PSC Organization
The PSC has a general membership of approximately 400 to 500. Anyone can join the club, provided he or she pays the yearly dues. See How To Join for membership information.
The Council
The council is the administrative arm of the club. It is comprised of 9 to 12 members elected by the membership to serve three-year terms. Every year about a third of the positions are open for election. Elections are normally held at the final membership meeting of the year in April. Any member in good standing can run for a council seat. Almost every year we have new members elected to the council, which brings fresh ideas and new energy to the group. The council normally meets on a monthly basis from September through April. A list of current council members is presented on the Council and Committees page.
Executive Council
The council elects the president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer, who together comprise the Executive Council. The president, with the approval of the council, selects committee chair people, such as the trips committee, newsletter editor, meetings committee, and so forth.
The Council Organizes and Manages Ski Trips
The primary function of the PSC Council is planning the club's ski trips. The process starts in about November/December of each year with the development of a strawman schedule for the following-winter's trips. The initial schedule is based on the combined experience of council members and the input provided by our skiers through the critique forms completed on each trip. After approval by the full council, the schedule is sent out to a selected set of tour brokers. The brokers are travel agents specializing in group ski trips that we use as contracting agents with the airlines, bus companies and ski resorts.
After the resulting proposals are received from the brokers, the council meets for a full-day "Summit" meeting, usually in late May or early June, to finalize the trip selection process. We review each proposal and select the specific broker and bid for each trip that we feel offers the best value for the club. The final step involves selecting trip leaders. Each council member normally leads a trip but, since we typically have more trips than council members, we draw on our "Extended Council" for additional trip leaders. The Extended Council includes club members that volunteer to help run the club, and often includes former council members who are experienced trip leaders, as well as prospective trip-leader trainees (see the related page on Becoming a Trip Leader). The council then follows up on bids, finalizes contracts with the brokers, and prepares the final list of trips to offer to the membership. Final arrangements sometimes continue throughout the summer and into the fall.
The Summit meeting also affords an opporunity to approve an annual operating budget, to discuss club policies, and to conduct other club business.
The Council Manages the Day-to-Day Activities of the Club
The council is also responsible for related club activities. These include organizing the membership meetings, arranging for food, reserving meeting rooms, writing and distributing The Liftline newsletter, collecting membership dues, welcoming new members, publicizing the club and its ski trips, overseeing the budget, filing taxes, filing for local and state permits, promoting liaisons with other ski groups such as the Blue Ridge Ski Council, and participating in NASTAR racing. There are minutes to write and reports to prepare on finances, legal issues, and club policies. The PSC currently manages a budget of approximately $500,000. Council responsibilities are year round.
Most council members have been members of the PSC for many years and are happy to serve despite
the required long hours. Council members enjoy great satisfaction in helping to keep the club going.
They take pride in bringing a quality skiing experience to the membership.