THE BEGINNING: The first meeting was held at the fire hall in Alexander in 1987. There were 12 people present: Charlie and Meg White, Terry and Lisa Lord, Elbridge McArthur, Larry Lord, Bernard Flood, Carleton Cooper, Ralph Dorr, Michael Smith, Elwin Daley, and Joey Wallace.

Ralph Dorr assisted and explained how to get the club started. Each member paid $1.00. Names for the club were suggested at a meeting and people voted on them at Randy's Variety Store. Breakneck Mountain Sno-Riders was the winner. The first officers for 1987-1988 were President - Charlie White; Vice President - Terry Lord; Treasurer - Meg White; and Secretary - Lisa Lord.

Officers for 1990-1991 were: President - Charlie White; Vice President - David Goodine; Treasurer - Marguerite White; Secretary - Carolyn Appleby; and Trail Master - Joey Wallace.

On March 25, 1991 nineteen club members went to Carl's Restaurant for a meal and the last meeting of the season. It was here that Joey Wallace made the motion to build the clubhouse seconded by David Goodine.

Calvin and Dot White donated the land and the work began. We had our first meeting in the new clubhouse on October 7th, 1991. Seventeen people present were Charlie and Marguerite White, Calvin White, Terry, Lisa, Matthew, and Megan Lord, Jim Archer, Butch Greenlaw, Jonathon Wheaton, Joey Wallace, Gary, Carolyn and Brian Appleby, Jeff Crowe, Terry Little and Terry Reynolds.

Fund raising became a necessity. We held Poker Runs, had suppers at the Alexander school had 50/50 ticket draws, sold $100.00 Raffle tickets, took turns serving breakfast at the clubhouse on weekends, had tea cup auctions, sold tickets on two paintings made and donated by Dot Turner, and sold tickets on a queen size quilt made and donated by Eva Benner. Vicki Sprague purchased and donated the fabric.

The officers for 1991-1992 were President - Charlie White; Vice President - David Goodine; Treasurer - Terry Lord; Secretary - Carolyn Appleby; and Trail Master - Joey Wallace.

The meetings are held on the second and fourth Mondays of each month usually from November to March. We start and end the season with a potluck supper. The Yankee swap of gifts at the Christmas party is always fun for most of us.

Members of the local clubs came to the clubhouse to hear Jim Martin's talk on snowmobile laws and safety. Many questions were asked. On Oct. 24, 1992 we watched a water crossing event on Pleasant Lake. The sleds minus many parts and pieces started out, turned, and returned to shore, a distance of approximately 1 1/2 miles. Club members and friends bought pullover sweaters with the club crest on them. We also purchased blue jackets with our name and club crest on them. Blue hats with our crest were also available.

Through the years we had family fun days, group rides to Machias, a return ride to Greenfield, a moonlight ride with breakfast at Carl's, a ride-in to Godings' Pit, where we had a bonfire, cooked hot dogs, and roasted marshmallows. We had rides to Nicatous for Chris' peanut butter pie, rides to the Airline Snack Bar, to poker runs in Grand Lake Stream, Calais, and Woodland. We have had cookouts on the trail and weekends at Presque Isle and Caribou. We took weeklong trips to Northern Maine and Quebec.

Officers for 1992-1993 were President - Charlie White; Vice President - Dick McPhee; Treasurer - Terry Lord; Secretary - Carolyn Appleby; and Trail Master - Calvin White.

We built a drag for it, bought a bush hog and a cutter bar. This addition replaced the Alpine and Nordic machines and their drags. This was a very cold and slow way to groom. Charlie white and Dick McPhee made pipe drags. We bought a used drag that swiveled, then the mogul master, then a used second tractor. We now have two Jimmy's with drags. More people will be able to drive them. Charlie has made a lot of changes to these machines to adapt them for our trails an snow-ice conditions.

Officers for 1992-1993 and 1994-1995 were President - Nancy McPhee; Vice President - Ed Provost; Treasurer - Terry Lord; Secretary - Carolyn Appleby; and Trail Master - Charlie White.

There is always a never -ending list of things to do. We thank the landowners for permitting us to use their land for snowmobiling. We have purchased blue coffee mugs and delivered them, we have sent Christmas Cards, written thank you letters, had a dinner and a pot luck supper to show our appreciation.

Charlie White was nominated by Joey Wallace and received a plaque for "Volunteer of the Week" on 106.5 radio.

Calvin White made and presented a gavel to president Nancy McPhee, thus replacing her pet rock.

Dick McPhee and son James drove the Belarus tractor and drag in the Woodland Labor Day Parade. Dick also made the ingenious "Wheel of Fortune" used for the raffle draw ticket winners. Membership has fluctuated over the years probably due to weather and economic conditions. President, Nancy McPhee, presented a club hat to Joe Boucher for being our 100th member in 1995. We built approximately a 24x20 tractor building and in 2000 we added a 16x20 addition to the building so that both of our Belarus tractors could be kept under cover.

Officers for 1995-1996 were President - Nancy McPhee; Vice President - Charlie White; Treasurer - Terry Lord; Secretary - Lisa Lord; and Trail Master - Dick McPhee.

We sold the hinged Diamond V plow. Members took turns in the canteen, serving hot dogs and light lunches to raise money. Snowmobile Clubs in Maine raise money for Pine Tree Camp. Mike Noyes and Harvey Chesley, representatives of the camp, have attended our meetings and update us on what's going on at the camp. Our recognition awards for supporting the camp are proudly displayed in the clubhouse.

Officers for 1996-1998 were President - Nancy McPhee; Vice President - Charlie White; Treasurer - Terry Lord; Secretary - Carolyn Appleby; and Trail Master - Charlie White. The assistant trail master for 1996-7 was Dick McPhee and for 1997-8 was Gary Appleby.

Harland Hitchings instructed an excellent day-long safety course at the clubhouse for members of the local snowmobile clubs. Nancy McPhee applied for a rescue sled for the easter region, but did not get a positive reply. It was approved by a motion to buy our own and donate it to the Alexander Fire and Rescue Squad. It is kept at the Alexander Fire Hall.

Officers for 1998-2002 were President - Nancy McPhee; Vice President - Charlie White; Treasurer - Terry Lord; Secretary - Carolyn Appleby; and Trail Master - Charlie White.

Officers for 2002-2006 were President - Gary Appleby; Vice President - Charlie White; Treasurer - Terry Lord; Secretary - Carolyn Appleby; and Trail Master - Charlie White.

The trails were dragged or groomed the first year by Charlie using his own sled. The club then bought a '78 Cheetah sled from Jim Maxwell that was used a year then sold to Carleton Davis. In 1990 a new Nordic "60" with a 24 inch track was purchased. It still is used today to groom some of the smaller trails. The club acquired a 92 double track 4 stroke Ski-doo for grooming. The club bought a 93 Belarus four-wheel-drive tractor with lags to pull a Mobil-master drag for trail maintenance. This was a used tractor that cost $12,600. In the spring of 2003, the club got a 98 GMC and a 96 Chevrolet Blazer, two drags, and conversion kit lags, all with help from a $21,000 federal grant.

OTHER ACTIVITIES: The club has supported Pine Tree Camp for Disabled Children for a number of years and has sponsored safety classes for young ATV riders. Thirty kids completed the course last year. Insurance company policies made the club stop their poker run activity, and the planned snowboard/ski area can not be used for the same reason. The ATV riders club in town is part of the snowmobile club. It's called Breakneck Mountain Sno Riders; ATV Division.

Thank you, Charlie for your interest in and support of local history. Years ago while teaching. I had a silver dollar. The students would observe that from one angle it was a circle, but from a different angle it was a straight line, just as Charlie and Terry and Lisa viewed the history of the snowmobile club from different angles. Jd