SPACE CITY SKI & ADVENTURE CLUB HISTORY

by Tom Cronin

Early in the summer of 1964, Tom Cronin and Rolfe Beaudry discussed where and with whom they might ski in the coming winter. Both had skied with the Dallas Ski Club and had also skied with friends from Houston, including the Houston Ski Club.

The two felt that while some of these groups offered a good blend of skiing companionship and après-ski socializing, they were not of the age group, nor had the proper objectives to attract new friends to join them in one of their favorite sports. Suggestions were made for the formation of a new ski club in Houston, made up of younger, single and married people. Tom and Rolfe already knew of several of their friends who enjoyed skiing and thought that the idea of a club of their own would be appealing. They also realized that the obvious growth of skiing, as evidenced in magazine articles and in fashions, could easily be the key to having a well-organized and fun ski club offering much to its members.

The plan for the club was generally patterned after that of the Dallas Ski Club. The Houston Ski Club it was felt was a close-knit group with different objectives and any attempt to more or less ''pep up'' the Houston Ski Club was discarded.

In August 1964, after notifying friends, Tom and Rolfe called an organizational meeting. Fourteen persons attended and after a discussion of ideas, the 1964-65 officers were appointed. This group called a September meeting for a larger group of personally invited friends to meet at the Piney Point Golf Club.

Some forty people attended on that Monday evening in September. At this meeting a name for the club was selected and with the payment of the first $5.00 dues by eighteen people, the SPACE CITY SKI CLUB was off and "skiing." These eighteen charter members all submitted additional names of their friends who might be interested in participating in the club and planned a program for the next month.

The first general meeting was held on October 12, 1964, at the Sheraton-Lincoln Hotel and approximately 250 people came out to see this new club. An excellent movie was shown, and tentative plans for the coming year were outlined.

At this meeting the usual pattern of having a social hour before the business meeting, and movies (when possible) was established.

A few days later, the annual fashion show by Oshman 's Sporting Goods, showing their entire line of White Stag Ski Wear, was held with our lovely young ladies as models. Everyone seemed to enjoy the show, the fashions, and the girls. As the months went by, the popularity among the young professional set of the Space City Ski Club grew and with this, the names on the trip lists multiplied.

The first Aspen Trip (February 1965) was originally planned for around forty people, but locating a small plane was surprisingly impossible. The best alternative was to obtain a plane that could carry seventy-eight passengers and hope for sixty persons to participate. In Mid-December, though, the demand appeared sufficient to try to fill a 103-passenger plane. So additional accommodations were requested and obtained in Aspen, Colorado, at the Limelight Lodge, The Aspen Alps Apartments and various other available accommodations around the village.

A filled plane! Not only was the requested aircraft filled to capacity, but about twenty other Space City Ski Club members met the group in Aspen. Activities for the week included: Races and awards at the Aspen Highlands, several wine and cheese parties, dinner at the Country Club Inn, and the usual individual parties.

A weekend bus trip to Ruidoso, New Mexico, in January 1965, saw sixty eager Space City Ski Club members off to the slopes for some winter skiing. The Chapparal Inn was the scene of much of the après-ski merriment, as well as the resting place for the weary skiers after a full day on the slopes.

As winter 1965 came to a close and gave way to that season the skier dislikes most, the Space City Ski Club was busy planning a better club and better club activities.

Originally published in the October 1989 Sitzmarke

 

Space City Ski Club was chartered in 1966 by the State of Texas. The Club By-Laws, originally adopted in 1969, provide for seven elected officers, including the President, four Vice Presidents, Secretary and Treasurer. All coordination, planning and directing of the Club's activities are done by these officers with oversight by a Board of Directors. The Board consists of the current officers, the previous year's officers and 1 previous past president.  All officers, board members, directors, and coordinators are volunteers and the lifeblood of our organization.

SPACE CITY SKI & ADVENTURE CLUB PRESIDENT HISTORY

Year	President	Year	President
1964 - 1965	Tom Cronin	2000 - 2001	Stacey Ronczy
1965 - 1966	Tom Cronin	2001 - 2002	John Rice
1966 - 1967	Miles Anderson	2002 - 2003	Sean O'Brien
1967 - 1968	Rolfe Beaudry	2003 - 2004	Dawn Rodriguez
1968 - 1969	Bill Wright	2004 - 2005	Christine March
1969 - 1970	Ron Crossman	2005 - 2006	Cindy Moore
1970 - 1971	Jerry Maley	2006 - 2007	Gary Ladd/Ellen Eastham
1971 - 1972	Jerry Chiles	2007 - 2008	Pat Piech
1972 - 1973	Jim Grassman	2008 - 2009	Gary Butler
1973 - 1974	Jim McIntyre	2009 - 2010	Camille LaRoe
1974 - 1975	Harry Gaston	2010 - 2011	Sandy Wellhausen
1975 - 1976	Bob Olsen	2011 - 2012	Sandra McCunis
1976 - 1977	Sy Liebergot	2012 - 2013	Sandra McCunis
1977 - 1978	Jim Benefield	2013 - 2014	Melinda Hughes
1978 - 1979	Bob Allgeier	2014 - 2015	Melinda Hughes
1979 - 1980	Keith Eastin	2015 - 2016	Cindy Moore
1980 - 1981	Linda McFarland	2016 - 2017	George Lopez/Bill Bomberger
1981 - 1982	Anne Benefield	2017 - 2018	Bill Bomberger
1982 - 1983	Bruce Maughs	2018 - 2019	Jan Ferrell
1983 - 1984	Tania Andrasko	2019 - 2020	Jan Ferrell
1984 - 1985	Tom Mercer	2020 - 2021	Beverly Roberts
1985 - 1986	Ron Smith	2021 - 2022	Beverly Roberts
1986 - 1987	Gordon Wise	2022 - 2023	Lynn Burch
1987 - 1988	Bill Kirk
1987 - 1988	Pam Holder
1988 - 1989	Jerry Montgomery
1990 - 1991	Ray Naudin
1991 - 1992	Ginger Howard-Hanks
1992 - 1993	Craig Liebergot
1993 - 1994	Tom Hogle
1994 - 1995	Ed Cain
1995 - 1996	Marti Toomer
1996 - 1997	Gary Butler
1997 - 1998	Jim Edwards
1998 - 1999	Merrel Smith
1999 - 2000	Richard Hall

 
Article in Health And Fitness Magazine-Dec 2001

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