Dealing with change in a ski club
Excerpted from The Kansas City Ski Club Newsletter.

We have all heard that the only constant in life is change. Change, for good or bad, is inevitable and that is certainly true for a ski club as well.

For example, member preferences change, resulting in more air trips directly to the resorts in addition to the traditional ski club air and bus trips. As the average age of our members goes up, discretionary income and vacation days frequently also increase. Factors such as these require the ski club to take notice and destinations and the length of trips should reflect these preferences.

But some thins don't change. Ski clubs still exist for the primary purpose of promoting skiing (and now snowboarding) and they still provide an economical way to experience skiing. They still offer great camaraderie and, most importantly, they must continue to meet the needs of their membership. This is a challenge because everybody's needs aren't the same. So, the ski club must strive for balance. You see this in the variety of trips that clubs offer. Destinations range form Spain to Colorado. Accommodations range from maximum occupancy to minimum. Some trips are planned for families and others for adults. Some emphasize racing and some, parties.

Ski clubs must also respond to the needs of their membership with year-round sports activities such as volleyball, softball, golf, tennis, etc. as well as the parties - but community involvement projects are also important to most ski clubs today as we strive to be both well-rounded and responsible organizations and citizens.