D. O. C. of New York
EVERYONE IN NEW YORK was pretty well "coked" up by the Thanksgiving snow storms last fall and as a result the skiing season in this community got off to a fine start. All of the boys, after two dry seasons, sent in their money early and we had at the last count 82 paid members and probably have more now but the latest statistics are not available as Treas. John French is in Sun Valley and won't be back for a week or more.
The season was inaugurated by a dinner at the Club on the night of December 2, about 45 people attended and voted in the following directorate for the year of 1938-9: Pres., Harry Gilmore '34; Treas., John French Jr. '29: Sec., Ethan Hitchcock '27; Director of Competitions, Dick Rocker '33: Director of Trips, Al Hadlock '24; Director of Publicity, Dave Camerer '36.
Nothing was planned over New Year's weekend as the snow conditions were pretty uncertain, although a few did manage to get to Hanover, and at the next meeting on January 11 the real plans for the winter were announced; the most startling being that we now have a real, active secretary in the person of Lila Knibbs, wife of Billy Knibbs '34 who has most generously volunteered her time from 2 to 5 on Wednesdays and Fridays. She has her headquarters at the Club and is there between those hours to answer all questions about reservations, snow conditions, train fares, hotels, and anything else that one may want to know about the club's activities.
So far the only mass migration was an expedition to Manchester, Vt., over the weekend of January 28-9 for the annual All New York City races. This has always been the focal point of local skiing interest as all the New York clubs attend in good numbers and competition is more nearly tuned to the quality of New York City skiing than most meets. Everyone enters and nobody minds where he finishes. The Amateur Ski Club took the team prize again this year and after long and intricate calculations it was decided that DOCNY was second although first reports gave that place to the Norsemen Ski Club. This race also settles the individual Club Championship which was again won by Marvin Chandler '32 (who did extremely well to take first in the Slalom, second in the Downhill and second in the Combined): A. R. Conklin '35 was second; and Harry Gilmore '34 was third; and their names will be graven on the permanent trophy which hangs in the bar at the Club. Chandler has won this race every year that it has been held and it is about time that some of these new canonen came down from Hanover and knocked him off, particularly since Bill Blanchard has generously donated a winner's prize of a pair of ridge-top hickory "NORDIC" skis, than which there are no better.
Twenty-nine people made the trip, among them being M. A. Cartwright '37, Bleeker Ripsom '37, Dick Hube '35 with friend Betty Hannaman, Pres. Gilmore and friend Breyl Hatt, Bill Blanchard '30 and wife, A. R. Conklin '35, Howard Kaiser '35, Ben Moyer '36, Os Skinner '28 and wolf, AL Hadlock '24 and friend Betty Thomas, Warren Flynn, Stebbins Smith '35 and wife, Dick Rocker '33 and friend Irene Lay, Johnny French '29 and wife, Paul Annable '28 and Dan Holland '36.
No doubt one reason why Harry Gilmore was able to enter the scoring column for the first time was the self-assurance that possession of his "Amateur Instructor" license imparts. Harry spent a week at the Hanover Inn doing double stems and practicing "band-zee-nees" after which he was duly graduated and licensed by Ford and Peggy Sayre. The writer has never seen the "new" Gilmore but he says the license is plenty fancy.
It is too early to give any statistics about Alumni Carnival weekend but it looks as though New York will be well represented. Bob Cleary '26 has one group all set to go and he and Pense will take in Hanover in the course of their annual winter week in the White Mountains. Lila Knibbs has made reservations for ten or twelve more at the Inn and probably a few more will get up to the new Ravine Camp for the holiday.
Apparently New Yorkers are the real long-distance travelers. The Stowe, Vt„ Chamber of Commerce reports that last winter 90% of their customers came from New York City and the other 10% were equally divided between Boston and Montreal. When Montrealers come to the state of Vermont to ski, that's news! Maybe even the eskimos will get down once in a while.
