Late Winter 2018 | 3 A message from VAST President Tim Mills Every year, you will find the events page in Snowmobile Vermont magazine filled with fundraising events being held by clubs across the state. Whether it is a calcutta, poker ride, bean supper, club dance, spaghetti supper or prime rib dinner with a snowmobile as the grand prize, there is a wide variety. I have attended and participated in more fundraisers than I can possibly remember. As an attendee, it always gave my family and friends something to look forward to going to. It was a destination for the day, whether we had been there before or if it was our first time going. Depending on the weather, sometimes Mother Nature wasn’t always completely cooperating, and we would end up driving to the event by car. At the end of the day, it truly didn’t matter. Organizing a fundraiser is a whole other animal. A lot of time and preparation goes into holding one. Collecting prizes, organizing the food and deciding where to hold it are just a few of the items on the check list to be covered. Planning an event with plenty of lead time is also recommended. Up to a year in advance is not unheard of. Whether attending or hosting an event, the outcome was always pretty much the same. It was a day well spent chatting with old friends and making new ones. It put a face on the people behind the helmets that we meet out on the trails while riding. It is a gathering of people just like us who do what we do and understand why. Fundraisers are not only fun to attend and participate in, but they also hold a more meaningful purpose and the answer lies within the name. Fundraisers help keep snowmobile clubs fluid and cover the costs associated with running a snowmobile club that goes beyond what VAST can cover. As you well know, our funding from VAST is driven by the number of TMAs sold in a given season and when that is expended, that is all there is to be given for that season. We are only as strong as our membership numbers and our volunteers. This makes snowmobile club events even more important to all of us. On a more somber note, we recently suffered the loss of “one of the good ones.” In early February, we traveled up to the Northeast Kingdom, not to ride snowmobiles, but to celebrate the life of Dave Page Essex County Director. I first met Dave in my early days of representing Orange county on the VAST trails committee. From there, we worked and served together on more committees and sub-committees than I care to remember. One thing I will always remember about Dave was his ever-telling smile when he would say, “Well you might not like it, but…” and then he would explain his stance on a topic. Dave and I didn’t always “sit on the same side of the table” depending on the subject we were discussing, but we always walked out the same door at the end of the meeting either agreeing to disagree or we agreed. Dave Page was a true advocate, ambassador, leader and volunteer for snowmobiling in Vermont and, most of all, he was our friend. We miss you already, Dave. It is not going to be the same without you. Ride safely and smooth trails. – Tim Mills, VAST President NORTHFIELD CLUB HELPS A LANDOWNER By Ken Hepburn The Northfield Snowmobile Club donated one thousand dollars to one of their longtime landowners in February. He was the victim of a house fire that caused significant structural damage. This landowner has supported the club for many years and it was our time to give back. He greatly appreciated the generous gift, but asked to stay anonymous. Rick Ringgard of the Lyndon Sno- Cruisers paints these adorable wall hangings. The club is offering a few different designs for sale as a fundraiser. If you want to get your hands on one, contact the Lyndon Sno- Cruisers on their Facebook page. AAUGH! SPRING’S COMING! VAST News Ron Garvin, Tim Mills, Angel Emmons, Kenny and Joanne Gammel met up at the Justin Morrill Drift Skippers’Spaghetti Ride or Drive-in. CLUB CLASSIFIEDS Is your club doing some spring cleaning around the groomer barn or clubhouse? Do you have items that you no longer use that may be useful to another club? Clubs may list items to sell to other clubs or individuals on our website. This service is available only to clubs looking to sell or trade club-owned items. This is not for individuals to sell personal items. To submit an item for sale, go to the VAST website, click “FORMS” and then click “Classified Submission Form (Club-owned items only)” link.