Coldbrook Snowmobile Club 8th seasonal meeting minutes:

   The Coldbrook Snowmobile Club held its eighth and final meeting of this season at the Brickyard Restaurant and Billiards in Baldwinville , MA .  The meeting has its usual members and began with bills being submitted for repairs and materials/items bought for club purposes.  A motion was made to pay the bills, seconded, and approved through a verbal vote by the membership present.  Club president Gerry Balchuinas explained how the club will be receiving four thousand three hundred dollars in payment from SAM for the groomer contracts submitted.  Gerry will be meeting with the Department of Conservation and Recreation on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 to discuss future grooming contracts and trail maintenance plans along with the club's intended installation schedule for the gates as agreed upon in the SYMMS grant.  Areas which need to be addressed as soon as the terrain is cooperative were discussed and the plans on how to complete such trail repairs were topics of discussion by the membership present.  President Balchuinas emphasized the importance of prioritizing the completion and installation of the ten gates in accordance with the SYMMS grant.  The next topic of discussion was the moving of the groomers to Graves Concrete in order that they all be at one location for off season maintenance and repair which can be completed at this site.

Club vice president reported that he returned via the US Postal Service sixteen unused SAMS decal books.  A discussion took place on how to more closely manage the sales of the SAMS decals ensued among the membership and ideas were presented by Doug Mulligan of Cycle Design as he offered the services of his staff during the slow business months. 

Club president Balchuinas suggested the possibility of a summer meeting to ensure that the club is on pace to complete their part of the SYMMS grant by installing the ten gates as proposed.  The membership met this request with open enthusiasm as Gerry Balchuinas offered his residence coupled with a cookout as the place and style of meeting to be held.  The date and time will be posted on the club's website.  Stay tuned!

A reminder to those planning on attending this upcoming Sunday's annual SAM meeting at the Spencer Country Inn and hosted by the Spencer Snowbirds was the next item on the agenda.  Monies from club funds ($300) to buy the attending officers non-alcoholic refreshments or whatever for the day were approved by a verbal vote after there was a motion to approve made and seconded.

    A brief report was given on how the club's presence with a booth at the Quabbin Outdoor Experience on Sunday, April 6, 2008 seemed to net very positive results from the numerous inquiries from the people who attended. Gerry told the members how his truck was hit by a turkey on the way to the club event. Vice President Dean Zuppio asked that the club pay Gerry’s deductible of $500. He stated that it wouldn’t have happened if he wasn’t in route to a club function. It was immediately seconded and all were in favor. Many members thanking Gerry for all of his efforts, and comments made that this is the least the club could do for him. Gerry heartfully thanked the members for their generosity.   

The upcoming meat raffle for Saturday, April 12, 2008 at the Brickyard was the next item of discussion and club member, Glen Whitney, gave a presentation on how things will proceed on this night.  A meeting was scheduled for Friday, April 11, 2008 at the home of club President Gerry Balchuinas to finalize the meat raffle plans. Notifications will be sent out via email as well as publications in both the Athol and Gardner newspapers.

The meeting adjourned at 9:45pm.