The Newport Ski Club was organized in May of 1955 by a group of engineers from the Naval Underwater Ordnance Station (now the Naval Undersea Warfare Center). Membership was soon broadened to all members of the local area. The goals of the club were, and are today, to promote skiing at reasonable cost to its members and to provide a social opportunity for folks enjoying similar outdoor interests.

After renting various lodges in New Hampshire and Vermont the club decided to design, build and operate its own lodge. In 1965, land was purchased on Okemo Mountain, located in Ludlow, VT. The lodge was designed by a club member, Mr. Christopher Dutra, AIA, and a shell was built under contract and finished by the members. The lodge as it currently stands sleeps 46 members in10 bunk room style rooms. The club has approximately 165 members with a ceiling of 180. It has a do-it-yourself approach to its operations and conducts all its business and operates and maintains its lodge with all volunteer club member work. Meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month at the Green Valley Country Club in Portsmouth RI.

From the early beginnings of the Newport Ski Club, it was decided that there would be only one class of membership so that today's new member enjoys the same privileges and voting authority as a founding member. For an initiation fee, the new member becomes a equal part owner of a $750,000 facility shared currently by 165 members. A weekend at the club costs meager $25 per person which includes lodging, two breakfasts, two lunches, Saturday after skiing hors d'oeurves, and a full course Saturday evening dinner with wine. In addition, the club is able to purchase and sell lift tickets to its members at approximately 50% of the window price.

In return for this greatly reduced cost of skiing, each member is required to perform certain of the duties of operating the club and maintaining its lodge. Our communal living and extremely organized approach to lodge operations is not for everyone, but to our membership is very satisfying.

For each weekend of the ski season we have a reservationist who is called to make a reservation. We have a lodge manager for each weekend who assigns all the duties that must be performed for the weekend. Usually each attendee has one task to perform. For each weekend we also have an assistant lodge manager who is responsible to purchase the food for the weekend. Certain non-perishable items are purchased in bulk at the beginning of the season and replenished as needed. As one might expect, this highly organized system was designed by engineers and works surprisingly well.

Except for holidays, during the week, and during the off season, the club is open to members with the sole requirement that it takes two members to open the lodge. During such times, reservations must still be made, but there is no formal procedure for lodge operations. Members bring their own provisions or eat at local restaurants, and the lodge left as clean as it was found.

The club also sponsors socials, square dances, hiking, picnics, sailing trips, and week-long ski trips to distant ski areas. The club membership is open to individuals who must demonstrate sincere sustained interest as an applicant before being accepted for membership, usually a year long process. The good news is that while an applicant, the prospective member may use the lodge and attend other functions on a not-to-interfere basis.