From the Vice President

Collaboratively Working Together for a Single Cause

Scott Wakefield

Wow! Those are some heavy words. I could spend forever and a day discussing why we should start each morning with that as our goal for the day; what a different and better world we’d live in if that was the case. Well, it was our goal for many days during the Legislative session as we worked with ATV Minnesota to carry a bill dealing with the issue of trespassing. And it worked. That we were able to get a standalone bill, in a do-nothing legislative session, passed by both houses and signed by the governor, is really saying something.

Thanks to our excellent lobbyist and on both sides here, and everyone involved. I don’t want to name names for the sake of missing someone, but I do have to give a shout-out to Terry Hutchinson who really spearheaded this with his local sheriff and local C.O. And I think everybody knows by now that trespassing in the ATV world, as well as ours, needs to be remedied, and so those legislators also knew they needed to “collaboratively work together for a single cause” on this issue. Now to finalize some parts of the new law and get the changes out to the masses is the next step.

The MnUSA spring meeting was held in Baxter again this year and we were able to get our budgets set and do the good business we need to get done as an association. In a broader stroke, we also discussed the impact of inflation, supply chain issues, and other issues outside of our control but impacting our members, clubs, and industry. And again, these items were discussed at our summer event hosted by Region 7 in Hinckley. What a great event and location. Thank you to the directors in Region 7 who made the event happen.

With $6.00 diesel, what’s that Tucker grooming bill going to look like in February? Maybe it’s time for another club finance discussion, but we need to be thinking ahead, and looking at our club finances, and factor in $6.00 diesel, based on our trail system miles. Then “shock” your finances but using best case scenario, worst case scenario and then something in-between. Do the math; get those numbers put together and discuss with your executive board, then on to your membership at your fall club meetings and make the necessary adjustments as needed.

Cash flows work too. Just like we do in the Ag sector, you spread your anticipated income and expenses over the season, which in our case is September to March. You can see the peaks and the valleys, and that will determine the timing of the needs.

When I’m not up at night thinking about the finances of our MnUSA clubs, I do get a chance to meet with our members and new members. I made it to the Milbank show— 60 years of Arctic Cat was the theme; got to see number one all the way to 2023 (see more under Vintage News). I have also been attending landowner appreciation events. I’ve been invited many times to Scott County Trails’ big “chicken feed,” but hay season usually took care of that. With the drought we are experiencing in central Minnesota, the second crop looked sickly, so I went this year. Wow, what a yeoman’s job this is putting this event on, and I got to talk to landowners one on one.

Also, I made it to the Blizzard Snowmobile Club in Fairmont for their landowner appreciation, and again, great turnout, great venue, and good discussion from the audience. Again, I was able to talk to landowners one on one regarding their concerns and inform them on the changes to trespass laws, and how it will benefit them. The overall consensus from my unofficial poll is we are doing an excellent job according to landowners I talked with. Is there room for improvement? Well yes, otherwise there wouldn’t be a reason to get out of bed in the morning.

Off to more events, and make sure to stop by the MnUSA booth at Outlaw Grass Drags and Hay Days, let’s talk.