2014 IESDA SLEDTRACKS

Transcription

1 September 2014 IESDA SLEDTRACKS page 1 Newsletter of the Inland Empire Sled Dog Association Free to a Good Home Next Meeting: President s Message What: Highway Clean up and Meeting Date: October 2014 Time: Cleanup at 10:00 am, Meeting at noon. Where: Meet at the corner of Sacheen Rd and Highway 2 for the cleanup Meeting will be held at Audreys in Newport at U.S. 2, Newport, WA Inside this Issue: President s Message... 1 Meeting Minutes... 2 Classifieds... 3 Priest Lake Race Images... 4 Priest Lake Results... 5 Sled Dog Historical Images... 6 Priest Lake Race Sponsors... 7 IESDA Officers... 7 Happy Fall to everyone. I am soooo glad that the warmer temperatures appear to be gone for the year. (I am not a big a fan of the heat) My dogs and I are happy to be back on the trail in the early cool mornings. Shake out the harnesses and clear the cobwebs off of the gear, it is time to get ready for the Spokane Dirt Rondy. Our fall meeting and road cleanup will be Saturday October 4th. I am looking forward to seeing everyone there again. This is also the time of year to be sure your membership is current. Jill Wilson and I had the privilege of attending a very productive meeting at the PNC summit. There is much to share with the club members from the PNC meeting as well as our own club business, including officer elections so mark your calendars for the 4th of October. See you there.. Richard IESDA Membership Renewal... 8 Find us on the web at: Join us on Facebook at: iesda/

2 September 2014 IESDA SLEDTRACKS page 2 IESDA Meeting Minutes May 18, 2014 Audrey s in Newport Members present: Richard Hancock, Tom Palmer, Lani Ferrante, Susie Malcolm, Jim Malcolm, Brian Ferrante, Jeanne Arnold, Judy Cowan, Bob Wilson, Jill Wilson, Ann Yanecek Meeting called to order by Richard at 8:05 PM. Minutes from previous meeting were reviewed and accepted with changes: Ann will add Bob as owner of entry banner order Bob will continue to find out how many bibs are available Brian has inherited radio research Ann will continue trying to contact ARES/ARRL for support during Priest Lake races Bob reviewed the treasurer s report. The treasurer s report was accepted. Richard provided feedback from Shawn that the Priest Lake FS bunkhouse will not be available. 20 active memberships right now. Richard asked for commitment for CdA Dog Show Parking Lot duty: Jill needs 3 people for the Jacklin Bldg: 1 North side 1 take money 1 Handicapped So far, Jill, Bob, Jeanne, Tom Hannon, Tom Palmer and Brian have volunteered. See everyone at 6:00AM! Jim will volunteer to rent dogsled to zombie movie crew. Next meeting proposed August 23 location tbd. PNC meeting in Bend, OR July or August. Action Item: Jill will call potential volunteers for CdA dog show parking duty. Action Item: Bob will send membership renewals in June. Page 2 of 2 Action Item: Ann will get Dirt Rondy permit from RSP for first weekend in November. Action Item: Wilsons will take possession of old bibs from Randy Meeting was adjourned at 8:28PM. Respectfully Submitted, Ann Yanecek IESDA Secretary

3 September 2014 IESDA SLEDTRACKS page 3 Pacific Northwest Championships (PNC) Summer Summit August 30, 2014 Meeting called to order at 8:13 AM at Camp Koinonia, Cle Elum, WA Attendees: Sue Scofield NWSDA President Matt Hamel NWSDA Representative Richard Hancock IESDA President Jill Wilson IESDA Representative Polly Riley PSDSA President Tom Riley-PSDSA Kelly Barton PSDSA Representative Lance Christensen CSDC Representative Hugo Antonucci SNDD President Donna Morton NWSDA Trustee Larry Roxby NWSDA Trustee and Chef Jeanne Rose Roxby NWSDA Member and Sous Chef Connie Starr NWSDA Secretary George Johnson and Louise Goodman NWSDA Pam Vaughan NWSDA See Appendix A for information on the five clubs in attendance. Sue welcomed the attendees and introductions were conducted. The Agenda revolved around base-lining the attendees with the current PNC history and structure, reviewing the PNC Survey results, and a series of questions to facilitate discussion about the future of the PNC. What is the Pacific Northwest Championship (PNC)? Lance provided the attendees with a short history. The PNC was originally formed by Peter Watson and Becky Loveless to promote sled dog racing in the Pacific Northwest. The goal was to encourage crossparticipation among clubs. The first clubs involved were the NWSDA, CSDA, and Southern OR Sled Dog Club. The intent was to allow each club to be independent, but also be a part of the PNC, which was a loosely banded group, with no by laws or voting rights. Currently, there is not a precedent with which to add additional Clubs. PNC Mission Polly read the Mission of the PNC (see attached). In the past, a set of rules for snow racing were developed. These were called the Tri State rules, but the RGO s were not required to use these. It was mentioned that each RGO should make sure the individual race rules were posted on the entry form and available via website or other forum. Should we consider using a common set of rules for consistency? Survey Results (see attached)

4 September 2014 IESDA SLEDTRACKS page 4 The survey results were reviewed. In total, 55 people responded. In answer to the question, Are you familiar with the Pacific Northwest Championships (PNC)? 65% responded Yes while 35% responded No or Sort of. There were a wide variety of responses to the remaining questions and most were very encouraging. Where to go now with PNC? Is the current organizational structure working? Are we meeting the goals of the PNC as envisioned? What has changed since PNC was formed and how does our organization fit? Polly provided a list of people who only attended one PNC race in the last 5 years. There was consensus that this was a missed opportunity to grow this sport. It was also noted that at many races club members tend to keep to their own. An attempt needs to be made for more inclusion. The question was asked if a musher needs to belong to one of the 5 member clubs in order to receive PNC points. The general consensus was yes. This should be codified in the Mission document. There is also no minimum number of mushers required in a class to earn points. It was mentioned that NWSDA s race circuit requires a minimum of three starters in a class to earn points. We recognized that there is a need for a web site and a Facebook page for the PNC to encourage growth and participation. Each club s web page should include info on the PNC and link to the PNC page, for Mission, points system, current and historic results. Does PNC benefit races or racers? Consensus was both. Improvements / Changes to PNC Educate members about PNC (mission, races, points) Expand membership Change pointing to recognize fastest team (best 3 or 4 races) while maintaining a commitment from members to attend as many races as possible. Perhaps this should be two different awards. Educate members on mushing skills, training and racing techniques and dog care Polly discussed the funds in PNC bank account and what to do with them. Some options are to extend awards to 2 nd and 3 rd place or disburse the remaining funds to the clubs. There was an extensive discussion on taxes and non-profits. Polly discussed the possibility of PNC as an entity to lobby / advocate for the sport, and to buy insurance that would be used by individual clubs, so each individual club doesn t have to buy their own insurance. This may not be feasible with multi-state insurance. Polly suggested changing the PNC pointing to a person-level, rather than by class, so that mushers could count different classes towards points totals. If the current points metric is used, this would favor mushers running longer distance races, worth more points. Since the PNC jackets aren t awarded, just mailed out there is some criticism that the PNC award is not really valued. We discussed having a PNC weekend during the summer or fall to have some kind of PNC awards/education/trade fair. Each club has their own clinics/education events, but rarely are other club members invited, or if they are invited, they rarely attend.

5 September 2014 IESDA SLEDTRACKS page 5 As a group, we should develop some educational material that educates racers that they are at a PNC race, what it means, and what awards are available. This should be presented during the mushers meeting. Are we satisfied with the PNC Mission? Jill we are meeting the basic mission, but we could do so much better. Do we want to broaden it? Everyone agreed that most new people in our clubs only have one or two dogs. Polly suggested the PNC mission statement be changed from all classes to selected classes. Every club can offer what classes they want, but only those offered at a minimum of three races can be eligible for PNC points. Does the current set of event classes still meet the goals of the PNC, participating clubs and mushers? Each club listed the classes that are offered. (See Appendix B) These classes are currently eligible for a PNC jacket 6-dog mid 8-dog sprint 6-dog sprint 4-dog sprint novice skijor (advanced) (includes 2-dog scooter points) Polly noted that Junior is no longer an awarded class due to safety / competitive risk. We discussed adding 8-mid, 3-dog sprint, and rec skijor, which will be voted on by individual clubs. All agreed these could be jacket-eligible classes. Polly proposed having an 8 mid class and letting 6,7 or 8 dogs run. It was agreed to offer 8-mid while keeping 6-mid. There is quite a difference between a team of 8 dogs and 6 dogs. Richard said that Priest Lake offers a 3-dog sprint class to allow mushers with 2 or 3 dogs to compete in a sled class. Four-dog sprint requires a minimum of 3 dogs. They run the 4-dog course. IESDA, CSDA and PSDSA already offer a rec skijor class, so this could be a jacket-eligible class. As NWSDA is the only Club to currently offer a dryland race for the PNC circuit, a decision would need to be discussed by that club as to how to equate rec/advanced skijor with rec/advanced scooter or bike. One key point is to have all the classes offered for the PNC circuit use the same nomenclature. Definitions of terms need to be included in the Mission document. For example, Recreational Skijor and Advanced Skijor (should it be Skijor / Scooter?). Recreational allows for both beginners and less competitive / distance oriented skiers. We need to pay attention on how many entries we are getting in 4,6,8 sprint. Entries have been declining.

6 September 2014 IESDA SLEDTRACKS page 6 Jill proposed that instead of having a separate Purebred class, run them together and have PB recognition. We could have the PB entrants pay more and get a trophy or certificate. This would simplify races since classes won t need to be run separately. Hugo said this has successfully worked in SNDD events, and allows for a race within a race. Does the current event structure and schedule meet the needs of participating clubs and mushers? Sue should all races put on by our clubs be PNC races? Richard what if we get more clubs under PNC? Montana, Colorado, BC? When does it get too big, and discourages the possibility of travelling the circuit? Polly we could all select one race per club that would get more points (premier PNC event). Should each club have one premier race and one regular race? PNC point calculation weighs heavily on how many people you are competing against. PNC Race dates and RGO s: 10/18, 19 PNC Dryland Championships (NWSDA) 1/10, 11 Frog Lake 1 (CSDS) 1/17, 18 Chemult (PSDSA) 1/31 2/1 Chester (SNDD) 2/7, 8 Priest Lake (IESDA) We are allowing for date changes, however, no PNC points will be awarded for a race that has to be rescheduled for a weekend where another PNC race is held. If the reschedule date does not conflict with another PNC race, than that race will be pointed. Does the idea of a dryland circuit have merit? Would it fit within PNC? Each club could have one dryland and one snow to be a PNC race. Award a windbreaker instead of a jacket? Sue proposed bringing K-9 Scooters NW into PNC circuit. We discussed a new logo and if we wanted a separate logo for Dryland? Lance has the original logo on computer media. Are there any other functions of types of events that merit attention of PNC? We discussed holding an Awards Ceremony in June, with a PNC meeting, banquet, speakers, and possibly a trade fair. Race Beacon Richard Hancock presented Race Beacon, an app mushers and spectators can use to track progress and whereabouts. For more information, see: Conclusions, Actions and Next Steps We should strive to fill up the calendar with PNC races without conflict. We agreed that mushers have to be a club member to be eligible for PNC points. We will not change which races are pointed this year. That will be brought back to each club for discussion and vote.

7 September 2014 IESDA SLEDTRACKS page 7 Action: Sue Scofield will create a Facebook group for the PNC. Action: Lance will develop a procedure outlining how to make changes to the PNC Mission Statement, definition of terms & how to add / remove clubs Action: Club presidents and reps will disseminate this information to their respective club members for discussion/vote. Everyone agreed it was a very productive meeting and long overdue. Meeting concluded at 3:27 PM Respectfully submitted, Connie Starr NWSDA Secretary Upcoming Events Camp K Dryland Challenge Oct. 4-5, 2014 NWSDA, Camp Koinonia, WA Pacific Northwest Dryland Championships Oct , 2014 NWSDA, Camp Koinonia, WA Spokane Dirt Rendezvous Nov. 1-2, 2014 IESDA, Riverside State Park La Pine Mushing Weekend Nov. 8-10, 2014 La Pine, OR Rodeo Run Dec 18-20, 2014 Klondyke Dreams Kennel, West Yellowstone Frog Lake Sled Dog Race Jan , 2015 CSDC, Frog Lake Snow Park, OR Fun Run Jan 17-19, 2015 Klondyke Dreams Kennel, West Yellowstone, MT Chemult Sled Dog Races Jan 17-18, 2015 Pacific Sledding and Skijor Association Darby Dog Derby Jan 17-18, 2015 Bitterroot Mountain Mushers, Sula, MT Snow Dog Super Mush Jan 23-25, 2015 NWSDA, Conconully WA Chester Winterfest Sled Dog Race Jan 31-Feb 1, 2015 SNDD, Chester, CA Priest Lake Sled Dog Race Feb 7-8, 2015 IESDA, Priest Lake

8 September 2014 IESDA SLEDTRACKS page 8 Member News and Brags! Editor s Note: this issue s member news is from Lani Ferrante! She sent this in after MUCH encouragement from me! But I thought this young man deserved some bragging rights!

9 September 2014 IESDA SLEDTRACKS page 9 Below is a list of Sponsors for the Priest Lake Sled Dog Race from Please let them know that we appreciate their sponsorship either by dropping by or sending a letter with your thanks. ARCTURA KENNELS Tom Palmer N. Hatch Rd Deer Park, WA CHEVELIER KENNELS Jim and Susie Malcolm 735 Shadow Green Road Blanchard ID DASHING KENNEL Jill and Bob Wilson 7875 E Highway 54 Athol ID DEER PARK VETERINARY CLINIC 2915 E Crawford St Deer Park, WA ELKINS RESORT 404 Elkins Rd Nordman ID INLAND NORTHWEST ALASKAN MALA- MUTE ASSOCIATION Donna Daymude 6497 Stone Lodge Rd. Nine Mile Falls, WA JACKPINE FARMS Wendy and Steve Booth Nordman ID KEAHI SIBERIANS Brian and Lani Ferrante 5097 W Casberg-Burroughs Rd. Deer Park, WA PET STOP N. Government Way Hayden ID PRIEST LAKE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PO Box 174 COOLIN ID SEEBER S PHARMACY 336 S. Washington Ave Box 609 Newport WA SPIRIT OF THE WIND SIBERIANS Jeanne Arnold and Judy Cowan 4668 Carpenter Loop Post Falls ID VEGA DISCOVERIES Client-Server/Database Solutions E-Commerce, Web, Custom Software (509) Inland Empire Sled Dog Association *********************************************************** OFFICERS AND OFFICIALS: PRESIDENT RICHARD HANCOCK VICE-PRESIDENT TOM PALMER SECRETARY ANN YANECEK TREASURER BOB WILSON NEWSLETTER EDITOR JILL WILSON WEBMASTER ANN YANECEK The purpose of the INLAND EMPIRE SLED DOG ASSOCIATION Newsletter is to provide an open forum for communication and information about sled dog related sports in the Northwest and neighboring areas. Advertising of up to one inch of space is free to members, with an additional cost of $2.00 per inch over the first inch. Articles published in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the INLAND EMPIRE SLED DOG ASSOCIATION. Permission to reprint or use articles from this newsletter must be given by the editors of the INLAND EMPIRE SLED DOG ASSOCIATION ( ).

10 IESDA Bob Jill Wilson & Jill September Wilson 2014 IESDA SLEDTRACKS page 10 Place E. N. Hwy Ramsey 54 Rd. Stamp Athol, ID Here Inland Empire Sled Dog Assn. Membership Form Name Address City, State, Zip Phone Associate $10/year Membership Categories: (Make checks payable to IESDA) (Newsletter Only) General $20/year General $20/year Associate $10/year (Newsletter Only) Membership Categories: Renewal New Mail Memberships to: Bob Wilson New Mail Memberships Renewal to: Brendia 7875 Heintzelman E Highway Athol, Deer Valley ID Rd. Newport, WA 99156