Eastern Division NSP's News Magazine
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Beyond the Numbers: Your Input on Stress Awareness Impact
The Patroller School online course, Stress Injury Preparation for Patrollers or SIPP, launched in September and profiled in the December issue of Trail Sweep, has had a greater than anticipated impact both in terms of response and reaction.
Response
Since the course was launched in September, more than 150 patrollers and mountain hosts have requested access to it. Granted this isn’t a viral number but, for Patroller School, it’s quite significant.
Flexibility Exercises for Skiing
Staying injury-free throughout the ski season requires a proper stretching program. Here are some stretching exercises that doctors from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons believe to be a good general set of flexibility exercises for skiers of all ages.
Flexibility is a key component to preventing injury. Stretching before athletic activity helps prepare the muscles for exercise. Stretching after exercise has proven to be even more important for preventing injury. For maximum benefit, skiers should stretch each of the major lower body muscle groups before and after sporting activity. The exercises below provide options for stretching those large muscle groups.
NSP History – Chapter 3 – Minnie Dole’s Injury is the Inspiration
<<< In our last chapter, Minnie Dole was injured in a ski accident so severely that they thought he might never walk again, let alone ski.
While still on crutches and convalescing from his broken leg earned on the Toll Road in Stowe in 1936, Minnie Dole’s good friend and ski companion, Franklin Edson III, came to visit. Frank informed Minnie that The ASCNY had asked him to round out a race team to compete at an interclub meet that was to be held in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Races at this time were truly “downhill” races, with no speed control sections or gates…
In Memoriam – Harlan “Sonny” Davis
We are heartbroken to announce the death of Harlan “Sonny” Davis, age 71 of Portland, Maine on Thursday, December 7, 2023. Sonny had a 45-year tenure at Pleasant Mountain and served 17 years as Ski Patrol Director. He served with the Navy Seals for six years before moving to Bridgton.
Division YAP Summit Announcement
Watch the video and spread the news to your fellow YAPs and their parents!
Click read more to access my video holiday message.
Watch for details coming soon on the YAP Events page of PatrollerSchool. The YAP Summit fills up fast, so don’t wait. Keep your eyes and ears peeled, watching for registration to open. Save the dates and start planning for the 2024 YAP Summit at Smugglers’ Notch, March 8th to 12th.
2023 Memorial Fund Scholarship Award Winners
2023 Awards Review
The Eastern Division has an incredibly talented group of patrollers. We are proud that so many were honored with awards this year. This is a list of the awards winners for 2023, including our Eastern Division patrollers who won National Outstanding Awards and the Eastern Division Outstanding Awards winners. The list also includes National and Leadership Commendation Appointments, Distinguished and Meritorious Service, Purple, Blue, Green, and Yellow Merit Stars, Patriot Star, Patroller Cross, and Patroller Achievement Award winners, plus 50-year Lifetime Service Awards.
Mid-Week Avalanche Level 2 Course Scheduled for Smugglers’ Notch
The Avalanche team is attempting to work within our winter schedule. If you have not noticed, we have lost a week or two at the end of our season. The snowpack is not as deep as it once was. We also have an increasing population that is heading into the backcountry and our programs are requiring more avalanche training.
So our team is trying something new – a mid-week program at Smugglers’ Notch. We have no idea if this will work for our members, but we have had several requests for it. So you asked and we
So You Want To Be An NSP Instructor
Do you want to be an instructor, or know someone else who does? We in the Eastern Division are always looking for good instructors. The process is not difficult but can seem confusing to many patrollers. Becoming an instructor consists of taking the Instructor Development Course (see below) and mentoring with a qualified instructor in the discipline you want to teach. The disciplines include Outdoor Emergency Care, Outdoor Emergency Transportation, Avalanche, Mountain Travel & Rescue, Bike Patrol, and even Instructor Development itself. The mentoring phase is a very important part of the process of becoming an instructor. You will learn valuable tips and techniques for making your lessons impactful and successful.
The Eastern Division Bike Program
As of the fall of 2023, the Eastern Division is working to develop other opportunities for our members, including working on developing its bike program. With bike patrollers and bike hosts serving their community in other areas, this brings considerable visibility to what we do as part of NSP. This provides an opportunity to get more individuals involved in patrolling, renewing the organization, and providing a service to a developing sport.
What Every Patroller Needs To Know About Alumni
Occasionally, life and circumstances get in the way of the things we love to do. When this happens, you have those who can provide information to help you stay connected to patrolling and make decisions that leave you options for returning to patrolling when appropriate.
Every region in the division has an Alumni Advisor who can help you. Contact them to start a conversation, or contact
