7566_MSA_May2021_MaineSnowmobiler

MSA 2021 No. 1 Club Written by Mike Grass

E very year the MSA challenges all MSA affiliated clubs to com- pete for the most memberships. Looking back, there have been many clubs that held that title. Be it membership drives, a big event or some other reason, it takes a special club to push memberships to the next level. Only two years ago, the Arnold Trail Snowmobile Club of Eustis was the number 1 club after a fierce battle to the end with the Rangeley Lakes Snowmobile Club. Last year, Rangeley pushed it harder and earned the Number 1 Club trophy with just over 1000 members. A huge accomplishment for the club. This season, Covid 19 shut- tered all the MSA clubs and their O n April 28th the Maine snowmobiling community lost another one of our family. Richard, “Dick” Peck passed away at age 88. Dick has been a central figure in snowmobiling in the Newport area for many, many years as well as being very active at the state level through MSA. Dick’s passion for snowmobiling went near and far. For a number of years, he owned a house in Aroostook Countywhich he used as a base for snowmobiling trips while up there. He snowmobiled exten- sively around this state and into Canada. He also traveled to Yellowstone National Park with a group to snowmobile. Dick was a past president of Sebasti- cook Snowmobile Club and was still an active member when he passed away. While at that club he was active in groom- ing operations and was municipal project director writing the trail grants for five different towns. With Dick’s expertise in this area, those clubs received their grant money for trail work and groom- ing. He was also involved with the Pine Tree Camp Ride Ins when they were at his club. As his obituary stated, one of the

membership drives, suppers and events. So MSA wondered where the membership contest would end up. Step in and Step up Range- ley Lakes Snowmobile Club. They didn’t have Snodeo, they didn’t have their dinners, they didn’t have lots of things, but what they did have was drive. The Rangeley Lakes Snowmobile Club took on Covid 19 and all it’s misery and pushed their member- ship to the next plateau, 1100mem- bers. How did they accomplish that? They did it with hard working club members that never give up. Always looking for an opportunity to welcome a new club member from near or far and expose them to the RLSC experience. RLSC is a more significant events he orchestrated while at SVSC was in the 1980’s when he organized hundreds of snowmobiles to spell out “Snowmobilers are real people too” where he got the idea from a network TV show. He served as MSA Trails Committee Chair person for a number of years in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. In 2005 he took over as MSA Scholarship Committee Chair from his longtime friend Floyd Whit- comb holding this position until 2020, and was still active with the committee at the time of his passing. If you ever went to the MSA Snowmobile Show you would have found Dick manning the scholarship com- mittee 50/50 booth collecting money for the fund. Throughout his shift he would keep everyone up to date on how much money was in the drawing and encourage everyone to buy more tickets! He made it a point to close out the night each day by announcing the winner and how much they were taking home! Snowmobiling in the Newport area and around the state will miss Dick. Rest in peace, Richard “Dick” Peck.

family, a team and a workforce all striving for the same goal, to be the best snowmobile club they can be. Together, they get it done, year after year and this year, for the

second year in a row, they have put themselves at the top of the list again. With 1104 members, the Rangeley Lakes Snowmobile Club is the 2021 MSA No. 1 Club.

Tribute to a Snowmobiler Richard “Dick” Peck

2020-2021 Season MSAMembership Figures MSA Families: 9,806 Supporting Businesses: 2205 Total: 12,010 Number of Reported Family Members: 19,843 Number of MSA Clubs: 282 Membership Totals by Region Region # Clubs # Members Central 56 1,769 Coastal 57 1,573 Eastern 73 2,783 Northern 34 2,152 Western 62 3,721 2020-2021 Season MSAMembership Figures MSA Families: 9,806 Supporting Bus nesses: 2205 Total: 12,010 Number of Reported Family Members: 19,843 Numbe of MSA Clubs: 282 Membership Totals by Region Region # Clubs # Members Central 56 1,769 oast 7 573 Eastern 73 2 78 North 34 152 Western 62 3 721 Largest MSA Snowmobile Club 2020-2021 Rangeley Lakes SC, Rangeley, 1,144 Members Penobscot SC, Hermon, 222 Memb rs Moosehead Riders SC, Greenville, 197 Members F rt K nt Snoriders, Fort Kent, 183 Members Turner Ridge Ri rs SC, Turner, 180 Members Blue Ridge Riders, Rockwood, 180 Members Arnold Trail SC, Eustis, 179 Members Madawaska SC, Madawaska, 176 Members Washburn Trail Runners SC, Washburn, 175 Members Norther imber Cruiser, Millinocket, 162 Members Bridgton Easy Riders, Bridgt n, 156 Members Porta e Lakers SC, Portage Lake, 150 Members Largest MSA Snowmobile Club 2020-2021 Rangeley Lakes SC, Rangeley, 1,144 Members Penobscot SC, Hermon, 222 Members Moosehead Riders SC, Greenville, 197 Members Fort Kent Snoriders, Fort Kent, 183 Members Turner Ridge Riders SC, Turner, 180 Members Blue Ridge Riders, Rockwood, 180 Members Arnold Trail SC, Eustis, 179 Members Madawaska SC, Madawaska, 176 Members Washburn Trail Runners SC, Washburn, 175 Members Northern Timber Cruiser, Millinocket, 162 Members Bridgton Easy Riders, Bridgton, 156 Members Portage Lakers SC, Portage Lake, 150 Members

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