Winter 2019 | 7 VAST News By Patty Companik, Awards and Recognition Committee Chair Whether the weather is cooperating or not, the volunteers are still very busy planning and executing. Many of them will tell you that this is a year-round responsibility for them. We are so fortunate to have so many dedicated volunteers in our organization. Taking a moment to nominate someone for an award is a great way of saying thank you. Nominations can be submitted any time during the season, but keep in mind the final deadline is April 1, unless otherwise noted. The Awards and Recognition Committee has updated the nomination forms this year. Check them out on the VAST website. You can submit via the online form or print the form and write up your nomination. When completing the nomination form, keep in mind that it is not the volume of nominations a person receives as much as it is depth of the writeup highlighting why the nominee is deserving of the award. This is an open system where the committee welcomes nominations. There are several categories of awards with varying approval processes. The committee reviews, discusses, debates and ultimately selects from the nominations received for the following awards: Snowmobiler of the Year, Snowmobile Family of the Year, Junior Snowmobiler of the Year, Dealer of the Year, Horizon Award, Snowmobile Club of the Year, Project of the Year, and the Founder’s Award (selected from Trailblazer submissions). The Awards Committee obtains additional input from the trails administrator, chair of the trails committee and the trailmaster from the nominee’s county for the following awards: Most Improved Trails, Best Signed Trails, and Best Groomed Trails. Scholarships The committee also awards two $1,500 scholarships annually. All applications must be postmarked or faxed no later than March 1. The Awards Committee reads, AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIPS NOMINATIONS ARE DUE SOON reviews and discusses all scholarship nominations in detail. For additional information or to access an awards nomination form or scholarship application go to vtvast.org. Select the “About” menu option and choose “Annual Awards” or “Scholarships” from the dropdown options. All applications must be postmarked or faxed NO later than March 1, 2019. For application go to: vtvast.org/scholarships.html or call (802) 229-0005 ext. 10 Please send all applications to: VAST awards two $1,500 scholarships annually. VAST Scholarship Awards are open to VAST members, their spouses and/or dependents of all ages to help you further your education in any post secondary school, including vocational/technical education. Two Chances to Win! The applications of the top five finalists will also be submitted for consideration to the Northeast Chapter of the International Snowmobile Council’s (NEISC) Scholarship Awards program. The NEISC awards two $500 scholarship awards annually. Two$1500 SCHOLARSHIPS APPLICATIONSARE DUEMARCH1,2019 26 Vast Lane, Barre, VT 05641 | fax: 802-223-4316 | email: cyndy@vtvast.org MakeaDifference NominateSomeone NOMINATIONSARE DUE APRIL1,2019 To obtain nomination forms go to vtvast.org/awards.html VAST volunteers and clubs are dedicated and committed all year long. Please take the time to nominate someone who deserves recognition. Horizon Volunteer • Trailblazer • Snowmobiler of the Year • Snowmobile Family of the Year • Jr. Snowmobiler of the Year (age limit 15) • Dealer of the Year • Snowmobile Club of the Year Awards for Clubs – Trail Related • Most Improved Trails • Best Signed Trails • Best Groomed Trails • Trail Project of the Year