Club Update, May 6 2010

Hopkins Redux: We are pleased to say that the Hopkins School has reconsidered, and will be rowing this year after all! Apparently a warm response from parents of the young athletes caused Hopkins to make rowing a priority for the fall once again: the board was informed at the end of April. We will be pleased to welcome them in the fall.

Sunshine Committee: Nancy Brackett reports that Sandy Blanchard and John Sword are recovering nicely; Sandy is home from the hospital. Both are probably impatient to get up and at 'em! We are sad to report that Norm Thetford's mother passed last week at age 96: please see the full report in the post immediately below.

Derby Sweeps and Sculls: Save June 5 on your calendar now!! We need our usual enthusiastic volunteer turnout for this smaller, but mighty, regatta. If you are new to the club, please know that we raise a major portion of our budget through this and the Head of the Housatonic in the fall, making it possible for us to have a membership cost that actually does not represent what it costs to run the club. It's also a fun way to hang out together and remember that even though we have many differences we are all NHRCs!

From Susan Schofield:

I know it's hard to believe, but the DSS regatta is now less than a month away (June 5). I need some assistance attaching medals to the ribbons. By Saturday, I will leave bags of medals/ribbons on the upstairs window seat near the office. The best tool to use for this task is a pair of needlenose plyers.

Thanks in advance for your help. As you all know, our regattas are run completely with volunteer help, so please mark June 5 on your calendar and volunteer to help out. Volunteers will also be needed before and after the actual regatta date. Let's have another outstanding regatta!

Update To The Membership: The Hopkins Program

Tom Parr has recently informed the Board that Hopkins has reviewed its commitment to rowing and has decided not to continue the program in 2010. Parr informed Hopkins parents of the decision yesterday, citing the relatively few students involved and the logistical hurdles to mounting a truly competitive program off-site. Money does not seem to have been a factor, but the need for the school to devote its athletic budget in a way that spoke best to student interests, transportation issues and scheduling needs were critical issues in the discussion.

Parr thanks the club sincerely for its efforts on behalf of the school, and notes in his letter to the Hopkins community that the school will continue to support students who wish to row as one of their athletic commitments. We at The Catch, speaking on behalf of the Board, thank all of you who made the program possible. Past president Audrey Novak guided our discussions with skill; Mitz Carr helped to solidify the arrangements between NHRC and Hopkins; and Lisa Brailey chaired the committee that surveyed the membership as to its views, allowing others to negotiate a contract that was satisfactory to the club. Too many of you to name were advocates for Hopkins, allowing the club to think about its future involvement with junior rowing in a way that is sure to continue, and made good on your commitment by making the practical arrangements that allowed Hopkins to practice safely at our boathouse.

Thank you to everyone, and our discussions about future junior programming are sure to continue.