Rick Knight
#12 Richard Knight
Patrol –Mount Southington
Joined NSP - 1977
Inducted – 4 June, 2016
Richard Raynor (Rick) Knight joined, or rather jumped in with both feet, the Mount Southington Ski Patrol as a candidate back in 1977. Over the next almost forty years there have been very few, if any, patrollers with more genuine enthusiasm and drive right from the start, and retain it consistently through the years.
His expertise and opinion is respected and well received whether it involves constructing a new patrol building, coordinating a ski swap, establishing new patrol or region policies, or interacting with various patrols and patrollers. He is always collaborative rather than confrontational.
Rick has been a member of a number of committees and has held a variety of positions throughout his NSP tenure. It is important to note is that he has used each of these involvements to make positive advances at the Local, Regional, Divisional, and National levels. As Patrol Treasurer, Rick used his extensive CPA background to streamline and formalize all the accounting and recordkeeping. As Region Registrar, he utilized his administrative capabilities to create a modern, easy to use database to facilitate the tracking of the 350 to 400 Patrollers in the Connecticut Region. At the time, this was a groundbreaking achievement for the Connecticut Region. As Region Director, Rick strived to increase unity throughout the region. At Division level, he helped to advance and modernize its accounting procedures. As National board Member, Rick adds a pragmatic, common sense approach to its decision making process.
Although Rick has shown himself to be an excellent officer in the positions he has formally held, it is what he consistently does just as a fellow Patroller that really shows his love and dedication, both to NSP and to his patrol. Rick, as a current National Board Member, is the primary funnel for communication between “National” and both the Connecticut Region and The Mount Southington Ski Patrol. He constantly assures that vital information reaches every possible member. This translates into greater participation and esprit de corps. Rick has been the sounding board for many Patrollers, regardless of their seniority or office, and is respected as a positive, level headed influence.
Rick is ALWAYS available to be an extra hand, no matter what the job. A number of years ago the Connecticut Region needed a new location to hold its annual OEC Refresher. Rick went out and obtained the use of the Southington YMCA. On hill refreshers needed organizational planning, by-laws needed to be updated, policies and procedures required rewriting, a central figure was needed to disseminate Patrol communications, …and the list goes on. Rick was there, it got done!
In 2003 the Eastern Division created a Governance Committee charged to rewrite bylaws and present them back to the Division Officers for ratification. Rick was an integral part of that Implementation Committee.
Rick has, from day one, devoted an immense amount of time, energy, and knowledge to every facet of patrolling that he has been involved with. As a direct result of chaperoning Student Patrollers at the Eastern Division Student (now YAP) Seminar for the past few years, Rick had formerly accepted the position of Connecticut Region Student Advisor. Rick is proving that “Enthusiasm is Contagious”. With Rick at the helm, not only had participation increased, their overall skills also demonstrated a marked improvement.
Rick logically invests a great deal of effort to the area where he can make his greatest contribution. He has made himself available to devote his expertise to the highly moldable New Members. He participates in orientation (where he has the knack of making a potentially dry topic very palatable) as well as OEC and S&T training. Rick, time and time again, will take under his wing that Candidate who is having a particularly difficult time. With his patience and expertise Rick will eventually get the Candidate through it. After each and every success, it is the total elation on RICK’S face that candidly showed how much he really loves helping these individuals.
Rick has always been 100% committed to the Ski Patrol. His dedication is unquestionable, his enthusiasm is unapproachable, and his contributions go above and beyond. He does not require the status of formal titles or positions. On the contrary, Rick has, many times been the invisible driving force contributing to the success of others. He is quite simply, a Patroller’s Patroller, a role model, well known and highly respected throughout the various levels of NSP.