Newsletter: This email includes notes on safety and a save-the-date for the next club meeting, plus details on the club directory and dock traffic/youth programs this summer. If there’s something you’d like to include, please message (El) at 6095419402 or email.
Please also remind all your Viking friends and family to sign up for the newsletter.

Club Members’ Guidelines
One topic that came up at the last club meeting and in conversations afterwards is the idea of having guidelines for members for equipment care and safety. Attached is the full-length document, we’re going to post an abridged printout of this on a new pinboard at the club (thanks to Elyn for the board!)

We’re also in the process of updating the website to include these guidelines as part of a new members section. It will include a password-protected page with the membership directory (see below) as well as details on SignupGenius, the Stack Team app and more.
We can talk more about safety and insurance questions at the next club meeting. (Saturday 6/29 @8am)

Youth Programs & Dock Traffic
There will be several different youth rowing programs available this summer. The Chicken Dippers program will run at Viking from June 24th through July 27th. Kids aged 12-14 will row either Tuesday and Thursday nights or Monday and Wednesday nights from 6pm to 8pm, 10-11-year-olds will row on Saturday mornings, 9-12. Payment is $100 for the five-week program, payable by cash or check in person at the boathouse during the first week of the program.

Another program for high school students with at least one year’s rowing experience will be at Viking too. This one might mean some dock traffic during Masters’ hours – the HS kids will row from 7-9am Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. This program will also start Monday June 24 and ending Friday July 26, with a day off on Friday July 5. It will be coached by Joe McGuire, boys’ head rowing coach at Stockton University and Chris O’Brien, girls’ head rowing coach also at Stockton University. Several local high school coaches will also be involved. The cost for the program is $400. Payment can be made to the Viking Rowing Foundation. For more information or to sign up, contact John Kelley at 6099925606 or ehtboysrowing@gmail.com

A separate (FREE!) program for middle school kids is being offered by Atlantic City and the AC school district, running from their boathouse on the other side of Albany Ave for 10 weeks on Monday nights from 5-7pm. If you know any 5-8th grade kids that are interested in trying rowing for free, you can sign them up by contacting me (Elinor.)

Next Meeting – Saturday June 29, 8am
We have had a lot of feedback from new members that want to be more involved in the club, as well as from people who weren’t able to join us last month. We’re proposing another meeting for Saturday June 29 at 8:00 am. Please email Ellen Farber if there’s anything you’d like to add to the agenda – some of the topics we’re currently working on include:
Connecting novice rowers for practice with experienced bows/strokes
Membership directory
Flip drills, bow steering and other safety topics… Maybe if the weather is good on the 29th we can do flip drills either before or after the meeting. Let me know if you’re interested.

A Viking Membership Directory
We have started a membership directory as a way to help members connect with each other. The plan is to host it on a private, password-protected page of the website, but for now it is here via private Google spreadsheet. If you have not yet joined the directory, look for the form to fill out if you are willing to share your contact details with other Viking members. The idea is to use it to find subs and connect with other members.

Meeting Notes
Thanks to everyone that attended the meeting last month! If you weren’t able to make it, or missed last week’s newsletter, Ellen Farber has typed up her notes from the gathering. We will post on the new board in the boathouse as well.

The Viking Boat Sign Out Is Live!
Ellen Farber has set up the Sign Up Genius again for Viking this year to help us sign out club equipment. Ellen is working to keep the equipment list up-to-date as more boats become available, but also members have to let her know if there are any problems with boats so she can remove them from the list.

For those of you new to Sign Up Genius here are a few tips for signing out:
1) Download the app or sign up online: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050C4DABAE2EAA8-viking/97496018#/
2) Boats can be signed out for up to five days in advance…
3) …But if you need to cancel please do, so others can use the time slot
4) The person who makes the reservation will receive an email reminder

Please add the names and contact details of others rowing with you in the “my comment” section of the sign out form. There are a couple of reasons to do this – firstly, so that potential hot-seaters can get in touch with you to let you know their plans and secondly, in case you forget to cancel your sign out, people in the boathouse can call you to check you actually did decide to cancel and you’re not just late for your row.

Find A Rower!
Download the Viking Team App! We are using the “Stack Team App” which is available for free from the Apple store or Google Play. Once you have it installed, you can search for “Viking Rowing Club – Masters” and join the group. There is a chat function inside the app that worked well last year as a place for finding rowers to fill out a quad, or if you need to find a sub for a regular crew. It will work even better if more people use it!

If you have any ideas about improving communications for Viking members and/or ideas about what should be in the newsletter, let me know.
Cheers,
Elinor