President s Message

Transcription

1 GATOR TALES M A Y B O A R D M E M B E R S PRESIDENT Sharon Long wmarussich@comcast. net PAST PRESIDENT Evie Houston sgjewelers2@aol.com VP SKI TRIPS Walter Marussich gsscmem@comcast.com VP SPECIAL ACTIVITIES Debbi Haselmire fun45insun@yahoo.com VP SOCIALS Debbi Haselmire fun45insun@yahoo.com TREASURER Ann West SECRETARY Kathy Levas MEMBER AT LARGE Cheryl Barnes cherylb2108@aol.com COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR TBD MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR Tim Dai aftd930@gmail.com EVENT COMPTROLLER DIRECTOR TBD T H E O F F I C I A L M O N T H L Y P U B L I C A T I O N O F T H E P A L M B E A C H G A T O R S N O W S K I C L U B President s Message Hello Gators, Our annual membership picnic will take place on Saturday, May 12th in Carlin Park at the Beach Pavilion. This free celebration features hotdogs, sides, and beverages prepared and served by your Board members. Please invite your friends and coworkers to come. Join us there and renew your membership. Play some fun games, listen to some good dance music, and socialize. Our new officers were elected on April 12th. Thank you to all who voted to give us a quorum. Kudos to Ildiko Haidacher for doing an outstanding job as Supervisor of Elections and also to her Election Committee: Bob Grinnell, Barbara Lioi, and Ben Smith. Congratulations to Patti Bochniak, President; Carol Pattison, VP / Ski Trips; Kelly Lunsford, VP / Special Activities; Ann West, Treasurer; Kathy Levas, Secretary, and Liz Loeffler, Member at Large. The position of VP / Socials is not filled. The newly elected Board will appoint officers to fill this spot at the first Board Meeting of the new fiscal year on June 7th. In addition to VP / Socials, we will also be appointing Directors. We are looking to fill the positions of Membership Director, Event Comptroller Director, and Communications Director. I invite any qualified members who are interested in volunteering for these positions to please contact me. I would like to thank the members of our dedicated Board of Directors for a job well done. It has been a real privilege to serve with them. Kudos to Past President Evie Houston, VP / Ski Trips Walter Marussich, VP / Special Activities and VP / Socials Debbi Haselmire, Treasurer Ann West, Secretary Kathy Levas, Member at Large Cheryl Barnes, and Membership Director Tim Dai! I would also like to thank Patti Bochniak, who has been unofficially performing the duties of Event Comptroller Director. In addition, I would like to thank Sharon Giannotti, who has been sending out our weekly blasts. The 2019 Ski trips are on sale! Sign-ups began in late April for our next ski season. Destinations available include FSC Big Sky, Montana; Vail, Colorado; Three Valleys, France; and Taos, New Mexico. Still in development are Snowmass, Colorado; Breckenridge, Colorado; FSC Cortina, Italy; and Zell Am See, Austria. Please sign up soon to get the trip of your choice. Please visit our website, read our weekly blast, and download our newsletter regularly to keep up with all of our events. Our Florida Ski Council (FSC) non-ski trip to Australia and New Zealand is on sale. Join the Gators on this bucket list trip of a lifetime during the spring season, November 4-18, Please visit our website or contact trip leader Karen Eslary for more information. After a four year hiatus, we are returning to incredible River Ranch on the weekend of October 19-21, Join us for an amazing adventure at this renovated Florida dude ranch. We will be having a more upscale trip than in the past, with a private hayride followed by a private barbecue dinner inside in our own banquet room. We will have our own bartender at the dinner as well. On Saturday night, we will be going as a group to the rodeo, where you will see bull riders, trick horse riding, and a children s calf chase. Please see trip leader Liz Loeffler or visit our website to sign up. We had a spectacular full moon dinner on the beach on Sunday, April 29th. We enjoyed a beautiful moonrise in a clear sky on the beach in Jupiter. Thank you, Kathy Levas, for organizing this marvelous event. Our seventh and final Leisure Bike Ride of the season occurred at Palm Beach Lake Trail on Saturday, April 28th with Guest Leader Ben Smith. Everybody had a blast on the bike ride and afterwards at Too Jays Deli. Thank you, Ben! Look for new rides starting next October. Come to our regular Friday night happy hours, arranged for you by Debbi Haselmire with input from the Social and Special Activities Committee. Happy hour is a great way to start the weekend with your Gator friends. We have included some new and exciting venues mixed in with Club favorites. Now that Debbi is finishing her term, we are looking for a member to take over coordinating the happy hours. If you are interested, please contact me. I have been proud and honored to serve as your President. Thank you for the opportunity. Sincerely, Sharon Long President Next General Membership Meeting: Thursday, May 10th at the Marriott in Palm Beach Gardens, 6:30 PM Social Hour; 7:30 PM Business Next Board of Directors Meeting: Thursday, May 3rd at the Double Tree Hotel, Palm Beach Gardens, 7:00 PM

2 May 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat :00 PM Board Meeting 5:00 PM Happy Hour Rafiki Tiki :30 PM General Membership Meeting 11 5:00 PM Happy Hour Duffy s 12 12:00 PM Annual Membership Picnic :00 PM Happy Hour Ceviche Arigato :00 PM Happy Hour Hutton

3 P A G E 3 PRINTED DIRECTORY By popular demand, the Board is working on a printed directory of our members. PLEASE make sure your information and privacy settings are correct. View or download/print these step by step instructions on how to update your contact information and privacy settings. BEGINNING MAY 10TH, GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS WILL BE HELD AT THE PALM BEACH GARDENS MARRIOTT LOCATED AT 4000 RCA BOULEVARD. Dear Members: If you would like to make a payment for a ski trip with a credit card, please notify your trip leader and an invoice will be created for you to pay online. You can request to pay an installment or the full balance of your account. (Invoices are created by the Event Comptroller per request of the Trip Leaders.) From Communications Team STAY CONNECTED... NOMINATE A MEMBER FOR THE BOARD OR VOLUNTEER FOR A POSITION!! Did you know you can advertise in this newsletter for as little as $10? GET WELL WISHES FOR BOB WYMAN Bob has been admitted into the VA Hospital. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers as he battles serious illness.

4 Ski Trips From VP of Ski Trips, Walter Marussich P A G E Ski Season in Full Swing! The 2018 ski season is well underway. We know you are eager to make your plans for next year's skiing adventure, so go ahead! Registration is now open for most trips. Here is what we have so far: Winter 2019 Luxury Ski Trip to Vail, Colorado. Working on this for next year! Jan. 6-13, 2018 Winter Park, Colorado Ski Trip (26 spots), Trip Leader: Kevin Murtha. This is our No Frills-All Thrills ski trip that includes 7 nights in studios (double occupancy, 2 per studio) at the Vintage Resort Hotel which features 2 queen beds and kitchenette, round trip air from Palm Beach International (PBI) to Denver, ground transport, lift tickets, pre- and post- trip parties, après-ski happy hours, Club dinner, and bandana. Only $1,420.* Available for sign up. Contact Trip Leader at (954) or icu1274@gmail.com. Jan , 2018 Steamboat, Colorado - Florida Ski Council Ski Trip (60 spots), Trip Leader: Ken Kingston, Assistant TL: Scotty Howard. Saturday to Saturday 7 night ski trip to Steamboat, Colorado with the FLORIDA SKI COUNCIL. Standard Package includes: Lodging at Dulany at the Gondola Condos, 2 bed/2 bath, 4 per condo. Flying from Fort Lauderdale into Hayden. Includes ground transfers, 5-day ski lift ticket, pre-trip party, FSC welcome party, FSC Casino Night theme party with DJ, Club dinner, after ski happy hour(s), NASTAR race and voucher for lunch on the mountain, ski week commemorative pin and ID badge, and bandana. Only $2,080.* Available for sign up. Contact Trip Leader at kkingston57@msn.com. Feb. 2-13, 2018 Andorra and Barcelona Ski & Tour Trip (24 spots), Trip Leader: Kelly Lunsford. This is a 10 day ski and tour trip to Europe: 7 nights in Andorra and 3 nights in Barcelona. Standard Package includes: round trip air from Miami to Barcelona via Swiss Air, round trip bus from Palm Beach Gardens to Miami Airport, all transfers in Europe. Lodging at 4 Star Hotels both in Andorra and in Barcelona. Daily breakfast and dinner in Andorra, daily breakfast in Barcelona, 5-day lift ticket, private bus to ski resort daily, 4 hour bus tour of Barcelona, 4 hour bus tour of Montserrat, pre-trip party, welcome and farewell drink, Club dinner, Club après-ski happy hour(s), bandana, all taxes and fees. All that for only $2,195.* Optional day tour to Carcassone, France: scenic 3 hour drive to the medieval city of Carcassone for $79. Available for sign up. Contact Trip Leader at or kellykay27@bellsouth.net. Feb. 3-10, 2018 Taos, New Mexico Ski Trip (32 spots), Trip Leader: Bonnie Boaz. This is a Saturday to Saturday 7 night ski trip to Taos, New Mexico. Lodging at Snakedance Condos 2 bed/2 bath, 4 per condo. Ski in/ski out. Flying from Fort Lauderdale into Albuquerque. Includes ground transfers, dinner at La Hacienda, visit to the city of Taos, visit to the Rio Grande Gorge, pre-trip party, welcome reception, Club dinner, happy hour(s), bandana, fleece vest, taxes and fees. Only $1,745.* Available for sign up. Contact Trip Leader at or Bonnie.boaz2411@gmail.com. Continued on the following page Come to our next Social and Special Activities Planning Meeting to be organized in the near future. Meet at 6:30 PM; Meeting begins at 7:00 PM. Watch for date and location to be posted soon. For more information contact Deb at or fun45insun@yahoo.com.

5 Ski Trips From VP of Ski Trips, Walter Marussich Continued from the preceding page P A G E 5 Feb. 24-March 3, 2018 Jackson Hole, Wyoming - Florida Ski Council Ski Trip (42 spots), Trip Leader: Chris McArdle. We are sold out but have a waiting list. This is a Saturday to Saturday 7 night ski trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming with the FLORIDA SKI COUNCIL. Lodging at Teton Village Condos 2 bed/2 bath, 4 per condo. Free shuttle to slopes (3 minute ride). Flying from Fort Lauderdale into Jackson Hole Airport. Includes ground transfers, 5-day ski lift ticket, pre-trip party, FSC welcome party with DJ, FSC theme party with DJ, Club dinner, after ski happy hour(s), fun race and voucher for lunch on the mountain, ski week commemorative pin and ID badge, bandana, and use of Sundance Swim Club hot tubs. Only $2,190.* Waitlist sign-up available. Contact Trip Leader at (home), (cell) or cmcardle0152@gmail.com. March 7-18, 2018 Sierra Nevada, Spain - Florida Ski Council 10 Day European Ski & Tour Trip (64 spots) Trip Leader: Walter Marussich, Assistant TLs: Vi Ware and Chris Yanuzzi. This trip was expanded from 42 to 64 passengers due to popular demand. We are sold out, but there is a very short waiting list. With this many passengers, there are bound to be some cancellations. Standard Package includes: 3 nights in Carmona, 5 nights in Granada, and 2 nights in Torremolinos. In more detail, it includes round trip bus from PBG to Miami, round trip airline tickets from Miami to Malaga, Spain, 3 day stay in the Parador of Seville at Carmona, Spain (breakfast and dinner), 5 days accommodations in Granada, Spain (breakfast daily, 4 Dinners), gala party in Granada, 4 days transfer from Granada to ski area, 2 days accommodations in the Torremolinos-Malaga area (breakfast daily), and all ground transportation in Spain. All accommodations are hotel rooms double occupancy. Lift tickets are NOT INCLUDED. All for only $2,640.* Waitlist sign-up available. Contact Trip Leader at or gsscmem@comcast.net. Several side trips to historic and natural wonder attractions will be offered: Granada & Alhambra Tour, Tropical Coast & Nerja Caves, Alpujarras. Side trips to Gibraltar and Seville will be included with your tour price. *Prices are per person, double occupancy. Terms and conditions subject to change without notice. Familiarization trip to Cortina, Italy is available. All trip leaders, current, former, assistants and trainees that have completed three training sessions are welcome to apply. If you are a current trip leader, you will not be as likely to be selected. You must be able to attend business meetings and make reports. Significant others are not allowed to accompany you even if they pay their entire fare. Come to our next Social and Special Activities Planning Meeting to be organized in the near future. Meet at 6:30 PM; Meeting begins at 7:00 PM. Watch for date and location to be posted soon. For more information contact Deb at or fun45insun@yahoo.com.

6 Special Activities From VP of Special Activities, Debbi Haselmire P A G E 6 HELLO GATORS!! SOLD OUT BIKE & BARGE!! Contact Estela Basso to be placed on a wait list for another fabulous Bike and Barge along The Danube: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary with 3 nights in Prague, September 8 19, Check out the Bucket List NEW ZEALAND / AUSTRALIA TRIP planned for November 2018!!! Get those boots dusted off and cowboy hats out!!!!! Back by popular demand is River Ranch, October 19 21!!! Be sure to sign up for the Activities (hayride, private dinner, rodeo, and more), then you will receive the group code to make your reservation. It has been a FUN FUN FUN ride the last 3 years planning exciting Activities for the club. I appreciate all the support that has been given to me. As your new VP / Special Activities takes her position on the board, please reach out and give Kelly a helping hand with ideas as well as help in leading events. The club is always looking for some motivated Gators to help plan/run any event in Special Activities. We need your help!!!!!! THE DANUBE BIKE AND BARGE 2018 / SEPTEMBER 8 19, 2018 Cycle and sail with Estela Basso as she leads the Gators along the River Danube traveling through Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary on one glorious holiday!!!! After the week of bike and barge, you will spend three nights at a four-star hotel in enchanting Prague. Only 26 spots available so don t delay signing up. Find full details on the website flyer for this exciting trip in 2018!!!!! RIVER RANCH WEEKEND OCTOBER 19 21, 2018 Join your fellow Gators for an adventurous weekend that includes Country Saloon with line dancing, hayride, BBQ dinner in private room with bartender, Rodeo and a street party after. Come by car, boat or plane!!!! Be sure to participate in the many activities the resort has to offer. Be sure to pay for Activities Package ($80 members) with Liz Loeffler or Deb Haselmire in order to receive group code for discounted room reservations; primitive camping and RV sites also available. Deb Haselmire (VP Special Activities) Come to our next Social and Special Activities Planning Meeting to be organized in the near future. Meet at 6:30 PM; Meeting begins at 7:00 PM. Watch for date and location to be posted soon. For more information contact Deb at or fun45insun@yahoo.com.

7 PALM BEACH GATOR SKI CLUB PRESENTS.....A SPRING ADVENTURE TO Hi Gators! I am inviting you to join me on a NON-SKI TRIP adventure of a lifetime to Australia and New Zealand this coming November 4-18, Our excursion starts in Sydney, Australia for three (3) days with a tour of the city and the harbor and personal time for you to explore. Our next stop is Auckland on the north island of New Zealand. There we will tour the city and explore Waiheke Island for wine tasting and lunch. We will then travel to Rotorua, home of the famous hot springs for two (2) nights. On the way, we will have the opportunity to tour the Hobbiton Village where the Lord of the Rings was filmed. While in Rotorua, we will experience the Maori Cultural Center for a show and dinner. Next on our adventure is Queenstown on the south island of New Zealand. Our hotel is located on the edge of the pedestrian village and within walking distance to the beach and lake. Activities include a gondola ride to the top of the mountain for a Florida Ski Council party and dinner, a cruise across Lake Wakitipu to the Colonel s Estate for dinner and a sheep shearing show, shopping, and plenty of time to explore on your own. The base trip to Australia and New Zealand is $5,900 which includes airfare, transfers, hotels, and planned activities. There is an optional pre-trip extension for six (6) days in Australia and a post trip to Fiji. Please contact trip leader Karen Eslary at or NewZealandGatorTrip@gmail.com for more information. CONTACT: KAREN ESLARY Phone: (561) NewZealandGatorTrip@gmail.com

8 Socials From VP of Socials, Debbi Haselmire Hello Gator Members, Be sure to check out the exciting Happy Hours (old favorites and new venues) that are being put together for the club. The incoming board will be looking for someone to take the office of VP Socials come June 1st. If anyone is interested in planning Social Activities, please let any board member know. Anyone interested in planning Happy Hours for the club, please contact the President. It s been a pleasure serving the club this past year! P A G E 7 Deb Haselmire VP Socials May 12, 2018 Membership Picnic at Carlin Park It s time to renew your Membership!!!!!!!!!! Please remember to register online or with Deb for this picnic. We need to get a head count to provide the correct amount of food for everyone. Come to our next Social and Special Activities Planning Meeting to be organized in the near future. Meet at 6:30 PM; Meeting begins at 7:00 PM. Watch for date and location to be posted soon. For more information contact Deb at or fun45insun@yahoo.com.

9 Please Visit and Like Our New PBGSSC Facebook Page P A G E 8 The Palm Beach Gator Snow Ski Club is proud to announce our new Facebook page. Please visit us at and like our page. You are encouraged to post pictures and comments.

10 P A G E 9 Visit Our Website Take a tour of our new website. We hope you like it! It features: Event Information: On ski trips and all social activities. Blogs: Each of your Board Members can keep you up-to-date on the news from their area of responsibility. Event Registration: Register online and pay with credit card (or checks). Join/Renew: Membership online. Members Only Area*: Password protected area with a searchable Directory and other content. Forums: Where members can discuss topics of interest with other members. Surveys: Where members can vote on preferences. Customizable Member Profile: You can add a head shot of yourself and set your privacy settings (what information would you like to share and what to keep private). Photo Albums: Pictures taken at our events...are you there? *In order to access the Members Only area, your membership for the current fiscal year (June 1, May 31, 2017) must be current or the system will not let you in. If you need to join or renew your membership, you can do so online. Your login is your . Each member needs a unique . If you are logging in for the first time, click "Forgot Password" and a password will be ed to you from webmaster@gatorsnowskiclub.com. If you do not see the shortly, check your spam/junk folder. If you have joined/renewed recently via check and you cannot log in, your check may be being processed. Otherwise, we may be missing your or there may be a typo in it. Please contact the Communications Team at webmaster@gatorsnowskiclub.com for help.

11 P A G E 1 0 Gator Snow Ski Club Advertising Rates on Website or blasts WEBSITE ADVERTISING: Select the size and the page(s) where ad will be shown for 12 months. All ads include a clickable link to your website. Full Size Display (300 x 300 pixels) Home Page plus Sponsor Page One Inner Page plus Sponsor Page Sponsor Page Only $400 $300 $200 Half Size Display (300 x 150 pixels) Home Page plus Sponsor Page One Inner Page plus Sponsor Page Sponsor Page Only $200 $150 $75 Continued on the following page

12 P A G E 1 1 Continued from the preceding page Page Banner Any Page (600 x 150 pixels) $500 Quick Links ( 1-4 words with hyperlink) Example of Quick Link: My Company is Great! Home Page plus Sponsors One Inner Page plus Example of Quick Link: My Company is Great! Page Sponsors Page Sponsors Page Only $125 $100 $80 Your ads will run in the locations selected, for one full year. All the ads will be image-maps or links, that will take the user to your website when they click. Make all checks payable to the Gator Snow Ski Club. Don t have an ad? NO PROBLEM! I will create one for you (fee $50/hour payable to Gator Snow Ski Club). Most ads take 1 hour, perhaps 2 hrs. if many revisions. Do you want to use your business card? That would fit nicely in the half size display. Scan it and send it to me via . Or I can scan it for you for $20 (again, payable to the Club). Contact: Estela Basso webmaster@gatorsnowskiclub.com BLASTS Add your ad to our weekly blasts. Your ad size should be up to 600 pixels wide, and up to 150 pixels tall. All ads include a clickable link to your website. Price per inclusion ONLY $10 Buy 4 inclusions $8/each Buy 10 inclusions $6/each Buy 20 inclusions or more: $5 each!!!!

13 P A G E 1 2 Check us out on Facebook Create your own free Facebook account, then search for Gator Snow Ski Club. You can join the group or just "like us". Event Planning Committee: MEETS ONCE A MONTH Join Debbi every month for the Event Planning Committee Meeting. Look for dates to be announced. Betty Williams Debbi Haselmire VP / Special Activities Join Us at Our Events Gator members have fun at Carmine s Happy Hour on August 18, Look for our Mascot at Happy Hour Look for the Gator Sign and the Alligator Head full of candy, seen here at the Snuggery for Blue Jeans Night Out on August 15, Volunteer for Club Activities Estela Basso volunteers as guest leader for Ben Smith s Juno Beach Bike Ride on December 3, 3016.

14 P A G E 1 3 Membership Renewals for New Club Year Starting June 1, 2017 Our membership year began on June 1, In order to participate in most of our trips and weekend events, you must be a member. Please take the time to renew your membership. Your dues are used to pay for our operating expenses, our Membership Picnic, and the free food you get at many of our meetings. Please support your Club. Member name tags are available upon request at our general meetings. Membership applications can be downloaded on-line at our website at They are also available to fill out at our general meetings. Dues are $40 per year for single memberships and $60 for family memberships. You can mail in your application, turn it in at a meeting, or pay on-line with a credit card. For your convenience, a membership application is included on the following page of this newsletter. Your Club Needs Volunteers! Your Club Needs Volunteers! We are looking for volunteers in several categories to help our Club succeed in the year that started on June 1st. Social and Special Activities Planning Committee We need more members to help with our events and activities. If you have ideas for new events that you would like to help implement, come to our next meeting. We meet every month on a Tuesday at a date and location that will be shown on the website under the All Events Calendar. Come at 6:30 PM to order food and drinks. The meeting starts at 7:00 PM. For more information, please contact Debbi Haselmire at or fun45insun@yahoo.com. Trip Leaders and Assistant Trip Leaders For Ski Trips, contact Estela Basso at or estelavpofski@gmail.com; for other trips, contact Debbi Haselmire at or fun45insun@yahoo.com. Event Leaders If you are interested in leading one of our events, please contact Betty Williams at or msbettywilliams@att.net or Debbi Haselmire at or fun45insun@yahoo.com. Officer Assistants Volunteers are needed to be assistants to the VP/Ski Trips, VP/Special Activities, VP/Socials, and Treasurer. Must be members in good standing and comfortable with computers and with experience using , Excel, and Word.

15 P A G E 1 4 Palm Beach Gator Snow Ski Club P.O. BOX Palm Beach Gardens, FL Here is your copy of GATOR TALES