Swim Test Changes - If a member is not able to pass a swim test the following option is now available to them.

If a dedicated coxswain is not able to pass a swim test, they may take the test wearing a life jacket, life vest or their own automatic inflatable floatation device. The coxswain must wear a life jacket, life vest or their own automatic inflatable flotation device at all times while in a boat. 

If a rower is not able to pass a swim test, they may take the test wearing a personal automatic inflatable flotation device. The rower must wear their own person automatic inflatable flotation device at all times while in a boat. 

Personal automatic inflatable flotation device must be accompanied with a new cartridge when participant is in a boat. 

Please take note of the following changes to the Club Rules:

As the board of directors and coaches continue to fine-tune the rules of the club we discovered that we have not clearly stated the consequences for not adhering to them. As a result, the board has approved the following addition to the club rules. 

If a rower violates¹ any of the club or sculling rules (set forth in the Sculler’s Manual) the consequences will be as follows:

First violation - 
Rower will get a warning.

Second violation -
Rower will not be boated for two weeks. If the rower is an independent sculler he/she will not be allowed to scull for two weeks. If a regatta is scheduled during those two weeks he/she will not be allowed to race.

Third violation -
Rower will be considered for membership suspension.

¹Infractions are at coaches' discretion with appeals to the board.

Remember all members are required to read the Club Rules and in addition, scullers are required to the read the Sculler’s Manual annually.  The rules are meant for your safety, the safety of our equipment and the security of our boathouse. If you have not read the rules this year now would be a good time to do it so you don’t find yourself in violation.

Let's Get Hal Back on the Water!

Our beloved Vespoli 4+ Halapeño suffered a nasty blow last fall that cracked a rib and made a rift in the hull, rendering it unrowable.  We have been given an estimate for repair estimate of $2900 by our hull repair shop in Chicago. We want Hal back!!

In the next 6 weeks, we need to raise funds to pay for the repair.  If we all pitch in we can do it!  We can get Hal back on the water in time to rip up the Chicago Sprints.

To reach our goal:  48 members need to earn/contribute an average of $60 each

That is a lot of money, but…this is where RENT-A-ROWER comes in!

Two ways to make our goal:

1. Members can “earn” money by volunteering their muscle/skills/talents to family, friends and neighbors, who in turn make a donation to MRC (“Rent-a-Rower”).
2. Members can contribute money directly to the fund.

Dates:  4/11/16 through 5/23/16 (6 weeks)

Rent-A-Rower: 

For rowers who wish to donate their muscle and talent: 

1. Rowers send notice to friends, family, neighbors announcing list of tasks rower is willing to do. 
2. Rowers and customers schedule jobs.
3. Rowers complete tasks, and friends, family, neighbors make a suggested donation of $15/hour to MRC.

To reach your goal: 4 hours x $15 = $60

Some suggested tasks for Rent-A-Rower:

• Yard Work (raking, weeding, planting, mowing, turning over garden, mulching)
  
• Windows (ground or step ladder only)
  
• Cleaning garage, basement
  
• Interior Cleaning
  
• Painting
  
• Stacking wood
  
• Polishing silver
  
• Wash, vacuum car
  
• Dog walking
  
• Cooking dinner/baking (you donate ingredients)
  
• Moving furniture, boxes
  
• Specialties:
  
• Bike repair
  
• Computer help
  
• Mending, hemming, alterations
  
• What is your specialty?     
  

Important:

All checks should specify “MRC Donation, Boat Repair Fund” so the fundraising can be tracked.

Here is a sample note you could send to friends, neighbors and family:

Subject line: Rent-A-Rower

Hi ______

I row with Mendota Rowing Club (MRC), a community rowing club located in James Madison Park.  Last fall one of our rowing shells “Hal” was damaged in an accident. We are raising money for the repair so we can get Hal back on the water, and hope you can help.

Through our Rent-A-Rower Fundraiser, I will do any of the tasks listed below for a suggested donation of $15 per hour.  All funds go directly to Mendota Rowing Club.

(List all tasks you are willing to do)

If you have tasks to do, please contact me and we can work out a convenient time.  If you require more than one person, please let me know.  There are plenty of strong folks at Mendota Rowing Club.

By the way, MRC offers Learn To Row classes all summer if you are interested in trying something new! http://mendotarowingclub.com/LTR

Your friendly Rent-A-Rower,

                                                                             

Questions: contact Nancy Jarvis - njarvis@mendotarowingclub.com

Join us for this free event sponsored by USRowing and Concept 2! Rowing clubs all over the United States will open their doors to share the excitement of rowing. We'll show you the mechanics of the stroke on indoor rowing equipment and then take you out on the water in our 8-oared racing shells if conditions permit. Competitive and recreational rowers range from 12 to over 90, so it is never too early or too late to learn to row!

Register here. 

                   

Congratulations to the April LTR graduates: Aldrin Abastillas, Aaron Jahncke, James Kreft, Laura Robbins, and Joe Wu.

Saturday, March 26th from 9am-noon!

We are busting open the doors of historic Bernard's Boathouse to let the fresh air -- and fresh people -- in! Come and see what makes rowers so stir-crazy this time of year: sleek racing shells waking up from their winter sleep, sparkling new lesson plan ideas for on-the-water rowing instruction, indoor rowing machines humming, keeping us fit and limber. Want to know more about rowing in 2016? Want to take a peek at what's going on inside that white boathouse? Stop in! Questions? Contact info@mendotarowingclub.com.

Mendota RC's new website is live!! The look and feel of the site has been updated and some new features have been added. Check it out and pass any suggestions you have for improvement on to the Board of Directors. 

Morning rowers have been testing out a new app to track attendance and plan boatings for upcoming practices and regattas. It's called Team Stuff, and so far, it's been great.

Morning rowers log into the app, so that coaches can easily manage rower contact and emergency information, as well as side preferences and sculling ability. Rowers can also indicate their attendance or absence from any practice or scheduled regatta from their home computers or smart phone with just a few clicks. Coaches can then link to a related app called Coach Stuff to set lineups, create a workout plan, and keep notes on rowers and coxswains. The app is currently free of charge - and we all hope will stay that way. It's not perfect, but according to Martha "This is easier than maintaining a single Google doc, plus more secure as each rower has their own individual log in and user identity".                 

For those interested in the morning program, you can get started on Team Stuff by taking a look here: Sign up as a member of the Mendota team. Once you set up a profile, you can look at Schedule and RSVP for practices. The default setting is "Yes, I'm attending" so please RSVP for the week by 7pm on Sunday evenings. Happy Rowing!

With your time, talents, and contributions, we are laying the foundation for another 40 years of a strong Mendota Rowing Club! Here's a recap of happenings around the boathouse, for which we are so grateful: Dock-In and Raising the Dock: Please forgive us for not having all the names of those who helped - it's a good problem to have, but Allison will make sure to keep better track at future events to ensure you're all mentioned properly! In addition to those who helped on dock-in and raise-the-dock days, we want to give a special shout out to Harlan, Natalie, Andy, and Ben for donning waders and hopping in the lake. Equipment & Beautification: Nancy has also been hard at work on oars, and other equipment repairs. Nancy, Kathryn, Harlan, Casey, and David have been ensuring our launches are in working order, too. Amy is applying for a grant for plants, with help from Ben, Fran, and Allison come planting time. Photo Archiving: Jennifer, a professional archivist, is working with Chad to preserve our hard copies of Mendota photos. Paul, Cory's husband, has graciously offered to donate his digital photo archive, as well! Donations: Flat Screen and Apple TV from Fran, which Ben graciously helped install. Photo frames from Kathryn, Fran, Jennifer, Elsa, Martha, Casey, Nancy, Som, Amy, and Allison. New towels from Mireille and a replacement megaphone from Fran. Membership Committee: Matt, Erin, Emily, and Michelle have been recruiting new members, creating ideas for swag. Publicity: Amy, Cory, Som, Mireille, Mark Ketilson, Elsa, Anna, and Martina are working projects such as social media, a new website design, photos, and this newsletter. Fundraising: Nancy and Fran made pogies, for sale now at the boathouse. National Learn to Row Day, morning of June 6th: Kathryn, Oliver, Laurie, Mireille and Amy are leading this big event, and volunteers continue to sign up! 40th Anniversary Reception, afternoon of June 6th: Cynthia, Peggy, Amy, and Allison are hard at work. Special thanks to Ben, Cory and her husband Paul, Som, Chad, and Alida for their donations thus far. Adult Advanced: Fran is the Adult Team head, and is working hard with Lead Coach Martha, and coaches David, Sarah, and Alyssa on all things competition-related. Chad, Fran, Som, and Kathryn are on a Coaching Committee, with a special focus on finding someone to fill Matt's shoes when he moves in July. Sculling: Thank you to Matt for keeping an eye on the water temps, and for coaching both advanced and new scullers. We will miss you when you go on to graduate school. Novice: Alyssa has begun the Novice Bootcamp! She welcomed the help of David, Mark Leahy, and Andy Miller. Learn to Row: The program has begun, and it couldn't have gotten off to a great start without the help of our volunteer instructors - Ben, Harlan, Kathryn, Sandy, and Sarah. As you can see, there is no shortage of things going on at the boathouse! Volunteers and new ideas are always sought and appreciated. Thanks for all you do!