Here we are in foliage season – there’s a lot of red and orange color around here these days.  Just one step further to what we’re all waiting for – SNOW!

The Snodeo Committee had its first meeting on Tuesday, September 24^th.  Despite announcing this meeting in the local newspaper and asking for volunteers for Snodeo, only four people showed up.  Our next meeting will be held on October 8^th at 4:00 PM at the Rangeley Inn.  We need help!!!  Our goal is to improve Snodeo and add some new events, however, we need additional people to carry out our plan.  We have hired a different fireworks company this year with a promise for the best display ever in Rangeley.

Memberships are coming in – have you mailed your membership form in?  You will remain on our list for the newsletter until February, but if you haven’t mailed in your membership form, you will not receive the monthly MSA News and the insurance you automatically have by becoming a member will not be effective.  Also, our memberships are our greatest source of funding, so get those forms mailed in!!!  If you’ve lost yours, you can get another one by writing or e-mailing the club.

Our first membership meeting was held on September 14^th.  The dinner was delicious but we were unable to hold an official meeting due to lack of quorum (the by-laws state that we need at least 15 members present to hold an official meeting). 

Speaking of by-laws, the Committee formed to make revisions to the by-laws met and several changes and additions were recommended.  The new by-laws have been typed and are being reviewed by the Committee and will be presented to the membership for a vote, hopefully, at the October membership meeting. 

The RLSC will have a booth at the annual MSA Snowmobile Show held at the  Civic Center in Augusta, Maine on October 4, 5, 6.  We will also have a booth at the New England Snowmobile Expo to be held in West Springfield, Massachusetts at the ”Big E” fairgrounds.  We are doing everything possible to promote the sport of snowmobiling in the Rangeley area. 

Clark Allen and Jim Quimby attended the annual Pine Tree Workshop on Saturday, September 28^th.  This workshop provides our Trailmaster and Project Director with information and guidelines from the Maine Snowmobile Association, Maine Department of Conservation, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, all agencies which govern our sport. 

We are still looking for volunteers to prepare a few dinners for our membership meetings.  We need cooks for our January meeting, March, April, May and June meetings.  Interested???  Let us know.

Thanks so much to everyone who has sent volunteer forms in for trail work, help at the shows, etc.  You will be contacted soon with a schedule.

Business donations are coming in – thanks to all who have donated to date!!  We cannot maintain our trail system without your help.  We all know that if we have to cut back on grooming, it won’t take long for the area to get a bum reputation and snowmobilers will be looking at other areas to ride if this happens.  Nobody enjoys an ill-groomed trail.   We have been able to keep our trails in impeccable condition the last few years and have seen a steady increase in the numbers of people coming to our area to ride.  We can only believe that this increase is due to the reputation we are building  for having the “best riding in the State of Maine”.   Again, thanks!!!

There are still many people who come here to ride and don’t belong to the RLSC.  If you know any of these people, please encourage them to join.  Membership forms will be available at several local businesses and it is on the Club’s web page and can be downloaded and printed from the internet. 

Those of you who haven’t been to the Rangeley area since last winter will see that our area is getting a new “face”.  There’s a lot of building construction going on.  We are definitely a thriving and growing community and this is exciting!!!  Can’t help but think that the winter business the RLSC generates has a lot to do with this. 

Hope to see you at some of our meetings this year!  The meetings are usually over by 8:30 PM – still time to enjoy your Saturday evening.  Please come and join us this year when you are in the area.  The meetings are held on the second Saturday of each month.  Social hour is at 5:30, dinner at 6:30, followed by business meeting.  We hold our meetings at the Congregational Church Hall on the corner of Pleasant and High Streets in Rangeley Village. 

To reduce postage costs,  only one newsletter will be sent to an address.  Please share the newsletter with other members in your household.  Thank you.

Gail Gavigan, Secretary

Please visit our Sponsors page to check out businesses who have donated or pledged to donate to our grooming and trail maintenance program for this season. Be sure to patronize these businesses when in the area. It is due to their donations that we have the great riding conditions we all enjoy!