Charter Trips
The complete list of 2020 charter trips with a detailed description of the resorts, hotels, flights, options and what is included in each trip is now on the website here. These trips will go on sale on Thursday, October 10. For those with an IKON pass, have a close look at C3 Aspen and C8 Taos where you will save $325 on Aspen and $500 on Taos.
The
first two charter trips to Jasper, New Years and Pragelato, Italy sold out very
quickly on June 20, our first sign-up night. The good news is that we were able
to expand the trips significantly to accommodate many on the waiting lists.
Jasper has 42 members registered and Pragelato has 39. Unfortunately at this
time those still on the waiting lists will have to count on a cancellation to
get a seat. For Pragelato, you will no longer find the Waitlist Button. We had
to close off the waiting list because there were many names already and adding
more would not be productive. The Jasper waiting list is still open so please add
your name if interested.
FCFS vs Lottery
Some members who could not get onto Jasper or Pragelato, have suggested that we should change the way registration is done and switch from a First Come First Served (FCFS) system to a lottery method. We should let you know that a lottery method has been considered in the past although we have never actually tried it. The club felt that a lottery of pulling names out of a hat was fraught with as many difficulties as FCFS. Similarly issues of fairness would arise from a procedure of giving waitlisted members first priority for the next set of upcoming trips, i.e. a Front-Of-The-Line pass.
With
online registration, we are aware that those with a fast internet connection
have a slight advantage over those with a slower one. And those with fast
fingers have a similar advantage. In the minutes after 8:00 PM, a few seconds
delay might have made the difference between being successfully registered or
being on the waiting list. But here’s the bottom line, there is only a limit to
the number of members we can accommodate no matter which method we use. FCFS
mirrors the old paper method where we had to line up in person. We feel that
FCFS is still the fairest method but will evaluate the lottery again to see if
it can offer something that is equally as fair.
Become a Trip Leader
Trip
Leaders are very important volunteers for the club. This season we need 16 TLs
to lead our charter and overnight bus trips. If you have been on a long trip,
you’ve seen a TL in action. If you want to contribute to the club in this way,
now is the time to consider it. If you feel it might be too much work for you
alone, you can team up with a friend and share the task. Despite the work
involved, it is a very rewarding experience and you’ll have fun doing it. You’ll
get training, lots of support and a generous reimbursement for your efforts.
Here is what you need to do. Send an email to: Ephraim Fernandez, ephraim.fernandez@gmail.com requesting an application form. Complete the form and submit it by the deadline of Friday, August 30.
The 2020 long trips program is on the website, charters click here, overnight bus trips, click here. TLs for C1 Jasper, New Years and C2 Pragelato, Italy have already been chosen and announced. So there are a total of 6 charter and 8 overnight bus trips for which you can apply. You need to have led an overnight bus trip before you can lead a charter trip, so first-timers will be overnight bus TLs.
Selection
is based on the following criteria:
- Duration
and extent of recent contributions as a volunteer to the club
- Leadership
skills
- Previous
trip experience
- People
skills
- Business
skills
- Computer
skills – Excel & Word
- Special
emphasis on Excel skills
- Skiing
experience
Every
HPSC member is eligible to apply. Don’t delay, request your application now as
the time is short.
Bill
Bates
Director
