~ byline, Armand Gutierrez~
President Armand at Chamonix, La France
Fourscore and seven years ago…Wait a minute, that’s already been taken. Let’s try this: Seven years ago I was nominated for the position of NSC President. Considering there were no other nominees it was pretty much a done deal. Fast forward to 2012. Once again I will be serving as your President for the 2012-2013 season. The difference this time is that this was more of a voluntary nomination. At last month’s NSC Board meeting our focus was on identifying who will be running the club. We discussed various options and everyone was amenable to maintaining his/her current position. However, Morgan decided that it was time for a change and that’s when I threw my hat into the ring, along with continuing my Membership Chairman position. I would like to thank the current board members for remaining “on board”, as this will make it easier to undertake the challenges NSC faces.
I’m sure everyone will agree that this past season was not the best ski season. Snow conditions were the worst I’ve ever seen in the 30+ years of skiing. It was a dismal sight seeing the Little Dipper mogul run at Heavenly covered with rocks and fallen trees, and this was in January! Many thought that the season was a bust, but fortunately the weather pattern changed and we did get decent, albeit not great, snow conditions for the rest of the season. However, due to the poor snow conditions it did force us to cancel several weekend ski trips.
Another casualty for last season was not participating at our traditional Chinese Chicken Salad event at Nikkei Matsuri, a first, after our many years of attendance. There were many factors that contributed to this but it was primarily the lack of volunteers to work the event. And this event does require a lot of work by volunteers.
Da Prez at Le Tour, Chamonix
At our first board meeting in June I’m going to present some ideas that I’ve had on the drawing board for the past year; all are designed in the best interest of NSC. Some will flounder, and some may flourish. NSC is a great ski club, and what makes it a great ski club are the club members. I’ve read the trip reports from skiers who went on our ski trips and a common thread was that NSC had the friendliest, most accommodating, and helpful members.
I’m looking forward to serving as President of this outstanding club for this year. But I’m only one person. There are a lot of dedicated people in this club and I think that is the club’s biggest asset. If you have any questions, concerns, or issues that need my attention, then I urge you to drop me a line and let me know. I know it’s only June, but I am already looking forward to the upcoming ski season!
