By now you have seen multiple emails about the North Sydney Carnival occurring on Saturday February 16. This message summarizes the highlights of those emails in the form of the President’s message to the club. I don’t take advantage of my title all that often, so now’s the time to read the entire email!What’s the big deal with the North Sydney Carnival??
All returning members to the club should know this, but in case you have a short-term memory and for the benefit of our new members, here are the key reasons why the North Sydney Carnival is a big deal:
- This is the ONLY carnival we host each year
- Traditionally, the hosts like to WIN their own carnival. In order to win, it is not a matter of how good you are, it is a matter on having the largest number of swimmers registered and swimming. Every swim counts for points, so we ask ALL members to sign up to this carnival. It would be embarrassing to see the winner’s trophy walk away in the hands of another club!
- The other way to win is to ensure we enter as many relays as possible, so be prepared to stay to the end to swim in a relay. Relays will be posted at the pool on the day of the meet, so be sure to take a look, find your teammates and show up for your relay!
- This carnival is a ‘sprint’ carnival meaning even if you have never raced before, this is the best time to try – no turns required! (If you’re afraid of starting, you can start in the water or at the side of the pool instead of the blocks if you prefer).
- It’s an evening carnival – with a late start, you still get all day Saturday to yourself and if you have young kids only an evening babysitter is required.
- By running such a great event each year, we actually manage to raise a bit ‘o money which helps keep our annual fees down.
Why are we being asked to volunteer?
- We pride ourselves on running an efficient, organized carnival. Because the format is so quick, it is difficult to get enough timekeepers for every event as we churn through the swimmers. We also like to be able to give visiting the swimmers the pleasure of focusing on swimming rather than volunteering.
- For those with family and friends, please invite them along to assist with timekeeping. It’s an easy task and it makes spectating a whole lot more interesting when equipped with a stop-watch.
- You can respond to the emails from Jac (jacoxley@gmail.com) & Roz (roz.m.elliott@gmail.com) to volunteer if you haven’t already.
- If you are nervous about timekeeping, then be sure to arrive at the pool early on Sunday (9:30am) for a run-through on time-keeping by Roz.
How do I sign up?
- 2 ways to sign-up – online or at Pizza night on Wednesday!
- Onli
- ne: Go to our website and click on the “Enter” button next to the North Sydney Carnival: http://www.northsydneymasters.org.au/calendar/ and follow the instructions.
- Pizza Night – Jan 30 after Wed Training: Come enjoy free pizza, bring your registration fee ($20) and sign up in person on Wednesday night. If you haven’t already volunteered, then you can do so on Wednesday as well.
- We accept registration fee payment either in cash at the Pizza night or else online to our Race Account. If paying online, please ensure you include your last name & NNS Carnival in the detail. (See your club email for BSB details or email a committee member).
- In order to be eligible to compete, please ensure you are a current, paid member for 2013. Jen Langgons has recently sent out her latest update of members. If you were not on that list and are unsure how to enter, then simply click on the membership tab above.
- Entry deadline is Friday February 1, so get your entries in now!
What’s the raffle all about?
- There is a carnival tradition about having raffles at these events. They add to the overall fundraising of the event and generally there is good participation by
all at the event. - In order to make the tickets into the hot buy of the night though, donations are required. We have some corporate sponsors such as funkita/funky trunks, but we also look for donations for our baskets – anything from wine or alcohol to soaps to swim gear are all gratefully accepted. Please email Grant Parr (grant.parr@hss.health.nsw.gov.au) anything you are able to donate and then arrange to give it to Grant or another committee member while at training in the next 2 weeks.
OK – if you’ve made it to here, you’ve done a great job! Thanks for taking the time to read the message and I’ll see you on the pool deck soon! Please feel free to ask any other questions to your fellow club members and the coaches.
Christina
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Christina Echols
North Sydney Masters Swimming Club President