Higlights from the NYSSRA Fall Meeting

Ski season is almost here!

NYSSRA Nordic, Inc.’s executive board and competition committees met at SUNY IT in Utica, NY for the annual Fall Meeting.  At this meeting, the race calendar was set, competition committees reviewed their policies and programs and the board of delegates voted on items to help direct NYSSRA Nordic, Inc.

Some Meeting Highlights:

The Empire State Games are back (I guess they never were really gone).  However, competitors will now have to pay entry fees to ESG.  Scholastic and open competitors will pay $10, masters will pay $40  per sport.  Skiers will still have to qualify through NYSSRA Nordic, but they will have to register through ESG.  More details to come as we get closer to the Empire State Games.

NYSSRA Nordic will now have to push race organizers to be a little more organized.  Our insurance provider needs a little more info from race organizers, and race organizers need to be a little more timely with sanctioning fees and paperwork.  Larry Wilkinson has set a December 1 deadline for race organizers to get their forms in.  Sanctioning forms and information are available at www.nyssranordic.com.  Likewise, member clubs will need to fill out an additional form for sanctioning.  Contact Larry for more information.

NYSSRA VP, Dave Kvam and Biathlon Mucky Muck, Tom Moffett get in a good rollerski workout

Members of the Executive Board took part in the traditional “lunch rollerski” around the SUNY IT Campus.  The rain held off while members got in a good workout.

Memberships are now being handled 100% online.  NYSSRA is using Skireg.com to handle all memberships and database management.  There will be a “reminder to renew your membership” card sent to you in the mail soon, but feel free to join now!

Eric Hamilton accepts the NYSSRA Presidential Citation Award from Jim Kobak

The Shenendehowa Nordic Ski Club was awarded the NYSSRA Presidential Citation.  Accepting the award was Eric Hamilton.  Congratulations Shen!

The board of delegates approved a measure to change the NYSSRA by-laws, first proposed at the Fall 2008 meeting.  Now, the board of delegates will be made of representatives from our member clubs.  Thus, it is imperative that club leaders get their sanctioning forms and fees in order so that they can take advantage of this new benefit.  Each member club will have a vote on the board of delegates at NYSSRA meetings.  Clubs will have a say over the direction of NYSSRA Nordic, Inc.  Now is the time to join a local ski club, or even start one up in your hometown.

The new ski season is upon us.  It’s time to get out there and get ready to ski!

Jim Kobak

President

NYSSRA FALL MEETING AGENDA

New York State Ski Racing Association – Nordic, Inc.

FALL MEETING AGENDA

SUNY Institute of Technology, Utica

Sunday, September 27, 2009

9:30 a.m. Committee Meetings

Biathlon (Carl Klossner)

Cross Country (Larry Wilkinson)

Cross Country Masters (Jim Kobak)

Ski Orienteering (Eric Hamilton)

BKYSL committee (Eric Hamilton)

Mid-A Junior Committee (Bill Brooker)

Each committee should be thinking ahead to what they would like to see improved, expanded, developed etc for the next year – or further out.  It’s a great opportunity while everyone is in one location, to discuss these things.

11:30 a.m. Lunch (BRING YOUR OWN) and your rollerskis!

12:30 NYSSRA Nordic, Inc. Meeting

I.President’s Remarks

II.Attendance

III.Minutes

IV.Treasurer’s Report

V.Committee Reports (keep brief – just the highlights)

a. Empire State Games

b. Competition committees (see above)

c. Bill Koch Youth League (Eric Hamilton)

VI.Other Committees

a. ?Fund Raising?

b. Newsletter (Tom Chappel)

c. Competition Manual (Mossberg/Forney)

d. Membership (Kobak)

e. Liability Insurance (Sean Halligan)

VII.Old Business

a. Vote on Amendment to Bylaws for change from regional reps to local club reps b. Finalize Winter Schedule

c. Presidential Citation and other club issues

d. Race Officials

VIII.New Business

a. Adirondack Sports & Fitness Winter Expo (Jim Kobak)

b. Presentation on Skijoring by Jason Sperry

c. Open Forum (phone additional ideas to Jim Kobak 518-643-2670)

d. Future meeting(s)

New York State Ski Racing Association – Nordic, Inc.

FALL MEETING AGENDA

SUNY Institute of Technology, Utica

Sunday, September 27, 2009

9:30 a.m. Committee Meetings

Biathlon (Carl Klossner)

Cross Country (Larry Wilkinson)

Cross Country Masters (Jim Kobak)

Ski Orienteering (Eric Hamilton)

BKYSL committee (Eric Hamilton)

Mid-A Junior Committee (Bill Brooker)

Each committee should be thinking ahead to what they would like to see improved, expanded, developed etc for the next year – or further out.  It’s a great opportunity while everyone is in one location, to discuss these things.

11:30 a.m. Lunch (BRING YOUR OWN) and your rollerskis!

12:30 NYSSRA Nordic, Inc. Meeting

I.President’s Remarks

II.Attendance

III.Minutes

IV.Treasurer’s Report

V.Committee Reports (keep brief – just the highlights)

a. Empire State Games

b. Competition committees (see above)

c. Bill Koch Youth League (Eric Hamilton)

VI.Other Committees

a. ?Fund Raising?

b. Newsletter (Tom Chappel)

c. Competition Manual (Mossberg/Forney)

d. Membership (Kobak)

e. Liability Insurance (Sean Halligan)

VII.Old Business

a. Vote on Amendment to Bylaws for change from regional reps to local club reps**see below

b. Finalize Winter Schedule

c. Presidential Citation and other club issues

d. Race Officials

VIII.New Business

a. Adirondack Sports & Fitness Winter Expo (Kobak)

b. Presentation on Skijoring by Jason Sperry

c. Open Forum (email additional ideas to Jim Kobak ( kobak1791w@yahoo.com)

d. Future meeting(s)

**Proposed revision at the fall 2009 meeting to change NYSSRA – Nordic’s Board of Delegates from regional representation to local club representatives.

Specifically:

ARTICLE II, Paragraph 5.c. – Change “…on a regional level…” to “…at the local club level…”

ARTICLE III, Paragraph 2.d. – Remove, “This is non-voting membership.”  And add another membership class, “e. Life – consisting of an individual membership that is paid up for the individual’s life.”

ARTICLE IV, Paragraph 1. – Remove, “There shall be 22 voting members of the Board of Delegates:”

ARTICLE IV, Paragraph 2. – Replace with:

“2. Delegates – Each Club, as defined in Article III, Paragraph 2.d. above, shall be represented by a delegate who shall serve at the discretion of the regional or local club and entitled to vote in behalf of the club.”

ARTICLE IV,  Paragraph 2. – Add, “One delegate shall be appointed to attend each NYSSRA semiannual meeting by each member club.  Member clubs must be actively sanctioned by NYSSRA Nordic, Inc in order for the appointed delegate to vote at the meeting. The appointed delegate must be an active NYSSRA member and identified to the President prior to the start of business at the meeting. Individuals may only represent one member club when acting as a delegate.”

ARTICLE VI, Paragraph 1. – Change “…representatives from at least three (3) regions.” to “…representatives from at least three (3) clubs.”

2009-10 NYSSRA Membership now available online

Fall is the time to renew your membership in NYSSRA Nordic. This season, all memberships will be done online through Skireg.com. Click on the link below to sign up!

MEMBERSHIP LINK

New for this season, members will be able to choose their own NYSSRA ID.  This will replace the NYSSRA Number as your unique identifier.  Renewing members that are attached to their NYSSRA number may choose to use that as their NYSSRA ID, or they can create their own NYSSRA IDs that may be easer to remember come race registration time.

First year Bill Koch skiers are still FREE!

Once again, NYSSRA has a membership partnership with NENSA.  All NYSSRA members will be given a complimentary membership to NENSA.  This will allow NYSSRA members to take part in NENSA races and events without paying additional fees… a $40 value!

Join NYSSRA Nordic today!

NYSSRA Fall Meeting: Sept 27. SUNY-IT Utica, NY

The NYSSRA Fall Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 27 at SUNY-IT in Utica, NY.

The primary objectives of this meeting are for competition committees to preview and assess the upcoming ski season, and to finalize the schedule of events for the upcoming season. Committee Chairmen will have breakout sessions in the morning where interested members are encouraged to contribute.  If you would like to contribute to the committee meetings, plan to come to Utica on Sept 27, or please contact the following committee chairmen:

Cross Country:  Larry Wilkinson nordic@roadrunner.com

Biathlon:  Carl Klossner  c_klossner@hotmail.com

Ski-O, Bill Koch:  Eric Hamilton ejh.bkh@juno.com

Mid-A/JO:  Margaret Maher margm@nysef.org

Membership, Local Clubs Jim Kobak kobak1791w@yahoo.com

In the afternoon session, an open executive meeting will take place where competition committees will report, events schedule will be reviewed, and business items will be discussed.  During this meeting, our voting members approve programs and appropriation of funds.  Our voting members include each of the above competition committee chairmen, the executive officers and regional representatives.  Feel free to contact your regional representatives about issues you feel need to be discussed at this meeting.  They, in turn will forward agenda items to me.  Our secretary, Eric Hamilton, will finalize and publish the fall meeting agenda by mid-September. Here is the contact information for regional representatives:

Central:

Russ Myer rmyer@nycap.rr.com , John Nabors john-nabors@olympic.net

Northern Adirondack:

Jim Kobak kobak1791w@yahoo.com, Margaret Maher margm@nysef.org

Southeastern:

Janice Sibilia jansibilia@aol.com , Paul Kuznia (845-265-3773)

Southern Adirondack

Darwin Roosa  roosmean@acmenet.net , Eric Hamilton ejh.bkh@juno.com, Doug Diehllakegeorgesummer@yahoo.com

West Central

Barb Pudiak (pudiak@fronteirnet.net) , Anna Gorbold teamgorb@rochester.rr.com , Ruth Hayesgammu@juno.com

Western

Dan Schwenk djschwenk@rochester.rr.com

In between sessions, a number of us will participate in a rollerski interval workout on the SUNY-IT campus roads.  If you choose to go to the meeting, feel free to bring your rollerskis and a helmet.

Memberships for the 2009-10 season will be available online soon… get excited for the upcoming NYSSRA ski season!