Thank you for your support of snowmobiling in New York State . As your new president, let me offer on your behalf the gratitude we share for the efforts of our outgoing president, Bob Perry, over the past several years. While I suspect that Bob will have no difficulty in keeping as busy as ever, I hope that he will continue to support NYSSA and our sport through his position as immediate past-president.

This transition also marks the end of Hal Fleischman’s tenure as the immediate past-president. I hope all of you will join me in thanking Hal for his years of service on the NYSSA executive committee and in hoping that he will continue to help NYSSA move forward.

It was my pleasure to spend this past weekend with friends, colleagues, and fellow snowmobilers in Niagara Falls at the 2008 NYSSA Forum and Annual Meeting. I thank Debbie Perkins and all of the volunteers who worked to make the event a success. Most of all, I thank the delegates, families, and friends from our snowmobiling community who made the trip to Niagara Falls- and made the event the best NYSSA Forum ever. When I addressed the delegates at the Forum Sunday afternoon, I shared my visions for improving the state of snowmobiling in New York State . There are many challenges facing us, but I am confident that with the support of the thousands of volunteers working in our clubs and in the NYSSA leadership we will be able to meet those obstacles head on. I pledge to bring my very best efforts to serve the interests of our sport. With issues that range from snowmobile safety to the ever-escalating costs of trail development, maintenance and grooming, we certainly have our hands full. We have an excellent team in place, from the stake-pounders to the staff and directors who support the sport. I remain very hopeful that we will continue moving our mission forward.

Some of the initiatives I shared during my address included these commitments:

v I will work with the governmental affairs and executive committees, the NYSSA board of directors, and our governmental and media consultants to formulate an immediate and effective strategy to improve the management and stewardship of the trail fund program. In the short term, this will include a focused strategy to address the transfer of $1,000,000 from our snowmobile trail fund.

v I will direct the executive committee to complete the NYSSA strategic planning process by delegating specific strategies to the appropriate committees for action. We will track all of the initiatives that result from the plan and share them with the membership.

v I will push for a new in-depth economic impact study that will allow NYSSA to share the story of how much snowmobiling means to the economy of New York State . With the electronic membership database that is now at our disposal, we will be able to conduct an internet-based survey with much greater detail and at a much lower cost than previous studies.

v I will work with the Safety Committee to develop a new, comprehensive safety awareness campaign to be launched in time for the '08-'09 season. We will enhance and expand our current safety programming and enlist industry partners and other stakeholders to assist in raising awareness of this issue.

In addition, I challenge the club members, leaders, district directors and NYSSA officers to renew our commitment to serve the membership. We must keep working towards our common goals, and we must remember that if we speak with one voice we will succeed.

Respectfully Submitted,

Mike Fischer

April 8, 2008

From:
Robert V. Perry - President
New York State Snowmobile Association Welcome to Forum 2008 On behalf of the many people who work within the New York State Snowmobile Association, I welcome you to Forum 2008

Forum 2008 is the culmination of another busy year for NYSSA. This year saw NYSSA move into a bigger office. We were given an additional Safety Trailer, and billboards were produced and strategically located on major New York highways. Additionally an On Line electronic news letter was instituted to be published twelve months a year to keep everyone updated on changes that occur during the off season. New membership cards were received by our members, a discount membership program was very successful, and NYSSA has secured the services of a professional public relations firm.

In addition to these major accomplishments, there were other behind the scenes activities that have made the New York State Snowmobile Association an important economic factor in the economy of New York. One example being the year end Forum that has grown bigger and better the last few years.

As with any growth in any business, we have had our ?bumps in the road.? As I stated last year, ?Problems are just opportunities for solutions.? One major issue we continue to work on is to make snowmobiling in New York State a safe and family oriented activity. Without the many volunteers, landowners, and people like you who take the time to educate themseves, we would not have a safe and vast network of safe trails in all areas of New York State.

My second year as President of NYSSA has had me travel to many areas, attend many events and visit with a lot of concerned people who enjoy and want to see snowmobiling continue.

Again this year we have provided you the opportunity to attend a number of various seminars while at Forum 2008. Although your stay at Forum 2008 is short, please take the time to attend the seminars that we have made available for you. Visit with your delegate friends from around the state and share your issues and concerns.

Finally, after you return home from Forum 2008, please take the time to give my thanks to the many club members, volunteers, and landowners who have made snowmobiling what it is today.

Again, thank you for taking the time to attend Forum 2008

Robert V. Perry
President
New York State Snowmobile Association

Greetings to everyone.
Everyone at NYSSA hopes that your summer is pleasant and you are enjoying yourself. As NYSSA prepares for the upcoming season, I'd like to remind you to do the same. If your club meets during the summer, attend a meeting and get involved. If your club doesn't meet during the summer months, maybe you need to rethink this issue. Snowmobiling season will come at us quickly if we get snow when we are supposed to. Landowners have to be contacted and confirmations have to be made for the continued use of their land for your trail system. Equipment has to be checked over, bridges repaired, de-brushing and the removal of overhanging limbs over the trails are just part of some of the summer work. Of course there is also some administrative work that needs to be done. A current membership list from your club needs to be sent to our NYSSA office. This is the list we use as reference to get a magazine, membership card, and the accidental death and dismemberment insurance to you. We also need the names and contact information of any new club officers that were elected since that last information was sent to our office. Although this may not seem important, club officers do change, and new club officers not receiving timely information from NYSSA affects your club members. Sometimes, mail gets set aside or lost and never makes it to the right person. An updated club officer list will eliminate that problem.

We still have a number of counties/districts that do not have a district director representing them. If you are from Albany/Greene, Columbia, Cortland, Erie, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Ontario, Rockland, Schuyler/Tompkins, Seneca, Steuben/Yates, Warren and Wyoming/Genesee, these clubs still need a district director. A district director is the liaison between NYSSA and the clubs in that county. Not having a district director will interrupt the flow of information to your club and back to NYSSA. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a district director or an alternate district director, either contact our office or give me a shout and we can discuss what is involved with the position. NYSSA continues to meet throughout the summer months. We have our meetings on the first Saturday of the month. Our next meeting is August 4th, at Driver's Village in Syracuse. All are welcome to attend. Arrive early and see the workings of the committees. Arrive after lunch and you can audit the Board of Directors meeting. We'll even toss in a light lunch. At the July meeting we were able to adjourn at about 2:30 PM. We usually adjourn about 3:30 PM. Contact one of our directors and, if possible, line up a ride to the meeting.

Take a moment and read this entire report. We have information on membership, notes from the International Snowmobile Congress in Minnesota, land issues, legislative issues, important upcoming meetings with state agencies, and of course our bigger and better Super Raffle.

A special "Thank You" goes to Susan Wing for inviting me to St. Lawrence County a few weeks ago. I got to chat with a number of snowmobilers from that scenic spot in our state. I talked to club members, groomer operators, had some great meals and a lot of fun. The area is a well kept secret and I'm told they have great snowmobiling.

Have a safe and enjoyable summer.
Robert V. Perry
President

April 16, 2007

On behalf of everyone in the New York State Snowmobile Association family, I hope that you were able to attend and enjoy Forum 2007.

As in years past, this has been another exciting year for snowmobiling in New York State. This past snowmobile season was NYSSA’s first full season with Two Tier. Most clubs have seen an increase in their membership. With new members joining clubs and the “NYSSA Family”, we become educated snowmobilers, our clubs become stronger, and NYSSA’s voice becomes stronger. It is also important to remember that if we want to ride on a world class trail system, we all need to pay our share. Through the dedicated work of numerous volunteers, and your support of Two Tier, we can have those acclaimed trails.

Additionally this was NYSSA’s first full season with providing an on line registration. As with any new program, there are always problems to solve. Problems are just opportunities for solutions. With the transition into Two Tier, the on line registration, and the implementation of NYSSA’s new membership cards, we did have some issues that needed to be refined. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the delayed implementation of these new programs. Hopefully we can enter the coming season without any delays.

As my first year as NYSSA President, I have had the opportunity to become more involved with snowmobiling on a broader scale by my association with NYSSA. I’m convinced that the people working within the many NYSSA committees have done their best in providing you with the services you require. We are planning for the future of snowmobiling and NYSSA by our commitment to refocus. That commitment was in the form of a productive Strategic Planning meeting held on January 26th of this year.

Throughout this past year, I have had the opportunity to work with a lot of dedicated people who are also committed to seeing the sport of snowmobiling remain an important part of New York State’s economy. The continued working relationship NYSSA has with the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Capitol Group, the Cool Agency, and many others to numerous to mention, is important to our continued growth and stature.

It is also important to remember that without your dedication and the dedication of those who came before you, these annual gatherings would not be possible. If you did indeed attend Forum 2007, I hope that you took the time to attend the seminars we provided for you. I also hope that you were able to visit with your fellow delegates to discuss state wide issues. Communication is the key to making our sport safer and more enjoyable.

Finally, when you administer your reports on Forum 2007, please take time to give my thanks to the many club members and, just as important, the many land owners who have made snowmobiling possible this past season.

Thank you for taking the time to make snowmobiling strong in New York State.

Robert V. Perry
NYSSA President

March 7, 2007

From:
Robert V. Perry - President
New York State Snowmobile Association

As I put this column together on the 8th of December, we have snow on the ground and ice on some ponds. I can only hope that this is a good sign. As we hit the trails lets not forget a few simple courtesies and safety tips. First and foremost, about 85% of our almost 11,000 miles of trails are on private land. Through the graciousness of landowners, we can just about ride from one end of the state to the other and from south to north. Let's remember to stay on the marked trail, don't take short cuts that lead you through crops, or other unwanted areas. Slow down around occupied buildings. Stop and take off your helmet when you meet a non-snowmobiler on the trail. It may the landowner. Dress appropriately, never travel alone, and be aware of your fatigue level. These are only a few of the many safety tips you should remember. One last thing, NYSSA believes in Zero Tolerance!

A couple of us were invited to attend a club/landowner informational meeting. Frank Stanton, NYSSA's District Director from the Albany/Greene county district invited Dave Perkins, Jack Bieniek of the Cool Agency, and myself to a meeting a few weeks ago. Thanks to the Mystery Lake Trail Riders, Catskill Mountain Sno Riders, Heldeberg Ridgerunners, and a handful of landowners for attending the meeting. We found out that there is still some misinformation floating around out there. All I can say on this subject is invite your district director to a meeting and read this magazine. Don't rely on rumors floating around. If it sounds hard to believe or silly, it probably is. Thanks to all who attended and thanks to Dave and Jack for their assistance.

NYSSA recently lost a director from the Dutchess county district. The passing of Don Woodin will be missed by the snowmobile community. I didn't personally know Don Woodin, but I was told that Don was an important part of NYSSA. Don will be missed. Our thoughts go out to his family.

As you may be aware, we still are not able to provide the "On Line" registration to you and NYSSA's clubs. We have a team toiling away just about every day to fix the bugs. If you know friends that are interested in joining a club, they still can attend a club meeting to receive a voucher for the discounted registration rate, or they can log onto the NYSSA web site, click on "Club Items", then click on "Member Clubs By County." Click the county where you want to join a club and this will give you a list of clubs in that county. All you have to do at that point is contact the club. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. Hopefully this issue can be resolved very soon.

Clubs will be soon receiving information in regards to the 2007 Forum being held in Rochester in April. Start thinking about sending delegates. Remember for every 30 club members, your club is entitled to one (1) voting delegate. We are planning seminars, NYSSA will have their election of officers, and other related business will take place that weekend. Get your reservations in, make plans to attend, and renew old friendships.

It's been reported that sled registrations are down from last year. As I reported in last month's column low sled registration numbers reflect the money Parks sets for trail mileage pay back. To help us keep that trail mileage pay back number up, we need you to get your sled registered. If you're waiting for the snow to fly to register your sled, don't wait, now is the time to do it.

Looking over some past issues of our magazine, I found a pretty interesting statistic. Compared to last years numbers of district directors attending NYSSA's monthly meetings, an average of 25.5 directors attended in 2005. For the year of 2006, an average of 34.5 directors are attending. We still have 7 districts that are not covered by directors. The interesting question on why more directors are attending the monthly meetings is, maybe there are some pressing or important issues that people need to know about. In any event, we all benefit from our directors attending the monthly meetings. Thank you directors and keep up the good work.

A few of us worked the NYSSA table at the recent Old Forge "Snodeo" event. We had a lot of people from out of state stop by to ask questions in regards to sled registrations, joining a club, and of course the big one, "will we get snow this year." We even had one or two tell us "thank you for the work you're doing." Thanks to everyone who helped at that event.

Enjoy the rest of the riding season and ride safe.