|
|
|
Final Sweep
The NSP Month in Review
|
|
|
NATIONAL
SKI PATROL
|
133
S. Van Gordon St. 100
|
|
From the Desk of Tim White
Hello again from NSP headquarters. In only a week's
time the country will take stock in our independence as a nation.
Along with family gatherings and fireworks celebration it's a good time
to consider the role of leadership in building a nation or building a
great organization like NSP.
A few years ago Dave Esty, NSP National Marketing Counsel and Sugarbush
Ski Patroller, introduced a version of the leadership course at
Sugarbush Resort which he had been conducting for many years for
companies and business schools. He started the course with the
patrol and it now reaches deeply into every department there. The
course has not only impacted the staff's careers but also the other
areas of their personal lives and for volunteers their off-resort
professional lives as well.
Dave has graciously agreed to write a four part series for Final Sweep
on his leadership program including a summary of the 8 attributes of
leadership. Dave believes true leadership for patrollers begins at the
scene of the accident. Please take a moment to click on Dave's
article I am sure it will be of value to every patroller.
Wishing you a safe and enjoyable holiday.
|
|
|
Annual
Board Meeting This Weekend
The NSP Board's
Annual Meeting will start today, Friday, June 26, and continue through
Saturday the 27th. The meeting will be held in Lakewood, Colo., at
the Sheraton Hotel (360 Union Boulevard). The meeting is open to any
member who'd like to attend, and will replace the typical Board
teleconference meeting for this month.
To view the Annual
Meeting agenda click HERE.
To download the DRAFT budget click HERE.
To download other meeting materials click HERE.
A summary and recap of the meeting will be included
in the July issue of Final
Sweep, and minutes will be available at nsp.org.
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.
|
|
National
Office Updates
Administration
New NSP Website to
Debut
A new and
improved NSP website is coming your way at nsp.org.
The national office staff has been working hard to
update the look and functionality of the site, which
will roll out later this summer. Members will find many of the
same great features that have been available in the past, but
other elements have been added and/or upgraded. The enhanced
features all add to an easier-to-navigate site that will include a
number of items including an updated and expanded member forum,
additions to the online NSP Winter
Catalog, expanded member resources and media area, and expanded
information for the public on how to join the NSP. Watch for more
information on the new site in the coming months.
 2009 Cycle B Refresher Study Guide Now Available
The 2009 OEC Refresher
Study Guide is now available online for download or
review. The RSG can
be found at nsp.org;
click on the cover icon on the right hand side of the home page to
access the publication. As always, a hard copy of the RSG will also be
inserted in the summer issue of Ski
Patrol Magazine, which mails next week--the week of June
28. (The 2009 Instructor's
Guide has mailed and is also available in the instructor
resources area of nsp.org.)
Replace Defective Service Award Pins Via National Office
Members who may have received a damaged
service award pin from a 2008/09 season order are encouraged
to return the pin(s) to the national office. The NSP will
replace defective pins at no charge. Contact Drew Whitam, Purchasing
Manager, with any questions.
NSP on Facebook and Twitter
NSP has joined the social networking scene. With the
help of Matt Abbadessa, national Young Adult Program coordinator,
NSP now has an official Facebook page. Watch for weekly updates, get
connected with national happenings, and stay in touch with other
NSP members and friends. Also, check for national updates on the NSP
Twitter page.
|
Marketing/Communications/Events
Attributes of
Leadership
Ever felt you
could be a more effective leader? Dave Esty, national marketing advisor
to the NSP, has developed a crucial listing of "Eight Attributes
of Leadership." We'll take a look at all eight in the NSP
newsletter, starting here, with the first two attributes: 1) Absolute
Integrity and 2) Know Your Stuff. The importance of both are discussed
in this
document. Check the July newsletter for the next
attributes in this series.
 Subaru Purchase Program Reminder
Subaru of America offers an excellent VIP program to
all NSP members. Through the program, members are eligible to
receive up to $3,300 off a new Subaru. In order to take advantage of
the VIP pricing, NSP members MUST log into the "Member
Services" side of nsp.org and fill out an online
authorization form BEFORE the vehicle is purchased. Once logged
in, click on the "Promotional Offers" link on the left hand
side of the page. Next, click the Subaru icon and you'll be connected
to the authorization form. Filling out this form allows the
national office to validate your membership, and means the sale
will be included in Subaru's reciprocal contribution to the
NSP. Remember: You must take this simple step to receive the
discount. Please call Chris Bourne at 303.988.1111 if you have any
questions about this or any other sponsor promotions.
Safety Team Partners With Subaru
Speaking of Subaru, the NSP Safety Team has been hard at
work developing an informative and unique program to promote slope
safety and help patrollers educate the skiing/boarding public. The
"Drive for Safety" campaign, a joint venture between the
NSP and Subaru, will roll out this coming ski season.
The campaign will provide an opportunity for NSP
to help promote public safety, create brand awareness
and grow our partnership with Subaru. This safety campaign
will target some key areas including:
- Preparing for your
ski/snowboard trip;
- Defensive skiing/
Defensive driving;
- What to do in an
emergency.
Keep your eyes out for more information coming this
season.
Sugarbush Patrollers Test Potential Catalog
Products
Patrollers
at Vermont's Sugarbush Resort helped the NSP and its membership by
testing out some potential catalog products last winter. The
two items the patrol tried out were MountainSmith's Patrol Lumbar
Pack and AuClair's Worker Gloves. Tester feedback was shared with
the two companies--both NSP Official Suppliers--and the
helpful suggestions will be incorporated into next year's products
(which will be available through the NSP).
Sponsor Spotlight: Backcountry Access
Backcountry Access (BCA), a leading manufacturer of snow
safety equipment including avy beacons, shovels
and probes, has signed a sponsorship agreement with the NSP. The
Colorado-based BCA is dedicated to avalanche awareness and education, a
commitment that includes a variety of efforts that target backcountry
users. These include the creation of more than 60 beacon parks
worldwide and extensive research on avalanche statistics and
rescue techniques. BCA's partnership with the NSP will be
education-focused; the company plans to support a rewrite of the NSP Avalanche Fundamentals
textbook; the new text is slated for release this coming ski
season. NSP members will also be eligible for a discount on BCA
products, including the much-anticipated Tracker2 beacon and Float 30
avalanche airbag, which will be released in fall 2009. Head to the
"Promotional Offers" page in the "Member Services"
section of www.nsp.org to see the
full range of products.
Tips and Best Practices for Bike Patrol Operations
It's summer, and while winter gear and terrain have been
exchanged, patrol procedures, OEC techniques and even guest safety
messaging carry over into ski resort mountain bike ops. According to
the National Ski Areas Association, more than 80 ski areas offer
lift-serviced mountain biking, and an increasing number include
freestyle bike parks. More bike parks mean more summer guests on the
hill, which means more bike patrollers helping to provide education,
trail maintenance and emergency care. Bike terrain varies greatly
resort to resort, but click
here to read a few tips and best ractices from
patrol staffs at Northstar-at-Tahoe, Calif., and Snowshoe Mountain,
W.Va.
On a sidenote: Ski
Patrol Magazine would like to hear about any unique
situations, trends, rescue techniques, procedures, training or
incidents that your bike patrol has witnessed during its summer duties.
Has your job changed as a result of a freestyle bike park? What have
you learned that would be helpful to pass on to other summer bike
patrols? If you have any helpful tips for other bike patrollers or a
great story about the work of your summer patrol, send it to spm@nsp.org.
|
|
|
|
NSP
Committee Updates
Finance Committee
2009/10 Budget
The Finance
Committee met on June 17 to review the 2009/10 budget, which begins
July 1.The committee developed recommendations for balancing the budget
and will present their recommendations to the NSP Board at the Annual
Meeting on June 27. The Board will be making final decisions and
approving the budget at that time.
Governance Committee
The Governance
Committee has been hard at work reviewing many Requests For Board
Action (RFBAs) and making recommendations to the Board. They
recently reviewed the Education Committee's charter and voted to send
it to the Board for approval. In addition they will be presenting
the revised National Bylaws and the National Chair Election process at
the Annual Meeting.
Fundraising Committee
Fundraising on the
New NSP Website
Coming to
the new NSP website: A "Donate Now" button! When
the new NSP site launches this summer, keep an eye on the home
page for a new "Donate Now" button. With one easy
click, the button will allow both the public and members to
donate to NSP, furthering NSP's ongoing fundraising efforts.
A Point Earned is
a Point Saved...for the 2009/10 Ski Season
There is no better
time than summer to build up your NSP rewards points for the upcoming
ski season. Use your NSP Rewards Visa now and earn points from all
of your summer vacation expenditures. Points can be redeemed for travel
on any airline with no blackout dates, for merchandise, or for one
percent cash back that can be used for anything you'd like. (Free
travel and lift tickets anyone?)
Further, your NSP Rewards Visa directly benefits NSP
and its mission. A percentage of every dollar spent goes back to
the National Ski Patrol to support its many programs.
Sign up now for the NSP Rewards card...click HERE to apply.
|
|
Meet a
Member of the NSP Staff
 Kristal Null
Kristal joined the national office staff in September
2008. She oversees many accounting tasks including payables,
receivables, billing and collections. Before she came to the NSP,
she was a stay-at-home mom.
Hometown and Education: Kristal is a true local, born
and raised in Denver, who attended high school at Green Mountain High
School in Lakewood, home of the NSP.
Family: Kristal and her husband have three
children--two boys and a girl, aged 7-10.
Why She Loves Colorado: The weather is so versatile and
there is always something to do.
Snow Skills: Kristal doesn't get much time to ski but enjoys
snowshoing whenever she finds the time.
|
|
NSP
Winter Catalog Item of the Month (available at nsp.org)
Great for
Camping!
 Princeton Tech
Support Flare
The
Sport Flare provides a safer, more dependable, environmentally-friendly
alternative to candle lanterns, gas lanterns and chemical light sticks.
The Sport Flare is a remarkable light source that will illuminate your
tent for hours on just two AA batteries. Princeton Tec's
exclusive photoluminescent flare cone is easily removed, even
underwater, to reveal a mini flashlight perfect for
emergencies. It will continue to glow after the light is turned
off. The Sport Flare ensures that you'll be seen on all those
low-visibility, dark nights.
 LED Wand
See and be seen! This LED wand transforms the Inova®
Microlite™ flashlight into a versatile signal marker, spot beam or
beacon. Visibility up to one mile with a four-function microprocessor
switch that will provide up to 15 hours of light per battery set.
Shockproof, waterproof and submersible up to 1,000 feet. Clear wand
with white LED.
|
|
|
NSP Visitor of the Month: Del
Redmann
 Del didn't
actually visit NSP's national office, but he did get some visitors
of his own. Here's the story:
Del was in the 32nd Infantry Division, in the South
Pacific in WWII and still was able to serve 60 years in
the NSP. He just returned from visiting Washington, D.C.,
on an Honor Flight to the Veteran's War Memorial. Del's
family and friends met him on his return flight to welcome him home and
honor him. Many sent letters of support, which were read aloud on
the flight home.
Del has been very active on the Alpine Valley Ski Patrol in Illinois,
Central Division. He recently retired but is still skiing. Del has
served as a crew chief for the patrol many years. Pictured above
are: Mary Redmann (Del's wife), Ron Trahan (Alpine Valley Ski Patrol),
Del Redmann, Don Craig (AVSP), Bruce Johnson (AVSP) and Del's
granddaughter Krista Redmann. Congrats, Del, on your journey!
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
