Online Membership for Vouchers
SnoChiefs Membership Application
Grass Drag & Show Schedules:
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Visitors
Upcoming Events
NYSSA forum coming to Niagara Falls NY April 11-13th
Shawnee Field Days
June 26,27 and 28
Volunteers needed to work the food tent. It's a great time and helps the Fire Company out.
Pete Armenia
Landowners Dinner Friday April 4th at the Fire Company Social Hall 6:00 pm
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Online Membership for Vouchers
Next Meeting
Monday April 7th
7:30 pm
Shawnee Fire Company
Grass Drags Saturday September 27th Details to follow
A Note for all you to read from a very active ex member who is moving away!
I think it about time the majority of the members if this club take a look in the mirror before they start blaming other members for problems with our trails. I am not blaming any one person or group of people. So please don’t start sending me nasty grams saying that I am slamming them publicly, because that is not my intention. I’m telling it as I see it.
Our club exists for one major reason. To provide a safe trail system for the general public to use. I think we have forgotten that. I also think a source of this problem is that the most of our members are relatively new and probably don’t (or refuse) to remember how far we have come in a relatively very short period of time.
This club has seen many years of improvement. It started with trail marking. Up until around 10 years ago (wow it's been that long???) we didn't even use professionally made signs. They were made from plywood and hand painted. There weren't too many of them out there either. As soon as we started putting up more signs all we heard was that our signing efforts sucked. So we put up more signs. As a matter of fact, up until two years ago we used to spend on the order of $1000 a year on signs and probably another $750 on sign posts. But it still hasn't been good enough for some people.
About 8 years ago we started grooming with a Frenchie drag. At first it was all cheers, but that didn't last long. We (me and Dave) spent a very long time building a Mogul Master copy drag to make a better trail. Again all cheers, but then it was "we need to make our trails wider". Next we purchase a full sized machine, partially for safety of the operator but also to make the trails wider and better. Again the cheers came up. Soon after is when we started getting the complaints: "Why the groomer wasn't out last night" and "When are you going to start grooming the northern trails". Once again, we buy another machine and start grooming trails on both sides of the Escarpment. Well what do you know....that's when we started hearing how one set of trails was groomed better than the other.
When will it all end.....NEVER!!! No matter what we have done as a club, it has never been good enough for Joe Snowmobiler. But we are not an isolated case, this is happening all over the state. Go to any trails related web site and just look at how people are pissing and moaning about trails not being signed properly or being as smooth as the NYS Thruway (maybe that’s not the best road to use as a reference).
The problem with our club (as I see it) is that over the past 12 years we have seen dramatic increases in membership with minor corresponding increases in help. Yes, people have volunteered to pound stakes in the fall and pull them in the spring. Probablr more people than we can actually use as a matter of fact. BUT, when the snow starts to fall, there is no one around to help work on the machines. We have a few drivers for the south trails, but last year there were only two drivers for the north trails.
What about the trail signage? Once the snow falls, how many people go out and make sure the signs are still there? How many people go out and clear branches off the trails after a wind storm? Not too many. Everyone wants to ride because the season is so short. I can't blame them. I want to ride too, but when you stick your hand up and say your going to do something, you need to do it or like Jason said, "shut your mouth". This is not a new problem either. I dealt with the same issues when I was trail coordinator. I fielded the phone calls from the angry land owners. I was out there pounding in stakes and putting up snow fence by my self when I could find anyone to come help me. I'm well aware of situation and it's not a good one.
You also have landowner issues to deal with. Niagara County has several farmers that own or lease the majority of the land we use for trails. Piss them off and there won’t be any trails left to worry about. Just piss one particular farmer off and our trails will be cut in to chunks with no way of reconnecting them. Guess what??? HE’S PISSED!!!! Lucky for us, he is also tolerant and realizes we are (or were) trying to keep people on the trail. But tolerance only goes so far.
Right now the club it at a crossroads. Several key members of the club have resigned from their positions for various reasons. Some, like me, are moving. Others are just plain burnt out and have had it with trying to pull the load up hill with very little help. This club cannot continue to be run with a small group of individuals. It’s too big and there are too many miles of trail to take care of. I truly feel sorry for the people holding positions within this club. Because as more of these key members quit the load is inevitably going to fall on their shoulders until someone else steps up to the plate. If that doesn’t happen soon they’ll probably quit too. Then you’ll be left with a bunch of members that may or may not come to a meeting. If they do it will be to drink beer and socialize. You’ll have a load of signs that will sit in someone’s barn and some very expensive equipment that won’t get used (or get used by the wrong people and get ruined).
The members of this club (most of which will never read this post) need to WAKE UP and realize that if they don’t start to lend a hand to the few members left that are towing the load we will soon be reverting back to the era of 1995 when there weren’t many official trails to speak of.
You can say I’m just spouting off and preaching gloom and doom if you want to, but I can see it coming and don’t really want it to happen. I’ve put a lot of time and effort in to this club. I want to see it continue and continue to grow. Those of you that do read this need to spread the word. Come to the next club meeting. Voice your opinion, don’t just sit there and expect someone else to do it for you. Step up to the plate, don’t assume it’ll just get done by someone else because that is a sure recipe for failure.
I’m stepping off my soap box.
Christmas Party !
What a great time!
The food was excellent
and the door prizes
were great.
Thanks to all who
donated prizes
and brought food!
Visitors
Snowmobile Safety Course
Congratulations to all who took and passed the course. Enjoy riding this year!
Thank You for attending
The
GRASS DRAGS!
September 29th
Snowmobile registration voucher's will be available at our next meeting and Monday evenings at the Fire Hall. All paid members will receive a voucher for your renewal.
Check out our Membership
Application with the new
Price!
Sno Drags Jan 27th 2007
The Shawnee Sno-Chiefs Snowmobile Club, Inc., a member of the New York State Snowmobile Association, serves the Niagara County Region including the towns of Lewiston, Cambria, Niagara, Pekin, Ransomville. Sanborn, and Wheatfield. We work in cooperation with other clubs in the region to interconnect our trails.
Our goals are to have fun enjoying our sport while promoting safety and responsibility. Virtually all of our trails are on private property; we work throughout the year with landowners, addressing their concerns and working to place trails to have a minimal impact on farm crops. No wheeled vehicles (ATV’s) are allowed on our trails at any time, based on landowners’ requests.
We also work very closely with local law enforcement to ensure that all sleds on the trails are doing so legally. If you’re not sure about what you need, please view the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles requirements. Insurance and registration are much cheaper than any ticket!
Our trails are groomed with a club owned groomer/drag when conditions permit. The club has also donated a sled and half the cost of an emergency trailer to the Shawnee Volunteer Fire Company for use in the event of a requirement for a trail rescue. We participate in rescue exercises with the fire company.
We also hold a New York State Snowmobile Certification Course annually. Several members are N. Y. State Certified Instructors. Any child between the ages of 10 and 18 may ride the trails as long as they’ve participated in a snowmobile safety course and are accompanied by an adult.
We meet the first Monday of each month (August through March) at the Shawnee Fire Company: 3747 Lockport Road, Shawnee (Sanborn), NY 14132. The meetings are at 7:30 p.m. Please feel free to join us!
