Social – Page 3 – High Park Ski Club Blog

2021-08-182021-08-18

So you are vaccinated . . . now what?

As announced earlier in the summer, the HPSC Board made the decision that to protect the health of other club members and volunteers, in order to participate in most in-person club events this season you will need to be fully vaccinated against COVID.

The first step will be to attest to your vaccination status on your member profile page, at the same time you acknowledge the Code of Conduct, Waiver, and Rowan’s law declaration after September 1^st when membership renewal occurs. Any falsification of vaccination status will be considered as a breach of the HPSC Code of Conduct and will be subject to disciplinary review.

However, without confirmation of vaccination status the Long Trips Committee will not be able to arrange roommates or run close to full buses, that allow us to control the costs of trips. Or allow other portfolios to ensure only those fully vaccinated are participating in events.

Therefore, as a second step at some point during the fall, we are asking that members provide our membership team with proof of your vaccination status (i.e. 2^nd shot vaccination certificate or federal vaccination passport announced last week) by emailing it to vac@hpsc.ca. Only those on the membership team will have access to these emails and once they confirm your status by reviewing your document, all of your documents and emails will be deleted. The club will not be storing your private vaccination record.

PLEASE HOLD OFF SENDING YOUR DOCUMENTATION UNTIL AFTER SEPTEMBER 1 WHEN RENEWALS OPEN.

For those concerned about privacy, on the vaccination certificate, we only need to see the following information: Name; Date of 2^nd vaccination; Agent (COVID-19); Dose – 2 of 2. All of the rest of the information can be blacked out.

If you feel uncomfortable in emailing your documentation, we will also be arranging for numerous in-person events (i.e. after each week’s SkiFit; other nights during the week at locations around the city) when you can show the membership team your proof, and they will note your status. If you cannot meet in person and are concerned about emailing your documents, we can arrange for a personal Zoom call where you can show your document. We will NOT be recording or taking screen shots.

Please note that to register for charter or long trips at our signup nights in September and October you will need to have at least attested on your member profile that you are fully vaccinated. As with all members you will also need to provide your vaccination document at some point prior during the fall. If you are not fully vaccinated by trip signup night, you will not be able to register for trips until you are (if spots are still available). If you have not had your second shot yet and want to sign up for charter or long trips, please arrange for your second shot so as soon as possible. At that point you can update your member profile page and send in/arrange to show us your vaccination proof document.

As mentioned earlier, you do not have to send in your vaccination proof right away. If you feel more comfortable doing so when the Federal vaccination passport becomes available that is fine. We just need to review your document prior to your first in-person event (please allow at least 5 days for our team to review and confirm your status – we are all volunteers so it might take time to get to). If you are signing up for a long or charter trip it should be before full payment.

For charter trips, you will likely be required to provide the newly announced federal vaccination passport to our tour company partners. As well, last week the Federal government also announced that proof of vaccination will be required for travel, including domestically, by plane, train, etc. And it makes sense to assume that long distance bus trips should also be included.

If you CANNOT be vaccinated due to a medical condition, and can provide a doctors note to our membership team simply stating this (without any medical diagnosis information) you will be able to have limited participation in club events this year, (i.e. drive up for a day trip and participate in lessons). However, as announced earlier you will not be able to register for any long or charter trips, or to go on the bus for daytrips.

We acknowledge that members have the free choice to not be vaccinated; however, we as the directors of the club have the duty to protect the health and safety of our club members and volunteers to the best of our ability. Until the pandemic is declared over in Canada, the best option for protection and moving to a more ‘normal’ environment is vaccination. If you are dissatisfied with this policy, we are truly sorry. We can, upon request, if you choose, to defer your membership for another year or refund your membership fee (however, your club seniority would be maintained), and we will welcome you back once pandemic measure are lifted.

Justin Graham

President, High Park Ski Club

2021-07-012021-08-04

HPSC President’s Report: Please get the jab!

Dear HPSC friends

I sincerely hope that you and everyone in the HPSC community has had a safe and healthy spring!

There really appears to be a light at the end of this crazy year that we have all experienced. Over the last few months, individual Ontarians have done a fantastic job of moving quickly to get vaccinated when eligible, including many HPSC members. It appears that whoever wants to be vaccinated will be able to get both shots by the beginning of the fall in September (if not sooner).

Your HPSC board are moving forward with planning for the coming year based on the assumption that we will be able to have a much more normal season. However, not everything will be exactly as it was in previous years. Like most organizations will have to, we have had to make a decision regarding who will be able to participate in club events for at least the upcoming 2021/22 season.

After consultation with our lawyer, the HPSC Board, in order to do our best to protect the safety of ALL HPSC members, have come to the decision that for the upcoming season in order to participate in any event involving enclosed spaces such as buses, planes, trains, hotels, restaurants etc. we will ONLY ALLOW THOSE WHO ARE FULLY VACCINATED TO PARTICIPATE.

We will be asking members to attest to their vaccination status and anyone who falsifies their status will be considered in breach of the HPSC Code of Conduct and will be subject to disciplinary action.

The bottom line is that only those who are fully vaccinated will be allowed to book ANY of the Long or Charter trips, take the bus for daytrips, or attend any social events held indoors etc.

Our lawyer has advised us that we need to provide some form of accommodation for members who CANNOT be vaccinated due to a health or religious reason. Since transmission of COVID is much lower in outdoor settings (especially when masked) these members will still be able to participate in events held outside. So, for example, they will be allowed to drive up for a daytrip, and take a lesson, but will not be able to take the bus. We will require these members to provide some form of proof from their doctor simply stating that for a health reason they cannot be vaccinated.

Our specific policies on how day trips will be run will be worked out with our resort partners as they become clearer later in the summer and fall and will be communicated as soon as we can prior to the season. As has been the case since the start of the pandemic HPSC will also monitor and follow the public health guidelines for Toronto and the location of any destination we are going to.

While the future does seems brighter, what we have learned over the last year is that nothing is guaranteed. But getting vaccinated appears to be the best option for our society and for HPSC to get back closer to the normal we were accustomed to prior to the pandemic. I urge all members to get both their shots as soon as they can!

I am really looking forward to talking with as many HPSC members as possible in person during the coming season.

Cheers!

Justin Graham, President, High Park Ski Club

2020-03-282020-05-19

HPSC Election 2020 Candidates

The first in the history of the club virtual on-line election will be held on April 30 2020. https://hpsc.ca/event-3751842

Clark Seadon – Candidate for Finance Director

Skiing has been a huge source of adventure and excitement throughout my life. It really started with downhill ski racing for my local club in Edmonton, and grew to include cross-country, a little back-country and trips to Europe. I became a new member this year to do more XC skiing and have been delighted to find so many people who enjoy winter. I’ve had many enjoyable conversations, and look forward to meeting a lot more members. In terms of Finance I have some useful experience to share, having been Acting Treasurer for the Charity my wife is in charge of, having been a Commercial Banking Lender throughout my career, and being a CPA, CA. Overall I really look forward to helping others enjoy skiing and winter with the Club, while helping to ensure the Club remains financially sound for years to come.

Flying Clark – Local Edmonton Ski Club. “Those were the days my friends….”

Erika Clark – Candidate for Downhill Day Trips Director

When I moved to Toronto in 2017 I decided I wanted to learn to ski, and to meet new people, so I chose to join HPSC. I immediately felt at home and that I had created a new family of friends within the club. I began volunteering as a bus captain on downhill day trips and since then have also been a trip leader on the recent weekend Tremblant trip, as well as volunteering in other capacities with the club. I was the Downhill Day Trips Director for one season (2018-2019) and worked to increase the attendance on downhill day trips, partner with cross country to offer more buses, partner with new hills to offer members more variety to improve their ski and snowboarding skills, and continued to welcome and support members to get out on the slopes through our day trips.
For the next two seasons, my goal as the Director of Downhill Day Trips is keep the momentum going. I want to build upon the fantastic success of the previous seasons and continue to fill buses, encourage new members and returning members to attend day trips and expand our ski and snowboarding program with HPSC’s snow school. With the help of the downhill volunteers, my desire is that every member looks as forward to, and enjoys, going on a HPSC day trip as much as I do. Joining HPSC is one of the best decisions I have ever made. I began as a new skier and have now travelled around Ontario, Canada and the US enjoying the best of winter skiing with my HPSC friends. Becoming involved as a volunteer has led to many wonderful opportunities. I encourage all members to get involved in any way they can!

Nemanja Davidovic – Candidate for Communications Director

I am an outdoor enthusiast. I spend most of my free time skiing, cycling or hiking, depending on the season. As a member of a ski club in my hometown in Serbia, I have skied downhill in European ski resorts. The first thing on my list when I moved to Toronto was to find and join the local ski club in my new home. I discovered HPSC and joined the club together my fiancée. So far, I have skied on daytrips with the club, and discovered some fantastic places in Ontario. Furthermore, I started learning how to cross country ski with amazing HPSC instructors. I find the club to be a great place to meet likeminded people, make new friends and grow your network. I bring volunteering experience from my previous ski club and project management skills from my day job. Life is better on the slopes!

Jennifer Beatty – Candidate for Marketing Director

I grew up in Calgary, Alberta and learned to downhill ski in Banff. I have skied several hill in Banff, as well as Golden, BC. And Whistler, BC. I moved to Toronto in October 2018 for a job in Marketing, and was looking for something to keep my active in the winter months. That’s when I discovered the High Park Ski Club and it’s been the best thing I’ve done since moving toToronto! Having never cross-country skied before this past winter, I advanced from Classic 1 to Classic 3. I also made some great friends, and had tons of laughs along the way! I’m a marketer in my day job, and also take marketing courses when I’m not skiing! – I’m excited at the prospect of using my skill set to further advance the HPSC member experience, and continue to attract new members to keep our club running strong for year to come!

Amy Lam – Candidate for Social Director

I love being active and being outdoors. In past winters, I casually went skiing with friends, but never took any lessons or joined a club. Last winter, I wanted to improve my skiing skills and meet other skiers. I googled “ski club”, and found High Park Ski Club’s website. Since being member, I have been blown away with the quality of lessons and trips the club offers. My skiing has greatly improved since taking lessons with the awesome HPSC instructors. This year, I started to volunteer as bus captain for Saturday alpine trips. I have such a blast meeting members, and being part of such a positive, active and winter-loving community. I recently completed my two year term as the Social Director for the Toronto Triathlon Club. I enjoyed organizing and hosting social events that bring together the community of athletes of all levels. I love seeing the joy that social gatherings bring to members, after training sessions and at the finish-line of various races. It’s the best way to meet new friends and be inspired by their journeys to be active healthy. I hope I can use my “party organizing” skills to come up with ideas for social events and gatherings that bring our wonderful community of HPSC members together.

Justin Graham – Candidate for HPSC President

HPSC Volunteer of the Year – Silver Level – April 2019

Even before I started skiing as a teenager, I was aware of High Park Ski Club. I first learned about the club when it was profiled along with others in a local magazine. It seemed like so much fun! After graduating university, I talked a friend into joining with me, and was a member for about 6 years. After not skiing regularly for about 15 years, I wanted to get back into the sport, and since my old friends had stopped, decided to rejoin HPSC, and have been a continuous member since 2007!

I participate in most of the activities of the club (most weekends on alpine daytrips; a couple of snowshoe trips per season; a couple of long trips per season; SkiFit in the fall; Climb the Mountain each year; and many social activities) which has allowed me to develop a good sense of the various subgroups of members that make up our fantastic club.

We really are only as strong as a club as the connections we make with each other! Because of close friendships and a desire to give back to the club I started to volunteer. I have realized that the portfolios that I have assisted with have something to do with bringing our members together and in helping to make these connections! My desire as President is to ensure that our members continue to develop these friendships and as a result strengthen our club.

To paraphrase JFK, “Ask not what your ski club can do for you . . . “ My HPSC Volunteer Experience

Alpine Daytrips team lead as Assistant Director of Alpine Daytrips (2019/20 season)
W6 Killington trip – Trip Leader (February 2020)
SkiFit group leader (Fall 2018; Fall 2019)
Alpine Bus Captain (2017-2020)
HPSC Volunteer of the Year – Silver (2018/19); Bronze (2017/18)
Alpine Daytrips – Bus Captain co-oridnator (2018/19)
Re-wrote Alpine Bus Captain Training Manual (2018/19)
Assisted Communications and Marketing teams by creating and editing a lot of the website content (2018/19)
Assisted Social Director in planning and organizing social events (Fall 2018)
Attended numerous HPSC Board meetings as delegate for Social Director or Alpine Daytrips director (Summer/Fall 2018)
Wrote SnoBiz articles for Alpine Daytrips and Social (2017-2018)

Profession and Education

Professional public opinion researcher for approximately 25 years
MA, Public Policy and Administration
Bachelor of Business Administration, Marketing major

HPSC Charter Trip to Salt Lake City – February 2018 – Alta, Utah

David Manning – Candidate for Downhill Snow School Director

David is a downhill ski & snowboard (double double) instructor. David is also the past President, who has led the club successfully through the first wave of transformation and demonstrated the mindful leadership and long term vision for the club. David is the best candidate for the role, nominated by the entire Snow School.

Check out here the bios of the candidates, who are current members of the Board: https://www.hpsc.ca/Board-of-Directors:

IT – Alex Radulescu
Admin – Victor Schroter
Overnight Trips – Bill Bates
Membership – Ruth Schefter
Cross Country skiing – Heather Steel