June 2015

Minutes for the Annual Meeting of June 4, 2015

Attendees
Sylvie Ortega (Co-Pres), Liz West(PET WRAT), Lorraine Kennedy (Officials Chair), Ellen Johnston(Head Coach), Ronald Wimer, Allson Adler, Suzanne Ryan (Secretary), Jennifer Lau (8 and under rep), Candace Twiss(senior rep), Adrienne Williams(ex official), Craig Adler, Martha Corneck,(AG rep) Andy McNab(Co-Pres), Tracey Keblish, Seymour Schacter, Chris Woods Christine Litte, David Litte

Approval of Minutes
Adrienne Williams made a motion to approve the minutes of the June 4th meeting, Craig Alpert second the motion. All voted unanimously and carried it was.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting dated June 4th, 2015 as presented to the Committee were approved.

Andy McNab made a motion to approve the new parent club members for 2015-2016, and Ron Wimer second.
RESOLVED that the new parent club members for the 2015-2016 year have been approved. All voted unanimously, and carried it was.

Coaches Report
Head Coach Ellen Johnston reported that the senior invite was very well run. Bids for short course season are coming up. Her year end wrap up is included:

Meet Manager’s Report
Excellent job running the meets. The 9 and under meet is expected to fall within the parameters. The meet is expected to have 171 swimmers. Need very little help if any with parking.

Officials Report
Currently, we have:
6 stroke referees
4 starters
2 referees
3 AOs

Lorraine Kennedy is expected to be an AO at the end of long course season
We are looking for ways to encourage more parents to become officials. Want to start a team of referees.

PET-WRAT Report
Liz West reports 48 families need points. Also reported that 115 families have completed or exceeded their points.

USA Swimming Manager’s Report
There are 7 families overdrawn, but nothing substantial. The club gave $882.50 in financial aid for swimmers(the same % that the Y gave).

Treasurer’s Report
Treasurer reported that it was a successful year. The meets have been a huge contributor of funds. The citrus sale was 20% ahead of budget. The budget should break even. Currently we are giving some sort of financial aid to 7 families.

Parent Representative’s Report
8 and under and Age group had many social events. In addition Chandler ran community and civic events for the group. It is harder getting the seniors together. They had a successful pizza and movie night (25 kids). Want to have a senior function at the beginning of the season to help Age group kids transition into seniors.

*Extra ordinary events
To date the club has raised 39K for SWIM for NEPAL. Also, $4,000 was given to Save the Children.

Co-President’s Report
Andy McNab thanked everyone for their hard work. He wrote the following:

Co-Presidents Address

Sylvia and I would like to thank every one of you who are here tonight for our Water Rat Parents Club annual meeting. Throughout the year the support of the parents and the Board has been tremendous, helping the coaches in the development of our swimmers and to maintain our reputation as one of the highly regarded teams in Connecticut.

We are fully integrated into our new facility here at Mahackeno and during these 9 months, have had a very successful Short Course season and are well underway through Long Course at present.

We have held successful meets both at our Strittmatter Natatorium and at Wesleyan College. The success of these meet is largely due to the strength of our volunteers covering every aspect of meet management and pool officials. It is gratifying to have our volunteer team congratulated by experienced CT Swim officials on our professionalism in our meet management. This thanks goes out to everyone.

It is the professionalism of the team management that earns us the US Swimming Club recognition that we have attained. Given the improvements that we have all contributed to, I am sure it will not be long before we are elevated to the next highest level. The team certainly has the potential.

We are also appreciative of the support the new Y Management have given the coaches and the team, especially helping us to incorporate our swim meets into the very popular Y program sessions.

We have a large influential group of senior swimmers graduating this year, and with them, some of the parents who have provided support and guidance to all of us over the last few years. We are fortunate in having a young Board, which bodes well for the team as everyone gains experience as their children move up through the ranks in the swim team.

It is important to remember, that as with the swim team, the strength of the Board and Parent volunteers relies on recruitment of younger parents, to maintain the steady growth.

The mission of the Parents Club is unchanged. We provide the coaches with the background support they need, enabling them to focus on our prime objective, training our swimmers, building team spirit and providing each one with the strength and support to grow into fine young adults, scholars and athletes.

With our successful meets and fundraisers we are able to provide financial support to those less fortunate. This is a tradition that started with a donation by Ann Atkinson, and has been maintained and strengthened by each successive Board and parent group.

Through the efforts of the coaches, parents and swimmers this year there has been an increased involvement by the team in volunteering to help the local community with various projects, capping it off with an extremely successful fund raiser, initiated and organised by swimmers, for the Save the Children’s efforts in helping the children of Nepal.

As a Parent Club, we have also donated to the Y Alliance, who maintain orphanages in Nepal, and who have a very active presence, in helping the Nepali children.

We have heard from the individual Board members who have reported on their areas of responsibilities.

The Parent Club is strong, with positive reports from Finance, US Swimming, PET WRAT, incoming Board candidates, Age Group and Senior Parent reps, Coaches and Officials.

Sylvia and I thank all of you who have undertaken these responsibilities, and the results that have been achieved are excellent.
In conjunction with the Y, a strong Parent Club Board and Parent Volunteer group maintains the foundation for the success of the Water Rat team. This year has been an exciting year, with swimmers of all ages achieving State and National teams, and Ellen achieving the national recognition of her peers.

We are sure that the 2015 /16 year will be as exciting and successful.

Thank you to each and every one of you for the effort you have made , and to those who will step forward in the future.

Sylvia Ortega and Andy McNab,
Co-Presidents
Water Rat Parents’ Club

Andy McNab moved to adjourn meeting, and Ron Wimer seconded, all voted in favor. The next meeting is slated July 1, 2015.

Respectfully submitted
Suzanne Ryan
Secretary
Water Rats Parents’ Club