Sackville X-C Ski Club

SOC!

By Graham Watt:

Yesterday’s skiing on the CTT and later potluck dinner was definitely a pivotal point in Sackville’s cross-country community and I thank the organizers for their foresight. The new trail with its Crooked Tree feature is wonderful. Where else can you do a faceplant while standing up!? Seeing everyone so happy and talkative at the lean-to hot chocolate klatch reminded me of my old Viking Ski Club days, and indeed of the outdoor clubs so prevalent throughout Nordic Europe.

The club system in Europe opens up outdoor activities of various kinds to its members. All of them seem to be individual rather than team activities and they’re geared to family activity. There may be racing but the main element is participation. I think we have the nucleus of this spirit right now in Sackville and would like to suggest consideration of another name for the club.

I like SkiSackville and think it sums up the current dynamic but wonder if it isn’t a bit restricting, relative to the activities of all the people I saw enjoying themselves at the lean-to. Most of these people are cyclists, runners, hikers and walkers as well as skiers. The key to their lives is healthy outdoor social exercise, often with a family orientation.

If we have a new club which reflects the overall activity orientation of its members couldn’t it have a name which broadcasts its value? And wouldn’t this help in attracting more people to join, especially the young? One suggestion I would make is to broaden the club name to offer potential for more growth. The main difference between our new club and other winter clubs in Sackville is lungs over pistons. We like to do things on our own two feet. So my suggestion for a club name is to broaden the concept of what we all like doing.

This particular idea is not new. It has precedence in that McGill University has used it for years although the name has mostly been associated with both alpine and cross country ski touring. Here is a version of it, which I think would positively describe the club member’s activities throughout their year. Consider calling our new club: The Sackville Outing Club. Shortened to SOC and maybe even SOC! As in: SOC! Sackville Outing Club

The designers among us can orient this idea to logos, pins, badges, letterhead and trail signage. I have no talent in this area. But I present the idea in the hopes that we take some time now to define ourselves in a manner which fully exploits our potential for development of outdoor activities which bring and keep us all together in healthy environments.

A Sackville Outing Club would cover many activities from cross country skiing and trail development to hiking and walking to Orienteering to cycling. As with the McGill MOC, the major emphasis would be on skiing, but the potential would be there to tacitly promote many forms of healthy outdoor activity. That’s my suggestion. Yesterday afternoon and last night was inspirational and brings hope way past mere tracksetting and trail grooming.

Thanks again.

Graham Watt