8576-R1_MSA_December2023_Newsletter

SupportYour Local Snowmobile Club! By Carol Bourque – Wild River Riders SC

nights and weekends. The other two volunteers are retired and have more time during the week, but they are unable to do a lot of the heavy work without additional hands. We need more volunteers! The other point I want people to understand is that there are a whole lot of work and expenses that are not reimbursed by the state in the grant program for which the club is responsible to raise funds. The state reimburses us for grooming and trail maintenance. However, the state does not provide the equipment or tools to do this. An equipment grant pays only 40% of the approved cost. A new piece of grooming equipment can cost $300,000!The club must fundraise the remaining 60% ($180,000). The state does not pay for ATVs, mowers, or chainsaws. When any of this equip ment breaks down, the club is respon sible for the repair and maintenance costs. When a volunteer heats their garage to work on club equipment, those additional personal expenses are not reimbursed. When a volun teer needs to pick up parts two hours away, the state does not reimburse the club for this travel expense. With limited volunteers, these same core volunteers are using their personal time, equipment, and sometimes money to support the club. The club receives $15/member so those funds go quickly, especially when people don’t renew or join a club. Last year our club had only 30 members ($450) and expenses of more than $12,000. There is also a lot of administrative work involved in running a snowmo bile club.The club is a Maine nonprofit

corporation and must file annual fil ings with the state. Depending on their club federal status, tax forms must also be filed. Memberships must be processed with the Maine Snowmobile Association, which gets 50% of your membership fee. Deal ing with landowners is a large part of what a club does from obtaining per mission early in the season to deal ing with matters that arise during the season. The state does not reimburse for the time or materials (stationery, printers, postage) to communicate with landowners. Other tasks that are not compensated for are the admin istrative functions of processing memberships, paying bills and bal ancing checkbooks, updating social media with work days or trail condi tions, planning cookouts, selling raf fle tickets, or monthly club meetings to manage the club and trail projects. This small core group of volunteers is carrying out all this work so that you can enjoy your weekend ride on safe, groomed trails. As you can see, there is a lot of work behind the scenes to make those beautiful carpets of white. Won’t you please help us out by joining a club, volunteering at a work day or fund raiser or offering to help with the administrative work. Donations, in addition to your membership fees, are also appreciated as they help us to pay for some of the items mentioned above that are not covered by the grant program.There is great satisfac tion when riding those white carpets in knowing that your hard work and dedication contributed to this beauti ful day!

E ver wonder where those beautiful carpets of white come from on a snowy February weekend? They are the result of the dedication and hard work of a core group of volunteers, many of whom are aging out of the sport.Yes, we’ve all heard this before, but do you really know what the vol unteers do and how a Maine snowmo bile club gets money to make those nice trails? Maine snowmobile clubs get money through a grant program run by the state. We are given money for trail maintenance and grooming with very specific guidelines of what costs will be reimbursed. When volunteers show up on a work day, not only does the job get done faster, but the club gets $15/ hour per person towards their grant. This is very helpful and one of the eas iest ways for a club to make money. By volunteering on a work day, you make the work go faster and also contribute monetarily to the club! Our small club has three to four volunteers maintain ing 30 miles of trails.Two of the volun teers work full time and volunteer on

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