WINTERSET SKI CLUB HISTORY

PART IV

Extract from Speech on Club History by Fred

    The 1974-75 Season started off very well, about 100 people attending the bang-up picnic at Linda P's.  It was well remembered the next day as the "Touch-Tackle" bruises showed up.  This was followed by a well attended (90+) General Meeting at the Yankee Drover Inn.

    The Winterset Ski & Skate Sale has now become an established event with people coming from all over Fairfield and neighboring counties to St Rose Parish Hall.  By the time Sale Co-Chairmen Frank J, Ed H and Stan M opened the doors the line extended clear across the parking lot.  This year the heavens smiled on skiers and all the bus trips were run and Ski Trip VP Evie W had to even have a second bus to take all to Butternut Basin.   Many will remember celebrating President Bill R's birthday at the top of the mountain.

    By now the membership had climbed to 88 memberships representing 309 bodies thanks to the diligence of Ed O, VP Membership.   With this size of a membership list we could support both bus trips and a Lodge and Ed W, our Lodge Chairman secured one in Proctorville VT.   This town was not exactly what could be described as a fast growing, middle American town but rather as what a deserted Silver Mining Town would be like after it was deserted a second time.  The Lodge was strictly from the dark ages and we wondered what really held it up.

    But it was this year that we found out the importance of Camaraderie & Esprit de Corps.  After a weekend of sharing refrigerators, food, kitchen, food, bathrooms, fireplace and livingroom sofas, a bond seemed to form between families.  There always seemed to be so many children around and we always had a pot of hot chocolate going.  The decor of the Lodge was not what mattered, it was the Spirit that prevailed that was important.

    The year ended with the Annual Dinner Dance and Installation of Officers being held at the recently built Ethan Allan Inn.  President Bill R presented the President's Award to Evie W and the Club Achievement Award to the sale Triumvirate of Frank J, Ed H and Stan M.

    Bill R turned the President's Gavel over to Paul M and he presented the 1975-76 Board of Directors: John C, VP Membership; Margot H, VP Ski Trips; Treasurer, Bill W; April A, Secretary; Sharon B, Member-at-Large; and Ed W as Lodge Chairman.

    With the Club entering it's sixth year everything was running smoothly.  Next issue will have information on succeeding Officers of Winterset Ski Club.

We, Winterset Ski Club, would like to thank Ed O for preserving and passing that information on to the club.  That was all that we had as written history until our 30th Founder's Day Anniversary Dinner Dance that then President Susan B would (with the idea from Ed and Marge O) not only initiate, but follow through on and make a very successful event.  The following is the speech written by her husband, Scott B, and presented the night of Winterset Ski Club's 30th Anniversary:

WINTERSET SKI CLUB IS TURNING THIRTY!

Please come celebrate with us at the 30th Anniversary Dinner Dance

Friday, December 15th, 2000

7:00 pm cocktail hour, hors-d'oeuves

8:00 - 12:00 pm dinner and dancing

at the Colonial Tavern, Oxford

The following is the speech given that night, was written by our then President's husband, Scott.  We thank Scott for all his time, writing skills and research.  (Again, last names have been left off of the website.)

Thanks everyone for coming to our 30th Anniversary Dinner Dance.  I hope you enjoyed see the slide show during our cocktail hour, and I thank everyone who contributed photos for the show.

Now, I'd like to introduce our MC for the evening.  You know him as our favorite Race Coach, Brian B.

"In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth, including Newtown.  And Newtown was without a ski club, and void.  And so, in 1969, Mike M & Fred M, skiers and fellow members of St. Rose, started a ski club for children under the sponsorship of the St Rose Sports Guild.

And after that first season, and trying to keep track of 30 kids at a time, they looked back, frowned, and said "this arrangement was not so hot!"

So in the fall of 1970, they sat down and brainstormed on a bigger scale - an independent, town-wide ski club for children and adults alike.

They talked to a lot of people, put articles in the paper, and generally tried to excite interest in the club.  And on December 13, 1970, a new organization was finally brought forth into the world - The No Name Ski Club -- and officers were elected.

One of those officers is here tonight.  Please welcome Winterset Ski Club's first Vice President in Charge of Ski Trip Planning, Rudy S.

(Rudy comes up to the front of the room; present him with champagne; he sits in chairs in front of room).

The rest of the officers elected that year, 1970, were:   Fred M, President; Bill T, VP Membership; Joan S, Secretary; and Fran G, Treasurer.

Also here with us tonight are many of the original Charter members of the Winterset Ski Club.

Our first Charter members are still members of our club today.  In fact, this year, we'll see three generations of the family skiing with Winterset.  Please welcome Bill and Liz M. 

Our next charter members They are now living in *********, please welcome Dave and Lynda L.

Our next charter member served in many capacities over the years, but most enduringly, he was the newsletter voice for more years than he wants to remember, please welcome Ed O...

One of the first tasks of the club that first year was to find a name for their new organization.  The decided to hold a contest.  And as the early records tell it, a "Mrs. B," a non-skier, entered the award winner: "Winterset".

The wisdom that Mike M & Fred M gained from their 1969 experience with their St Rose kid's group helped guide many activities and policies that our club still adheres to today.

They ran day bus trips...and several multi-day trips per year...and really started our club's long history of having fun.

That's why many of our members have BEEN part of our club for so long.  I'd like to recognize the people here tonight who have been members for more than 15 years, continuously.  Can you please stand at your seats when I call your names?

Carole & Ron A; Rick & April A; Brian & Maria B; Andy & Rita L; Bill & Liz M; Ed O; Stan & Carole P; Shirley R; Carole S & Jim M; Bill & Evie W; Jean W.

Many of these long-standing members may be saying..."Was it ALL fun?" Let's remember...

Does anyone remember that first weekend trip to Sugarbush in 1971, where we stayed at The Bagatalle?  The newsletter editor that year called it "That luxurious flop-house."

Does anyone remember a certain "Touch" football game in 1974 during our annual picnic?  Legend has it that there were a lot of Monday morning bruises after that game...!?

Who can forget the single shower - for the entire club - at the St. Jovite hotel?

Here's a memory question: Our first Ski & Skate Sale was held in 1972.  It was hosted by three Ed's...one of them is here right now....Ed O....Does anyone remember the other two Ed's?  Chairing that first sale were Ed O, Ed H & Ed W.

Our newer members may not remember this, but this club has had Ski Lodges over the years.

Does anyone remember our FIRST lodge in Proctorville, Vermont?  It was arranged by then Lodge Chairman, Ed W.

A few years ago, Ed O wrote about the place.  He wrote "The Lodge was strictly from the dark ages, and we wondered what really held it up.  But we found the importance of camaraderie and Esprit de Corps.  After a weekend of sharing refrigerators, food, bathrooms and sofas, a bond was formed between the families.  There always seemed to be so many children around and we always had a pot of hot chocolate going.  The decor of the Lodge was not what mattered, it was the Spirit that prevailed that was important".

That seems to sum up our club.

As long-standing member Bill W recalls, "In those early days, before the Age of Affluence, we were a pretty down-to-earth group.  The sleeping arrangements at our lodge were simple: all the kids and adults crammed into one huge room.  It was wall-to-wall sleeping bags and there wasn't a bit of privacy.  But one thing was sure -- we aways had a helluva good time."

We heard about the lodges from Meg S, a founding member and our second president.  She wrote us from Cape Cod and said that over the years, we had TWO lodges in Proctorsville, and one in Ludlow.  Meg wrote that she thinks fondly of all the great friends from those days and sends her "hellos" to everyone at the Dinner Dance.

Does anyone remember the first time that then Bus Trip Coordinator, Evie W, had to hire two buses for a trip for the first time?  (Our destination was Butternut and the entire trip cost $8!).

Our newer members might not remember the trip to Mt. Tremblant in the early 90's, when the bus got stuck in the snow at the Canadian border and that nutty bus driver made us get out and push!

How about skiing in the rain and slush at Andy L at Sugarloaf?

Minor inconveniences, for sure, and always overshadowed by the camaraderie on the slopes, the wine-and-cheese parties in the hallways, or the hope for better weather next time.

Our club is now beginning its' 31st year, now as one of the largest ski clubs in Connecticut.  It takes a special person to step forward and lead a group like this.  Some for more than a year - Masochists, some might say!

Many of the Presidents of our club are with us today, and I'd like to invite them to come up when I call their names:

Ron A (76-77); Evie W (78-79); Bill M (79-80); Andy L (82-82)(95-96)(96-97); Carole A (83-84); April A (84-85); Ed O (85-86)(86-87); Carole S (91-92)(Co-President with Paul D); Kevin M (89-90)(99-00); Susan B (00-01).   This is a Kodak moment, for sure.  One quick photo of all the Charter members, and the Presidents.

We certainly owe our thanks to all people who've helped run these and other events during the years.  And we owe special thanks to those whose names are perpetually on the volunteer list.

First, I'd like to thank Ed O.  The idea for this event was Ed's.  He and Marge lobbied hard for us to do something to commemorate our 30th Anniversary...This was back in May at the Installation Dinner at Chuck's Steak House.  Ed, I think it was a wonderful idea, and I thank you.

Next, Evie and Bill W put in long hours compiling the names of all the members we could find from the first year of our existence to today.  This was no small task, and I thank you, Evie and Bill.

Carole A did all the labeling and hand addressing of the invitations.  We send out almost 100 hand-addressed invitations!  Thank you Carole.

Linda V and Nickie O worked together with the Colonial Tavern to arrange the evening.  In addition, you have Linda to thank for these lovely tokens of our appreciation!  Thanks to both of you.

Scott B spent considerable time creating our slide show and presentation, and getting the AV equipment to run the show.  Thank you Scott.

And last, but not least, thanks to our MC for the evening, Brian B, who didn't know what he was getting into when he said "yes", but he's been my MC for the night.  Thanks Brian.

A little later this evening, we will be drawing for our door prize, a pair of lift tickets that arrived too late for our Raffle Night Event.  And we'll have our Refer-A-Member Raffle then as well.  So plan to stay a while.

Now, I'd like to ask everyone to join our Founding Members and Past Presidents on the dance floor, for some more music and dancing.

From time to time The Newtown Bee has done articles not only on various ski events, but on the club as a whole, anyone having copies of these articles or any additional written history about the club, and would like to see it passed on, please write or email the club.  We would also be glad to publish any individual write-ups on the club under the "My Winterset" web page.