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June, 2024
EXECUTIVE ORGANIZATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President
Toby Kravet 808-224-1065
Vice
President - Anita Hodges
Treasurer - Jonathan Carr
Secretary - Sandra Robbins
Michiro Iwanaga
Alan Teramura
Caroline Sluyter
Mike Tsutsui
Karl See
Nicole De-Witt
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Newsletter Editor
Toby Kravet
(Click on Contacts for e mail addresses)
CALENDAR OF EVENTS:
Every Monday evening (except on holidays and, of course, during Hawaii Ski Week), at 4:30 PM, a group of ski club members and their friends play tennis at Keehi Lagoon Courts, off Lagoon Drive. Stay in shape and enjoy a "careful social hour" afterwards.
May 23 (Thursday) 4:30 pm Pau Hana at Pau Hana Place BYOB but food available there for purchase (see below).
June 6 (Thursday) 5:00 PM General Membership Meeting at Mangiamo.
August 17 (Saturday) Time: TBA Volunteer activity packing food for schools at the Hawaii Food Bank. Details to be announced.
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE:
Trumpets Please!!! Included in this Newsletter are descriptions of our 2025 ski trips. While a number of details on the Canada trip are still being firmed up, Japan, as you will see, is pretty much in place at this time. It was good to see so many of you at the Special Olympics Oahu Trifecta on May 4 (story below), and I hope we get as good a turnout for our next volunteer event, helping the Foodbank pack food for schools, on August 17 (see below). Personally, I won't be able to make the August event as I will be skiing down under at that time. I just completed my arrangements for the trip and learned, up close and personal, that 3 months is not enough time in advance to plan a New Zealand ski trip. The less expensive hotels were already booked and there were few economy seats still available on the airlines for August. Forget business class which was north of $3,000 in many instances. It took half a day to find air dates that worked as well as a reasonable costing hotel within walking distance of town, and I had to adjust my definition of "reasonable." The same goes for ski trips on the North American continent which is why we have to start planning our next year's Hawaii Ski Week on the continent and Japan trips as soon the previous year's trips end. At our board meeting this past Thursday, we discussed the issue of, maybe, looking for a more centrally located venue for our monthly general membership meetings. Mangiano, our current location, always has ample room, is quiet enough so that we can make announcements, etc., permits us to drift in at different times, gives us separate checks, and doesn't insist on a minimum expenditure. Our previous location, Ruby Tuesday (which was right across the street), threw us out because we couldn't guarantee everyone showing up at the same time. Let us know if you have any suggestions: 154 minds (our current membership) are better than 10 (our board). Finally, although we are having a regular general membership meeting on June 6, we will not be having one on the first Thursday in July (July 4th) for very obvious reasons. Stay tuned for a potluck picnic in July.
TOBY
UPCOMING SKI CLUB ACTIVITIES:
PAU HANA
AT
PAU HANA PLACE
CORNER OF ALA MOANA BLVD. & HOLOMANA ST.
May 23
(Thursday) 5 PM
This is the casual outdoor site with food truck type fare where the Ala Wai Canal meets the ocean on the Ewa side of the Hawaii Prince Hotel, right over the bridge on Ala Moana Blvd. from Ala Moana Park. Some of us old timers might recognize it as the site of the old boat repair service and marine fuel dock as well as the site which was going to be developed as a wedding chapel after the boat repair service and fuel dock were demolished. You just turn off Ala Moana Blvd. onto Holomoana St. and pull into the dirt parking lot on the right. Parking is free. We were last there on Friday, October 27 last year, everybody had a good time, and, therefore, we are doing it again, this time, on Thursday which is less crowded and where most of us are less likely to have other commitments. There will be musical entertainment. Contrary to what some of us may have heard, Pau Hana Place is still BYOB, but be sure to buy some food as that is what pays for the entertainment. See you on May 23.
TOBY
VOLUNTEERING TO PACK FOOD
AT
THE HAWAII FOOD BANK
2611
KILIHAU ST.
HONOLULU, HI. 96819
August 17 (Saturday) Time: TBA
The Food 4 Keiki (F4K) program provides bags of food for the school pantry program across Oahu and Kaua`i. Last October, a group from the Club volunteered for a 4 hour shift to pack food for this program at the Kilihau St. warehouse, and we will be doing it again this coming August 17. Stay tuned. If it is the same as last year, you will need to complete an online registration form.
TOBY
SKI TRIPS FOR 2025:
CANADA
JAPAN
AIR & SEA TRAVEL CENTER
2025 Hawaii Ski Club to Hokkaido
Travel Date
Price per person
Single Supplement
Per
person
Group 1 Feb 15 Feb
23, 2025 (7 Nights) $ 3050 $ 1250
Group
2 Feb 22 Mar 2, 2025
(7 Nights) $ 3510 $ 885
Combo Feb 15
Mar 2, 2025 (14 Nights) $ 5190 $ 2050
Group 1 (Feb 15 Feb 23, 2025)
Package included:
Round Trip International Air by Japan Airlines
1 JL 073 15FEB HONOLULU HANEDA 11:40AM 03:55PM 16FEB
2 JL 072 23FEB HANEDA HONOLULU 09:55PM 09:40AM 23FEB
Double Occupancy Hotel rooms at the Shiga Kogen Prince Hotel East Tower
with breakfast (7 nights)
Private Bus transfer
from Haneda Airport to & from Shiga Kogen Prince Hotel with driver on Feb.15
&
Feb.23
5 Days Lift
Ticket
Group 2 (Feb 22
Mar 2, 2025)
Package included:
Round Trip International Air by Japan Airlines
1
JL 073 22FEB HONOLULU HANEDA 11:40AM 03:55PM 23FEB
2 JL 529 23FEB HANEDA CHITOSE 07:40PM 09:15PM 23FEB
3 JL 520 02MAR CHITOSE HANEDA 05:30PM 07:15PM 02MAR
4 JL 072 02MAR HANEDA HONOLULU 09:55PM 09:55AM 02MAR
Double Occupancy Hotel rooms at the Rusutsu Resort Hotel & Convention with
breakfast (7 nights)
25 hours of lift tickets
Buffet Dinner on Feb 24, 26 and Mar 1
Private
bus transfer from Chitose Airport to the Rusutsu Resort Hotel & Convention
on Feb 23 & Mar 2
Combo (Feb 15 Mar
2, 2025)
Package included:
Round Trip International Air by Japan Airlines
1
JL 073 15FEB HONOLULU HANEDA 11:40AM 03:55PM 16FEB
2 JL 529 23FEB HANEDA CHITOSE 07:40PM 09:15PM 23FEB
3 JL 520 02MAR CHITOSE HANEDA 05:30PM 07:15PM 02MAR
4 JL 072 02MAR HANEDA HONOLULU 09:55PM 09:55AM 02MAR
Double Occupancy Hotel rooms at the Shiga Kogen Prince Hotel East Tower
with breakfast (7 nights)
Double Occupancy Hotel
rooms at the Rusutsu Resort Hotel & Convention with breakfast (7 nights)
5 Days Lift Ticket in Shiga Kogen Prince Hotel
Buffet Dinner on Feb 24, 26 and Mar 1
25 hours of
lift tickets in Rusutsu Resort Hotel & Convention
Private Bus transfer from Haneda Airport to & from Shiga Kogen Prince Hotel
with driver on Feb.15 &
Feb.23
Private bus transfer from Chitose Airport to the Rusutsu Resort Hotel &
Convention on Feb 23 & Mar 2
Optional:
Buffet Dinner in Shiga Kogen Prince Hotel East Tower is JPY 9100 per
person included tax (subject to
change without
notice)
Remarks:
1. Fares are per person, USD based on double occupancy and include
all airline taxes and fees
2. Refer to General
Condition of Air & Sea
3. We reserve the right to
modify the itinerary to ensure smooth operation
4.
Tour price is subject to change according to any airfare increase, increase
in government taxes, additional
fuel charges, and
fluctuation of the rate of exchange between U.S. and foreign currency
5. Tour price includes fuel surcharge & government taxes and fees. The tour
price shown is current at the time
of listing and
pricing on May 15, 2024
6. All travelers, regardless
of COVID-19 vaccination status, are welcome to travel with us and will no
longer
be required to provide proof of pre-departure
testing, except for specific countries where COVID-19
vaccination, testing, or additional documentation is required by law. Please
visit or revisit the government
site to verify the
travel requirements. Fully vaccinated is recommended. Vaccines combined with
multilayered preventative health and safety measures will help us provide a
safe and healthy vacation
environment.
7. As government regulations evolve, our health and safety protocols will
evolve as needed to ensure
compliance. This may mean
different protocols from state to state and city to city based on local
requirements.
Payment Policy:
CHECK OR CASH PAYMENT ONLY. A deposit of $350 per person is
required at the time of application.
The balance is
due on Sep 1, 2024. In the event balance payment is not made within the
required time period,
Air and Sea Travel Center
reserves the right to cancel reservations and charge a service fee for
cancellation.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cancellation Policy:
Written notice is
required for any cancellation.
The cancellation fee will be as follow:
** From Sep 2 to Oct 25, 2024, $350 per person is non-refundable.
** Oct 26, 2024 to Dec 17, 2024, 50% of total price plus any other service
fee caused by the cancellation;
** From Dec 18, 2024
to departure or withdrawing during the tour shall be regarded as willingly
giving
up all rights concerned, 100% of total price,
and request for other services as a substitute shall not be
accepted.
** We strongly recommend purchasing travel
insurance when you make your reservation**
PAST SKI CLUB ACTIVITIES:
PAU HANA
at
TJ'S SPORTS BAR & GRILL
ONE KAPIOLANI BUILDING
600 KAPIOLANI BLVD.
HONOLULU, HAWAII
April 26 (Friday) 4:30 pm
According to Anita, who was
paying better attention to the numbers than I, we had as many as 25 members
show up at TJ'S on April 26, and that might be a record. They had
ample space reserved for us, attentive wait staff, and good happy hour
prices for pitchers of beer and some of the pupus. Also, the central
location, right down the street from City Hall, and free parking probably
added to the draw. Although we had been there before, some time
ago, "mucho mahalos" to John Scheleski for suggesting we return.
TOBY
SPECIAL OLYMPICS
OAHU TRIFECTA
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY
KAISER HIGH SCHOOL
511 LUNALILO HOME ROAD
HAWAII KAI
May 4 (Saturday)
We had 9 Ski Club members at the Special Olympics Oahu Trifecta on May 4 and were all assigned to act as escorts for the competitors at the Softball Throw event. After assisting in the setup of the throwing lanes, some of us were to assigned help at a registration desk for the event while others were assigned to small numbers of athletes grouped into divisions. When all of the athletes for a division had arrived we seated them together, advised the coordinator of the event that our group was ready to compete, escorted them to another row of vacant seats adjacent to the lanes, and, finally, escorted them to the Awards Tent at the completion of their competitions. We began work at 8 am. and were completed around 2 pm. While the job of "Escort" did involve a lot of waiting, it was rewarding to assist with such a meaningful event.
TOBY
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
HAWAII SKI CLUB IS ON FACEBOOK
Facebook is the best way to keep current on the Hawaii Ski Club. On your Facebook page on your computer, type "Hawaii Ski Club" into the search box on the top left. On your mobile device, tap the magnifying glass at the top to get the search box. Pictures from Ski Club activities and other items are posted as they are submitted. You can submit your own Ski Club pictures and other items you wish posted by emailing them to anita@hawaiisnowskiclub.com
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Contributions from the membership to future newsletters are encouraged and will be greatly appreciated: Please e mail them to Toby (see Contacts) no later than 9 calendar days from the end of the month. Thanx much.
Updated club info available at http://www.hawaiisnowskiclub.com and on our Facebook page.