While I hope many of you have been busy swishing down various mountains, we at the ski club have been quite busy too. First, as I have mentioned before, a team has taken time to review the Standing Rules and By Laws to update them with our current policies. Many thanks to Chairman of the Board, Ellen Eastham for driving this initiative.

In addition, the Nominating Committee spent the last few months of 2007 reviewing candidates for next year’s executive committee for the club. Please join me in thanking the following individuals who served on the nominating committee: Bruce Lowther, Chairperson, Leona Schroeder, Don Macken, Sandy McCunis, Trish Ramirez, Ron Hayes, and Judy Schiro.

Hello Everyone. By now all of you have heard what a great time our ski club is having in both ski and non-ski activities. We just wrapped up two Mardi Gras activities – one group participated in the Z-Krewe parade and another group participated in the Bead Toss from the Zestival Balcony at Trumpets. Many thanks to Steve Giesler, Rick Jaeger and Don Macken for running these activities.

Our March activity is Rodeo tickets to see Pat Green, so be prepared to put your boots on and dance at the Dome later that evening. We will also be participating in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 15 as parade assistants to help line up parade groups. In April, we will have a Wine Tasting and we will again participate in the Grand Prix of Houston. Volunteers are needed to work for 2 of 3 days during race weekend, April 25 through April 27, 2008.

RODEO HOUSTON - 2008We were able to secure tickets for Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo to see Pat Green on Friday, March 21st at 6:45 pm. The ticket price of $25.00 per person includes the cost of admission to Reliant Stadium, Reliant Arena, Reliant Center, the carnival and the Hideout. (Jarrod Birmingham is performing in the Hideout starting at 10:15 pm.). The final payment date is March 10, 2008. Please contact AC: Craig Campbell for more details.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE - Volunteers are needed to assist in lining up parade groups and walking with them through the parade length on March 15. Contact Ellen Eastham for more details.

WINE TASTING - Dawn Rodriguez will host the April Wine Tasting on Saturday, April 26. The cost of $15.00 person includes a pasta dinner and door prizes. Please bring your favorite bottle of wine. Please contact AC: Dawn Rodriguez or AAC: Gary Barrett for more details.

When the nominating committee approach me to run for President of Space City Ski Club I was reluctant since I felt rotating different members through our leadership positions is one of our strengths. When I was called again I decided that this would be a good opportunity to make some changes and improvements for the club and to do my part to help the future of our club. Next year should be a interesting and wild ride.

I look forward to the next year if elected to serving once again as your President as we look to our future.

I am sincerely flattered to have been nominated for the position of VP of Activities for Space City Ski Club. If you know me at all you know that I am not shy and I thrive on socializing with people and most of all Space City people! I think that surplus of energy and game for adventure would be well channeled into coordinating some great events to complement our 2008/2009 ski venues. I would like to see us enjoy many of our traditional activities, like Wine Tasting, but step out of the box with some totally new events. I have been a member of SCSC for ten years and have made many wonderful friends through trips and activities throughout the years. I have been fortunate enough to participate in at least one trip per year and a couple of extra trips in recent years. I served as your Director of PR this past year and feel like I can bring even more to Space City in this new role. I had the pleasure of being the AAC for the Pub Crawl last year and have volunteered as an Ambassador for General Meetings and Happy Hours, Sandcastle and registration at the Volunteer Party. I wish to express my thanks for your confidence in nominating me for this position and if elected I will do my best to develop some exciting and varied activities for 2008/2009.

I would like to thank the nominating committee for selecting me to serve as the Vice President of Membership of the Space City Ski Club.

I am very excited to be your nominee for Vice President of Publications. I joined Space City Ski Club about 11 years ago and have enjoyed several trips, happy hours and many fun activities with the club. Through these activities,

I joined the SCSC about eight years ago and almost immediately began being sent out-of-town on consulting assignments which meant that I could not participate in many SCSC Trips and Activities. I had been fortunate to have been taught to ski by a former Norwegian Olympic skier and I guarantee that is the best way to lean the sport and have skied most all of the resorts in Colorado.

I have developed a respiratory condition that means my skiing days are over but I still enjoy being a member of SCSC and bringing whatever experience and expertise I can to the club and at the moment that expertise is in the financial area of treasury.

I have spent most of my working life involved in the technical and financial side of the Petroleum Industry working with major oil companies, independent oil companies, commercial banks and investment banks.

I have lived in Houston since 1977 and have three grandchildren living in California and three here in Houston.

I still consult for several companies and continue to work as a Mortgage Loan Officer with involved in financing and refinancing both residential and commercial properties.

I am also a lifetime member of the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo and a member of the Speakers Committee.

For any ski club member who may not know who I am, I would like to introduce myself. I was born and raised in Houston. I am one of those rare "native Houstonians". I attended Wharton Junior College, graduated from Southwest Texas State University and received a Master’s Degree from Prairie View A&M University. I was an elementary teacher for 31 years before retiring. I joined Space City Ski Club many, many, many years ago.

Since I became a member, I have traveled on ski trips in the winter and to tropical islands in the summer. I have ridden the rapids in a raft and down a staircase in a sled. I have jumped out of an airplane and off of a bridge.

As the club secretary, I would like to collect and organize any official records or history that may still be out there in someone’s garage or attic.

A Committee was appointed by the Board of Directors which extensively-revised Standing Rules and created amendments to the Bylaws, as shown below. The Board approved the revisions and Bylaw amendments were proposed to the membership at the General Meeting February 11. The membership will vote at the March 10 meeting to accept the proposed Bylaw amendments.