8963-R1_MSA_February2025_Newsletter

Leeds StumpThumpers S.C. to Honor Larry and Eileen Lafland with Scholarship Fund

The MSA director’s meeting on Janu ary 25 th was hosted by the Leeds Stump Thumpers S.C. at the Asylum Lodge #133 in Leeds. I would like to thank all that attended our first MSA meeting in Leeds and made it a huge success. This was scheduled last November with the encouragement of our Western Regional VP Gerry Major. He and his wifeTerry had come to our landowner’s appreciation supper last fall and were very impressed by our token of appre ciation with all the food. On December 9th Gerry Major called me to give the sad news of Larry Lafland’s passing the night before. He and his wife Eileen had gone on many MSA meetings and snowmobile adven tures that I’ve attended in the past decade. They were my dynamic duo, always together and on the move, ever eady to answer questions and give a solid opinion. On the hour and a half ride back from his visitation in Bangor, I came up with an inspiration, how to honor my lost friend and his wife that put so much into our sport. A special way they could

be remembered through a new MSA Scholarship Fund, an annual scholar ship that would be supported by a per manent fund. As a member of Asylum Lodge #133 AF & AM, a Maine Masonic Lodge gave me access to a matching grant from Maine Masonic Charity Foundation. We received a pledge of up to $2,000. Which would double donations. It turns out the Foundation granted us an exception to fund this project that is not normally done.

At our LSSC club meeting, I brought up my idea of using all money raised from supper and donations at the MSA director’s meeting to be used to start a permanent fund for the Lafland Scholar ship Fund. Our small group supported it in a heartbeat “going to a good cause.” It was like a miracle that our club mem bers were instantly all in. The evening of the meeting, we col lected and counted the money com ing up to $1000. We had three bags of bread knots left out of the 200 donated by Davinci’s Restaurant, which I got $20 for each bag. Then the first half of the 50/50 was added to our collection, and then the winner of the 50/50 added in his portion. So all totaled, we collected $1230.00. The following day I received a call from a club member, he wanted to have the club donate the rest to bring us to our $2,000 to maximize our match. So we ARE the little club that could! I want to thank all that helped me get started with our goal and hope that others will contribute to this cause. Brad Barker, President of LSSC

IT’S CONTEST NOMINATION TIME!! The end of February means it is time to submit nominations for the MSA Awards contests for the 2024-25 season. ALL clubs have at least one per son, business, dealer, or land owner they could nominate to receive an award. Recognize those in your club who have been there, done that, or sup port you by allowing you to use their land. All contest forms are on the MSA website: click member ship, then MSA Forms, and there they are! It’s that sim ple! If you can’t find them you can contact Liz at the office or Eileen Lafland and one of them can send them to you. PLEASE nominate some one or even your own club for these awards. It is a great way to let them know you do appreciate all they have and continue to do for your club and the sport of snowmobil ing in the state!

Celebrating the Life of Reid C. Stanley

On January 20, 2025, the town of Benedicta, the greater Katahdin region, and Aroostook and Penobscot Counties lost a true treasure. Reid C. Stanley passed away. Reid was one of the found ing members of the Benedicta Snowgang Snow mobile Club, but more than that Reid was a vision ary of sorts. Oh, he and his family rode sleds of course, but Reid was more of a planner, doer, if you will. He owned the Benedicta General Store for years so that limited his “riding time”, but he

was always looking for things to make his town and his club stronger. A lot of people don’t know that Reid was the one who named the Snowgang! At our first meeting Reid said, “We have quite a gang, so why can’t we name our club the Snowgang” and the rest is history, as they say. Reid never held a Snowgang office, never wanted to; he would rather be chasing groomer parts in Caribou or some such thing. Reid started the Benedicta Snowgang GolfTournament on ice an actual par 72, 9 hole golf course on Plunkett Pond. It was so popular that ESPN even picked it up and showed it nationwide just one of Reid’s vision’s! Reid was an awesome cook, roasting many pigs from 50 - 200 lbs. in the cooker that he built himself from a 275 gallon oil tank, to making the first course of hors d’oeuvers for many Progressive Suppers! So in closing, I feel very privileged to have called Reid C. Stanley a great friend, more of a brother as we got older,THANKYOU for all you did to make us better persons for having known you. Ride safe and to the right!!! Jim Splan, Past President, Benedicta Snowgang Snowmobile Club

25

w m

n o

o b

2 0 2 5 l M a i n e S

i l e

r

F

u a r y

e b

r