NSP Board of Directors Meeting Report from the Patroller Committee

2005-09-18T20:34:00.000-04:00

-----Original Message-----
From: Costa, Mike (MJ) [mailto:MJCosta@dow.com]
Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2005 7:51 AM

Subject: Critical Member Update:

NSP Board of Directors Meeting Report from the Patroller Committee

Fellow Patroller's. My name is Mike Costa and I am a member of the Patroller Committee, a group dedicated to facilitate change in the National Ski Patrol Organization based on the desire of the membership. This is one in a series of critical communications designed to inform you of recent activities of your National Board of Directors. My only request is that you read this document and then forward to your fellow patroller's. If you have additional questions please reference www.patrollercommittee.org <www.patrollercommittee.org>

Dear Patroller,
Since the Patroller uproar on the "Back Cross" this winter, much has happened. Before we start talking about what's happened since winter, all patrollers should be aware of what our NSP Leadership has been up to in the past 5 to 10 years.
Are you aware of these drastic changes made to OUR NSP?

1 Are you aware that you, the Patroller, no longer have a voice up through
the line organization to address your concerns at the National level?

2 Are you aware that your right to "write-in" a Board candidate has been
stricken from the NSP by-laws?

3 Are you aware that Members no longer have the ability to nominate and the
capacity to elect a candidate for the National Board of Directors?

4 Are you aware that your voting rights have been taken away, since not
voting in the National election results in your "non-vote" being counted as a vote FOR the slate of candidates?

5 Are you aware that the Division Directors have no authority with the NSP
Board, and even though they are elected by patrollers, each Division Director can be removed at any time by the National Director?

6 Are you aware that our National Board of Directors has expanded their own
term limits of office from a maximum of 6 years, to give each Board member his/her position for up to 9 years and the National Director for up to 15?

7 Are you aware that the National Board of Directors has re-written the
National Ski Patrol's Mission and Vision statements in a way that ignores the Patroller's primary responsibility; that of providing first aid and safety services to snowsport enthusiasts?

Are you angered, irritated, annoyed or just bothered...with these actions of our NSP Leadership and the direction OUR National Ski Patrol has been heading? (If you want to read much more on these and similar issues, please view the segment "Did You Know" at www.patrollercommittee.org <http://www.patrollercommittee.org/> )

During the winter, Patroller uproar on the "Back Cross" galvanized many members' opinions about NSP, which you can witness in the huge number of related Patroller postings on the NSP Member Forum. The uproar also initiated Patroller discussions, in earnest, about what has been happening, leading to the formation of an ad hoc group of patrollers, the Patroller Committee.

The Patroller Committee now with its own website is dedicated to informing, educating and engaging all Patrollers and promoting change and returning OUR National Ski Patrol back to the premier member driven organization as was intended by Minnie Dole.

If you've been reading the NSP member forum and looking in your mailbox, the absence of NSP Leadership communications to members has been quite apparent. However, the NSP Annual Board of Directors meeting that just occurred, sent a clear, but disturbing, message that you should be aware of.

'05 Board of Directors Annual Meeting Update

The NSP Annual Board Meeting was held on Friday and Saturday, June 24-25 in Golden, Colorado. This was a great opportunity to see our leadership in action and note their priorities and actions in regard to the issues of membership concern.

In past months, the members of the Patroller Committee were not the only Patrollers talking and working for change. Prior to the Board meeting the NSP Division Directors had been networking on issues of member concern. On the night before the Board meeting three Division Directors, Rick Hamlin from Eastern Division, Ed Gassman from Rocky Mountain Division and Jim Woodrum from Central Division, presented to the Board "Resolutions for Change" in an Executive Session. The presented Resolutions of Change were based on resolutions passed by your Region Directors who represent your concerns at the Division level. (These Resolutions of Change are available on each division's website and weblinks can be found on, www.patrollercommittee.org <http://www.patrollercommittee.org/> , "Division
Updates".)

In brief, the Division Directors at the Board meeting sent a unified clear signal to the Board from ALL Division Directors that change is needed: "NSP is broken and needs to be fixed".
In addition to their presentations, the Division Directors also communicated "strong consensus on the proposals of change for the Nomination Process, Election Process and Term Limits", which was included in the Resolutions of Change presented from each Division Director.
The Board Meeting, which is open to all members, started on Friday morning and was well attended by members of the Patroller Committee. It was quite informative witnessing the Boards actions first hand. In brief, the lack of professionalism shown at the board meeting was truly disappointing. During the two days, only about 5 hours total were open to general membership with the remainder of time spent in various executive sessions (closed to general membership, including the Division Directors). During the open sessions little, if any, attempt was made for the visiting NSP officers and Patrollers to feel welcome and accommodated at the meeting. The meeting's proceedings were clearly choreographed for "Business as Usual" despite the Division Director's Resolutions of Change presentations in closed session just hours before. Our NSP national leadership made no attempt to integrate the requests of the Division Director's and membership into the BOD meeting actions. The passage of the amendment to extend the Board Chairman's term limit was in blatant opposition to the resolutions of change presented by the Division Directors just hours before.

So what happened at the Board Meeting? There is good and bad news to report. The Bad: NSP Leadership continues to be unresponsive to members and the NSP line organization, as no substantive actions have been taken.

The Good:

Patrollers have continued to unite in growing numbers, to discuss the issues and are in support of the message delivered by the Division Directors, to return the NSP to a member-driven organization.

For another view of what happened at the Board Meeting, read Eastern Division Director, Rick Hamlin's "Report on actions taken by the National Board" (click here <http://www.nspeast.org/html/nsp_issues.htm> ).

Read it very closely and you will obtain some keen insight in how the Board thinks and the value the Board places on hearing from the Division Directors while representing you. The Patroller Committee members attending the Board meeting attest to the accuracy and tone of Rick's report and would like to add we witnessed no sense of concern or urgency by the Board in any response to Division Director and member requests.

Our Division Directors have taken a strong unified approach for change with the BOD. The long stated objectives of the Patroller Committee are in parallel with the approach and desires of the Division Directors. In an effort to further unify membership on a common approach to change, the Patroller Committee Team plans to and recommends full support of the Division Directors efforts to solicit change on the behalf of membership.

We can only assume that each Division Director is working for change in their own way after the Board Meeting. We've heard many patrollers are ask, "What's going on?" and "Where does my Division Director stand?" Have some patience and support your Division Director. Send your Division Director a message in support of their courageous efforts for change and ask for an update.

The Meeting Minutes for the '05 Annual BOD Meeting are now available on the NSP website. In reading these minutes, be aware of the obvious and significant omission of any reference to the Division Directors presentations and the resulting BOD discussions and reactions, except for noting that the key topics from the resolutions have been sent to sub-committee.

National Chairman Bill Sachs in his March communiqué on the NSP Member Forum, said "The NSP's responsibility is to you, the member, and the national board of directors must carry out this responsibility." The Board's performance so far has not been responsive to membership in any way.

We hope the Board in the coming weeks makes significant attempts to interface with membership and take substantive actions. Many Patrollers have lost all TRUST in the Board as individuals, and as a collective unit and want action today. Some optimistic Patrollers continue to give the Board a window of opportunity to show that they can be responsive to membership despite the Board's poor track record. The Patroller Committee will continue to communicate with all Patrollers so we can stay well grounded in reality, not fantasy.

So what can you the patroller do?

8 Stay informed and engaged by listening closely to communications from your
Division Line Officers

9 Keep the pressure on; Pass the word; Keep the momentum going

10 Go to the NSP Forum and post your thoughts for support and action

11 Let your Line Officers know you encourage and support their efforts for
change. Ask your Division Director for updates to keep you informed.

12 Please forward this message onto all patrollers who are interested in the
preservation of NSP.

If you have not visited the informative Patroller Committee website, www.patrollercommittee.org <http://www.patrollercommittee.org/> , please do so immediately, and register, so we can keep you informed with the latest developments, as soon as they are available. With these updates we'll let you know what you can do to help in the effort to return NSP to a member-driven organization.

Working for NSP membership,
The Patroller Committee

The PatrollerCommittee.org website is organized for and by the Patroller Committee which is an independent group of members belonging to the National Ski Patrol. Patroller Committee activities and actions are NOT sponsored, directed or affiliated with the National Ski Patrol System and the opinions presented are not those of the National Ski Patrol System, Inc.

News From Dynastar/Lange/Look

2005-09-18T20:09:00.000-04:00

Fellow Patrollers,

With the ski season fast approaching, Dynastar/Lange/Look wanted to let you know about some great opportunities to purchase 03/04 and 04/05 gear.

These deals are only available to PSIA and NSP members.

Use your member number to log onto the promotional section of each site(www.psia.org, www.nsp.org).

Or, go directly to:
www.nexternal.com/busdynastar.

If you are looking for current 05/06 product, please contact your nearest authorized Dynastar/Lange/Look dealer and they can assist you with pro purchases.

Dynastar/Lange/Look
http://www.my-dynastar.com/
802-764-6400 ext:1420
kattalia@dynastar.net

OEC Class 11189

2005-08-27T21:05:00.000-04:00

The OEC Class has started off to a great success !

We are taking a mid term break for the labor Day weekend holiday and will resume classes on September 10th at 10:oo AM at Alpine Mt. Ski patrol Building.

If you have any comments about our class so far, please post them here.

Thanks !

Welcome to Alpine Mt. Ski Patrol News Section

2005-08-20T23:20:00.000-04:00

Welcome!

Here we will be posting news about events happening at Alpine Mt. Ski Patrol. We will also post here for weekend updates, photos, and whatever else we feel relevant.

Have fun, be safe, and check back again soon for more updates.