Anyone know what happened with them? Who is taking over their trails?

Saw this on their website:" After several years of problems and most recently a letter from the “county”, the club was dismissed by the county director at the September 26th county meeting. The club was floored by this decision since things looked to be going in a positive direction. The committee formed at the special meeting in February had done its work and the club was attempting to fulfill the guidelines from them.
A sad day in the VAST organization when a club that existed when VAST was created is dismissed. "

We were dismissed from Caledonia county by the county director. Basically an illegal vote where the county violated its By-Laws when it went along with the county director's decision. A lost cause. Trails will not exist in their former way, I imagine the surrounding clubs are working to get through our area. I would never volunteer for an organization like VAST ever again.
This fiasco was probably one of the biggest wastes of time and money I've seen in a long time.
So my feeling is let this issue die. Anyone cares to hear more PM me. Not going to revisit this whole thing again.
Please remember, and pass the word. It was not the club that closed its trails, or quit. We were removed by the Caledonia county director.

Thanks

Sucks to see this happen, or for any club for that matter, but things must of went real bad.Anyways what club are you gonna join now 1madcat?

Just remeber there are always two sides to every story.I have been involved in this for years and can tell you the whole thing stinks.Dont blame Vast for this, i know for a fact they did all that was possible to keep things going.Hopefully the adjacent clubs will be able to pick up the area and snowmobiling will continue in this area.

It sounds like a lose-lose situation for everyone. Calmer minds didn't prevail. It's a sad day for the sport. I know this has been going on for a while and sadly couldn't be resolved. Maybe when everyone has had time to rethink these decisions, you guys can restart the club. Don't knock VAST. This was a County decision. If there was a county vote, and there would have to be, then it wasn't the County Director. What a diificult decision. I'm very involved in my county club, and I would be devastated to have to vote to oust a club. The worst thing to do is to broadcast the failures. You're right, the club didn't quit, but by not being able to iron out the issues, they left the county with a tough choice. I wasn't there to judge who was right or wrong, if either was. Give it some time and maybe it's not too late. Don't slam anyone that you may need later. Every county position is elected. If your Director is making bad decisions ( illegal ), don't walk away. Change the Director.
Thanks for your volunteering time. It's always hard to see your sweat and time wasted. Let's not fight amongst ourselves, it's dooms the sport.
I'll pray for resolution not dissolution.
Happy Thanksgiving

So the last chapter in this 4 year saga was the most interesting. The county voted in January to send a letter to the club stating an ultimatum. Get these certain things done before 9/26/07. or be removed from the county. The motion TO SEND THE LETTER was 7 - 4 (61% of the clubs present). So the letter is sent. A committee is formed to work on the issue and makes several recommendations to the county. The county votes (almost unanamously) to accept the recommendations. The club starts working on the recommendations and gets 2 projects out of 5 approved (in August and the beginning of September).
The club attends the 9/26/07 meeting and the county director announces that we haven't met the conditions of the letter sent in January and we are removed from the county. NO VOTE at all. I raise my hand to be recognized and I'm told that if I continue speaking I will be removed. I asked again to be recognized and then the county director (who arranges in advance to have Vermont State Police present) has the officer remove me.
The January vote to send the letter is considered to be the vote that removed us. At a recent VAST directors meeting the most recent VAST past president stated (and I quote) "The motion was a fraction of a vote short".
So everyone knows that the vote was short, and everyone knows that you are required to get a 2/3 vote of voting clubs in the county, but no one will do anything. The VAST directors said they don't have any power over the county. So we are told we are out. It needs to go back to county. Which means it's a lost cause.
So it is too late for me. I would never want to help the VAST organization again. I've been involved for 8 years. I was club secretary for 5 years, alternate county director for 2 years. I chaired the committee that put on the annual meeting in Caledonia county a few years ago. I now become one of those 99.9% of the VAST members that just ride and don't do anything. Feels weird this fall not having to worry about brushing, signing, etc.

Hello 1madcat,

We understand your disappointment and frustration with the entire situation, as we have had our own run-ins with VAST; and this has been a little more than disconcerting for all involved and those directly affected by what has been happening and what has happened with your club. Though we understand your contempt for what has been done, and we feel for your loss (as this becomes a part of us). We graciously ask that you please understand that your actions have had, an continue to have, an affect on us all. We have no choice but to pick up the pieces and work to build a way through or around your area. We do this, not because we necessarily agree with the decision made, but rather we will do it for the betterment of our own community, the communities around us, and all the people who rely upon us to bring in the snow travelers. Our little community depends upon this income each year and we ask that you cut your losses and let the situation lie, do this for the rest of us (your fellow snowmobiles and club officers) regardless for how you all feel about VAST.

Brigitte M. Codling, Program Manager
Cabot Skylighters Snowmobile Club
www.cabotskylighters.com

Brigitte,
I hope you are succesful in getting reroutes and such. I just need to make sure that no one blames the club for this situation. The club was making the effort to work out their differences. I don't want any of our landowners' names winding up in the VAST news or on trail signs like last year. We need to make sure the truth is told and not hearsay.

Mike

So does this mean there won't be any trails open in the Peacham area this winter?

I wouldn't say that at this point. The surrounding clubs are trying to work things out.