This past year we have had the opportunity to experience the use and enjoyment of both of our pools. As with any new facility, there are always bugs to be worked out and this one is no different. Last year we experienced the severe drought and the problems with the sprinkler system. The year it appears that both those problems are behind us. We were able to get the sprinkling system functioning before the season ended last year and this year it is ready to go.
We have been in contact with Century Pools, the pool management company, & things are being prepared as we speak for a safe and enjoyable summer. There were some safety concerns and issues last year that have been addressed and resolved. They are placing staff and will be ready for opening day.
There are still many things to accomplish to continue to improve our facility. The new pavilion & barbecue pits are in the works. We hope to have the new pavilion in by opening day and the barbeque pits soon there after. We also expect to brighten up the facility by doing some landscaping in front & along the sides of the fence. We will be looking for some help from the membership for the labor aspect of this work so I hope we will have your full support for this venture. We are looking forward to a very active social calendar this summer from the Activities Directors. Again, we will be looking forward for the membership involvement through volunteering as chaperones for the young members events and support and attendance for the Adult functions. Once again, this is your facility and club and it will only succeed when the you are involved.
Our relationship with Martins' continues to be strong and bookings for the Hall are increasing as the word gets out about the beautiful facility we have here. Members should also take advantage of the Hall availability on Tuesdays as it is set aside for members use on that day.
Also, please consult our web site for full calendar information and any questions you might have. As opening day approaches and we all make our plans for a fun filled wet summer, continue to keep in mind that this is our club and we all need to be diligent in its upkeep. This is a brief message for now, but look for a more comprehensive one as we greet you on opening day and embark on a splendid summer experience together.
HOORAY! Another season of fun in the sun is here! This summer we have some exciting plans for the South Carroll Swim Club.
Our first event will be June 18 for all Elementary-age members of the club. Come swim, share snacks with friends and other fun activities during an evening planned just for you!
Next, time for some grown-up fun at our popular Luau night. This event will utilize the party room as well as the entire pool and grounds. Book a table and bring all of your friends to an event unlike any other, catered buffet provided by Martin's experienced staff, a delightful deejay and beer, wine and setups provided; not to mention our beautiful grounds and refreshing pools. Mark June 21 on your calendar NOW!
July 4th is always a fun time to bring family and friends to the pool. We'll have fun and games for kids of all ages. And food too!
Will "Chef Ralph" appear as King Tut, Elvis, and Caesar... Who knows? The answer to this question can only be found at the Adult Night, July 12. For this RETRO NIGHT event, we encourage you to come up with your own "Blast from the Past" and dance the night away under the stars. We will utilize the party room as well as the entire pool and grounds. Book a table and bring all of your friends to an event unlike any other, catered buffet provided by Martin's experienced staff, a delightful deejay and beer, wine and setups provided; not to mention our beautiful grounds and refreshing pools.
ATTENTION: Middle School Kids - July 16 is your night to HOWL at the moon and spend time swimming and dancing with friends under the stars.
High School Night--so you think you are too cool for the pool? We have an exciting evening planned July 30. DJ and light snacks will be provided. Come out and have some fun.
In addition, there are two events that don't have age requirements or an extra outlay of cash. We have a Family Grill Night each Sunday beginning June 21. The guards get the grills hot by 5:30 and all you have to do is bring food for your picnic. We also host a Volleyball Night where all members can come out on Wednesday's beginning in June for open volleyball. These events are open to all members.
We, the Activities Board Members, wish you a safe and fun summer. Hope to see you all at these events. The events are only as successful as the input from our membership. If you'd like to see more planned events or want to volunteer to assist with those already planned, contact us through the www.southcarrollclub.com or leave your name and phone number with the guards.
This is your club - we'd love to have your help.
The SCSC Website (http://www.southcarrollclub.com)
continues to be used to provide updated information
for all SCSC Members. We even successfully used this as a means for
members to Vote during the last General Membership/Budget approval process.
Expect these types of activities to continue to save both the Club and yourself
time and a stamp. This website is your resource for the latest info on
SCSC events and commonly asked questions. Please check back regularly
during the Spring/Summer season for the latest on all SCSC events/activities.
In addition, I am compilingan email list to notify all (who have provided their
email address) of upcoming events or breaking SCSC News. Expect to see
the newsletter coming to you in this form as well in the future. The SCSC
web page isfor the members, so, if there is anyway I can improve it to provide
more information, please drop me a line at technology@southcarrollclub.com.
The proposed change that was voted in this year to move the annual due's due date from May 1st to April 1st has been a most welcome change. We now have effectively a 60-day window (vs. the old 25-day window) to handle bond transfers and track the annual due's receipt. As of mid-March (when this article was written to meet the publishers deadline), we have already received 35 bonds for redemption. The waiting list is healthy representing what is probably a 2003 and 2004 backlog. The current wait list as well as the bond redemption list is available on-line. www.southcarrollclub.com . From the main page, simply go to the Questions TAB. Under membership questions, two questions (where am I on the wait list & what is the process for redeeming my bond) have hot-links that will take you to the current list. The list is updated monthly, usually around the 10th-15th of the month.
Joining SCSC: New in 2003, applications for the wait list will ONLY be accepted via mail. In the past two years, there have been too many problems with "lost applications" that were turned in to guards and/or given to other members for submission. Should a potential member visit the facility and want to get on the wait list, there will be applications with pre-addressed/stamped envelopes. This not only ensures that we have a "standard process", it allows us to use the post office date stamp to accurately determine placement on the wait list and avoid "errors" that were being introduced because of multiple submission processes.
Where else can we improve?
1. Change of Addresses seem to be a hot ticket item this year which is probably somewhat elevated because of the falling interest rates. In any event, in order to streamline and make this process "error-proof", you will be seeing a "Change of Address" process being added to our web site in the not too distant future. A guaranteed email means we get it right the first time (assuming you do) and we eliminate poor quality phone mail messages and/or lost 3x5's that were turned into the guards and subsequently got wet and the ink smeared (gee, funny that a piece of paper could get wet at a pool. Hmmm!).
2. Long check-in lines: We heard you loud and clear & we'd like to be able to do something about it. So we put money into the 2003-operating budget to add a 2nd scanner and network our computers together so the line could move "twice as fast". Not huge dollars mind you but targeted towards the concerns of the membership. And then a funny thing happened on the way to the post office. We received an insurance bill for a rather large (and unexpected) amount. And the amount was NOT in the 2003 operating budget. So before we go off and spend money that we may not have, we're going to take the conservative approach and hold off on the system upgrades until we investigate the insurance bill. If we find out it is a mistake, we'll move quickly to upgrade the check-in system. If we find out its not, the board will need to adjust its' focus on the discretionary spending priorities for 2003.
Worth Repeating: At the beginning of the 2002 swim year, there were a few offenders who repeatedly were sneaking in guests (as part of their family) to avoid paying the guest fee charge. As was the case last year, this will not be tolerated. In the event that a non-member should have an accident at the pool, failure to register them as a guest introduces a liability issue to the club. Any member attempting to do this, if caught, will immediately forfeit their membership to the club, including their bond redemption fee. This is a zero-tolerance policy - no exceptions!
Imagine yourself throwing a Sweet-16 party for your daughter and all her friends, bringing all your family members together for a family reunion (yes, you can forget to invite your mother-in-law!), or inviting all your "old" friends to a fifties Sock-Hop (leather jackets optional!). Where can you do all this in a new, beautiful location at an affordable price? Right here at SCSC! That's right! Our community room is available to rent on any Tuesday of the year. And, to make it more affordable to every member of SCSC, your friendly neighborhood Board of Directors has lowered, yes lowered, the price to a mere $100 per 4-hour event. That's right - $100!! Don't delay! Act now to reserve your space! More details, including the lease policy and lease agreement are available now at www.southcarrollclub.com. Contact any of the lifeguards, any Activities committee member, or any Board member to reserve your Tuesday. Hurry, hurry, hurry - first come, first served basis. Operators are standing by!
Session 1 will start on June 16 and run through June 27. Session 2 will start June 30 and end July 11. (There will be lessons on July 4). There will be evening lessons from 6:00 to 6:30 and from 6:30 to 7:00 for Session 2, only.
Session 3 will run from July 14 to July 25.
Elaine Craig
301-829-6464
Tally Johnstone
410-795-8968
Patricia Clements
410-549-9487
Terry Zetlmeisl, Treasurer
410-875-0333
Take Your Mark
Welcome to the 2003 Summer Swim Team Season! Once again, we are looking forward to an exciting season in Division 1 of the Central Maryland Swim League (CMSL). Tally, Elaine, and Terry are returning as your Swim Team Representatives. We welcome Patricia Clements, who is joining us this year as a Team Rep. Welcome Patricia!
Again this season, the South Carroll Serpents will be competing in Division 1 of the Central Maryland Swim League (CMSL). The CMSL is comprised of 48 teams in 8 different divisions. The teams are scattered throughout the central Maryland area and compete in the summer months during June and July. In order to participate on a CMSL team, all swimmers must be part of a full family membership of their perspective swim club. Each summer season, the teams in our division compete in five dual swim meets and a Division Championship meet at the end of the season. There are additional meets that our swimmers will qualify for toward the end of the season. We have many activities throughout June and July that provide an opportunity for all of the members of your family to socialize with other team members and to meet new friends. The team participates in the Winfield Firemen's Parade, sponsors "Hot Dog Wednesday" and the "Ice Cream Shack" at the pool. Also, this year we will be sponsoring a Family Carnival for all of the members of the swim club. We will also be hosting the 2nd Annual Kathy Kessler Swim-a-thon and raising money for the American Cancer Society. The swim team's season culminates with the Annual Awards Picnic where all of our swimmers are recognized for their hard work and determination. Following the picnic, we host a fun night of dancing and swimming under the stars!
We are including the 2003 Team Calendar in this newsletter. Please check out the calendar for all of this year's exciting events.
Each year the Coaches and Team Representatives evaluate our season and try to make improvements that will benefit the entire Team positively. We have determined, for safety reasons, that it will be necessary at the start of the season for all swimmers to be comfortable enough and able to swim the length of the diving well with their face in the water. You may have your child evaluated at the first practice if you are unsure of their ability. To learn more about our team and the many events that we sponsor, please feel free to contact one of our team representatives. You may also come to the pool on May 27 and 28 from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. We will be available for registration and to answer any of your questions.
We look forward to another exciting summer swim season with the Serpents!
Evening Practice
We are happy to announce that we are adding Evening Practice to our schedule. This practice has been added to allow children, who want to be a part of our swim team, but are unable to attend the early morning practices. There are only 32 permanent spaces available during this practice. These spaces will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis to swimmers who will attend the evening practice on a "permanent" basis. This practice will be restricted to swimmers that are at least 7 years old AND are able to swim freestyle and backstroke the entire length of the pool. The coaches may determine if a swimmer is qualified for this practice in the event that he/she does not quite meet the requirements mentioned above. Any remaining spaces in the Evening Practice will be available to the morning swimmers who may be unable to attend the morning practice because of camp or Summer Enrichment. The availability of theses spaces will be determined after registration is complete in early June. Evening Practice will begin on Monday June 16th and will be held on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
We Can't Do It Alone
The summer swim season will prove to be a success with the cooperation of our coaches, swimmers and parents. We appreciate your commitment to your children and to the team by volunteering your time and talents. At registration, you will be asked to choose volunteer assignments to help with the jobs that go along with the operation of swim meets at home and away; and to accomplish the many other behind-the-scene tasks that are necessary to carry out the social functions we sponsor as a team. If you have one swimmer on the team, you are required to volunteer for three (3) volunteer assignments. If you have more than one swimmer on the team, you are required to fulfill four (4) volunteer assignments. In the event that your child qualifies for an invitational meet, you will be required to volunteer at that meet also. We ask that you keep in mind that this distribution of responsibilities may not meet our needs all of the time. Your assistance may be requested in addition to your minimum obligations. We ask that all of our families be supportive so that all of our children enjoy another successful swim season.
Final registration will be held at the pool on May 27 and 28 from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. We recommend that you bring your calendar so that you may sign up for your volunteer assignments when you register.
Registration Fees
1st swimmer $50.00
2nd swimmer $45.00
Each additional swimmer $40.00
Fees include the required AAU insurance.
Please note the Parent Meeting scheduled for Friday, May 30 at 5:00 p.m. at the pool. The Team Reps will introduce themselves and talk about many of the events that are planned for the season. Our coaches will also be introduced and will be available to answer your questions. We hope to see everyone there!
We will be getting new team suits this year. We will have them available at registration on May 27 and 28 at the pool. We plan to have t-shirts, sweatshirts, bags, goggles, and caps available for purchase also.
Let's Go Serpents!