Category: Announcement!

Canoe Trip Details {Aug 17th & Aug 19th}

To cut down on emails, I will be posting trip details for the upcoming week in one email for easier planning. Please read carefully.

Trip: Saugeen River  #3– Paisley (Access #10 – Hwy.17 bridge (Access #13) – left at Burgoyne
Date:  August 17th
Time:  Meet at the shed at 8:00 a.m. for a 8:15 a.m. departure
Trip Organizer: Anne Woolner  annewoolner@hotmail.com
Tower: TBD
Details:  This is a club favourite! Lots of challenges and plenty of opportunity to practice river reading skills. This is an all day trip so we can’t guarantee when we will be back so come prepared with lots of water, snacks and a lunch. After the trip, we will stop for a swim at Port Elgin and have  a fish & chips supper at the Queen’s Hotel. We may even stop for icecream on the way back! So bring extra money.
Skill Level: Experienced paddlers only! There are sections with fast moving water that isn’t covered with basic training!
Shuttle: Yes
Trip Fee: $9 (Out of town trip more than 100 km)

For a quick review on “reading the river”, there is a section in the OSSCC Handbook on pg. 22 that talks about reading water which we learned in our intermediate training. There are hard copies of the manual available at the shed for $10 per copy. Just ask the Trip Organizer.

Trip:  Flordale (part of Woolwich Reservoir) This trip was rescheduled from July 29th
Date:  August 19th
Time:  Meet at the shed at 9:00 a.m. for a 9:15 a.m. departure
Trip Organizer: Anne Woolner  annewoolner@hotmail.com
Tower: TBD
Details: Easy Breezy – Open to all members.  This is an easy flat water paddle.  Great opportunity to reconnect with members you haven’t seen in a while, meet and welcome new members and just enjoy being outdoors and on the water! Good time to practice strokes as well.
Skill Level: Basic training required!
Shuttle: Yes
Trip Fee: $6

Canoe Trip Times and Pre-Trip Measures
What to Bring on a Canoe Excursion
What to do on Canoe Day

Please contact Anne Woolner at  annewoolner@hotmail.com or call 519-743-2277 to save your spot for either trip. Spots will be saved on a first come, first served basis.

TRIP CANCELLATIONS FYI
We have been having wacky weather these last few weeks with constant threats of thunderstorms/lightning which contributed to trip cancellations.  Trips will only be cancelled if there are thunderstorms/lightning imminent during our paddle time (we have paddled in the rain if there is no lightning danger), if not enough people sign up for a trip, if no one volunteers to tow, or if no one volunteers to organize a particular trip. Let’s hope next week brings good paddling weather.

We need Trip Organizers to organize and lead trips for both the Tuesday and Thursday outings, especially the ones that are blank on the Trip Schedule. Anne has her name beside most of the trips, but would love it if others would step up. If you volunteered on your membership form to be a Trip Organizer, please contact Anne and let her know which trip you’d like to organize (if you haven’t spoken already). We’ve added some of our favourite trips to the schedule, so if you can, consider volunteering or team up with a friend to help organize and lead. If we don’t get anyone to lead these trips, they will be cancelled.
Contact Anne Woolner at  annewoolner@hotmail.com or call 519-743-2277 to sign up. If you want to know what organizing a trip entails, we have a trip organizing section on the Blog to help you out!

Opening Update!

Hello Old Salts!

We hope this message finds you all in good health and coping well with the Covid-19 challenges that have been presented to us as we round the corner to entering Stage 2 of reopening. These are unprecedented times that will generate many conversations down the road, but today, I would like to provide you with an update on the status of our Club and thank you for your continued patience in waiting to hear what the 2021 canoe season will look like.

The OSSCC Board of Directors has been meeting via Zoom regularly to monitor the Covid-19 situation and how it affects our Club. The BOD has decided that we will resume activities once the Region of Waterloo enters Stage 2 of reopening. With more people receiving their 2nd vaccination and with less restrictions, the OSSCC will be operating on a limited schedule with measures that were put in place last season and possibly extending the season into the fall, weather permitting. This also means that social events will start as well.

With the Club resuming operations shortly and offering activities, we will also require members to complete membership renewal forms and pay their membership fees. The fee remains the same at $40 per person. The membership form has been tweaked to reflect current requirements and can be found here.  (See below for more information). Since we don’t have access to Wing 404 to pick up mail, I ask that you either mail or drop off the form/fees to OSSCC, C/O 132 Kesselring Crt., Kitchener, ON N2E 2P2. If you have any questions about this, call me at 519-501-2078 for clarification.

The canoe schedule is ready to go and it will be published and available on the blog once we get the go-ahead that the region is entering Stage 2. Hopefully by this time most of our members will have received their 2nd vaccination. With the safety measures we put in place last year and with the added protection of being fully vaccinated, members can still enjoy a fun canoe season and any social events that may happen. In the meantime, please submit your forms and fees to ensure the continued viability and success of our Club. The membership list will be adjusted accordingly and available at the end of July. For our new members from last year, we are working on a plan to provide basic canoe training (on a first come, first serve basis) so you can participate on some of our easier trips.

Please stay tuned to the blog…..another update will be posted with the date of the first canoe trip of the season being announced!

Eugene Marion, President
Old Salts Seniors Canoe Club
eugene.marion@gmail.com

Membership Renewal Form changes……

You can find the Membership Renewal form here.

As per several requests from some of our members, I have created a “fillable”  PDF form that can be completed via desk top computer or laptop using the free Adobe Reader DC software, and then saved and  printed. This can also be done on tablets or cell phones that have an app that can read and edit PDF forms.  Of course, the form can  be printed and filled out by hand, as has been the case in previous years….something for everyone! – Carol

 

OSSCC Reminders & Requests!

Thanks to everyone who responded to the last email to let us know that you wish to remain a member of our Club. (If you didn’t see the post, you can find it here.) Unfortunately, there are still stragglers who have not let us know  their intentions.  We are not asking for forms or fees at this time. Just let us know whether you want to stay a member and if there are any changes to your contact information by April 15th.  The membership list will then be updated. Due to privacy concerns,  if we don’t hear from you by then, further emails and access to the blog will be suspended until you do contact us.

Please contact Eugene Marion: eugene.marion@gmail.com  or call
519-501-2078.

Volunteers are the lifeline of our club. We can’t operate without them. Trip Organizers, towers, etc., and especially the Board of Directors (BOD), all require volunteers for the Club to function properly and remain viable.

At this time, the BOD really needs a Secretary. We ask that you seriously consider this position. Your contribution would really be appreciated and the time commitment would be for our monthly BOD meetings (less July & December) and our annual general meeting. There are lots of resources available to help with the job.

Please contact Anne Woolner: annewoolner@hotmail.com or  call
519-743-2277.

We also have an opening for  a new Web Administrator. This is a fun position for anyone who enjoys computers. Carol is willing to work with whoever volunteers for the job until they are comfortable. She is preparing a manual for the handover and will stay on in an advisory/techie support capacity.

Want to find out more? Please contact Carol Marion: caroline.milla4@gmail.com or 519-570-6250

 

 

 

 

2021 Canoe Season Update

Hello Fellow OSSCC Members!

It’s hard to believe 2020 has come and gone. It’s already March 2021 and we are faced with the same dilemma that we faced a year ago during the initial stages of the Covid-19 pandemic.  On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank everyone for their support during a very difficult 2020, whether you decided to canoe last season or not.

The OSSCC Board of Directors has been meeting via Zoom regularly to monitor the Covid-19 situation and how it affects our Club activities. The recommendation by the Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health is to discontinue any large gatherings to keep our community safe and stop the spread of the virus. As such all OSSCC activities have been suspended until further notice. This includes canoeing, training and all social activities.

With our 2021 Membership Drive cancelled, your Board of Directors would like everyone who wishes to remain an OSSCC member, to notify us either by phone or email so we can continue to keep you on the membership list.  Rather than have everyone fill out a new 2021 membership application/waiver, we are going to extend the 2020 form to apply to 2021 for your convenience. We will not be collecting any membership fees at this time as long as no club activity takes place  i.e. canoeing, training. etc. We ask that you check the current members hip list on the Blog and let us know if any of your information has changed. Please call (519) 501-2078 or email me at eugene.marion@gmail.com 

Our Board of Directors will continue to meet via Zoom to try to navigate through this COVID 19 crisis with the hope that we can have another great canoe season.  Thank you for your cooperation.  We will be in touch when the situation changes and we are ready to resume our scheduled events. In the meantime, we wish you well. Stay healthy!

Eugene Marion,
President, OSSCC
Res: 519-579-1360
Cell: 519-501-2078
———————————————–
As you confirm your membership, please think about the following:
There are some vacancies on the Board that still need to be filled. Please consider the following positions:
You can find the job descriptions here

Secretary needed for the Board of Directors

We need a secretary for our Board of Directors. If you want to be actively involved in the decision making of the Old Salts Seniors Canoe Club, this is your great opportunity!!

The job description is listed below. If you are interested, contact Anne Woolner: annewoolner@hotmail.com or 519-743-2277.

 Secretary

a. To deal with all correspondence on club matters (incoming and outgoing)           i. The Secretary should be given a copy of all correspondence generated           by other Board members.

b. To record the minutes of all General meetings and Board meetings held by the club. If it is not possible to attend a meeting, the Secretary will ask one of the other members to do this.

c. To retain copies of all forms which are necessary for club membership.

d. To see to it that the Articles and By-laws of the constitution are followed and keep these up-todate when necessary.

e. To keep general records of the club.

f. To prepare an agenda, in consultation with the President, for each meeting, and inform members of the time and date for that meeting.

g. To provide minutes of Board meetings to City of Waterloo as per contractual agreement.

2020 REOPENING! {Please Read}

Hello Members,

As mentioned in the last couple of posts, the OSSCC  Board has tried to come up with a plan to get us back on the water in a manner that will allow us to be safe yet still respect the the COVID-19 parameters set out by the province.

To that end, many of our members have expressed their desire for the Club to reopen and to get back on the water. How that will work will depend on YOU and your level of participation.  We still need people to lead trips. To be blunt, NO TRIP ORGANIZERS = NO TRIP! 

To volunteer, contact Anne Woolner at annewoolner@hotmail.com to get your name and contact info on the schedule. The proposed schedule is posted here.  If you want to know what’s involved in organizing a trip, check out the duties here. If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions about the schedule, please either contact Anne directly, or comment below this post.

To get on the water, the Board has approved a strategy to employ strict safety measures to keep everyone safe and healthy. EVERYONE is required to adhere to these measures, no exceptions!

Highlights of the 2020 OSSCC Reopening Strategy includes, but is not limited to: (please read the full document for all details)

    • Anyone who has been diagnosed with Covid-19 , is not feeling well, has Covid-19 symptoms, has been in contact with someone who has Covid-19 etc., should not participate in our canoe trips this year.
    • Anyone who has been out of province or out of the country recently, should be quarantining and not participate in canoe trips or Club activities until their quarantining period is over.
    • Number of people on a trip are limited to 1 trailer (6 canoes) = 12 people maximum to 8 people minimum. The second trailer will not be used this year. There will be no car-topping.
    • Members must provide their own masks (at least 2), hand sanitizer and wipes as part of their canoe gear and use as required. This will not be supplied by the Club.
    • Members must sign and submit a Covid-19 Liability Waiver. This is in additon to the Waiver that was submitted with your registration. This must be submitted to the Trip Organizer prior to participating on your first trip.
    • Members will be required to pre-register for canoe trips (like it is done for Easy Breezy trips.) If members don’t sign up for trips, they will be cancelled and the season will end due to lack of interest!
    • Changes to how trip fees are being collected is outlined (see document)
    • Includes trip day protocols, handling the canoes, shuttling/carpooling (if required) etc. (Read the document for more details)

[pdf id=3156]

[pdf id=3158]

You can also view and print both documents from here.

Since we can offer no training this season to assess skills, new members will be restricted to Easy Breezy outings (flat water) only. I know our more experienced members will welcome and help our new members who bravely joined our group in spite of the covid threat.

Participation is purely voluntary and according to your own personal comfort level. We recognize that not everyone is comfortable canoeing at this time, in spite of the measures put in place, especially with regards to carpooling and shuttling, etc. We leave that to you to decide and respect your decision.

For those who have decided not to canoe this season, we thank you for your continued support and look forward to seeing you on the water and at other Club events next season. Stay healthy, be safe!

UPDATE ON STARTING THE SEASON

Greetings to all!  Hopefully, this notice will find everyone safe and in good health.

First of all, thanks to all of you for your support of the club by registering and and submitting your membership fees in light of the uncertainty we have been facing with this Covid19 outbreak.  Your continued backing of our club is much appreciated as we weather this crisis together.

Many of you may be wondering what is happening, when we are going to start our season and how it is going to look. The health and safety of our membership is our top priority as we work to set things in motion once we are able.  Unfortunately, we are still under the provincial social distancing mandate (with 5 or less people for a gathering) and must wait for the province to relax this.  The City of Waterloo has also closed their facilities until June 30th and is now in the planning stages for opening some time in July.

Since that is over a month away and we can’t predict what will happen between now and then. We will keep you posted.

In light of all this, we have to  cancel our canoe trips for the month of June.  This also means that our June 16th Paradise Lake Fun Day has been cancelled for this year.

If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions, please use the comments section below this post. Please note that the membership list has also been updated, so please keep in touch with our fellow members.

Regards,

Eugene Marion, President

REMINDER: Membership Forms/Fees…….

Thanks to everyone who have sent in their forms and fees for this season, in spite of the uncertainty of the COVID-19 crisis. It is much appreciated as we try to get the membership list updated so everyone can keep in touch while we wait out the the social distancing mandate.

Also, thanks to all of you who let us know you would be renewing your membership. We thank you for your response and support for our Club. Could you please send in your forms and fees as soon as you can (May 1st at the latest)so we can finally complete the membership list for the season.  Fees are still $40 per person and each member must complete a form. See “Latest Updates Due to COVID-19” for the most recent updates and where to send forms.

Please note that training has been cancelled for this season, so anyone who has submitted training fees will get a refund or their cheque returned.

If you don’t have access to a printer, please let us know and a membership form will be mailed to you. You can find the link to the form here: 2020 Membership Renewal Form
or here:
[pdf id=2984]

In case you missed it, please note that our canoe trips have all been cancelled for the month of May. See: Latest Updates Due to COVID-19

Newly updated Membership List, Version 4

For those of you who can’t wait to get out on the water and enjoy some fresh air, camraderie, and fun, here is a glimpse of what we have to look forward to:

Trip Videos 2019 (all in one place)

**PLEASE READ!** {Membership Drive} March 19th!!

Hello all,

Spring is just around the corner and the Membership Drive is coming up fast! Be sure to mark your calendars.  An agenda will be sent out closer to the date.

If you know of anyone who might want to join or rejoin the club, ask them to contact info@oldsaltsclub.com to get  on our mailing list! Membership information will be sent to them!

Membership Registration forms

Although registration forms will be available at the drive, anyone who either can’t make it to the drive or wishes to fill out the forms ahead of time can find the membership renewal form here. (on the Blog under “Club Documents {Printable}) New members will be able to find the membership form here. (Web page).

      1. Please return forms & fees by April 1st if possible (April 15th at the latest) so that the membership list can be compiled as early as possible and blog access can be updated.
        (Deadline for new members is April 1st as Dryland Training starts April 2nd)
      2. Complete the form in full. Please note that both page 1 (membership) and page 2 (club waiver) need to be signed to be complete! (Last year’s forms have been destroyed as per our Privacy Policy)
      3. Volunteer! All members are encouraged to volunteer for something to contribute to the club. (You will be called upon as needed) If you are already volunteering for something, please indicate so on the form as we do not assume that what you did last year is what you are doing this year. Volunteers are a valuable component of our club that keeps it running smoothly and contributes to our success. New faces are always welcomed, encouraged and appreciated.

handbook and rules

The final version of the club Handbook & Rules is  complete and can be viewed here  on the blog under “Club Documents {Printable}“. Printed copies will be available at the Membership Drive for $10 per copy. Proceeds from the sale of the club Handbook & Rules will go towards the “Shed Relocation Project”.

If you want, you can either print it yourself with your home printer, or purchase a collated hard copy at the drive.  This book is a compilation of club rules, operating procedures, stroke and canoeing review, safety, By-laws & Constitution, previous unwritten rules, etc. that is referred to in the club waiver that you sign with the registration form. Take a look…it has lots of information that was previously undocumented!

training

Members will also be able to sign up for training at the drive.  Anyone who hasn’t taken the required training in a while, particularly the intermediate or refresher courses, might want to sign up and brush up their skills.  Our new trainer, Beth Jones, is very experienced and knowledgeable and has lots of new insights to offer.  There is always something new to learn, particularly if you want to participate safely in some of our more challenging trips planned for this year where more advanced skills are required. You will find the costs on the membership form.
2020 Trip  & Training Schedule can be found here 
Training details can be found here

EMERGENCY CONTACT cARD

Just a reminder that everyone is required to have a completed “Emergency Contact Card” on them for club excursions.  If you don’t have one or need a new one because your information has changed, you can pick one up at the Membership Drive or print one from here.

BOndi

Our annual Bondi Retreat has been a tradition with the club for a long time. Unfortunately, the last two retreats were cancelled due to lack of interest. If anyone is interested in resurrecting the Fall Retreat, please show your interest by coming forward and signing up at the Membership Drive.

Social Events

Although the purpose of our Membership Drive is to sign up new and returning members, we do have have a social component where members can come out of hibernation to meet and greet fellow members and welcome new members to the club. The social committee will be providing refreshments!

Let season 2020 begin!!

Board Members