Most clubs are active even during the winter, find out when there meetings are. Get to know the people and see if they have an active instructor. My old club had a meeting every month and often had a show and tell. Guys would bring in there builds and show any new ideas or ways of doing things. If the club has an instructor then find out if he uses his own trainer plane of if the club has one. Most of the clubs I have belonged to had a trainer and buddy box to teach new pilots. All the student needed to do was buy a gallon of the fuel the club used in the trainer. I have my own plane and gear to teach with and don't even want the student to buy any equipment until after the solo flights.
If you really want to build your own plane it never hurts to build and own a trainer.
By gas I think you mean glow power?? If so a nice 40 or 60 {I prefer the 60} size trainer is a good winter build. After you have soloed you will have a better idea of what planes you like and would want to build. The selection is too great to point at just one. Right now there is a building trainer being put out by Balsa USA, you may see the add here on RCU. The kit is a trainer plane but cooler looking then most of them. The way it is built teaches you a little bit of several of the different types of construction.
I haven't built one yet but RC Ken is building one now and doing a review on it. I think, from what I have read and seen of this plane it would be my first choice. I teach building also but have been using the SIG 4 Star 60 kit to teach with. Another good build and flying machine.
Pull up Balsa USA and take a look at there new offering.