Q. Which grades are allowed to participate?
A. Uxbridge students in Grades 4 – 12 are welcome.
Q. Should I label all of my child’s stuff?
A. YES!! Many things are lost and few of them found. If labeled percentages increase.
Q. What if something is lost?
A. We try to “police” the area throughout each evening, with extra attention paid after 7:15. If we have found any items they will generally be referenced in that day’s summary email, along with a picture if necessary. If you would like to check with Wachusett you should use this form.
If you have great detail about theft or a lost item (i.e. time of loss/theft, location, suspect, etc.), then you may want to call to request security review the tapes. —- Call 978-464-2300 (Main Number).
Q. When does Ski Club begin?
A. Usually the first or second Tuesday of January. For the 2022 season it is 1/4/2022.
Q. What do I need to do to sign up my kid?
A. Go straight to our Ski Club Sign Up page. Here you will find an outline of the basics. There are a few forms to fill out and two payments to be made (one for USSC Membership and one to Wachusett for a lift badge or Season Pass + any rentals or lessons).
Q. Do I need to accompany my child?
A. No, we normally have enough chaperones with Whitin students to place 4-6 kids with each. We want all kids to enjoy themselves. Starting off with a parent present helps to assure the right track! All bus riders must be checked out before leaving with a parent.
Q. What if my child is sick? Are there make-ups? How is that handled?
A. If a student is sick, has symptoms or has been exposed to someone who is sick, do NOT attend ski club! We hope they get better soon! Wachusett provides a $20 discount coupon for each absence. Students must follow all local and state health guidelines to prevent the spread of covid.
Q. What if my child is injured and unable to complete ski club?
A. First, we hope he or she gets better soon! If a doctor note is provided along with a written request to dropout, then Wachusett will pro-rate and return the calculated amount to you. Our membership payment is handled in the same manner, pro-rated and refunded.
Q. By what date do you need forms completed and payment received?
A. End of November, but subject to change. Please refer to club emails for specific dates.
NOTE: The main reason for getting members signed up, along with payment, is to allow for prompt payments to our bus company.
Q. Why Charter buses? Why not school buses?
The primary reason is really a combination of safety + space. Storage space underneath the bus provides a much safer ride inside the bus. The FTI buses allow for ample storage of all the gear that is necessary to the sport. With all the skis, boards and boots underneath there remains plenty of room in the main cabin to move freely and safely, in the unlikely event of an emergency. With overhead storage there’s rom for backpacks and lunch bags or coolers. Also, but of much less importance – school buses are generally not available at the times we need them. Nor do they offer ample storage with a level of acceptable safety, especially on the highways. And, two more happy-to-have-them reasons, a) a DVD player and b) a bathroom.
Q. What is a “lift badge”?
A. A lift badge is only good on Ski Club evenings. It is passed out Tuesday on the bus and then collected that evening on the bus ride home.
Q. What is a Season Pass?
A. A Group Season Pass (or GPS) is good throughout the season, not limited to Ski Club evenings only, like the Lift Badge. A Season Pass is a good investment – if you plan to ski / board at Wachusett more often than our club days.
Q. What do chaperones do?
A. Our wonderful, all-volunteer chaperones perform a variety of functions, such as counting & herding! But seriously, you can learn all about our chaperones here. Of course, if you have any questions or concerns, contact Eli or Shelley.
Q. Will you be taking pictures of my child and if so, will they be posted in this site?
A. Yes and No.
Yes – we do take pictures on occasion, in the lodge, outside, on the trails or on the bus, etc.
No – we will not publicly post those pictures. Following each Tuesday outing you will receive an email with a summary of the evening, a reporting of good, bad and, if needed, the ugly, and a private or hidden link to pictures. These will be posted on Shutterfly or Google Photos, or possibly another service. The link will be shared only with parents of children in Ski Club.
Also on this topic, if you happen to be up there as a chaperone, parent and / or a skier / boarder and decide to take photos or videos, we ask that you refrain from posting them publicly.
Q. Should I/we rent, lease or buy skis/snowboard?
A. Each option has benefits. Here’s the way I would look at it:
1. Rent – if Ski Club sessions will be the only skiing/boarding your child will be doing this season, then this is a decent option. It becomes a better option if he or she will be able to get to Wachusett at least a few times, in addition to Ski Club.
Con: rentals are limited to use at Wachusett.
2. Lease – this is a great option if you will be skiing/boarding at multiple locations throughout the season. This way you get the latest and greatest, and get to keep the equipment (and not have to stand in line each visit as you would with rentals).
3. Buy – this only makes sense [to me] if your child is no longer growing, and really needs the newest stuff (i.e. future Olympian).
It really comes down to personal preference, but I hope the information above is helpful.
Q. Do you publish a newsletter?
A. The weekly email follow-up to each Tuesday could be considered a newsletter. Each week’s “edition” will contain a link to prior week reports. If you missed one or want to refer back they will be available for at least 60 days after the end of our season.
Q. What if my child forgets to bring something on Tuesday?
A. Due to our lost & found we do have extras of many items. However, we do encourage you to pack all that will be needed. Many evenings get very cold, so not having something should, well, not be an option…
Uxbridge Ski & Snowboard Club 