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PSSA Articles:
December 2001, by Jerry Mueller
PRESEASON SNOWSEEKERS
Summer 2001 is history now, the time has changed, a hint of winter is in the air, and some northern counties have received snow from lake-affect air.
A further hint that winter is coming is the fact that our club's 2001 Safe Snowmobiler class is history. This year's class was the largest ever, with about fifty people in all attending. Art
Amsler, with help from Gellners Sales & Service, put it all together. The Gellner family, Arctic Cat
Motorsports, provides all the things required to make a class special. They sign kids up all year to ready them for the Safe Snowmobiler classes each fall. They provide a spacious classroom with all the necessities, light, heat, snowmobiles and all related items such as TV, VCR, snowmobile clothing, and all snowmobile related products to help the kids and adults be successful in completing the class. They also go the extra mile in providing snack packages and pop for the class breaks.
The Snowseekers provide the instructors, helpers, and ten large pizzas for the class lunch break. This year, there were thirteen members of the club there to assist Art with help in teaching, yours truly included along with the Snowseekers newest instructor, Jack
Belsterling. There are also other Snowseekers who will test to become instructors for next year. Art and I wish to thank Jack, Boyd Cook, Rich Hayes, Ron and Judy
Cehelsky, Dan Miller and Vicki, Bruce and Leah Altman and again, the Gellner "Arctic Cat" family. The time and expertise these people provide is immeasurable in making safe snowmobilers of our youngsters. We thank you! After the last student was awarded their certificates and Safe Snowmobiler patches, the kids and adults were provided with safe building evacuation and fire extinguishing, not preplanned, but never the less, successful. Thanks to all who assisted for staying over time to break down tables and chairs and clean the building and pick up and dispose of litter, trash, etc.
The following weekend, the club had their annual Woodcutting and Landowner Appreciation dinner weekend at the clubhouse. The wood cutting/splitting was done all day Saturday, with a crew and machinery in the woods, cutting and hauling and another crew at the club house splitting and stacking all day.
The Thanksgiving dinner for members, guests and landowners was accomplished by the ladies of the club, under the kitchen leadership of Debbie Stahl and Sandy Mueller. Jack Belsterling and guests provided music, live, to entertain after dinner till midnight. Thanks to all the members who participated, the Snowseekers are ready for winter. At a previous work weekend, glass black windows were installed in restrooms, a new well pump was put in, the last furnace was replaced, roof was coated, garage roof was repaired, and water supply safety items were installed for back up, among other things.
The 2001 annual club gun raffle is underway, under the guidance of Rich and Loretta Hayes. Tickets are all out and some monies are coming in. Contact Rich at (412) 486-0361 if you wish to get tickets for guns in this great collection, or purchase them at the clubhouse prior to hunting for buck season.
2002 is the year that we will celebrate thirty years of Pennsylvania Snowseekers Snowmobile club, Inc. existence, and I'm sure we will celebrate at some special function next year.
The club is going to provide some refresher classes for members in first aid and CPR dates will be announced.
Bear and buck season are next club functions being prepared for and if the last few years are any indication, we will provide lodging, meals and lunches for an increasing number of hunters. Dean Cereone will head up the great food preparation again this year. He and his crew do all the prep. work, cooking and serving the hunters, packing their lunches, seeing to lodging, and Rich will start awarding new guns to lucky winners of our gun raffle, one each day starting on the first day till all guns are gone. Just before the season starts, a crew will install snow fence on trail 1 in the Russell City area, to keep snowmobiles on the trail. Also, the trail from the club to trail 1 will be cleaned.
Next on the agenda is what we are all about. SNOW! The trails will be open and the Snowseekers will be into the spirit of the season, with all those shiny new machines leaving the clubhouse to do the trails. Warm fires, guests and happy hearts as the trails become snow covered and we can visit old haunts, tell tall stories, some as old as thirty years. The 2002 season will be in full swing at the club, and I'm sure, as always, there will be some out-of-state and out-of-country trips to far-flung destinations, some yet to be announced.
Keep it FUN, keep it SAFE, and keep it a FAMILY SPORT to bring some of the joy we have felt to the newcomers.
Say a prayer for our leaders, our service men and those we lost at Ground Zero as they strike some serious terror into the minds of terrorists who would bring harm to our friends, families and our way of life. Butt Kickin time is here. Hang tough, be supportive.
The Snowseekers thank all of you out there who make things happen for our sport. Hope to visit with you on the trail and at the clubhouse in our thirtieth year.
The officers, board members and membership of the PA Snowseekers,
G.E. Jerry Mueller, Scribe
Art Amsler, Safe Snowmobiler instructor, teaching class at Portersville, PA. Pictured is a portion of the record size class of 2001.
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