SLNC AGM Summary Report

 

The 2016 AGM was held at the Schubert Centre on October 19, 2016. Thank you to all the members who attended and also to the many volunteers who planned and attended to the Open House

An Open House was held from 5:30 – 7:00 to provide members with an opportunity to meet and greet, meet staff and volunteers and learn about exciting new initiatives for 2016-17. This was followed by the Annual General Meeting which kicked off with a really fun fashion show. Thank you to Theresa and the gang at Stussi Sport for a fun event.

Excerpt from the Chairmans Report. Brian Wills

  • The AGM is now to be held in the fall so complete financial report can be made for the previous season
  • Thank you to 3 Board members who are not returning: Doug Geller, Shane Pearce, Shirley Pommier
  • We had a good season financially. Our Treasurer, Sandra Ecclestone will provide details.   
  • We will be reviewing and updating our Strategic Plan over the 2016-17 season. 
  • Our General Manager, Troy Hudson, will provide the highlights of the past and the upcoming season.   

General Managers Report. Troy Hudson

Thank you everyone for coming to the 2016 AGM. It is a pleasure to discuss the numerous exciting initiatives that are taking place in out Club.

2015-16 was my first full season with Sovereign Lake. We hosted a series of successful events and enjoyed an abundant snow year with record breaking skier visits. We streamlined our budget to reduce expenses and increase revenues. Most importantly I had the opportunity to work with an outstanding team of employees and club volunteers.

Volunteers! Thank you. Without you this club would cease to exist. There are hundreds of you out there working to create a dynamic, diverse and inclusive ski culture in the Greater Vernon area. We are stronger as a whole when we work together to create opportunity for others.

I have two people that work by my side throughout the season that help me to keep my head above the water. Without them, and their tireless passion and enthusiasm, day-to-day operations would be in a far worse place. So Don Wylie and Frances Weeks please come up here to accept my thanks for not only being great employees but also great ambassadors for our club and operations.

Sovereign Lake and Silver Star created a joint program, Supercamp, which brings top quality instructors together with skiers from all over the globe. In addition to showcasing everything our amazing ski area has to offer, Supercamp has already exceeded last seasons target ahead of schedule and is producing new revenue for our Club.

During the 2015-16 season SLNC made some decisions to increase capacity in our skill development program. As a result we have a revised coaching structure, a new Programs Committee consisting of 11 parent volunteers and a part time SDP Coordinator to assist our programs to deliver its goals for the upcoming season. With registrations coming in, coaching training courses commencing and dryland training underway there is a lot of momentum to build success. Thank you to all of those hard working team members.

There are numerous big ticket expenses that the general membership just don’t always get to see, but without them our skiing would not be nearly as good as it is.

Of note for the 2016-17 season the club has purchased a new snowcat. With strong revenue last season we were able to secure a fully refurbished Pisten Bully 400 snowcat with a custom designed nordic tiller that will not only reduce our fuel consumption and emissions but will also lead to superior grooming. This machine is the first step in a new groomer replacement strategy that will see us set aside funding every year to replace our equipment more regularly. This will ensure that we have the best quality grooming while minimizing breakdowns and maintenance costs.

We have also purchased a smaller groomer which can be pulled with our quads and snowmobiles. This machine will allow for low-cost grooming after light snowfalls, for night skiing and for the newly rebuilt Jessica’s Trail. We will be seeking volunteers to help this supplementary grooming program.

This fall the club improved Jessica’s Trail and the Animal Trail. These trails have been brushed and widened to allow us to use our new smaller grooming equipment. These two trails provide additional safe play areas for kids in our skill development and S’cool Ski programs. Thank you to Don for leading the work parties and to Darren, coaches and athletes who came out to assist with the final cleanup of these trails.

On the lodge front

  • The lodge has a fresh coat of stain on the exterior that matches the remaining out buildings.
  • We are redesigning the counter space to increase traffic flow and decrease long waits to pick up season passes and rentals.
  • We have purchased a TV monitor that will be positioned upstairs on the main floor that will provide latest weather, a daily grooming report, and upcoming events.
  • We have increased our youth ski availability for Programs with additional small boots and skis.
  • We purchased a new season pass printer, computer and webcam to provide higher quality and faster produced passes.
  • And finally we have a new website! While there are a few kinks to still work through we are receiving much positive feedback on the overall design.

The prospect of a new day lodge still remains uncertain. It is likely that the funding from BC parks will be less than anticipated. We will need to investigate alternate avenues of funding for the replacement of our aging building. While paint and cosmetic changes help, it does not alleviate the congestion and growing safety concerns. This lodge replacement was a key priority in the last Strategic Plan. The replacement of this building should be one of the highest priorities for our club. I look forward to working with the Board, the membership and the community to bring this to fruition.

Finally I would like to thank you our members and the Board for giving me this great opportunity to be part of this team. My family and I are very committed to Sovereign and cant wait for the snow to start flying!

Go buy your 2016-10 Season Passes if you haven’t already done so as early bird registration closes October 31st. We will see you soon.

Excerpts from the Treasurers Report. Sandra Ecclestone.   

Sandra Presented the 2015 & 2016 Year End Financials prepared by Romei Plummer,  CA

  • Our club is seasonal, complex and capital intensive. We require regular replacement of grooming equipment to provide the core services that are expected, especially well groomed ski trails.
  • The Finance Committee and General Manager have cut costs, put financial controls in place and focussed on priorities to help manage the financial demands.
  • 2015 was a poor snow year resulting in a loss of $7,000; 2016 was a good snow year resulting in $108,000 of excess revenue over expenses. This positive cash flow is due in part to good snow conditions and improved financial systems. This Operating Profit has been committed to purchasing a used Snow Groomer and ATV
  • For both 2015 & 2016 the Balance Sheet is much stronger and Net Assets are up by $100,000 more than 2014
  • Total Revenue for 2015 was $640,000 and for 2016 was $738,000. Ticket Sales, mostly day tickets, are the source of the $100,000 increase for 2016. Revenue from day ticket sales is highly weather dependent and cannot be counted on every year.
  • Total Expenses are lower by $13,000 compared to 2015 despite the increase in Volume of Sales and reduced by $55,000 compared to 2014.
  • We are on track to continue this season with good financial results but must be cautious about the costs and benefits of future expenditures.

Report of the Elections Committee. Hugh Hamilton

The AGM included the selection of up to five (5) members of the Board of Directors. There are a total of 10 members of the Board. Members are elected for two-year terms, with five being elected each year. This is to provide continuity, as half the board carries on each year into a second term and half “turns over”. All Board members are volunteers, donating their time and talents to contribute to our club.

The returning members of the Board are Liz Ariano, Sharon Clarke, Pat Pearce, Sandra Ecclestone, and Rob Madden.

In August 2016 an Elections Committee was struck to oversee the election of the new members to the Board at the 2016 AGM. The Elections Committee is made up of SLNC members Hugh Hamilton, Olaf Plummer and David Thomson. The call for nominations went out to all members in several emails in September and October 2016, and was posted on the SLNC web site. According to the club by-laws, nominations closed at midnight on Monday October 10.

Four nominations were received before the deadline. The nominees (in alphabetical order) are:

  •  Brent Ree
  •  Bruce Sandilands
  •  Brian Wills
  •  Michelle WolfeThe biographies of these volunteers were sent to all members and are posted on the SLNC website. Because there were fewer than six nominations Michelle, Brent, Bruce and Brian were acclaimed at the AGM. As a result no election was held.

    The Club would also like to thank the outgoing members of the Board who have served over the past term. They are Doug Geller, Shane Pearce and Shirley Pommier.

    The Elections Committee thanks all those who took the time to consider volunteering for the Board, and to the four members who stepped forward.

    Signed,

    Hugh Hamilton, David Thomson and Olaf Plummer Elections Committee
    Sovereign Lake Nordic Club AGM 2016
    Date: October 19, 2016

 

 

SLNC Board Nominees for 2016-2018 Term

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Sovereign Lake Nordic Club will take place on Wednesday October 19, 2016 at 7:00 pm, at the Schubert Centre. The AGM agenda includes the election of up to five (5) members of the Board of Directors. There is a total of 10 members of the Board, but members are elected for two-year terms, with five being elected each year. This is to provide continuity, as half the board carries on each year into a second term and half “turns over”. All Board members are volunteers, donating their time and talents to contribute to our club.

The returning members of the Board are Liz Ariano, Sharon Clarke, Pat Pearce, Sandra Ecclestone, and Rob Madden.

In August 2016 an Elections Committee was struck to oversee the election of the new members of the Board at the 2016 AGM. The Elections Committee is made up of SLNC members Hugh Hamilton, Olaf Plummer and David Thomson. The call for nominations went out to all members in several emails in September and October 2016, and was posted on the SLNC web site. According to the club by-laws, nominations closed at midnight on Monday October 10.

Four nominations were received before the deadline. The nominees (in alphabetical order) are:

  • Brent Ree
  • Bruce Sandilands
  • Brian Wills
  • Michelle Wolfe

The biographies of these volunteers are provided below. Because there were fewer than six nominations for the five available positions, Michelle, Brent, Bruce and Brian will be acclaimed at the AGM. As a result, of the acclamation, there will be no election. The Elections Committee thanks all those who took the time to consider volunteering for the Board, and to the four members who stepped forward.

Signed,

Hugh Hamilton, David Thomson and Olaf Plummer

Elections Committee

Sovereign Lake Nordic Club AGM 2016

Date: October 12, 2016

 

2016-2018 Board Nominees:

BRENT REE

Brent has been involved with the club for the past 5 years with his 3 kids participating in Jack Rabbits to Junior Development programs. He holds a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering and a MBA. Currently, Brent is the Managing Partner at SilverRock Land Corp, a local construction company. Previous experience includes working as a General Manager at The Rise and Predator Ridge. Drawing from his varied work experience especially his creative problem solving and ability to find humour in difficult situations Brent is interested in finding fun ways to grow and build the club. Formerly a NCAA athlete, and having participated in sport at a fairly high level, Brent has been impressed with the SLNC programs and the attitudes and skills kids gain while in the family oriented club. He took up x-c skiing 10 years ago and hasn’t looked back as he sees the enormous benefits of this life-long sport. Brent would like to work with the board to grow the club programs, assist in policy and direction that benefit the various membership groups, promote the area to share the world class skiing that Sovereign (and Silver Star) has to offer, and find ways to operate in a socially responsible and financially sustainable manner.

 

BRUCE SANDILANDS

Bruce is an NCCP Certified Competition Coach and has coached cross country and downhill skiing in Ontario and SLNC for over 20 years. He and his wife Sherry have been active club members and volunteers since moving to Vernon in 2007. Bruce has coached, led backcountry ski tours, been Chief of Loppet and served as Chair and principal author of the SLNC Strategic Plan in 2012. Bruce has been on the SLNC Board since 2014. Bruce’s priorities for SLNC are:

  • To secure SLNC’s long term viability by ensuring decisions are made using sound business practices and financial accountability.
  • Working with club members, BC Parks, partners and the community to realize a vision of a new SLNC Day Lodge which will meet our needs for the next 30 years.

 

BRIAN WILLS

I have served on the SLNC since September of 2014 in the roles of Chair and Vice Chair. I am a retired management consultant with significant experience in the ski industry. Over the last two years we have improved the financial position of SLNC and stabilized the management of SLNC. We have a great group of dedicated hardworking employees and we have preserved the club culture while improving the management processes.

Moving forward the Board challenges include updating the Strategic Plan, continuing to push for Lodge funding and supporting the new initiatives proposed by our GM. We are planning to strengthen our coordination of programs and volunteers. Thank you to the membership for your support over the last two years.

 

MICHELE WOLFE

I started XC skiing in the BC Loppet Series around 1989. I had only learned to XC ski in my early 20s and, if you can believe it, I learned in Australia. I skied for the Australian National XC ski team and returned to Canada in 1992 to ski in the World Cup at Silver Star Mountain, shortly after this I skied with the BC cross Country ski team and qualified to represent Canada at the World Championships in 1993 in Falun, Sweden. I retired from competitive Cross country skiing in 1994 to pursue my Bachelors of Arts degree at the University of Calgary. I continued to Cross country ski and participated in Masters XC ski events in North America. In 2005 I had a daughter, Sofie, who is now participating in the JD program at Sovereign lake. I also completed my Bachelors in Education and taught in the Kelowna School district while Sofie was young. I then completed my Masters in Counselling Psychology and I now work at UBCO in Kelowna. Prior to becoming involved in XC skiing, I did a two-year diploma after high school in Outdoor Recreation management at Capilano College in Vancouver. After this I worked as a Trekking Guide in Nepal for 5 years.

To view as a PDF click HERE.

SLNC AGM & Open House

Join friends and community members for a meet and greet as well as public information session prior our 2016 AGM on October 19th.

  • Club Open House (5-7pm)
  • AGM (7-8pm)

Call for Nominations to the 2016 Board of Directors

SLNC Wants You!

There are 5 available vacancies to be filled on the Board of Directors at the AGM on October 19th. The Board is comprised of 10 members. Terms are 2 years, which means that every year 5 spots are open for nominations.

In accordance with the Club’s bylaws, an Elections Committee has been established to accept nominations and oversee the election of Directors. The Elections Committee is comprised of volunteers Hugh Hamilton, Olaf Plummer and David Thomson.

Members in good standing wishing to be nominated to the Board must submit a short biography and a photograph (head shot) to the Elections Committee at [email protected]. Nominations must be submitted in writing by midnight Sunday, October 10. In order to ensure fairness and in accordance with the Club’s bylaws, nominations will not be accepted after the nomination deadline of October 10. Names of nominees and bios will be posted on the club website 5 days prior to the election.

Additional information on duties and responsibilities of Directors can be found on the Club website under the Ski Club link.