To All Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island Patrollers:

The 2007 – 2008 ski season is almost here and that means it is also the time for every NSP member to vote for four patrollers who are candidates for the National Board of Directors. NSP voting, on the national level, is going 100% electronic! The newly hired company that will be coordinating the national election process is VoteNet. Members will vote for 4 (out of 16) National BOD candidates. National BOD’s serve 3-year terms and after this 2007 vote, it will be the first time in NSP history that all 13 members of the BOD’s have been elected by the membership. Be sure you check out the candidates on the NSP website (NSP.org) for their profiles and position statements and cast your important vote. Voting will begin 10/15/ 07 and run to 12/1/07.

The EMARI Region’s Ski Patrol OEC Refreshers are underway and your program advisors and staff are planning their activities and drawing up their calendar of events. Check out the EMARI Region’s website at emari.org for up-to-date information regarding each NSP program we are responsible for delivering to all patrollers who want to participate. We continue to try to make the calendar as accurate and complete as possible and if you should have any questions or concerns please contact the program advisor or you can reach me by e-mail or phone. The EMARI website belongs to all EMARI Region patrollers and you are invited to contribute personal or patrol news, activities, photos and stories of interest. Perhaps you have a point of view that you would like to express and open the dialog up for a general discussion. You can send your ideas or information to John Laitala, the EMARI Region’s webmaster.

The Eastern Division’s Board of Directors meet a minimum of 3 times a year to review and discuss Region, Division and National issues and programs; develop/review budgets and policies, succession planning, etc. Below are some of the issues we discussed this year as well as a few items of interest:

1. After a difficult and interesting period in NSP's history and, consequently, a change in our National By-laws, we believe the NSP is on a positive course. The National office is well on the way to hitting higher standards!
2. Tim White, NSP's new Executive Director, hired this past June 2007, is moving ahead in a positive direction.
3. Terry LaLiberte, NSP's new National Director, is for member's rights and he is moving the NSP in the direction patrollers from across the country have asked to go.
4. EMARI Region's Ed McNamara (and Wachusett Mt. PD) is the National OEC Program Director. He continues to work to improve OEC's national standing and quality assurance as well as to help create NSP's OEC Textbook's 5th Edition due out in a year or two.
5. Dick Wolfe, an Eastern Division patroller, is now the National Telecommunication Advisor.
6. The National office has some personnel changes. If you need to contact the National office, the names below may be helpful:
• April Darrow – Publication/Communication
• Carol Hudson – Education Dept.
• Michelle Perry – Advertising and Marketing
• Cheri Overton – Member Services
7. National Programs - Avalanche will have a new manual – a rewrite is underway.
8. National is looking into starting a Young Adult Program – YAP. Perhaps working toward a National Student gathering.
9. Regarding marketing and public relations - National has re-signed contracts with Subaru and Patagonia. The Eastern Division will produce 2 decals of different sizes commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the NSP – “Service and Safety since 1938.”

Congratulations to Mike Seward, Yawgoo Valley Ski Patrol and Chris Pringle, Bradford Ski Patrol, for being elected EMARI Region's Assistant Region Directors at the September 19, 2007 EMARI Region Business Meeting. Also, Joe Greenwood, Wachusett Ski Patrol, was elected Alternate RD at the same meeting and John Shipman, Wachusett Ski Patrol, was re-elected RD by the EMARI Region's patrollers at their fall '07 refreshers.

Best wishes to all EMARI Region patrollers for a great season. Thanks for your service and good work.

Submitted by,
John W. Shipman, RD