Week Ending: April 24, 2005

The purpose of this communication is to provide an activities update to the membership of the Patroller Committee and interested patrollers as it relates to changes that are taking place which may affect our future involvement as patrollers, and the direction of our purportedly membership driven organization.

The first face-to-face Patroller Committee meeting was held April 23rd in Detroit. The meeting drew patroller’s from Central, Pacific Northwest, and Rocky Mountain Divisions. Substantial progress and support nation wide for our efforts continue via the Patroller Committee expanding network of members and supporters. The old adage ‘there is strength in numbers’ is certainly true in this case. We continue to assemble a diverse, knowledgeable, and experienced group of individuals who feel passionately about the National Ski Patrol, and have a strong desire to work collectively with the National Board to resolve issues that have been ‘festering’ for years.

A key discussion topic was the need to continue increasing awareness among our membership and garner additional support. A plan of approach was discussed to further leverage existing networks and contacts. One action was the chartering of a marketing sub-committee.

Team members agreed to promote change by working within the current NSP management structure with a constructive focus and approach to attain a mutually-beneficial resolution with the National Ski Patrol Board of Directors and the executive leadership within the organization.

Attendees reviewed and developed an extensive list of actions taken by the NSP that have galvanized membership to form this committee. The vital issues were identified and easily categorized into two groups: Membership Representation and Liability. Expect to see these issues fully developed and communicated as membership education aids in the near future. The focus of these two issues parallels and supports the efforts of the Central Divisions work groups which are also addressing these same issues (reference PC update, April 16, 2005).

Member awareness and positioning continues to be a critical concern for the Patroller Committee. This week we offer a challenge to every patroller nationwide. Take ‘5’ minutes to contact ‘5’ other patroller’s. Use e-mail to forward the link to our web site and encourage them to review the material and register. Then encourage those ‘5’ to contact another ‘5’.

We all know that communication is the lifeblood of our organization. Over the summer months it gets more difficult to stay focused on the issues at hand. Our weekly communication is an attempt to keep you informed and current with events as they progress.

As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome and critical.

Sincerely,
Your PC Team