to those deserving young x-c skiers who are enrolled in the Winter Park Competition Center Program. The motion passed. Jessica also mentioned that Winter Park had an agreement form that we could use.
INSURANCE: C. Lee asked if we still had our liability insurance and should we pay for another year. Diana felt that this is a necessary evil. M. Lohman and C. Lee agreed. She will renew for another year.
YMCA KIDS PROGRAM: Stephen Lee will check with Bill Pierce (SMR) to see if Snow Mountain Ranch still wants to have this program on Sundays (excluding MLK and PRESIDENT'S DAY). Diana is looking for a person to do the Friday program. Kathy Jamison told S. Lee that she would be willing to help. Perhaps she and Diana could do alternate weeks. S. Lee will check with Kathy to see if this is a possibility.
OFFICER NOMINEES: Just before adjourning C. Lee reminded Diana that officers still needed to be nominated for next year. The slate of nominees was:
Diana Lynn Rau – President
Mike Lohman – Vice President
Christine Lee – Secretary
Al Rothenbach – Membership Chair & Webmaster
All agreed to serve another year (Al Rothenbach agreed via e-mail).
THE SLATE OF NEXT YEAR'S OFFICERS WAS APPROVED.
There being no further business to discuss the meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m.
Submitted by: Christine Lee, Secretary