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Final
Sweep
The NSP Month in Review
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NATIONAL
SKI PATROL
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133
S. Van Gordon St. 100
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Happy
Holidays from the NSP
National
Office Staff!
Back Row:
(left to right) Helen Anema, Christine Gouwens, Terry LaLiberte, Wayne
Block, Stan Anthony, Connor Scharfe, Drew Whitam, Tim White
Middle Row:
(left to right) Paul Robbins, Denis Meade, Cheri Overton, Scott
Spakes, Cathy Boudreau
Bottom Row: (left
to right) April Darrow, Christine Bourne, Kristen Bergeron,
Carol Hudson, Kristal Null
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December
Board of Directors Meeting in Review
The NSP Board
meets via teleconference at 5 p.m. Mountain Time on the third
Wednesday of each month. All members are invited to listen in on the
calls. Please contact Kristen Bergeron to request the
conference call codes.
The last meeting took place on Dec. 17. In that
meeting the Board reviewed and discussed the national office written
updates and voted on the following Action Items:
- The Board
aproved adding memorial fund information for Cory
Brettmen, former NSP member and Aspen ski patroller who was
killed in an avalanche, to the NSP
website;
- The Board
approved suggested CPR changes to the Policies and Procedures
Manual. The changes will be reflected in the
2009-2010 version;
- The Board
referred the suggested National Chair Election Process to the
Governance Committee for review. The Board will be following
the process for the January 2009 Chair election, but it has not
been officially adopted. To date two Board members have
declared their interest in the position of National Chair--
Bela and Terry LaLiberte.
Complete minutes from the Board of Directors Meetings
are available on nsp.org under "Member Services,"
then "My Bookshelf" and "Downloads." Draft Board
minutes are available in the "Member News" area of nsp.org
until they're approved.
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Five
Elected to NSP Board
The 2008 Board of
Directors election closed on Dec. 1. A total of 3,273 NSP members
voted (12%). Of the 18 candidates that were nominated for the
Board, five were elected, including three existing Board
members who were re-elected and two new members. Congratulations
to returning Board members Bela
Musits, David Ginley and Clark Noble, and to new
members Scott
Marland and Burt
Mitchell (who are better introduced below). New
members will take office on Jan.1.
Patrol: Brighton
Ski Resort in Utah
Burt Mitchell
Patrol:
Pahquioque in Connecticut
To view platform
statements of the new Board members log into the member services page at nsp.org and go to
"Elections" under "Member News."
NSP would like to welcome the following new
member patrols:
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Sky Tavern, NV - Pro Patrol
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Northstar, CA - Mountain Hosts
-
Mt Baldy, CA - Mountain Hosts
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National
Office Updates
Administration
Completed NSAA/
NSP Joint Statement of Understanding
 Leaders from the NSP and National Ski Areas Association
(NSAA) renewed the organizations' existing Joint Statement of
Understanding on Dec. 9. The longstanding JSOU works to define the
relationship between volunteer NSP patrollers and ski area management, and
assists in promoting a strong working relationship between the two. The
JSOU was last revised in 1993, and a new executive director (Tim White)
and new Board of Directors, led by Chair Terry LaLiberte, proved the
right time to update the agreement and vow to work closely with the ski
areas at which NSP members patrol. To view the complete JSOU sign-in to nsp.org and go to
"Member News." (Pictured above: White, LaLiberte and
NSAA President Michael Berry.)
Foster Discussion at NSP Member Forum
NSP's website hosts a forum where members
are invited to discuss NSP-related topics. Members
can submit questions to the Board of Directors, post general discussion
items, and/or post items for sale and employment opportunities. To
access the forum, log onto the member services site and click on "Member
Forum" on the lefthand side. The forum format will be updated
in 2009 along with a redesign of the entire site, so look for a more
user-friendly version in the future.
Upcoming NSP Alumni Survey
The NSP Planning Committee will be conducting an Alumni
survey starting in early January. Alumni are extremely important
to the organization, and the survey will identify which NSP Alumni
programs members would like to keep and which they'd like to add. The
survey will be e-mailed to NSP Alumni members and will also
be available on the NSP website.
Marketing/
Communications/ Events
NSP Patroller Education Conference 2009
Pec '09 is scheduled for April 15-17, 2009 in Snowbird,
Utah. A complete brochure and registration form is included in
the Fall issue of Ski Patrol Magazine and can also be downloaded
from
nsp.org. See you there!
December PEC spotlight: DEAN CARDINALE
 Dean Cardinale,
full-time avalanche forcaster for Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort,
will be at leading an on-mountain avalanche awareness seminar at PEC
'09. Dean serves as president of the Wasatch Backcountry Rescue
Group and is a certified avalanche instructor with the American
Avalanche Association (AAA). He's actively involved with the
International Commission of Alpine Rescue (IKAR) and has been
instumental in bringing innovative avalanche rescue technologies and
training to individuals and groups at national and international
levels. We're looking forward to his educational seminar at
PEC '09!
FIVE Reasons to attend PEC '09!
- Earn NSP
Senior Elective or Education Credits at the on-snow demos or Ski
and Toboggan Handling Clinics!
- Take ski
lessons with PSIA Alpine Demo Team Coach Rob Sogard!
- Your
educational trip may be tax deductible!
- Inexpensive
flights and $99/night rooms at the legendary Cliff Lodge!
- Snowbird's
incredible snow--including 611" last season!
Backcountry
Access Signs on as NSP Sponsor
 Backcountry Access, Inc. (BCA) has signed on as
a new sponsor of the NSP. BCA is a manufacturer and distributor of
leading snow safety products, including Tracker avalanche transceivers,
shovels, probes, packs and snow study kits. More information about
BCA and its products can be found at www.backcountryaccess.com. To place an order,
please log into the promotional offers page on nsp.org and view the offers
available to members. Keep in mind that BCA requires a
coupon code to access the NSP discount; it's code NSP120809.
Promotional
Offers Link --Ordering Regulations
NSP pro
deals are a great perk of being a member,
but please remember that it's also a
privilege. Keep in mind that abuse of pro deals can create
problems for you and other NSP members. Abuse can also affect NSP's
relationship with key sponsors. Please do not share your NSP member
number with others, do not order large quantities of product with the
intent to resell, and lastly, be polite to those who answer your
questions at our sponsors' customer service departments. Have fun
shopping responsibly!
And...CHECK OUT THE NSP PRO PAGE! New sponsors have been added in
the last few months.
Stop
by the NSP booth at SIA
The
Snowsports Industries America (SIA) Tradeshow at the Mandalay Bay
Conference Center in Las Vegas takes place Jan. 27-30, and NSP
will have booth in the convention center lobby. If you're there,
stop by and say "hello!"
NSP Donates Duofold Base Layers to SOS Outreach and
the BOEC
The NSP donated approximately 400 pieces
of Duofold base layers to two non-profit organizations earlier
this month. On Dec. 18, the Vail-based SOS Outreach received
200 of the Duofold pieces; the next day the Breckenridge Outdoor
Education Center (BOEC) in Breckenridge, Colo., received the same
amount. Both not-for-profit organizations introduce skiers and
snowboarders to the slopes. The SOS Outreach, founded in 1993, brings
thousands of at-risk and underprivledged kids to ski and snowboard
areas each season and helps program participants build character
and self esteem through snowsports. The BOEC provides outdoor
experiences to people with disabilities and trains instructors who work
with special groups. For more than 30 years the BOEC has provided
life-changing opportunities to people of all abilities. For more
information on these charities, visit www.sosoutreach.org or www.boec.org. A special thanks
goes to Duofold for helping the NSP with this donation.
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NSP
Committee Updates
Safety Team
The NSP Safety
Team met on Dec. 4 to discuss several key projects. The
Safety Team, chaired by Denny McMahan, includes Craig Simson, Ed
Strapp, Jean Webb, Jim Phillipe, Lonny Whitcomb, Paul Baugher and Mark
Petrozzi (full team bios are available at nsp.org). The
team plans to help promote safety along with the rest of the industry
during National Safety Awareness Week, which takes place at ski areas
nationwide Jan. 17-23. To assist with safety education efforts, team
members have also assembled targeted safety tips, which are
available at nsp.org
and can be used to help create targeted safety messenging. A
few team members will also be attending PEC '09 at
Snowbird and are planning a focus group to
brainstorm safety ideas.
Fundraising Committee
Tax Benefits of Donating to the NSP
NSP Fundraising Committee Chair Norris Woody has developed a document
that outlines the tax benefits of donating to theNSP. To view the
document log-in to the member services side of nsp.org and go to
"Member News."
Got a Company Matching Program? Use it to Help NSP Raise
Money!
Most outdoor equipment suppliers and retailers (REI, EMS, OR, etc.)
have programs of support, grants and/or sponsorships that are
initiated internally by the company's employees. The NSP
would like to tap into these resources, but needs the help of employees
of such companies who are also NSP members. If this is
you, please let us know by contacting Burt Mitchell .
Looking for Patrol Money? Learn About Grant Options.
The Fundraising Committee has been pursuing grants as
an additional source of revenue for the NSP. The committee must apply for
grants in which funds are used to benefit the entire NSP membership,
however other grants for local and regional use exist. Individual
regions and patrols can, and should, apply for such grants. To get
more information about applying for these grants log-in
to the Member Services side of nsp.org and go to
"Member News."
NSP Meeting
Highlights
OEC Supervisors Meeting
The annual OEC Supervisors meeting took
place Dec. 5-6 in Denver. The productive meeting was attended
by Board members Terry LaLiberte and Barb Dixon as well as National
Medical Advisor Dr. David Johe and National Legal Advisor Bob Scarlett. For
more information about the meeting contact Denis Meade. Highlights
include:
- Legal update
from Bob Scarlett: included review of the historical role of
OEC Supervisors in minimizing NSP's liability on the slopes;
reviewed NSP liability policy and insurance options for
patrollers and supervisors;
- OEC 5th
edition update from Dr. David Johe, MD; chapters to be written by
late spring 2009; text scheduled to be released by spring 2010;
- Discussion of
e-learning solutions for OEC course and OEC refreshers;
- Proposed
release dates for 2010 OEC refresher and 2010 OEC course.
Awards
Committee Meeting
The
National Awards Committee (NAC) met in Denver on Dec.
12-13. All NAC members (each Division awards
advisor), National Awards Chair Myer Avedovech, Board Chair Terry
LaLiberte, NSP Executive Director Tim White and NSP Member
Services Manager Cheri Overton were in attendance. For more
information about the meeting contact Cheri Overton. Highlights
include:
- Worked on
finalizing the design for the new Outstanding OEC
Instructor Award as well as the new NSP Memorial
Recognition Medallion;
- Drafted
changes to the Awards Chapter in the P&P;
- Worked on a
new National Outstanding Individal Award winner trophy;
- Revised the
Minnie Dole Award procedure to clarify criteria and other
sections.
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Meet
one of the National Office Staff
 Christine (pronounced Christina) Gouwens
cgouwens@nsp.org
Christine started at NSP in 2007 as a seasonal order entry
specialist but is now full-time, year-round assistant
office manager. She oversees front office happenings and
assists with catalog orders, member registration and many other
tasks.
Hometown: Christine grew up in Lake Placid, N.Y., and spent her
time skiing at New York's Whiteface Mountain.
Why She Loves Colorado: Christine moved to Denver
to attend school at the University of Denver, majoring in biology,
and loves the music, skiing and weather that come with living
in Denver.
Fun Facts: Christine attends many bluegrass music festivals
and concerts and has skied in New Zealand.
Snow Skills: Christine started skiing when she was 2 years
old. She started racing at the age of 6 and
continued ski racing throughout high school and
college. Although she is no longer racing, she enjoys skiing
frequently and is learning to telemark.
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NSP
Winter Catalog Item of the Month (available at nsp.org)
 NSP 70th
Anniversary Long & Short Sleeved T-Shirts
These longtime favorite Tees provide a retro look while
bumming around the mountain or at home. Made of 6.1-oz, 100%
preshrunk heavyweight cotton with a classsic design, the navy blue shirts
have the yellow NSP cross logo on back and "70th
Anniversary/1938-2008" on the front left chest.
Short and long sleeve sizes: S-XXL
SKU #17341 $19.95
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NSP
Visitors of the Month
 With some 162 years of patrolling and two replacement
knees (both belonging to the same person) between them, NSP members
(left to right) Dick Kornitz of Big Powderhorn, Mich., Rod Childs of
Perfect North Slopes, Ind., Gordon Drake of Devil's Head, Wisc., and
Bill Hunley of Alpine Valley, Wisc., stopped in at NSP Headquarters in
Lakewood, Colo., after their annual pilgrimage to Vail. Thanks for
stopping by to say hello, fellas!
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Final Sweep was created to keep NSP members informed about national
news. If you have news that's relevant to the national ski patrol
audience, we invite you to submit it for consideration for Final Sweep.
Please send it to Kristen Bergeron
by the 15th of each month.
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