Kim Terwilliger, Assistant Eastern Division Director
Welcome to winter in the northeast – rain, snow, rain, ice, rain, wind, snowmageddon, or nothing. Despite our winter weather situation, the Eastern Division has delivered multiple education programs for our members with more still available. MTR programs were available in November and December. Multiple patroller schools have been held since January throughout the Division, including Sugarloaf, Elk, Killington, Plattekill, and Seven Springs. A snowboard/tele-specific event was held at Waterville Valley as well. Gore will be hosting an upcoming patroller school at the end of February. Women’s clinics have been embedded in many of the patroller schools which have been very well attended.
In addition to the patroller schools, numerous regions have hosted OET and women ’s-specific clinics. Three Level 1 Avalanche courses have been on the calendar for this winter with one Level 2 course being conducted at Whiteface. The Certified program has held their pre-test and candidates are prepping for the exam, scheduled for Sugarbush in March. Good luck Certified candidates! Most regions are holding their Senior OET evaluations during the first weekend in March with Senior OEC evaluations scheduled throughout the month as well. Good luck to all those candidates too!
Our YAPs have been very busy attending region-specific or combined region events in preparation for their YAP Summit to be held at Smugglers’ Notch, March 8-10. These events have included overnight programs, escape room games, and OET/OEC training. They are an incredibly talented, enthusiastic group.
Thank you to all the Division and Region staff members who dedicate their time and energy to schedule, instruct, and make programs accessible for our Eastern Division patrollers!
One more thing…the search is on for the next Eastern Division Women’s Program Advisor. If interested, please see the eblast announcement for details and submit a letter of interest and resume to Kim Terwilliger, skiwtb20@yahoo.com by February 28, 2024.
The Outdoor Emergency Care Module of the Senior Program (OECMSP) has been updated and reinvented to reflect more of a training program that provides growth in the area of Leadership, Decision Making, and Problem Management (LDP). Once you have demonstrated mastery in your OEC skills, the patroller moves on to clinics that will focus on the objectives of LDP. The scenarios you will work with are designed to help focus your growth, and more concise problem-solving leading to quicker decision-making and better leadership. Each clinic should leave you with a feeling of accomplishment and something to focus your growth on. In addition to mastery of the OEC skills, there are requirements for breaking down written scenarios to identify problems and potential solutions as well as writing a scenario with LDP as the challenge as well as OEC.
During your training clinic sessions, you will need to pass four on-snow scenarios as a prerequisite to attend your evaluation day. These scenarios should prepare you well for the final evaluation and come from a set of scenarios that are challenging and score the same as the scenarios you will see during the final evaluation.
Trainer Evaluators are also adding additional training so they focus more on the LDP aspect of the OECMSP and how to better train candidates on what to expect and then evaluate them with a focus on LDP.
Evaluation day may look different as well. All candidates participating in the final evaluation will decide on whether to have a non-scoring warm-up scenario, or some other warm-up activity, or move directly into the final evaluations. During the final evaluation process, you will only have two scenarios to complete successfully. Since the new OECMSP program is more focused on training, if you are not successful on one scenario you will have the opportunity to train or review what didn’t work well in the failed scenario and the opportunity to redo on that day or a date in the future that is agreeable to all.
The big difference here is that prior to continuing, the program is designed to provide you with the opportunity to train and reach a level of comfort before you go into your next evaluation. Not being successful in one scenario allows you to complete your redo in the same season. Not being successful in two scenarios means you go back into the training program with practice scenarios and go through that process again until you are comfortable. In most cases that takes more than one season. For Patrollers, Alpine Patrollers, and Nordic Patrollers this evaluation continues to be under the conditions which you patrol which requires an on-snow final evaluation experience.
Other updates to the program provide the logistics to run this program to be trimmed down and need a smaller number of personnel to run an event.
Bottom line is the principle and practice that the OECMSP has moved to become a more flexible training program that enhances the patroller’s personal growth in the areas of Leadership, Decision Making, and Problem Management. The program will support ski areas with better scenario and OEC management from trained patrollers as well as help these same patrollers become leaders within NSP in the future.
If you have any questions or would like a deeper look please feel free to reach out to the Eastern Division OEC Supervisor, any of the Asst. OEC Supervisors or paulaknightnsp@gmail.com .
Watch Western Appalachian Region YAP Advisor Anna Hermann as she interviews Hidden Valley Ski Patrol YAP Gracie Gonzalez about her experiences at last year’s 2023 Eastern Division YAP Summit held at Smugglers’ Notch. Gracie talked about what inspired her to become a patroller, what a wonderful learning experience the division YAP event was, and how it affected her growth as a young patroller and as a young adult. Gracie was the first YAP to receive the James Slattery Award. Read about Jim Slattery, the Division’s Oldest Junior, in the next issue of Trail Sweep.
All members of NSP are OEC Technicians, but many are also EMTs. EMTs need to take their own refresher and a certain amount of approved continuing education.
Mike Klau of Blue Hills Ski Area has set up a rotation of monthly speakers that teach various subjects related to first aid. Each class is taught by Zoom and typically runs from 7-9 p.m. All classes are approved for two EMT CEUs for all levels. In the past some of the classes have been Boston MedFlight, Treating the Trans Patent, Post Covid Lungs, Ethical Dilemmas Facing First Responders, and many more. All classes are free but limited to members of NSP.
After each course a certificate is issued for your records or to be sent to your EMS training officer. Another bonus is that there is a spot on the NREMT webpage for NSP members who are EMTs. If you register there, your continuing education will be managed.
Lastly, every other year an EMT-B refresher class (NCCR) is offered. This course has a small fee, since the instructor is paid.
Disclaimer: The courses are designed for EMS personnel and do not always follow OEC techniques. Mike Klau does not make any money from this; it is purely a labor of love. If you would like more information, please reach out to Mike, his email is auxpatroller@gmail.com. If you are an EMT, please include your EMT number. Also please add where you patrol.
Skiing is a great way to get out and enjoy the winter weather. But it’s also a strenuous activity that can take a toll on your body if you’re not careful. That’s why it’s good to follow a ski diet that will help you stay fueled and energized throughout your day on the trails. This post will discuss some of the best ways to maintain good nutrition while skiing!
1. Consider your food intake. 2. Carbohydrates are important for skiing. 3. Protein is also a must for skiing. 4. Stay hydrated. 5. Avoid eating high-fat foods or drinking alcohol while skiing. 6. Make sure to take breaks during the day to eat and drink something. 7. Eating before you ski. 8. Eating after you ski.
This article was was written and published by Fasterskier.com. Rather than reprint the article in its entirety click on their link and it will bring you to it. They are a web-based publication, located in Williamstown, MA, bringing both the rigor of a daily newspaper and the passion of a niche magazine to their work. The magazine is geared towards Nordic skiing but good nutrition works well for any sport. Thank you to their President Matthew Voisin for allowing us to offer this information to everyone. The magazine has lots of great information on a myriad of subjects. Once you get to their website you’ll want to read more!
The Eastern Division and the NSP offer a variety of events, programs, and opportunities for all patrollers. The following are calendar reminders of some of the opportunities available in the next few months. Click on the links for more details.
PATROLLER STRESS AWARENESS FORUMS
Begin March 13, 2024, at 7 p.m. Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 872 9811 1272
If you have any questions, please contact Melinda Mingus, MD, Eastern Division Patroller Stress Awareness Advisor by email or phone 646-522-1451
WOMEN’S PROGRAM SCHOLARSHIP
The application and additional information can be found on the Women’s Program Scholarship page accepted through March 15, 2024
Children love our Safety Team tent and our stickers, but what they seem to enjoy most is being engaged and challenged about the sport they love. Whether it is skiing or snowboarding, it’s not hard to sense how much they take pride in learning and knowing the safety practices that go along with the sport.
At a recent safety event, the children engaged in creating a safety chain. They each took a long, rectangular, precut paper and were asked to write advice for being safe while skiing or riding. They eagerly and creatively went to work. Each completed paper was stapled around in a circle linking with the circle before it thus creating a chain. They had produced their own Know the Code and had fun listening, reading, and learning from one another.
There are so many creative activities to enable young skiers and riders to reinforce safety and teach them to be more responsible and more confident on the mountain. The impact we have as patrollers to leave an impression with children regarding safety is important and something these same children later in life may pull out of their tool box when pressured by friends to go faster or not sit back on a lift and use the safety bar.
All patrollers are part of the Safety Team. “Safety First” extends beyond scene size up during incidents to our everyday life especially when we don our patrol jackets and encounter our youngest mountain patrons. The next time you greet children in the liftline, on the slope, or in the lodge, ask them what they did to be safe while skiing or boarding today. Perhaps they attended a Safety event, and they will be proud to tell you!
The history of the Eastern Division newsletter, Trail Sweep, stretches back a long time. I have copies going back to Volume 29, No. 4, Spring/Summer of 1986. Looking through the issues, I am amazed at how far we’ve come and all the changes that have been made. We used to publish four issues a year, then three, and finally, we were down to two, although as we reduced the number of issues, they gained in size. We removed some information, like the division and region rosters and event calendar, and the list of awards and obituaries increased. We are an aging organization.
But even though we’re aging, our members are savvy and connected. An electronic survey sent to Eastern Division patrollers in late February asked their opinions about Trail Sweep and how information is being conveyed to patrollers. More than half of those sent the survey opened it, and more than 650 people responded. Nearly 200 comments were received with some interesting results–both good and bad.
While respondents said they got their information about division events almost equally from both Trail Sweep and division emails, most people preferred to get their information electronically. Increasingly, people want their news to come in a timelier manner, in short bursts, and to be readable on their portable devices. Most of the respondents (75%) read Trail Sweep every time or most of the time, and a strong majority (5 to 1) preferred to receive news monthly rather than twice a year.
Trail Sweep has been printed and mailed to the patrollers of the Eastern Division for decades, long before the age of sophisticated personal computers, the internet, and cell phones. As production and postage rates increased, we began to email a PDF file of Trail Sweep to our members. My records show we were still printing copies in 2007. I’m not sure exactly when we converted to electronic delivery.
Now, we’re responding to what our members told us in the survey. Starting with this issue, we will be publishing monthly and formatted differently. Short excerpts of articles will have clickable links to take you to the complete article. We will cover programs, events, people, and other interesting and informative subjects spread out during the year. Trail Sweep does not have an editorial staff. We depend on program advisors and administrators, as well as patrollers, for the articles we receive and publish. This is more important than ever. We want everything to be timely. If there’s something you’d like to see, let us know or, better yet, submit an article to Trail Sweep. Just remember when you’re writing that “less is more.” Photographs are always welcome.
We hope that this change will serve our members well.
Stephanie Cox, Executive Director, National Ski Patrol
Stephanie Cox was hired as the Executive Director of the NSP just over a year ago, in October 2022. She is the third Executive Director of the NSP in the last few years. Trail Sweep asked Stephanie if she would agree to be interviewed to discuss the challenges of the job and her plans for the future. We asked her about what skills she brought to the job, how she felt about the turnover of her predecessors, her plans for the growth of sponsorships and fundraising, and her plans to help resolve issues with the NSP website.
We appreciate Stephanie’s willingness to respond and her openness in her comments. Here is the interview:
What experiences and skills do you bring to the NSP as Executive Director?
My prior leadership roles, where I had to manage large, diverse teams, make critical decisions, and motivate others – especially in difficult, changing, and complex environments — likely prepared me for this role. Having spent a lot of time in high-pressure, changing situations, I honed my problem-solving skills to handle challenges effectively and developed a lot of grit, courage, and adaptability. I think that those are important traits when dealing with industry and organizational change.
Effective communication is crucial for any leader. My very first career was as a journalist, and I learned to be observant, listen, and be curious. I hope my ability to communicate with staff, volunteers, stakeholders, and the public will help bring the community together even more. Being a leader in the humanitarian aid world taught me to be resilient, compassionate, analyze risks, and be adaptable as I spent most of my time overseas in war zones and unstable environments. When I pivoted to the start-up world and became an entrepreneur, I learned to lean into my vision and became more decisive. Venture capitalists are a tough crowd and a boys’ club, albeit that is changing fast – so I learned quickly to develop and trust my confidence. All of this has helped shape my leadership style, which I like to think of as “intentional.” But this is also a role where a deep passion for skiing is a key motivator. My true love for the sport – and people in the industry, especially my team – provides great fuel for the long days.
There has been a lot of turnover in the NSP Executive Director position in the last few years. How do you feel you can improve the rapport between the Executive Director and the NSP Board of Directors?
When I assumed the role of Executive Director in October for the National Ski Patrol, I did so with equal parts excitement and caution as I knew that there was much work to do to help the organization continue to recover from a tumultuous few years. Leadership turnover, COVID, societal shifts, and a changing landscape in the industry introduced uncertainty and delivered shocks to the organization. And while our member numbers remained steady, our progress slowed. Developing a positive, productive, and trusting relationship with the board was a key priority in order to get anything meaningful accomplished. I am pleased to say that I am thrilled to be working collaboratively with the Board of Directors on faster decision-making, governance, and accountability. We have an open line of communication. I respect every member of the board and enjoy working with them and guiding them towards a true governance role.
I encourage the Eastern Division members to go to the NSP website to read my Annual Member letter, see the 3-year plan (knowing we will soon be working on YR 2!), and read the latest BOD reports. All can be found in the document library or on the Leadership Structure page.
I very much look forward to visiting the Eastern Division this season and getting to know our fantastic members.
The NSP has lost several key sponsors in the last year. What are your plans to grow new sponsor relationships going forward?
I welcome this opportunity to clarify that the only sponsor that recently moved on from NSP is Subaru of America after 25 years of wonderful support. Like all relationships, the one between NSP and Subaru evolved over time, and we found ourselves at the end of our journey together. The world has changed since our partnership began in 1995, and the automotive industry, like the ski industry, faces many new challenges and opportunities. While NSP and Subaru have had many great adventures together, the time is right to look forward to new destinations and travel partners, even as we continue to stay connected with old friends. Subaru will continue to offer VIP pricing to NSP members until further notice, and we continue to support the Subaru brand. In the meantime, the partnership team and I are cultivating relationships across different industries with many new brands and are excited about what the future holds in this arena for NSP. Stay tuned!
Along the same lines, NSP dues increased significantly last year and could increase again this year. What are your plans to improve fundraising and donations?
Diversifying income in any organization or business is very important to keep up with the overall changing industry and economic conditions, such as inflation, to ensure financial resilience and viability. Fundraising represents one income stream for NSP. In order to fundraise properly and sustainably, the organization has to be in a strong position with its brand, identity, direction, and plans. Fundraising was not a priority in my first year as we had much housekeeping and administrative clean-up to do, along with recovering our brand from years of public turmoil. In fact, I asked the board to suspend the fundraising committee for a year until I felt we were in a position to go out to our membership and the public to ask them for their support. If we are to fundraise, then we must do it right.
Our membership is watching, and I want to show them results from the first and second years and then ask for their support. That means having a strategy, having good systems to back up the strategy, having human resources to direct it, and most importantly, follow-up and stewardship. By demonstrating accountability, transparency, and effectiveness in utilizing funds, we’ll be in a stronger position to ask for support from members and the public. We do currently offer online donations, and we absolutely want our members to especially consider NSP in planned giving. It’s all available right now on the new website. In fact, we are currently fundraising for Powderfall scholarships.
Patrollers have complained of many problems with the NSP website. What are your plans to help resolve these issues?
These systems will always be a work in progress as we continue to optimize functionality and keep information fresh for our members and partners. We completed phases I and II (cloud migration and minimal viable product) of our member management system, website, and store upgrades recently. There have been a lot of changes this year, and we are moving at high speed toward a common goal. At the same time, we have been conscious of the impact of this on the staff and membership. I am pleased to say that we are now on the upside of this tech adoption curve, with our new systems in place and functional. Every day you check back, you are likely to see something new and improved.
The Outdoor Emergency Care Module of the Senior Program (OECMSP) has been updated and reinvented to reflect more of a training program that provides growth in the area of Leadership, Decision Making, and Problem Management (LDP). Once you have demonstrated mastery in your OEC skills, the patroller moves on to clinics that will focus on the objectives of LDP. The scenarios you will work with are designed to help focus your growth, and more concise problem-solving leading to quicker decision-making and better leadership. Each clinic should leave you with a feeling of accomplishment and something to focus your growth on. In addition to mastery of the OEC skills, there are requirements for breaking down written scenarios to identify problems and potential solutions as well as writing a scenario with LDP as the challenge as well as OEC.
All members of NSP are OEC Technicians, but many are also EMTs. EMTs need to take their own refresher and a certain amount of approved continuing education.
Children love our Safety Team tent and our stickers, but what they seem to enjoy most is being engaged and challenged about the sport they love. Whether it is skiing or snowboarding, it’s not hard to sense how much they take pride in learning and knowing the safety practices that go along with the sport.
reinforce safety and teach them to be more responsible and more confident on the mountain. The impact we have as patrollers to leave an impression with children regarding safety is important and something these same children later in life may pull out of their tool box when pressured by friends to go faster or not sit back on a lift and use the safety bar.
The history of the Eastern Division newsletter, Trail Sweep, stretches back a long time. I have copies going back to Volume 29, No. 4, Spring/Summer of 1986. Looking through the issues, I am amazed at how far we’ve come and all the changes that have been made. We used to publish four issues a year, then three, and finally, we were down to two, although as we reduced the number of issues, they gained in size. We removed some information, like the division and region rosters and event calendar, and the list of awards and obituaries increased. We are an aging organization.
