Freedom Rider

I hear this may be new model for next season especially with all of the global warming it may come in handy.Gotta love Old Iron buddy!

No I have not been able to get there. Still recuperating and handling medical issues is taking up all of my "fun" time. Didn't even get to go to County Meeting. The Derry Club location meeting is always a great meeting. Many fine folks with outstanding food. They could feed an army there and all of it is first class.

I found a parts diagram for your winter ride. Newest parts diagram availble. I kope this will help you diagnose sliding around problem.

He is more than likely one who keeps a separate spreadsheet of membership.When compared to report that system generates doesn't jive he looks up to see what is off. Example his club spreadsheet may say they sold 75 memberships directly (non POS Portal) and the combined NHSA Portal Spreadsheet may say 84 including club sold direct and 9 sold through NHSA POS Portal. If your club doesn't do the extra work in running a comparison you could have been out of luck. The system was pushed through to reduce labor by volunteers yet it created much more.To join club and get voucher through club the membership must recieve application. Enter all info into club Portal. Print voucher ID number. Send to the club. It also ended the supporting businesses such as dealers and repair shops who are registration agents from doing one stop shopping. Which is the point you are looking to be made. POS is Point of Sale system that you used.

Here are some numbers that I had posted before. When I compared return on investment into GIA program using new proposed increase vs. Doing away with registration discount or leave everything alone i figured a percent return factor. The best for the club, the consumer, and the trails is by far just everyone choosing to not buy discount and then the $30.00 goes directly into Trails program and the club gets funding. Doing away with and proposing increases both require Lobbyist and full legislative law change. Existing Resident with no discount = 82.02% goes into GIA Proposed increase = 54.12% into GIA. Posted July 26 New suggested registration rate proposed by NHSA Committee. $120.00 per sled for residents after discount This means $32.81 going to F&G This means $1.00 goes to F&G Search and Rescue This means $5.00 agent fee and transaction fee $34.18 is amount of additional funds to be used by Trails Bureau for trail grooming and summer maintenance. This equals a total $81.18 per new registration cost going to GIA and Trails Bureau for trails. No more grooming equipment or groomer maintenance (Refurbs) Clubs will get an increase in grooming hours actually groomed. Low snow means no money for club to pay cost of owning groomer Cost increase per registration to resident $54.00 per sled if joining club and buying discount from NHSA at an average cost of $20.00 for club and $10.00 NHSA to buy discount. Cost for discount by sled using average price club membership 1 sled- $30.00 actual cost to buy discount to register sled inc. club membership and NHSA fee is $150.00 2 sleds- $15.00 actual cost to buy discount to register sled inc. club membership and NHSA fee is $135.00 3 sleds- $10.00 actual cost to buy discount to register sled inc. club membership and NHSA fee is $130.00 4 sleds- $7.50 actual cost to buy discount to register sled inc. club membership and NHSA fee is $127.50 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Current registration rate $66.00 for resident with discount This equals $47.00 going to GIA and Trails Bureau for trails This equals $13.00 going to F&G This means $1.00 goes to Search and Rescue. This means $5.00 agent fee and transaction fee 1 sled- $30.00 actual cost to buy discount to register sled inc. club membership and NHSA fee is $96.00 2 sleds- $15.00 actual cost to buy discount to register sled inc. club membership and NHSA fee is $81.00 3 sleds- $10.00 actual cost to buy discount to register sled inc. club membership and NHSA fee is $76.00 4 sleds- $7.50 actual cost to buy discount to register sled inc. club membership and NHSA fee is $73.50 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Current registration cost for resident without discount being bought $96.00 This equals $77.00 going to GIA and Trails Bureau for trails This equals $13.00 going to F&G This means $1.00 goes to Search and Rescue. This means $5.00 agent fee and transaction fee ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Percentage of cost of registration going to GIA and Trails Program New proposed Registration 1 sled- $30.00 actual cost to buy discount per sled inc. club membership and NHSA fee. Total is $150.00 per sled to register. $81.18 Trails Program= 54.12 % of cost goes to GIA and trails program 2 sleds- $15.00 actual cost to buy discount per sled inc. club membership and NHSA fee. Total is $135.00 per sled to register. $81.18 Trails Program= 60.13 % of cost goes to GIA and trails program 3 sleds- $10. actual cost to buy discount per sled inc. club membership and NHSA fee. Total is $130.00 per sled to register. $81.18 Trails Program=62.44 % of cost goes to GIA and trails program 4 sleds- $7.50 actual cost to buy discount per sled inc. club membership and NHSA fee. Total is $127.50 per sled to register. $81.18 Trails Program=63.67 % of cost goes to GIA and trails program -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Current registration with discount 1 sled- $30.00 actual cost to buy discount per sled inc. club membership and NHSA fee. Total is $96.00 per sled to register. $47.00 Trails Program= 48.95 % of cost goes to GIA and trails program 2 sleds- $15.00 actual cost to buy discount per sled inc. club membership and NHSA fee. Total is $81.00 per sled to register. $47.00 Trails Program= 58.02 % of cost goes to GIA and trails program 3 sleds- $10. actual cost to buy discount per sled inc. club membership and NHSA fee. Total is $76.00 per sled to register. $47.00 Trails Program=61.84 % of cost goes to GIA and trails program 4 sleds- $7.50 actual cost to buy discount per sled inc. club membership and NHSA fee. Total is $73.50 per sled to register. $47.00 Trails Program=63.94 % of cost goes to GIA and trails program -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Current registration no discount Current registration cost for resident without discount being bought $96.00 $77.00 Trails Program=80.02 % of cost goes to GIA and trails program We all know more funding is needed for the trails program. How do you do that without raising registration cost to the point of pushing people to other states, out of the sport, or just not registering and run illegally. To me, based on above info, the most return for a resident registering a sled as far as investing in Trails is as follows: Current registration cost for resident without discount being bought $96.00 $77.00 Trails Program=80.02 % of cost goes to GIA and trails program Current registration with discount 1 sled- $30.00 actual cost to buy discount per sled inc. club membership and NHSA fee. Total is $96.00 per sled to register. $47.00 Trails Program= 48.95 % of cost goes to GIA and trails program New proposed Registration 1 sled- $30.00 actual cost to buy discount per sled inc. club membership and NHSA fee. Total is $150.00 per sled to register. $81.18 Trails Program= 54.12 % of cost goes to GIA and trails program I think the discounted registration program has run its course. Time to remove it from the RSA. Clubs that do a good job on it’s trails and membership programs will still get people to join. Clubs that don’t will have problems. I think paying $96.00 per sled for resident resulting in $77.00 into GIA and trails program @ 80.02 % return into program is much better than $150.00 per sled with discount for resident resulting in $81.18 into GIA and trails program @ 54.12 % return into GIA and Trails Program. As residents what do you think? It is a $54.00 resident registration increase per sled. No more groomer equipment support from GIA for clubs.

All of the following numbers come from the NHF&G Law Enforcement Report for NHSA Meeting – May 19, 2018. • The five-year snowmobile registration average is 41,160 • 35% Nonresidents and 65% Residents • 86% were club members that used the $30 discount. 1) 41,160 (average member registrations) x 65% (NH residents) = 26,754 (Average yearly NH resident registrations) 2) 26,754 x 86% (Discount use) = 23,008 (Average Yearly Registrations that used the discount) 3) 23,008 x $30 (Money that would have gone to Grant-In-Aid) = $690,240 (Average Yearly Income that would have gone to Grant-In-Aid) 4) $690,240 x 14 years (Time since the discounted was enacted) = $9,663,360

That is an easy one to answer. Never Have Straight Answer The group that is supposed to promote the sport and help lead the clubs cares only about taking the money. They take $10.00 fee for voucher and $2.00 transaction fee to use their shitty system. Be very aware that there is very little security regarding your personal info when using it.Any person with access to Portal such as any club membership chair or past chair whose name and password is still valid can get all of your info even if you are not a member of their club. Clubs database's work product can be taken without anyone's permission and be sold or misused. In one instance one person accidentally received over 65 pages of membership from every club in state for this season when they tried to download their club membership report. If you do a search of any name using the first letter you will get a master list of everyone for the last three years who joined. All of their personal info is there.It does export to Excell CSV. spreadsheet. Anyone could have entire database in under 30 minutes.Issue was raised by County Director at Board meeting making them aware on record of problem.The person it happened to also made NHSA aware. Answer from program administrator is they will put a note saying that basically you cant do that. It was also stated that it is impossible to do it and they cannot replicate it. Yet at our county meeting a person with limited basic knowledge did it on their phone in front of everyone. Another issue is the club is not being notified when a person joins thru Point of Sale portal. There name is just added into club entered membership. So unless membership person does comparison of who they entered vs.all the combined entries they do not know who has joined their club to receive any correspondence or membership benefits from the club. Many clubs give you a welcome letter, membership cards, schedule of activities, or a map when joining.If you join by paying the $2.00 extra charge way instead of directly thru club be aware you may not receive anything from club. You definitely won't receive anything from NHSA. Fish and Game, who is responsible for the archaic registration system is to blame as well. They went to legislature to get the legal ability to allow the NHSA to sell discounts to register a sled in NH. In return for the wink, wink support by the agency the NHSA and its paid Lobbyist are now pushing through the 100% increase in registration fees.Imagine if any state made you join AAA to register your car? AARP needs to be joined if you want to receive your Soc. Sec. benefits? In any other state never will happen. Only in NH, where agency inbreeding is allowed, it not only is allowed but is promoted by the state.

Thank you. Less staying in the sport will mean more money for those to stay in sport. The agencies will never be asking for less money or a flat line budget.

Too bad there are not more open minded people that could see where this is going. The majority of clubs still come down to the everyday average Joe and his family. They are the ones that support their local clubs. They donate their time. They help raise money for fundraisers etc. The people with "all" the big money materialistic things usually have the thought process is their time is too important. Or they pay their registration and the trail work is the responsibility of people who are less important.One of the sayings that I always used to hear when asking for volunteers is "I live too far away", "I work too many hours", or "I always throw $20.00 in the groomer jar" Notice a consistency here? I , I , I it is always about I not us as a club, volunteer, or a user group. But if there is a snowstorm coming everything else ceases. They find the time to ride. They make the time to take off from work to ride. Too many I's are calling the shots. If you get rid of the some of the larger clubs in Lakes Region, Grafton County, Rockingham, and the western part of the state you will ruin the sport. The percentage of people who own 2nd homes up in Coos are relatively low. There are even less places that offer reasonable lodging. That leaves the average Joe consumer and his family no place to go. The registration numbers are more reflective on the average Joe that the person who buys new sled every year and goes to Pittsburg for a week.For a family it is easier to join club and register their older sleds. They are not losing much if bad year of snow. Now take person who spends $15,000.00 on new sled every year or two. If two bad years they are moving on to another state or out of sport all together. The balance of available resources is based on miles, weeks of season, and availability of clubs to do the work. Taking money from one part to throw to another part of state makes no sense. The majority of residents live in area below bottom of Winni. Do you see many of those who have the chance to ride from their houses if good snow saying lets close all the trails so I can go to Coos once a year? The clubs in COOS have not been adding miles of trails much in last 10 years. The system up there on weekends barely can offer decent riding with so many sleds. Where do you send everyone when you effectively force clubs out of business and along with them the trails that they get permission for and maintain?

I actually think that by being from down south there is more appreciation for getting it done on limited resources and marginal conditions. If you look at all the trail projects that have been done in the south with little to no funding, I think the clubs do awesome raising the money to get it done.Grooming gets done with antiquated equipment. I would be willing to put up number on sleds on any given weekend with 6 inches of snow on the Rockingham Rec Trail. vs many road crossings up north. I bet that they are pretty close.

Congrats on the trailside house. Yet for most near the southern border it is normally 3-4 hours with all of the traffic and not really a super highway route to and from Coos County. There are many years that the south has more snow than Twin area. I used to ride Thanksgiving weekend on in the Twin area. Then the snow drought started. Grooming allocations are a Grant system. Clubs get 65% towards grooming hours. They have to match that out of their own funds. They write a request for hours based on location, type of terrain, traffic, and mileage of Corridor trails they maintain. There has been no increases in grooming hours in 10 plus years. The club only see's money if they groom according to their contract. Meaning there must be 8 inches of continuous snow depth coverage. Club needs to adhere to their submitted grooming schedule. They must budget their hours used so they can make to end of the season if there is enough snow to do so. Grooming contracts if used completely rarely cover expenses for the groomer. They are operated by volunteers. Average club insurance for groomer equipment is around $2500-4500.00 per year. Bigger clubs in lakes region see maybe $20,000.00 groomer contracts. Consider average diesel use per hour is 3-4 gallons. Add in fuel treatment cost.Payment for purchase of equipment cost. Maintenance cost. Totaled up barely will cover hourly rate of mid $40.00 per hour for larger equipment.They will only see maximum if they run full season. No snow means no funding. The registration increase will do very little to properly fund the clubs or the sport.It will fund 2 state agencies and their payroll. The agencies are overhead for the sport. They do nothing to increase the operating efficiency of the groomers. They do nothing building and maintaining trails. They do not make snow. They do not bring in tourism either. The actual amount of money a club will see on average will really not equate to much. If everyone registered their sleds as a non club member today there would actually be a higher percentage going into the funding for trails than will with 100% increase. More return on the invested dollar. No rewriting of legislature at huge financial and PR cost. The $30.00 surcharge for doing so goes 100% into Grant in Aid program. This is where the clubs get their funding. No place else other than Bean suppers, membership dues, and other club based small fundraising events. As it is the state has seen a decrease in the registered amount of sleds. In the area of 20% before talk of registration increase. With the slight of hand they are just taking agency funding budgets and making 20% less consumers funding it at 100% increase in fees. Now if clubs get forced out you lose trails. Less trails means greater amount on the trails left. Many families will leave the sport altogether. Again it further dilutes the pool to pay for the escalating cost of funding the 2 state agencies.A would bet most clubs feel like F&G fails miserably in protecting the trails and landowners. Does giving more money to them resolve this? Nope, they use so much money on other duties than snowmobiling it is not funny. There are more articles in Union Leader about F&G rescues year round than you will ever see about snowmobiling. F&G gets its funding from 3 places and none of it is from general Funds. OHRV, Hunting, and land preservation type grants. Don't see anything but over 2/3 user fees there yet those groups get less service than the free loader activity groups. There budget goes up every year yet they do not have enough officers to even cover regular work hours. Lack of help means the use of Overtime to have minimal staffing coverage. Pay much more for less. End of the day more questions than answers.If you sent every penny to only Pitts., Colebrook, Swift Diamond, and other Coos clubs only there trails would suck. It would be like riding in downtown Boston. The money can't make new snow. It can't make less people on same crowded trails.It can however drive many away from sport. You can't equate snowmobiling with skiing. Man-made snow.Private for profit companies. Controlled access and managed trails. Think about security or safety at any ski area. They have more staff at any given point on duty that F&G have on duty in the whole state.

Quite obvious that you don't ride in the south or even realize what goes on there with the clubs who bust their asses to keep trails open for people who wish to ride their sleds instead of trucks. There are no $300,000.00 groomers down here. I do not think there are any in the whole state. The newest groomers that I know of are the Mid 2000 vintage groomers that SNHSS have for full size and 2009 ASV Scout the NCP has. Kingston runs a nice older model Pistonbully. Derry runs an older BR, and Newfields runs a mid 90's Tucker. Nothing new just well cared for. NCP runs a 1973 Thiokol. The last GIA funding for a groomer purchase in Rockingham County was in 2009. I bet if you totaled all of the groomers values it would not equal buying a 5 year old machine. Out of these listed they take nothing away from the North Country as you may think. The whole County combined receives less than 1 club above the notches as far as grooming money.Yet the SNHSS is consistently in the top 3 when it comes to membership size. What does closing trails in the south have to do with increasing funding in the north? It will help the demise of the sport we all love. Many families like to ride out of their homes when conditions allow. Many count on that to share the experience with the youngsters. That is how many have come to be involved with snowmobiling.Not many with young kids would risk their safety by bringing them to Pittsburg for a first ride.The local clubs in the south along with clubs to our west do a standup job promoting the family sport of snowmobiling, not just the rich, young mans sport.There are many State Parks and Rail Trails in the south and western parts of the state. They are maintained by the volunteers of the clubs that you would like to be shuttered. Those volunteers give many the benefit of well maintained trails year round. They do so on the clubs dime not the states. Maybe you would rather see higher taxes to pay for it instead. Try getting involved in a club closer to where you live to see why closing them is not a very smart option. You will probably find you will make many more friends than you will going north.These clubs are part of the community. It is not businesses that thrive from them but many local residents.who appreciate what they give back. If all trails south of notch's were closed how well do you think the trails in Coos County would be? You wouldn't be able to make anything better with the amount of money that was spent south of there.Money doesn't replace snow nor does putting 40,000 snowmobiles in 5 clubs trail systems. After 10:00 am trails would be destroyed. People would be pissed and then ride at night following the groomers as that would be only time trails would be flat. Trails wouldn't even have time to set up properly. Now that would improve the snowmobile experience how? How would you personally enjoy riding your $20,000.00 worth of sleds after sitting in your $50,000 dollar truck for 4 hours? Then after another 50 mile day of riding moguls dodging a sled every 100 yards and a mogul every 50 feet have to get back in your truck and ride 4 hours home. Wicked pissa huh? Sport will be thriving. NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I doubt you will get a response from them. When they don't even tell their Directors anything, I doubt they will tell their members anything.

NHSA is being sued. Very little info was given out at Rockingham County Meeting last evening. Members attending meeting were informed that the Association was being sued. There was little info offered other than that and that if anybody wants more info the must call the NHSA President as the Board of Directors were not given anymore info than that.Here is contact info: https://nhsa.com/new-hampshire-snowmobile-association-officers-and-directors/ Pretty sad when Directors are supposed to be able to inform the members of what is going on yet they are given very little factual info to disperse.I was not present at the meeting so my info came from a friend who attended. The County Director and Assistant gave out what little info they had and tried to answer questions as best as they could. Gotta be hard being handcuffed when you are trying your best service the people who elected you. Thank you Rob and Donnie for making the effort to serve the clubs and members who elected you. Suit is in Belknap Superior Court. I have not seen any of the documents that are available from the Clerk of Courts. I hope to be up that way early next week. If anybody has a chance to grab a copy I am sure many would like too see what is really going on.