Space City Ski Club - August, 2005 Sitzmarke Online

THE ART OF TRIP SIGN-UP AND THE FINE PRINT

Trip Sign-Up: HERE IT IS! Your chance to sign-up for your favorite SCSC ski trip(s) for 2005-2006. The sign-up form is in this issue of the SITZMARKE, so copy it or clip it out and follow the instructions below. See www.spacecityskiclub.org to sign up online and pay by credit card. Then, wait for the trip TC to notify you if you are on the trip or come to the September meeting to verify your registration, sign the Trip Release Form and pick up additional information the TC will have for you.

Trip sign-up begins on Saturday, August 13. This year, the sign-up does not end in a few weeks and start up again at the September meeting. Instead, it just begins. Another difference is that you can either mail or give your form and money to the TC OR signup online and pay by credit card.. However, the form and money cannot be received prior to that date. Any received prior to that date will be returned. Note that this is not the postmark, but when the form and money is received.

You must be a current member in good standing to be added to a trip. Note that memberships are approved at the monthly Executive Committee meeting. Send in your membership by the first of the month for it to be considered at the meeting. After that, you will have to wait until the next month. Your 2005-2006 membership number should be shown on the mailing label of the SITZMARKE. Call your VP of Membership, Jeannine Jiral, if you have questions.

You may sign-up yourself and one other SCSC member per trip (plus children for Family Optional trips) (see by-law 2.8.A.)

In the registration envelope include the trip registration form and your deposit. The deposit for the Finland trip is $300 per participant. The deposit on all other trips is $150 per participant. Checks are to be made payable to “SCSC” and should have your membership number and the TRIP NAME listed on the check.

Mail your registration to the Address on the Form for the trip on which you wish to participate. TC’s names are listed for all trips. For information, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses are listed in this SITZMARKE and on the Trip Registration Form. If your registration is mailed or given to anyone other than the TC, it will be returned to you and you will not be registered for the trip.

If the registration meets the above guidelines, names will be added to each trip’s Participant List in the order received. If a trip’s participant roster fills, additional registrations received will be added to a waitlist in the order received. The TC will hold checks for waitlisted members until a space becomes available on the trip. For the participants that are on trips, the checks will be deposited immediately.

These procedures apply to ALL members (except the trip’s TC and ATC) and all Trip Participants are subject to SCSC Standing Rules, Policies and Procedures.

SCSC is not responsible for any problems with the U.S. Postal Service or the internet, including delayed delivery or lost mail.

Information shown on the Trip Schedule is subject to change. Contact the TC or ATC for up-to-date information.

Any registrations received, which do not meet the above qualifications, may be returned to the sender.

Land Packages: The Executive Committee has approved Land Packages on this year’s trips. On the trips which there are a limited number of land packages available, if all are filled, you will be given the option of being on a “Land Wait List” or switching to a full package. Because of the restrictions noted below for land packages, be sure you have concrete travel arrangements made before you sign up for one of these. SCSC will not be responsible for any difficulties or extra expense you incur due to delayed or canceled flights or other transportation problems.

Rules and restrictions for Land Packages

The price of the land package will be the full trip price minus participant’s airfare. Ground transportation will be included and available, on selected trips, to land package participants if they can meet the group at the destination airport on time. Ground transportation will not be delayed for land package participants arriving later than the group.
Other than the full package, this is the only package price available; no other combinations of lodging and/or transportation will be offered. (Note: As in the past, members may still arrange their own transportation, lodging, etc., and pay only for the parties and trip options. If so, please arrange to do this in advance, ideally by the pre-trip meeting.)
Normal cancellation policies apply — with the added stipulation that, on or after final payment date, land package participants must be replaced from a land package wait list and full package participants must be replaced from a full package wait list in order to receive a refund.
Be sure this is the package you want -- It may not be possible to convert your trip from land package to full package, or vice versa. The Club may not be able to secure additional airline seats.
If you sign up for a land package, please notify the TC of your transportation plans in advance of the trip. The TC can tell you where to meet the group or other pertinent information.

HEAD OF THE LIFTLINE

By Cindy Moore, President

As beads of perspiration trickle down your neck and back in the scorching August Houston heat, are visions of snowflakes dancing in your head? I hope so! If they are, you are in luck, because in this SITZMARKE you will see the articles describing the 13 incredible ski trips for the 2005-2006 SCSC ski season! You will marvel at the array of venues…some as familiar to you as Houston and some exciting territory you’ve never explored! Kayleen, Patti and Hope have planned something for everyone this year, including many fabulous short trips for those who have less vacation days or simply want to spread those days out on as many SCSC ski trips as humanly possible! There are also several venues with excellent cross-country skiing. If you have friends that love cross-country, this is the year they should join us! We are certain that you will find the trip(s) of your dreams, so make sure you will be there by going through early trip signup! Find details on how to do it later in this issue and don’t miss Kayleen’s article.

But you don’t want to wait until ski season to cool off? You want to cool off NOW? You are still in luck, because Jose and Jessica have awesome SCSC activities planned. The On the Water Spectacular Weekend is full of fun, sailing and dancing with members of TASS. It will be an event not to be missed from August 5-7 with AC Barbara Della Longa. And in September, you can fly away to Hawaii with your SCSC friends! It doesn’t get any better than that! See Jose’s Vice President of Programs article later in this issue for all of the fun things you can do this summer with SCSC. Have a terrific summer. See you at happy hour!

PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES

By Jose Araujo, VP of Programs, Jessica Halter, Direc

With the heat wave hitting us in the 100’s, the best way to beat the heat is at the Water Spectacular weekend on August 5-7! Barbara and Linda have an incredible program that will keep you busy all the weekend!

This month will be special and feature Two Happy Hours! Happy Hour One, on August 11th, will be a “mixer” style and we are going to share with other groups and look to welcome new members. The second Happy Hour, on August 18th, will be a special opportunity to get more details from the Ski trip coordinators on the wonderful trips for the coming season.

As you all know, August marks the beginning of early sign-up for the ski trips (see Kayleen’s article for details), and in September we move to our new location for the General Meetings. Remember, our new home is Chateau Crystale located at 2517 S. Gessner, just one-half block north of Westheimer.

Jessica is preparing an exciting agenda for our General Meetings as well as ideas for other fun activities. In her own words:

Hellllooooo Houston!!! I’m baaaccckk! I’ve missed you! After a two year stint to follow my daughter through high school and into college, (she’s just finished her first year at University of Denver, thanks for asking!) I am back to get involved once again with SCSC. I am so excited to serve as your ’05-’06 Director of Programs. I’ve been a home-body for about two years and it is TIME TO PARTY! We have some fantastic plans to spice up meetings and create fun times for everyone.

As always, this won’t work without you! So VOLUNTEER to do an activity. We will help you in every way possible. I LOVE to plan parties, so just say the word and I will jump in and help make it happen.

In addition to the fun things we usually do (Rodeo, Holiday Gala, Watersports Spectacular, Wine-tastings, Laser Tag, Biking, Hiking, Bowling, Games Night etc.) I would like to see us do more short

weekend trips this year. I’m thinking Wurstfest overnighter, (or any other festival weekends), Renaissance Festival overnighter, Tubing in New Braunfels, Hill Country Fishing and/or Antique Shopping weekend, New Orleans weekend, Lake Charles Gambling fun, maybe even a Vegas trip, Diving Adventures, and whatever else we can come up with. Choose your passion, let us know what you want to do, and we’ll help you get a group of fun people together to do it.

In addition to our usual Sunshine Kids donations, I am especially interested in having one part of each meeting focused on giving back to our communities (i.e. bring canned goods one month for the local food bank, organize a pre-meeting blood drive (we’ll have to watch the blood alcohol level!! Ha ha!), ongoing Tsunami Relief donations of small supplies, organizing volunteers for YMCA’s Big Brother/Big Sister, bringing a bag of pet food to donate to local pet shelters, and any other ideas you may have. I will be asking for teams to help coordinate and deliver the proceeds of our efforts to the receiving organizations and each meeting’s donation opportunity will be listed in the Sitz. So if that sort of community service is your thing, or you know of a specific organization in need, please let us know!

We can’t do it without activity leaders, so STEP UP and GET INVOLVED. Even if you don’t know what activity you’d like to lead, just let us know you want to do an event, and we will help make it happen.

Again, thank you for the opportunity to help make ’05-’06 a FANTASTICALLY FUN year full of activities and events.—Jess

For the coming activities, refer to the Calendar of Events in this issue and at www.spacecityskiclub.org. Also, be sure to check your e-mail as there will be short notice activities.

Remember to send me any SCSC past files, memorabilia, documents or items for storage. My e-mails are vpprograms@spacecityskiclub.org or joseangel888@hotmail.com and Jessica’s e-mail is jessicahalter@yahoo.com.

FROM THE SKI DESK

By Kayleen Kill, VP of Trips

AT LAST. In this issue we have all the information on how to sign up for trips. The complete trip schedule is provided along with prices and final payment dates. The Trip Coordinators, Assistant Trip Coordinators and DOT’s (yes, even the VP of Trips) have been hard at work all summer to bring you a great ski season. Many of those who have seen the preliminary schedule have told me how excited they are about the upcoming trips. I believe it is a great mix of old favorites and new, exciting places. And a great mix of long and short trips.

The feedback we have gotten from you is that you want quality lodging, close to the lifts. You want the price to reflect the value of the trip rather than trying to go with the cheapest lodging. We feel we have delivered. Many of the trips have ski-in, ski-out lodging or lodging that is a few hundred yards from the lifts.

We also worked hard to provide a number of short trips that maximize your ski time and minimize your vacation time. Most of the short trips will fly out around 5:30 p.m. in the evening so that you can work most of the day. Many return late in the day, allowing you to ski most of the last day before returning. I know several people that plan to take two or three short trips that normally take one long one. I like hearing that! Although we have published pricing for the trips, additional fuel charges, taxes or currency conversions can change the price of the trip. This happens rarely, but is always a possibility.

As mentioned in previous articles, trip signup will start August 13. This year, it is not “early” trip signup. It is “actual” trip signup and does not end and restart. In addition, we are implementing an online trip signup utilizing PayPal for credit card payments. If you want to sign up by mail, this issue includes the form and information you need.

In order to sign up for a trip you must be a member in good standing. Make sure you have renewed your membership by August 1 to insure you can sign up for trips on August 13. So, read the trip articles, check out the trip dates and prices and then signup by mail or online. If you signup by mail, fill in one form for each trip. Make copies if you sign up for more than one trip. Up to two people can use one form for the same trip. NOTE: signups CANNOT be RECEIVED prior to August 13. They will be returned if they are received earlier.