First Birchleggings Club Board of Directors Meeting!

The very first meeting of the Birchleggings Club Board of Directors was held in Eau Claire, Wisconsin on Saturday, November 9, 2013 at the home of Gale Otterholt.

At the meeting the board elected the officers of the club, went through a draft of the bylaws, and developed a committee structure.

After founding and leading the club for many years, John Kotar, who did not run for the board at the annual meeting in September, stepped down as president. Gale was elected the new President of the club. Others officers include Vice President, Tom Rowley; Secretary, Toni Popp; and Treasurer, Dave Balsiger.

Shown in the picture from left to right are Edward Eroe, John, Gale, Toni, Dave, Jeanine Evenson, Tom, Russ Roberts, and Steve Carmazon. Not pictured is Jim Tenorio.

Birchleggings Club Incorporated As Non-Profit Corporation

The Birchleggings Club is now incorporated! The first annual membership meeting of Birchleggings Club, Inc was held in Hayward on September 21, 2013.

There are many advantages and some genuine needs for us to become a non-profit corporation 501(c)3. First of all, putting together a leadership structure (bylaws, board of directors, officers) will assure our continuity. Secondly, it will give all of you an opportunity to be involved in planning and carrying out projects and activities that we will promote. Also, in order to properly and legally use the money we raise, we need to secure tax-exempt status from the IRS.

First Birchleggings Inc. Annual Membership Meeting Scheduled

All Birchleggers are invited to attend our first Birchleggings Annual Membership Meeting to be held on September 21, at 7:30 PM at Comfort Suites Hotel in Hayward. This will be our annual meeting, as a corporation, as is required by law.

To get the organization started the membership will be asked to endorse the current members of the "steering committee" as the initial board of directors. Additional nominations will also be accepted at the meeting. Our preliminary bylaws call for the number of directors not to exceed nine. To be eligible to run for and vote for the board of directors, membership dues must be paid.

If you have not yet paid your 2013 dues you will be able to do so at the meeting. The board will then elect the officers of the corporation and establish any working committees it desires.

For additional information you may contact John Kotar at jkotar@wisc.edu

Birchleggings Club Becoming Non-Profit Organization

We have been discussing the idea of incorporating the Birchleggings Club for several years. When we were a small organization, we did not see a need to rush into it, but we now number over one thousand and, of course, we continue to grow.

There are many advantages and some genuine needs for us to become a non-profit corporation (501 c). First of all, putting together a leadership structure (bylaws, board of directors, officers) will assure our continuity. Secondly, it will give all of you an opportunity to be involved in planning and carrying out projects and activities that we will promote. Also, in order to properly and legally use the money we raise, we need to secure tax-exempt status from the IRS.

To get this ball rolling, we now have a temporary "steering committee" made up of the following volunteers: Dave Balsiger, John Kotar, Edward Eroe, Nona Goertz, Carolyn Senty, Jeanine Evenson, Steve Carmazon, Russ Roberts and Don Becker. This committee will be replaced by a board of directors elected at our first annual membership meeting (date and place to be determined).

A seemingly easy, but important, first task for the committee, is to properly frame a statement of our purpose that will not only focus on activities related to the Birkie, but will include a broader mission that will satisfy the IRS requirements for tax-exempt status.

Progress with this task will be posted here on the Birchleggings Club website.

Birchleggers Sponsoring and Funding a Warming Hut on Birkie Trail

Last year, the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation board of directors approved a plan to build several equipment storage / warming huts along the trail. Funding was to be raised mainly through sponsorships.

The first hut was built last year at the Boedecker Road crossing. This year a plan was approved for a second hut at the Mosquito Brook Road crossing. Because of good road access and strategic location along the Birkie Trail, this hut will have great appeal to skiers and year-round users.

The Birchleggings Club was presented with an opportunity to solely sponsor and fund this desirable-location hut. This is our first real opportunity to build something tangible and put our name on it. We plan to name it the Birchleggings Hut (with an appropriate rustic and aesthetic sign).

The hut was designed by architect and fellow Birkie skier, Terry Penman. The Birkie Executive Director has given us great leeway in designing the hut and equipping and decorating the interior. Many of you saw the hut while skiing the race this year and we will have additional updates as they happen.

All the Birchleggings Statistics have been updated. See Membership Lists below.