8872-R1_MSA_October2024_Newsletter

From The Executive Board

Secretary’s Report - Betsy Watson (Cont.) Directors Meeting - RT 11 Streakers - Limerick, Maine - September 17, 2024

get maps for October 3 rd to go to that show. Darlene said that they would do their best. So that is two weeks from tomorrow. Mapping dinners, we’re going to start scheduling those up for this fall for the trails committee to go through and map out our routes and just have a get together and a face to-face and a little thank you to the volunteers. Also a reminder, I will be doing a signage workshop at the snowmobile show on the 19 th , around 10 o’clock. And also a reminder, everybody that would like a trail workshop in their area, I’m wide open for dates. So if you can come up with a date and run it by me, if you’d like to have a workshop in your area, let me know. Any questions? All you, Mark. Hall of Fame, Gail Ryan: I’m still looking for people who’d like to be on it with me. I have one person, her name is Charlene McFarland, and so I need four more people. We’ll get nominations from the different clubs, hopefully a bunch that we have to judge. We’ll pick the people who should be in the Hall of Fame. We’ll get together or Zoom or something and I’m looking for somebody from every area. I don’t think there’ll be a whole lot of meetings. I don’t know yet, we’ll have to wait and see. Hospitality Chair, Gail Ryan: I have sent a few cards out; can I tell you who they’re for? Well, I sent one to Mark’s dad. I think I sent one to Mark, but I’m not sure. I can’t remember. Al: I forgot to mention your raffle permits.

H ello from Brewer, Fall is upon us and many clubs have already been out for weeks prepping for the upcoming season. From bush hogging to bridges to new groomer barns, there has been much activity. The Facebook posts have been great to see and I extend much appreciation to all the efforts. There was one post in par ticular that said” If you are waiting for snow to register your sled, did all the clubs wait for snow before they started working on trails?” The answer is a resounding NO! Great work out there! Trail committee meetings are ongoing. Our next meeting will be at approximately 11:30 AM on Saturday of the Snowmobile Show. This will follow the Trail workshop that starts at 9:30 with a signage presentation followed by Joe Higgin’s instruction and Q&A. Don’t hesitate to reach out with questions and concerns and remember I am always will ing to come to your club for a signage work shop or Q&A session. All for now… Brent We’ll be posting more safety information in the next few months to get us all ready for winter. Hope to see you at the show. Be safe out there! AL You guys that sell raffle tickets, make sure you have that permit. Hang it on your overhead canopy when you are out selling tickets or put it on the table you’re selling them at. The Gaming Commission has been out and they’re checking to make sure you have these permits. Also, there is some more safety stuff over there in that table. You guys can help yourself with posters and what have you. Polaris, Chris Gamache: I’m the trails manager for Polaris, specifically on their Ride Command program. Ride Command’s a free phone app website. My job is to make sure those maps are as correct as possible. I am the former trails chief in the state of New Hampshire. I live just south of Lake Winnipesaukee. I worked for the trails bureau for 20 years, was chief for 15. So I was doing the snowmobile grants, making the rules and everything else from the state of New Hampshire. And I’ve been with Polaris for about 40 years. I was looking on the app, trails in Standish, down in Sanford, up in Freiburg, they’re all on here, but nothing in this area is. It’s free marketing basically for your club, for your business sponsors. I’m going to add the clubhouse tomorrow to our map. I’ve got a picture of your map and I’ll start adding those. So clubs can have free accounts and you guys can add all your business sponsors. You can charge them to be on the app and you keep all the money or you can put them on for free. So you don’t have to do anything, sturdy footwear. Watch out for obstacles on the trail, broken branches, downed trees, holes in the dirt. Bring water to drink and snacks. Dress for ticks and bring some good tick spray with you. There are many ways to stay safe use common sense to start with. While trimming trees and brush make sure, you know where your buddy is. Don’t be dropping a tree branch down on him. Commu nication is the key. Stay alert when operating anything gas or electric powered. Be aware of your surroundings. If you feel like you need a break take one relax and enjoy the Maine woods. October is a good time to check over your snowmobiles and trailer. Have a professional do it or someone you can trust to do it right. How about your clothing - is it up to keeping you warm and dry? It’s very uncomfortable in the Maine woods when you’re cold and have a long ride back to your camp, house or truck and trailer.

but I’ll leave the brochure inside with the two bartenders because they’re probably the most tech savvy in the group out here. Old Business: By the time we get to old business we’ve pretty much covered everything. Super Raffle update. You’ve got a show update for now. We talked about the Epping grass drags and the dates. And we talked about the trails bond. So, make sure you vote in November and vote yes on four. That’s going to bring more money back into the club directly. New Business: Eileen’s got new business. We had asked clubs to send in a Formstack for the selling of the Super Raffle tickets at the show. I have the names of those clubs that submitted a Formstack Chris Gamache, come on back up here, please. At the last meeting, we talked about having a shift on Friday, three shifts on Saturday and a shift on Sunday. We’re going to draw them in that order. Chris is going to draw them because he is the most impartial person I can think of right now. So, just draw out one, please, and tell me the name of the club. Rome Ruff Riders. Okay, Rome Ruff Riders will have the Friday night shift. Quad County Snowmobile Club. Quad County Snowmobile Club will have 9 to 12.30 Saturday morning. East Branch Snow Rovers will have 12.30 to 4. Glenburn Lakeside Riders. Glenburn has from 4 to 8 Saturday night. And the Alna Snowmobile Club will have all day Sunday. So, those will be the clubs that will sell at the Super Raffles sales at the show. If for

scholarship program. Currently we award two-$1,500 scholar ships to any family member that is going on to post high school education. There are a few rules related to membership and the appli cation but basically any program after high school- a 1, 2 or 4 qualifies in most cases. The committee has raised the scholarship amount twice in the past few years as our goal is to try and make the award a meaningful con tribution to help support our members with the ever increasing cost of education. In the past we have only used the interest from our capital account and to do that we have had to look for others ways to fund the awards. Many clubs have donated in the past and this year is no different, when it was looking like we might have to be really creative in our financing the New Limerick club came up in a huge way. Be sure to look in this edition for more on that story but their event in late August will almost pay for our scholarships this year. We are so thankful for their support and always looking for more ways to get others involved. The committee is committed to doing whatever it takes to continue to raise funds. The more we have, the more we can give out. If you or your club is interested, please reach out to any committee member if you need any kind of information or support. Thanks for all you do and hope to see you at the Show. Pot of Gold: If your club name is drawn and you are here representing your club, you go back to your club with $400 bucks. The winning club is Poland Snow Travelers. Nobody here from the Poland Snow Travelers. All right, so next month’s director meeting is Tuesday, October 15 th . It will be at the VFW Post in Madison, Maine. I want to thank the Route 11 Streakers. Once again, they put on a great venue. And I will look for a motion to adjourn. There’s a motion, second. All in favor. Thank you. See you guys later. some reason one of those clubs cannot cover the shift that they have, these names are going back with Al and the office will pull out one that will be an alternate. Announcements or events: Swap meet at Northern Timber Cruisers in Millinocket this weekend, Saturday at 8 o’clock this Sunday. The Ripley Snowmobile Club will be having an annual auction at the town office there in Ripley. That starts at one o’clock. Eastern Maine Snowmobile Club’s open house and membership drive this Sunday afternoon. If anybody wants to come. I know Glenburn is doing a membership drive Saturday night. 50/50: The 50-50 is $73 to the winner. Winning ticket is 101-740. Mark Whitman donated the winnings back to the scholarship fund. Thank you.

Scholarship Committee

Safety Committee

Harvey Chesley, 207-314-0637 25 Hillcrest Dr, Clinton ME 04927 harv.chesley@gmail.com

Alan Swett 207-872-7282 234 County Rd, Waterville ME 04901 snowtraveler@roadrunner.com S nowmobile safety begins now! While your trail makers are out there making our trails better and better, BE SAFE. Wear the proper safety gear. Earplugs, safety glasses and good

W elcome back fellow snowmobilers, with fall officially here many of you are probably starting to get geared up for win ter. Hopefully one of those activities will be to attend the MSA Show in Augusta October 18-20. While you are there be sure to stop the MSA scholarship booth and talk with our volunteers. We also enjoy the opportunity to tell folks what we have been up to and we are likely to try and sell you a ticket or two. The Show is the kick off to our season and every thing we raise will help support our cause. By raising as much money as possible it allows us to give away as much as possible through our

Trails Committee Chair Report

MSA CLUBS: TO ORDER NEEDED ITS & JCT SIGNS Contact Mike Grass Sr., MSA Trails Committee 252 Condon Rd • Plymouth, ME 04969 207-368-4914 home • 207-745-2745 cell Grasslands252@gmail.com TO ORDER CLUBTRAIL SIGNAGE Candice Pinkham, DACF/Snowmobile Program 207-287-4957 Office • 207-878-8111 Fax Candice.M.Pinkham@maine.gov

Brent Spaulding, MSA Trails Chairman 207-944-7762 41 Madison Ave Brewer ME 04412 msatrailchair@gmail.com

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