Reporting Meeting of February 4, 2008

(For Distribution February 11)

• As a follow up on last week’s kidney disease program, President Ron asked for a show of hands on whether the club should sponsor a health fair at some point in the future. Following a positive response from the membership to the idea, Ron said he would research possible formats and get back to us at a subsequent meeting.

• Laura Linder announced that a Civil War reenactment would be featured at the 7:30 PM Wednesday, February 6, meeting of the Charlton Historical Society. All are invited. Laura also reported that the menu for the February 11 meeting would include egg plant parmigiana, meat balls, and spaghetti. Laura thanked Pete Sawyer for providing the dessert for tonight’s meal.

• Ron discussed the annual Partners Night dinner on Tuesday March 11 at 6:00 PM in the Van Curler Room of the SCCC School of Culinary Arts. . There will be a chicken entrée, but a vegetarian meal is available. You are welcome to bring your own wine. The dinner, which will be graciously served by the student wait-staff, will cost $20 per person payable at the door or in advance. We need to meet a guarantee of 30 persons in attendance.

• Following the happy dollar collection, Doug Turpen asked a “Smarter Than a Fifth Grader” question. “What do you call a pig practicing karate”? The answer, accompanied by groans, was “pork chop”.

• Frank Winters, a lifelong skiing enthusiast, provided an engaging talk replete with good humor and slides of attractive scenery taken at Ski Venture and New Hampshire’s Mt. Washington. Ski Venture is a member owned and operated skiing establishment located off Dawson Rd. in West Glenville.

The Ski Venture club was first established in 1937; the membership bought the nine-acre site ten years later. There are four trails ranging from beginner to expert, two rope tows, and a 100 foot vertical elevation on the site. The total number of member families has ranged from the mid-40’s to the mid-50’s in recent years. Annual membership cost for an entire family is $60.

Frank described the operation as a no-frills one, except for “the 100 watt light bulbs in the outhouse”. Although work obligations are not required, work parties are organized twice a year. Frank described the work parties (ie. cutting brush on the trails every fall) as “doing something together and then you party”. There is no snow making equipment; you can ski anytime there is snow on the ground. Frank remarked that after you park your car and walk the trail into the ski runs, “You’re on vacation right away”.

Some club members also take regular trips to Mt. Washington. Frank showed a potpourri of beautiful slides taken there of the over two mile ski run with a 2,000 foot elevation. Our own Mary Anderson, Walt Grattidge, and Sandy Kominoski, offered that they had also skied this impressive trail.

Frank said his son Luke, who accompanied Frank to our meeting, had made his first trip to Mt. Washington at the age of six and commented, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing”. Son Colin made his first trip to Mt. Washington just last year at age seven.

Frank characterized the membership as “a nice mix of people with varied skills”. New members are always welcome at Ski Venture. He’s in the phone book with a surname easily associated with skiing (Winters) and would welcome a call from anyone desiring more information.

Reported by Dick O’Rourke