From: Rochester Cross Country Ski Foundation (RXCSF)

Contact: Bob Witkowski, 585-770-3974, bobski50k@aol.com

Date: 11Jan06

Subject: RXCSF News Update – 11Jan06

Where is the Snow?

We are all impacted by the recent fickle weather. A good start to the snow season in November has melted away. The hardy skiers are traveling to Harriet Spencer Rec Area and/or Tug Hill. The forecast thru next week doesn’t look much better! With some luck, we will be blessed with local snow in time for the Mendon Ponds Park Winterfest (www.rochesternordic.org/users/winterfest/) on the 21^st and 22^nd. In any case, the lack of local snow should only strengthen our resolve towards our goal of having a weather-proof ski facility in Rochester!

Note that we have cancelled the XC Ski races planned for Pittsford Middle School this weekend. Many of our XCRochester skiers will be traveling to Tug Hill for the 25k classic tour/race on Saturday (www.tughillskiclub.com).

The free Ski Skating Clinic planned in concert with Park Ave Bikeshop for Sunday at noon will also be postponed, with a date and location TBA.

RXCSF Status

We continue to grow in membership and accomplish our management plans. Key highlights include:

• Our application for Tax Exempt/Deductible Status (Form 1023) was submitted this week to the IRS. This took much more effort than anyone could have imagined! As a result, however, we have much stronger Bylaws and management processes than before, so it was worth it. We expect no issues with IRS acceptance within the next couple months. (Note to members who donated at levels above regular membership in 2005: It is recommended that you consult your tax advisor regarding the potential tax deductibility of the 2005 donations. You may choose to wait until our IRS status is confirmed before filing 2005 tax forms.)
• We are now at over 170 members and still growing!
• Ruth Hayes has graciously volunteered to lead our Membership & Donation growth actions. Note she has set ambitious targets of reaching 400 members and raising another $10,000 by the end of winter! Please help her by encouraging all your skiing partners to join and donate. We need to get to a sufficient critical mass to entice future sponsors and improve our leverage with governmental agencies!
• We completed our first Board of Directors meeting since incorporation. Many plans are now being formulated for the future. Our Functional Committees for Trails, Education, Skier Development, Sponsorship, Membership/Communication and Events are almost complete. Our Board meetings thru summer are all scheduled. We are on our way!
• Our new Website is current still under development. It will be a very comprehensive site with information and links for just about anything a skier – or a prospective one – in Rochester would need to know. Just wait till you see the Trail Conditions report, news links and other neat stuff we are developing. In the meantime, we are maintaining the current website with news, events info and summary trail conditions for the primary skiing locations only (www.xcrochester.com).

Miscellaneous Topics

• The RXCSF Hats are in! Very nice! Distribution will occur at RXCSF events with specific information to be posted at our website. I will bring a stock with me to the race on Saturday at Tug Hill for those participating there. Also, a stock will be in place at Autoworks of Mendon (during normal business hours; 624-4457) or my home in Victor (call/email ahead) for those wishing to pick up your hat ASAP. Remember, one per family, with additional available for a $20 donation. We will mail out any hats not picked up by the end of the season.
• Our snowmobile, roller and track setter are ready and waiting for the snow to return. More trail grooming news to follow.
• John Nichols will be starting next week at Mendon Ponds Park as a 40hr week trails maintenance and grooming employee. We have another meeting planned with Parks management to finalize our ambitions for trail and grooming improvements for this year. Our discussions to date continue to keep us optimistic regarding the future development of skiing at MPP!
• We have changed the date of our planned Citizen Tour/Race at Cummings Nature Center to Sunday, February 12^th to avoid conflict with the High School Sectionals competition on the 11th. Cummings is a great place to classic ski, and this is an event that all RXCSF Members should plan on participating in. Details to follow shortly.
• The Board of Directors has tentatively decided to hold an All-Membership Meeting and Celebration just after the ski season ends. This will be a great opportunity for all of us to meet, greet and share ideas for the future. Stay tuned for more information.
• Many of you have indicated a willingness to volunteer and assist the Foundation in our mission. Thank you; we have included this information in our membership database. As we continue to improve our organization, please expect to be contacted to help. Currently, we have an immediate need for a Membership Coordinator to assist Ruth Hayes with the logistics associated membership management. Anyone interested please contact Ruth at gammu@juno.com.
• We are planning to publish a mid-season RXCSF Newsletter for members and the skiing public. It is a great opportunity to advance our mission AND entice new members to join us. Anyone interested in writing articles for publication please contact Ruth or myself (bobski50k@aol.com) ASAP.