AUGUST 28:  LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW!  - ABOUT MID-DECEMBER IN THE FAR WEST AND AT EASTERN SKI RESORTS

WOULD YOU LIKE LIKE SOME HELP MAKING A CHOICE AMONG THE SCWDC 2021 SKI TRIPS?  HERE ARE TWO AIDS IN PDF, SAFE TO OPEN AND DOWNLOAD

TABLE 1:  LIST OF 2021 TRIPS, DATES, LEADERS AND PRICES Table_1_2021_ List of Trips, Dates Leader and Prices.pdf

TABLE 2:  2021 TRIP FACTS:  Table_2_2021_TRIP_FACTS.pdf

(SKI RESORTS, DATES, AIR ROUTING, ACCOMMODATIONS, DISTANCE TO SLOPES FROM ACCOMMODATIONS, AND FACTS ABOUT SKI CONDITIONS)

HELPFUL INFORMATION ABOUT TRAVEL INSURANCE:  CONDE' NEST TRAVELER MAGAZINE ADVISES THE BENEFIT OF TRAVEL INSURANCE. READ THIS: TRAVEL INSURANCE  ARTICLE

NEW PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE - FALL 2020
Hello Members,

This is one of the toughest President's Messages that any president has had to write due to the limitations springing from the Covid19 pandemic. Our traditional spring and summer activities have been curtailed until just recently, as I write this in mid-August.

This club has survived other difficult times when we had to reduce activities, such as during World War II and Korean War periods.

I and other officers pledge to continue planning activities for the next several years. I ask that you continue to renew your membership. Most members subscribe to the 12-month plan. I appeal to you to renew because it will keep us financially healthy.

What Has Resumed:

- The Potomac sailing program on Flying Scots began sailing in mid-July on Tuesday nights and on Saturday mornings

- Tuesday Night Tennis at Wakefield Park is hitting again

- Wednesday Night Golf at Jefferson Park's Par 3 course is driving again, and two golf weekends have been held

- Friday Night Bowling in Falls Church Bowling Center is now striking

- Sunday Instructional Tennis at Fairfax Racquet Club begins serving our tennis-playing members in mid-September

Our hard-working Ski Committees has been planning the 2021 ski seasons, so far:

- The Flights Committee posted its 12-trip schedule which includes 11 trips to Western and Canadian ski resorts and a flight trip to Sunday River

- The Eastern Committee has reserved lodging at Canaan Valley, WV for the Thursday - Sunday weekend, January 21-24, and it will include ski instruction. We’ll offer a trip to Jay Peak, VT, March 7-12 that is being planned by the Blue Ridge Ski Council, its annual Winterfest to an Eastern resort.

Also, we will run traditional one-day trips to closeby resorts like Ski Liberty, Ski Roundtop and Whitetail but we're not sure if our ski school will be allowed to instruct; please check our web site later.

Some bad news in our Fall Activity Lineup:

- Saturday Night Tennis Parties are cancelled because social distancing cannot be achieved at our tennis club, Fairfax Racquet.

- Membership Socials and Happy Hours, in-person and indoors, are cancelled due to COVID risks.

- Our traditional fall Board of Directors Volunteer Party is cancelled; this is one of the worst decisions I ever had to make

At the heart of the club are the enthusiasm and efforts of our volunteers - we officers thank you for your past efforts and we hope to conduct the party in 2021.

==================

July 12, 2020  Our "Flights" Committee has posted the prices and trip leaders for our 2021 Western and Canadian trips.  This small group of dedicated volunteers works year-round to plan and manage the trips.  You can now sign up for any trip.  Let me end these remarks by emphasizing that our club depends on volunteers to run all of our events and in a short time, a new page, "Volunteer Opportunities" will describe some of our needs.  We've been "all Volunteer" from our start in 1936 and continuing to this day:  

June 3, 2020 

ANNUAL ELECTION MEETING:  In accordance with the recent "Stay at Home" guidance from Governor Northam, the annual Election Meeting was conducted virtually, via teleconference.  The meeting confirmed the election of the following candidates:

President: Bill Johnston, who will serve until April 2021.

Elected to the position of Director, serving from April 2020 to April 2022: Ruth D'Alessandro, Mary Kaye Hrivnak, Rene' Thierry, and Rita Togni. 

Updates on Club Activities:

We cancelled all club events starting in March and are just now returning to offering summer activities.  We are very aware of members' frustrations for lack of social and sports activities from March until now.  We are a social club based on having fun together, SOME GOOD NEWS, see below for resumption of some of our activities.  First, here is our 2021 ski trip status.

SKI TRIPS:  Our Ski Flight Trips Committee has posted a list of our scheduled 2021 trips and they'll provide a complete set of details, soon.  Like prior years, we'offered these for sign-up on July 1. For those of you familiar with SCWDC, "Will the club hold another "Back to the Slopes" ski trip roll-out party in September?"  We're not sure.  

TRAVEL EVENTS: 

1- Our April 21, 2020 BVI Sailing trip has been postponed to April 2021.

2- Our late June 26 Poland Bike and Barge trip will not be run and we're still working on what compensation can be obtained from Swiss Air, the carrier for transportation to and from Europe.

3- Our July 2020 Viking River Cruise to Russia was canceled and it is tentatively planned for 2022, but it isn't posted yet.

4- Our July 2021 Viking Cruise to Alaska and "The Inside Passage" is available for sign up.  Navigate to our Travel section.  

5- Our planned Club Med trip, October 10-17, was canceled.  As of this time, we've asked our Club Med planner to consider running the same trip in April 2021.

Explanation:  The Board of Directors discussed this on April 20 and June 1. In both sessions, the board members were aware that a large number of members, many of them "repeat" Club Med trip takers with SCWDC, had indicated an interest in going.  "However," that horrible beginning of, "Well, we don't agree," the board believed that the Covid-19 risks and dangers were too complicated to run a safe trip. Across the world, borders have been closed, travel restricted, and various shortages of medical equipment are being reported. Airlines have cut back flights, and there is some concern about 'safe' airline travel, where planes will be full of passengers from many walks of life. There was some concern expressed about the adequacy of medical facilities in the Dominican Republic. The BOD regrets not being able to plan this vacation in October. 

SOCIAL & SPORTING EVENTS: 

We are resuming Tuesday Night Tennis and Wednesday Night Golf.  Our Monday SkiGram will announce those every week.

We ran two golf weekends, July and August.

SAILING:  Restrictions at the Belle Haven Marina were lifted and we have resumed Tuesday Night and Saturday Morning Sails on Flying Scots.  

MEMBERSHIP:

Membership Picnic in July? Was held, about 70 attended at Lake Accotink.

Club membership has stayed fairly steady this year but has dropped just below 1100 members. 

PARTING THOUGHT:  I am working everyday to keep the club intact and running smoothly on a business basis, and I will make every effort to fully resume our full schedule of activities.  

BILL

PAST BOD MINUTES

January 9, 2020 Board of Directors Meeting

February 18, 2020 Board of Directors Meeting

March 12, 2020 Board of Directors Meeting

April 20, 2020 Board of Directors Meeting.docx

June 1, 2020 SCWDC BOD Meeting .docx

June 15, 2020 Board of Directors Meeting.docx

July 20, 2020 BOD Meeting.docx

August 10, 2020 Board of Directors Meeting.docx

August 24, 2020 Board of Directors Meeting.docx

Sept. 14, 2020 Board Of Directors Meeting .docx