Reading Canoe Club

News bulletin:

 Super suits 

The first batch of Reading C.C. track suits will soon appear.  Thanks to Paul Ralph, navy blue View From tracksuits embroidered with the club name and logo are now available at the price of ?50. 

Further orders are available on demand so contact Marsport for yours - 0118 966 5912.

 Helping hands

 There has been some good voluntary work at the club in recent weeks and ?thank you?s? must go, in particular, to the following individuals for their help:

Martin Lomas, Dave Sackman, Simon Artal, Nick Daniels, Tamsin Phipps, Lynn Badger and Heather Brough for their efforts at the Thameside races.  Also lock marshals: Rod Thomas, Rex Goddard, Daniel Seaford, Brian Greenham, Brian & Jane Craigie.  Thanks also to Chris Masters for the prizes.

Martin Watson wins the prize for biggest individual effort at the workday for constructing his scaffold tower, clearing gutters and washing windows. 

As always, many members have helped out at club events.  Thank you to all.

 Club security

 REMEMBER that when leaving the building, you are responsible to ensure that it is secure.

When you leave, close all windows, switch off the lights, set the alarm and shut the doors.

Just ask a member of the committee (see overleaf) if you want to be shown how to do it.  It is really very easy!

REMEMBER THIS . . . ?

Paddle, paddle splosh. Paddle splosh. Paddle paddle.
Brian Craigie, Swimmer of the Year 1999. 

Well, it is time for Craigie to surrender that title as over the winter he has taken on the form of a canoeist!  Dedicated hours in the boat have paid off as Brian completed Watersides A, B & C - an amazing achievement and an example to us all.

Disappointment for our Devizes to Westminster K1 Team.  Nick Daniels, Paul Dando, Andee Rawson and Jason successfully completed Day One, before the race was cancelled on Saturday. 

Congratulations must go to 13 year old Tom Daniels who has produced some sound results already this year and looks set to enter Division 4 in the near future.

Internationally, Reading is well represented as the first marathon selection of the year for Maribo, Denmark, includes: David Coulson, partnered with Simon Dark from Bradford-on-Avon, Sue Gray & Abigail Cattle.   

Update: Rates, Charitable/Limited Company Status

FIRSTLY, there is some excellent news regarding the club?s Rates Bill.  The cost of our rates has been calculated to be under ?3000, over four times less than we had anticipated. 

This has a very strong bearing on our position with regard to Charitable/Limited company status.  Let us recap:

The AGM motioned that the Committee should look seriously into how, or indeed whether, the Club should change its status.

To drive this, a sub-committee of Dave Sackman and Paul Owen, chaired by Martin Lomas has now been set up.

Members present at the AGM recognised the need for the club to achieve a sustainable and financially secure position on building rates which would decimate the club finances, were we ever required to pay them in full. However, were the club to have charitable status, it would be entitled to a mandatory reduction to 10% of the total rate bill.

Despite the good news that our rate level is not the great problem that it was, the committee will continue to research our status to understand:

?Other benefits relevant to the canoe club from gaining charitable status.

?The potential of becoming a Limited Company.

The latter is a separate item, as, were we to gain charitable status or not it could still be very relevant for reasons such as:

?Better protection of the club and its members against various legal and financial liabilities

?Better position for hiring people to do jobs within the club.

Anyone who would like to be involved in, or who has a view to be considered on this matter, please contact Martin, Paul or Dave.

Club Wins Millennium Grant for K2s

READING CANOE CLUB has won a Millennium Grant from the National Lottery in order to purchase club K2s for training, competition and for the disabled. This enables us to further extend the facilities which we can offer to the sport and to the community.  The grant of in excess of ?4,000 will be combined with a thousand pounds of Club funds and will buy K2s.  Grateful thanks must go to Paul Owen and our webmaster, Peter Burbridge, who wrote the successful application last summer.

Peter was delighted to hear the news.  He said: ?These boats will serve club and community members of all abilities.?  He went on, ?This is excellent news, the question now is, what colour?!?

National Marathon Championships

DIARY 2000 SATURDAY 24TH JUNE . . . Hosting National Marathon Championships SUNDAY 25TH JUNE . . . Hosting National Marathon Championships

AS MOST OF YOU should now know, this year we are hosting one of the most prestigious events of the racing season: the British National Open Marathon Racing Championships, on the weekend of the 24^th/25^th June. 

Hundreds of competitors and spectators, canoeists and non-canoeists will come to enjoy the two day racing spectacle, providing us with an ideal opportunity to promote the club and canoeing in Reading.

New racing classes will be run, as agreed at the BCU Marathon Committee AGM 1999, giving plenty of scope for paddlers of all ages and abilities to compete at an appropriate level.

National Championship canoe and kayak classes for Under 14s, 16s, 18s and 23s will race in addition to the usual senior event, complimented by Over 35s, 45s and 55s categories.

There will also be mixed divisional races and Lightning competitions for the Under 12s.

With so much going on over one weekend, there are an abundance of tasks to be completed in advance of and during the weekend. 

To date, a group of volunteers have met monthly and are actively preparing the event.  However, there are many jobs to be done and the more people that help, the better.

We require particular help on the eve of and during the weekend of the 24^th/25^th to set up, run and clean up after the event.  Tasks include:

 Martin Lomas is running working document which he will manage to keep track of volunteers for various tasks.  Please let him know how you will help.  A more detailed list will appear on the notice board.  Jobs will be later allocated to those who do not specify which job they would like to be involved with.

If you know of any sponsors who would like to aid the event, please speak to Jacqui Mullins or Abi Cattle.

National meetings are held on the first Thursday of every month, please come and join us!

National Marathon Championships T-Shirts . . . ?7 Long-sleeved . . . ?9 Sweatshirts . . . ?12  Available in S, M, L & XL - Order Yours Now!!! from Tamsin Phipps 0118 947 7643 or Jacqui Mullins 0498 601070

 Club & Committee Contacts

(see email page for contact details)

Office (answerphone)	0118 947 7643
e-mail	info@reading-canoe.org.uk
Web Site	http://www.reading-canoe.org.uk
Chairman	Tamsin Phipps
Secretary	David Sackman
Treasurer	Simon Artal
Membership Secretary	Paul Toomey
Competition Secretary	Brian Greenham
Racing Captain	David Coulson
Communications	Abigail Cattle
Youth Representative	Gail Battison
Tim Ralph	Tim Ralph
Ordinary Members	Martin Lomas Susan Gray

Sprint

	Event	Dates	Closing date	Location
?	Elmbridge fun race	May 6th		Weybridge
	Spring regatta	May 13th/14th	Friday 21st April	Nottingham
?	Wey fun regatta	May 27th		Guildford
	Summer regatta	June 3rd/4th	Friday 12th May	Nottingham
?	Molesey regatta	May 27th
	National Championships	July 1st/2nd	Friday 9th June	Nottingham
?	Royal regatta	July 8th		Kingston, London
?	Reading regatta	August 19th		Reading
	Inter-club Championships	September 2nd/3rd	Friday 11th August	Nottingham
? Signifies junior event only

Marathon

April	30th	Wey	July	9th	Leighton Buzzard
May	7th	Reading Circuit		15th/16th	Stockton World Cup
	14th	Marlow		16th	Woodmill
	21st	Leamington		23rd	Reading Vets
June	3rd/4th	Windsor Vets K2/K1	August	6th	Medway
	11th	Basingstoke		13th	Thames Valley
	18th	Royal	Sept.	10th	Pangbourne
	24th/25th	Nationals ? Reading		17th	Henley