Snowmobiles and Youth Safety Packet

Club Name/Address

Description

Snowmads Snowfari Club, Inc.
Chuck Ham, Secretary
PO Box 696
Lake Orion, MI 48361
810-681-7429
FAX 810-681-6326

The Snowmads Snowfari Club provides enthusiasts with recreational snowmobile and safety aspects in the Detroit metropolitan area. Eleven volunteer instructors provide snowmobile safety training to youth ranging from 12 to 17 years of age. The training outline is provided by the Department of Natural Resources and supplemented with vehicle maintenance, cold weather survival, and snowmobile ethics. The course is designed for youth, but family members and first time riders are welcome to participate. Youth who successfully complete the course are permitted to operate a snowmobile in Michigan.

The club participates in a variety of safety and civic activities. Weekly trail rides are supplemented by charity work, a monthly newsletter, safety week promotions, training for law enforcement, and adult continuing snowmobile education. The club has taken a role in promoting responsible alcohol use when operating a snowmobile within their club and the statewide association.

Blue Mountain Snowmobile Club
Steve Lueck
2314 Wainwright
Walla Walla, WA 93362
509-529-0043
Fax 509-529-0194

The Blue Mountain Snowmobile Club reaches the youth and families of southeastern Washington with snowmobile safety training and recreational activities. The club serves a rural/agricultural area of 100,000 residents in four counties. An annual snowmobile certification training is offered for youth ages 12 to 15 years of age is required to operate a snowmobile in the state of Washington. The Washington State Parks curriculum is used which covers a broad range of topics from he history of snowmobiles to safety.

Emphasis by the club is on family-based activities. The club is active in the community with support to local charities and community-wide events. Attention to snowmobile safety has increased by opening trail rides to representatives from the media. The club has been instrumental in assisting with the creation of Sno Parks. Sno Parks are safe areas to park vehicles at trail heads. Money used to create these Sno Parks comes from the state's snowmobile license tax.

Mary Brusoe
New York State Snowmobile Association
PO Box 62
Whitesboro, NY 13492
/Fax 315-736-8187

The Ilion Snowdrifters are located in upstate New York. The Snowdrifters are one of eight clubs located in Herkimer County and 180 clubs statewide in the New York State Snowmobile Association. One club activity includes the Young Snowmobilers Safety Course. The curriculum is from the New York State Department of Parks and Recreation. Special emphasis is not only on safety but respecting property rights through the corridor of trails across the state.

The Ilion Snowdrifters have been active for 30 years and boast a membership of 200. One-third of the members are youth. The activities and energy of the club reflect a strong safety and family orientation. An adult snowmobile safety course is being piloted as a result of increased concern for young adult snowmobile injuries.

The club also offers fun trail rides, support for the Winter Special Olympics, fund raising for the purchase of winter rescue equipment, special youth tube/toboggan events, barbecues in the snow, and races in the fall on the grass. The community is kept abreast of snowmobile activities by the publisher of the local newspaper, who is a club member and an advocate for safety.