Another ski season is almost here. The last one was a milestone for WASC, celebrating the 65 years of the club’s existence. But even though 66 is not a number to be memorialized, it will still be a year to remember.

   Thank you to all who came out to make the 65th banquet a success. Having long-time and newer members together was quite a treat. Erling’s collection of WASC’s history reflects where the club has been in the past. Now we can continue these traditions as we carry the club into the future.

   One way of doing this is to have as much participation from long-time members as possible at both trips and social events. There is still much to learn about the spirit and camaraderie that was and still is an important element in our club. Also, writing something for the newsletter to reminisce about some WASC occurrences of interest would enable newer members to appreciate the rich past of the club. A history column in Hill Echoes like the one on our website would help us focus on the best traditions of WASC.

   As for the present, we currently have many active members who participate in events and trips. But once the council plans the yearly activities, an interesting phenomenon occurs. Those people who are experienced in leading these activities are the ones who are relied on each year to do so. Others, including the new members and those about to become part of our membership, want to be involved but feel insecure about carrying the main responsibility for insuring the success of the event. In order to utilize this talent from newer members, it would be helpful for WASC activity organizers to have an informal mentoring system. This would be beneficial in two ways. First, it would make it easier to get the jobs done for the person who volunteered. Secondly, it would train others who would then feel more comfortable volunteering for the future. This would also help insure the continuity of passing on procedures that have been successful previously.

   Please check out the new calendar. Come out to our first business meeting on September 25. Volunteer to be mentored by the existing leaders on something of interest and be part of what is happening at WASC this season. Then you’ll be part of moving WASC into the future. This will assure that 2003-2004 is another great ski season that we all will enjoy.