WELFARE OFFICER

Unfortunately (for us), Lucy Conibear has decided to stop swimming in order to concentrate on athletics. This means that we are again looking for a Welfare Officer. This should not be an arduous job, mainly keeping a check that club workers and officials are up to date with their CRB checks and have attended the necessary seminars. Hopefully, the need for a sympathetic ear to listen to anyone with child protection concerns will be a rare event. Clearly, this person should be as independent as possible from any of the club’s workers. If you would be willing to consider taking on this role, please speak to Helen Smith to learn what is involved.

AGM

The Club’s AGM has been arranged for Monday, 5 March at the Filton Folk Centre at 8pm. Only paid up members are permitted to vote but anyone interested is welcome to attend. We shall be seeking nominations for the Committee positions in the usual way. Please come along, it is your club too.

FAMILY NIGHT

It has been proposed to hold a Family Social Night on Friday, 15 June. It will be held at the Stapleton & Begbrook Community Association where the Presentation Disco is held. Preliminary suggestions have been to have a disco for the children and, at the same time, a Quiz Night for the adults and to have an American Supper. If you have any other ideas, please let us know.

WEBSITE

The new and greatly improved website is now up and running with a slightly different address (see below). Our thanks go to Murray Longworth for the design and maintenance of the site. If you have any ideas for additions or improvements please let us know.

COMMUNICATIONS

Despite trying to pass on information verbally and via the notice board and this newsletter, there are occasions when it is difficult to reach everyone. We are, therefore, trying additional, more modern means of communication. We have obtained a mobile phone that will be used to text people, particularly about last minute cancellations of training but also to send out reminders. The success of this will depend on your ensuring we have your up to date mobile phone numbers. A second approach is to use e-mails via the website so, again, we must have your current e-mail address for this to work. We have addresses and phone numbers for most swimmers but some may be out of date if this data has not been included on the membership form and we are using data provided last year. I will print out copies of this newsletter to be picked up at training sessions as usual but, if all goes well, you may also receive it by e-mail. Please help us to help you by checking that we have your latest details.

COTSWOLD SERIES

Our first gala of the series for 2012 took place at Brockworth last Saturday. On the Thursday we were considering pulling out due to a shortage of swimmers so many thanks to those who agreed to swim at the last minute. I thought the whole team swam well and I hope they all enjoyed it. The teams were pretty well matched with all having strengths and weaknesses; our main problem was that many of our swimmers were in the bottom half of the age group so their swims were often better than they may have appeared. Well done, everyone! The next one is on 25 February and we shall be hosting that one at Keynsham.

MEMBERSHIP 2012

Membership forms should be in as soon as possible please. About half of the expected renewals are now in but remember that if they are not in when I do the annual return for the ASA your membership of the ASA will be lapsed. This means that: a) you will not be covered by insurance in the event of an accident, b) you will not be allowed to take part in any ASA activity and c) when you do renew you will be treated as a new member and be charged an initial joining fee. You can, therefore, save yourself a fiver by renewing your membership now.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

2 Feb – Bristol Secondary schools heats

4 Feb – Mini Series gala

7 Feb – Bristol Secondary schools heats

18/19 Feb – Glos Block

25 Feb – Cotswold Series gala

2 March – Primary schools heats

3/4 March – Glos Block

5 March – AGM

6 March – Primary schools heats

9 March – Primary schools heats

14 March – School gala

15 March – Secondary schools finals

17 March – Glos Block

18 March – Glos Block relays