4 | Snowmobile VERMONT A message from VAST President Tim Mills It feels like only yesterday that we put away all of our winter toys and dug out the things we entertain ourselves with during the summer. As I get older, it seems that, in no time at all, another summer has come and our favorite season, winter/snowmobile season, is right around the corner. At the beginning of September, I was starting to wonder if we were going to have a fall season at all. The warm temps and humidity seemed never ending, and we were all still mowing the lawn of all things to tie up your fall day with. Well, it only took a trip to the northern part of the state for the VAST 51st Annual Meeting to see that fall was just about right on time up there. The leaves were already changing, the temperatures had dipped, and with that familiar fall smell in the air, I was reassured that winter was just around the corner. This year, Annual Meeting was held at The Abbey in Enosburg Falls. It was a great venue, with nice weather to tie it all together. If you have ever been to VAST Annual Meeting, you know it is truly a unique experience. It is a gathering of a group of like-minded friends where you can literally feel the energy in the air: The buzz of what work was accomplished this past summer season and the where, what and how of speculation and predictions of how the upcoming snowmobile season was going to be. It is also a great time to catch up with old friends and to make new ones. This is one of the bonuses of attending Annual Meeting that I truly enjoy. The awards ceremony was a lot of fun, with several clubs being recognized for efforts in many different categories, along with several members receiving personal recognition for individual achievements, efforts and contributions to snowmobiling in this amazing state we live in. The ever-present business of Annual Meeting itself went very well with all voting delegates in agreement on all business at hand for the day. It truly is a unique experience and if you have never been, you really should make a point of it in the future. As snowmobilers, we all love this time of year. In fact, the changing of the seasons is one of my favorite parts about living in Vermont. It’s a changing of gears of different activities to enjoy with both family and friends alike. We get to spend more time together preparing for winter. It’s also the time of year when your local clubs that are working on snowmobile trail construction should be winding down their projects. Last-minute work on reroutes should be wrapping up soon. Repairs and maintenance to snowmobile trail groomers is on the downhill slide and, with any luck, the final items on the clubs’ to-do lists should be crossed out soon. The final true Vermont sign that snowmobile season is right around the corner is when you see the trail signs going up around the state. We look forward to seeing you all out on the trails this winter with your family and friends. Ride safely and smooth trails! – Tim Mills, VAST President VAST News CPA/ FINANCIAL HELP FOR CLUBS How is your club doing regarding following federal and state laws? Do you need help? Please reach out to VAST if your club needs assistance regarding filing regulations, non-profit status, etc. VAST has retained a CPA firm located in the Montpelier area to help you. For help and additional information, email Cindy Locke at cindy@vtvast.org Don’tmissoutthisseason... Wewillnotbeundersold! 2019 Sleds Are On Their Way! R The Way Out. Tues - Fri 9am - 6pm • Sat 9am - 4pm • Sun 10am - 4pm 501 Wahconah St., Pittsfield 413-443-0638 Ext. 13 ronniesharleydavidson.com TRAIL CONDITIONS REPORTING We encourage clubs to use the online Trails Conditions Module to report your trail conditions throughout the season. Your club president has this login info to give to trailmasters. A video training is available for new users of the system. Please email beth@ vtvast.org for the training link. We also have a dedicated phone number for clubs to call and leave a message regarding wording for us to upload to the website about their trail conditions, openings and closings. This phone number will be sent to clubs before the season. 3-DAY TMAS The VAST Board and members at voted to go back to a 3-Day TMA at Annual Meeting. We tried 4-Day TMAs last winter, but seem to have more folks interested in a 3-Day instead. These can be bought from a club or online at vtvast.org. VAST President Tim Mills presents Brian Currier with the President’s Award for Highest Esteem.