Times are tough, so security gets tougher

Below is a less detailed version of a very important message from the Security Committee that PBC Members will receive soon via snail and e-mail, if they haven’t already.  Please take the time to read the detailed version when you get it, especially if you don’t feel like reading this one.

No, actually, please read each and every version you may receive through any channel, especially this one.  (Quiz next week.)

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Dear PBC Members:

The Potomac Boat Club (PBC) Board of Governors and the Security Committee are implementing new security measures, as a result of various breaches in security over the last few months.  Although a few folks may feel inconvenienced by these new measures, we are confident that most of you are willing to do what it takes to help ensure the safety of the boathouse and, more importantly, the safety of yourself and your fellow Members.

With that in mind, effective July 11th, 2011, official Club Hours of Operation go into effect.  They will be enforced during non-operating hours by an alarm directly linked to the DC Police, additional surveillance cameras with motion-detecting, recording and remote monitoring capabilities, in addition to other measures we cannot discuss here.

During regular hours, Members will be required to input their personal codes to gain access to Club, as well as to various areas of the Club.  This redundant code requirement will record the activity of those with a legitimate purpose for being in the club (including Senior Members, Competitive Members, and contractors) and give us and the DC Police another tool to use when sorting potential criminal actors from legitimate users, if a security issue does arise.

As we take these steps to increase the security of the boathouse itself, it is imperative that each of us remains vigilant and observant, so we respectfully remind you of the following responsibilities that we all have as Members of PBC:

• Use your own code each time you enter the house.  Do not share it with others. When entering, make sure the front door locks behind you.
• Do not let anyone you do not recognize, or who cannot identify the program they are with, follow you in through the front door.
• Do not prop open any outside door or gate unless it is fully attended by another Member.
• Do not prop and leave open internal, red, metal fire doors, which are part of the fire control system for the house.
• At the end of the day, lock all doors and windows in the ballroom and the weight room before you leave and be sure the front door closes and is locked behind you.
• If you are the last one out of the house, at any given time of day, please ensure that all bay doors are closed and latched. (Use the logbook as a guide to see if anyone might be out on the water.)
• While in the house, make sure your valuables are in a safe place.  Do not leave valuables in lockers overnight.
• For your own safety, refrain from spending time alone in the house, especially during low traffic periods.

Finally, we encourage you to report any suspicious activity as soon as possible by writing to security@potomacstar.com or by calling 911 in case of emergency.  If you are in doubt about what to do or whom to contact, please err on the side of caution and alert the police.  Acting quickly and providing accurate details are essential to resolving any security issue.

Unfortunately, these are tough times and invoking tighter security measures to keep us all safe has become necessary.  Please join us in doing your part to make this work.

Thank you.

PBC Board of Governors and the Security Committee

[Wait ... what are these "official" hours of operations, you ask?  Um,  maybe grab that decoder ring you just dug out of your kid's box of Captain Crunch and go check your snail and email for the previously mentioned versions of this message.  Yes, you may refer to the hard copy as you read the soft one, if you'd like, but please close this window before you do.  We're trying to eat.  Thanks.]

The Open Sculling Report for May

To learn more about Willy Cowles, this month’s contributor to the Open Sculling Program Report, please click here and scroll down.  You’ll find bios for the rest of the current Open Sculling Program team there, as well!

In the meantime, we’re pulling for you back here at PBC, Willy!  Best of luck at the U.S. Training Center in Chula Vista!

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May was a very busy month for members of the PBC open sculling team, with invitations to the National Selection Regatta (NSR) II and potential National Team boat camp invitations up for grabs.  The prior month, we had marked the beginning of our summer racing season, taking our singles up to Princeton for NSR I.  We experienced some mixed weather conditions at NSR I and some mixed results, but in May, with only three weeks separating the two NSR’s, we had to move quickly to find 2x combinations.

NSR I and II, which happen every April and May, are the primary races through which National Team selection occurs. For scullers, NSR I means racing the single. The winner of this regatta earns the opportunity to go to a World Cup in Europe as the U.S. Single Sculler, and, provided he or she finish in the top 4, retains this spot as the U.S. Single Sculler going into World Championships at the end of the summer.  The same is true of NSR II, except that the second regatta also holds the opportunity to earn invitations to boat camps.  While the winner of the 2x at NSR II can also go to a World Cup, anywhere from one to three or four “runners up” can be invited to the Quad camp, a National Team selection camp where invitees try to earn a spot in the 4x.

After NSR II, nine Potomac athletes, along with three rowers from other clubs (USTC-OKC, Pocock Rowing Club, and GMS Rowing Center) ran both a men’s and a women’s doubles matrix that produced three men’s and three women’s doubles.  I paired up with Mike Sivigny, a rower from GMS in Connecticut, and split the weeks between NSRs between DC and Connecticut.  After three weeks of hard training, we arrived in Princeton ready to race.  After time trials, heats, and semis, my double ended up with a spot in the A Final.  We had our work cut out for us, with three current U.S. National Rowing team boats in the final, as well as strong entries from Penn AC and the 2009 U.S. National team double.

Mike and I knew that our strength lay in our endurance, and we were able, according to our race plan, to walk from 6^th to 4^th in the second thousand of the race.  Although we were disappointed to lose to the third place crew by only seven tenths of a second, we still felt we raced well.  Other Potomac crews raced well, too.  Kevin Baum and Taylor Frank pushed a strong last 500 to a 4^th place finish in the B Final.  Joe Ledvina and Austin Nichols came in second in the C Final.  On the women’s side, Stephanie Kuzsocek and Meghan George placed 6^th in the A final,  Morgan Wimberley and Katie Stainken third in the B Final, and Maria Bokulich and Malyka Iyanni third in the C Final.

Based on a combination of NSR I and NSR II performances, as well as erg scores, I was lucky enough to be invited to Quad camp at the ARCO U.S. Training Center in Chula Vista, California.   I have been here for almost two weeks so far, and have already pulled seven all-out 2ks (one on the erg).  It has been quite a learning experience.  The camp includes selection for the 4x, as well as for the 8+ and 4- on the sweep side, so as you can imagine, racing has been fierce.  The National team coaches use camps like these to seat race athletes against one another, trying to find the fastest combinations in all boats.  They will test whatever combinations come out first at the third World Cup in Lucerne, and later at World Championships in Bled, Slovenia.  This year, the pre-Olympic year, placement at Worlds is particularly important because a finish in the top 11 means qualification for the 2012 Olympics in London.  Racing promises to continue to be intense and I hope to be able to continue to work hard and try to earn a spot on this year’s team, with an eye towards London in 2012.

RSVP for the annual Strawberry Brunch TODAY (please)

This might be a slightly more risque version of the strawberry you got in the mail, but you'll still need to make a reservation with the Social Committee to eat it. Just because it's a chocolate dipped strawberry, doesn't mean it's easy!

What:  PBC Strawberry Brunch
Where:  The Boathouse
When: Saturday, June 4, 2011, from 9:00 – 11:00 AM
Who: PBC Members, Program Participants and Guests

On the menu …

Belgian Waffles
Fresh Strawberries
Whipped Cream, Maple Syrup (There’s the party, right there!)
Marvelous Mimosas and French Roast Coffee
Sausage Links and Bacon Strips

Did we mention Mimosas?

Reservations are necessary!!!  Please make them by June 1st (yep, that’s today) or there may not be enough whipped cream or Mimosas to go around!

To RSVP, send a note to the Social Committee at PBCrsvp@yahoo.com or call 703-538-2864.

See you there, and please tell us if we get chocolate in our teeth.  It’s the sign of a true friend.