General Information for All Members and Officers
on Club Conduct and Responsibility
The Purpose of this club is to establish friendship,
sportsmanship, and physical fitness while participating in the sport
of amateur rowing. The club will also seek to promote the sport of
rowing through involvement in training and competitive racing. A Club
constitution is available upon request.
ALL MEMBERS SECTION
MEMBER EXPECTATIONS:
Only undergraduate students are eligible for
membership.
A minimal Cumulative GPA of 2.25 is required for any rower to participate.
Member dues must be paid every season to the
treasurer. Members who do not pay their dues will not be eligible
for a seat in the boat and will not compete. All members will also
be required to participate in approved fundraising activities for
the club.
If any member of the team becomes injured due
to team activities, they are required to fill out and injury form
for the Rec. Sport files. The officers, especially the president,
will be responsible for having the forms. All members must be eligible
to participate in sanctioned regattas and must complete waivers when
necessary.
Members who plan to row on the water are expected
to complete and pass an organized swim test. In this, the member will
swim 50meters fully dressed, as he/she would be on the boat. An officer
and/or captain must be present to witness the test. No member will
be allowed on the water without first having completed this test.
Participation in specific regattas will be
at the discretion of the coaches.
We share a boathouse with the Virginia Boat
Club and must always act respectful towards its members and resources.
Members must follow all portions of any contract with the VBC, respect
their equipment and facilities, and act with general good sportsmanship.
Much of the property members can come in contact with does not belong
to our club. We are responsible for any damages we make.
Failure to meet any of these requirements may
result in a variety of sanctions as determined by the officers and
coaches of the club.
PRACTICE:
All members are required to attend each practice.
Unexcused absences will not be tolerated and will be noted. Keep excused
absences minimal. Team captains will do their best to schedule practices
in order to diminish class conflicts.
At practice each teammate can receive one-on-one
special instruction from the coaches and captains. They learn the
required workout and are evaluated in order to maintain a standard
of physical fitness and to allow the coaches and captains to better
plan the boat seating. This is also an important time to bond with
teammates, spotting the weightlifters and cheering for your boat mates
on the erg. As personal abilities improve, so does the close-knit
relationship with the other athletes.
Practices will be conducted under the supervision
of the coach and/or captains. This is not the time for business talks
and meetings. However, quick info and paperwork can be given to the
Captains for distribution.
MEETINGS:
The Club shall hold monthly general meetings
to discuss the business of the club and collect dues. These meetings
will be held at a regular time and date unless otherwise specified
and/or required. All members will be notified of changes to the best
of the officer’s abilities.
A quorum is required to hold any general or
special meeting of the club, consisting of either the President or
Vice President and at least three other members of the club,
SAFETY:
Every team member MUST complete a swim test
before going on the water each season. The swim test will be administered
by at least one team captain or officer and must be conducted fully
dressed, as the rower would be on the water.
A launch boat must accompany every shell that
leaves the dock. You are not allowed to row without supervision by
a coach or officer in the launch. While in motion or in the water,
the coach and the coxswain are in charge.
If a boat flips, stay with the boat. It will
keep afloat until you can be picked up by the launch. NEVER LEAVE
THE BOAT.
All rowers/coxswains must participate in routine
cleaning and maintenance of equipment. Report any equipment problems
to a coach, captain, or officer as soon as possible.
Always stay well hydrated! Bring a water bottle
to the boathouse since there is no fountain there. Also, bring plenty
of drinks to regattas to avoid the high cost of bottled water there.
Good drinks are water and sports beverages like gatorade and powerade.
Do not drink anything caffeinated or carbonated, and definitely stay
away from alcoholic drinks!
CLOTHING:
Bring appropriate clothing for the weather.
You will always race in your unisuit alone, but you will want other
clothes before and after your race and at practice. However, you should
never wear your team unisuit to practice in order to keep it clean
and presentable. You may also want to store towels or extra clothing
in your car in case your boat should flip. Even if your boat does
not flip, you will often get a little wet from rowing.
When it is rainy, you should avoid wearing
a lot of cotton, which absorbs the moisture and will not keep you
warm. Polypropylene, Capilene, and “Cool-Max” are some
synthetic options, which will keep the water off of your skin. Synthetic
fabrics will also keep you dry and cool during hot and humid days.
When it is just cold, polar fleece and sweatshirts provide decent
warmth. You may also want to bring a hat or ear-warmer to practice,
however gloves and mittens are not allowed. The only alternative to
gloves is Poagies.
Avoid wearing clothing that is baggy. Pants
especially will get caught in the slides, but long shirts can get
caught and ripped as well, endangering the rower. On that note, only
bring clothing onto the boat that can be ruined. There is a good chance
that your clothes will rip or get grease stains on them from the slides.
Black pants help minimize the stains.
Visors and sunglasses cut back on the glare
from the water, keeping your visibility in tact and helping to protect
your face from too much sun-damage.
Running shoes. If for some reason we are unable
to row, we will either head straight to the gym or complete a running
exercise from the boathouse.
ALCOHOL:
VCU Crew is a dry team. This means that the
consumption of alcohol is prohibited.
This team is a self-policed group. Every member
is under the honor code for this rule. They are not allowed to break
it, nor tolerate another team member who does. Members must watch
out for each other. Members have a responsibility to each other to
keep themselves and their teammates eligible to compete and safe on
the water. If you suspect or know that someone is knowingly abusing
the honor system, you are required to bring that to the attention
of either the captains or officers.
Alcohol not only dehydrates the body, but it
causes a liability issue that this team will not tolerate. Members
who show to practice drunk or hung-over are unable to perform their
tasks properly and safely.
Exception: Only on specified dates, including
post-regatta evenings, will the officers and captains look the other
way to this otherwise inflexible rule. This does not mean that weekends
are free!
Punishment: If a member shows up visibly drunk
or hung-over, that member’s entire boat will be docked for the
day and they will be required to participate in a group run under
coxswain supervision. In addition, the running boat may be sent on
a mission (e.g. run to the Seigle Center and retrieve the pamphlet
marked “Alcoholism and STDs” for the Captains).
WORK RELATIONSHIP:
The relationship between all members must be
serious and mature.
All members are equally expected to attend
practice and participate to the best of their abilities. Outside of
practice, personal workouts are expected, but do not replace practice.
Assume the best about each other rather than
worrying about rumors. In cases of problems of conflicting information
from different sources, make sure you talk to the person in question.
Members who do not act maturely can be confronted,
but only under certain circumstances. Confrontation must be:
i. Held outside of practices.
ii. Conducted in a non-personal manner.
iii. With the inclusion of a mutual member and/or officer when and
if possible.
Our team is small. The boats should not be
thought of as individual teams that hold their own practices. This
is especially important since the boat seating is not complete and
will undergo several changes prior to regattas.
Should some member be detrimental (in terms
of physical endangerment) to the team they must be brought to the
officers, who are the only persons allowed to end someone’s
membership. Due to non-refundable dues and university policies, an
officer vote must be held to decide this and a written statement must
be provided.
OFFICER/CAPTAIN SECTION
The VCU Crew Club shall act as a non-profit
organization.
In addition to monthly general meetings, officer
meetings will be held on a weekly basis at a regular time and place.
All members are welcome to attend.
CHAIN OF AUTHORITY AND OFFICER/CAPTAIN DUTIES:
The executive authority of the club shall rest
in its elected officers.
Captain Authority comes from the Coach. The
Coach is appointed and paid by the Officers. Therefore the authority
flows from the Officers to the Coach to the Captains, but is operated
as a business. Separate roles are expected of each and these are to
remain obligatory and consistent.
Captain’s Role:
-Acts as the Manager.
-Works on a day-to-day basis with team members in physical aspects.
-Assumes the responsibility of practice and training.
-Is the instrument of the coaches, in liaison with Leblanc.
General Officer’s Role (Specifically
President, VP, and Treasurer):
-Acts as the Board of Directors.
-Is the administrative arm, in charge of paperwork, budget and appointment
of coach.
-Works as PR for the VBC, VCU, and other outside source relations
in order to handle Regattas, Boathouse rights, Money issues, etc.
President Duties:
a. Director of administrative tasks in order to realize the club’s
stated vision.
b. Primary liaison between the club and its coaches, the Sports Club
Council, the Student Government Association, Recreational Sports,
the Virginia Boat Club, and the Club’s faculty advisor.
c. Required to schedule and run all officer and general meetings.
d. Works with the Treasurer, coaches, and Equipment Manager to plan
a budget of the club.
e. In charge of recruitment throughout the year.
Vice President Duties:
a. Assistant to the President.
b. Acts on behalf of the club in the absence of the President.
c. Works with the secretary to ensure that all club paperwork is completed
(including but not limited to Club Registration, Member Registration,
Waivers, Reservations, Regatta Paperwork).
Treasurer Duties:
a. Responsible for the financial aspects of the team, in charge of
incoming and outgoing funds, through the Club bank account.
b. In charge of writing the annual team budget to be presented to
the SGA appropriations committee.
c. Responsible for ordering the team equipment.
d. Also acts at the Fundraising chair is no member has been appointed.
Secretary Duties:
a. Takes the minutes of every general and officers meeting.
b. Records topics and discussions at the meeting.
c. Comprises notification emails to team members and drafts a bulletin
for parents and alumni.
d. Holds the membership data, contact information, Club Registration,
and correspondences.
e. Acts as the historian of the Club.
f. Updates the team Handbook and Documents when necessary.
Fundraising Chair Duties:
a. Organizes and Implement the fundraising activities throughout the
year.
b. Assists in recruitment activities.
Equiptment Manager Duties:
a. Responsible for the overall condition of the Clubs equipment and
facilities.
b. Ensures that all equipment is in safe working order.
THE ELECTON PROCESS
The member expectations for officers include
the non-offcer member expectations as well as:
a. Officers must maintain a 2.5 or higher cumulative GPA.
b. They must be current on all dues, fees, and fines or have received
waiver from the treasurer when nominated.
c. Any returning member may run for Fundraiser, Treasurer, Secretary,
or Vice-President. Only 2nd and 3rd year members may be considered
as President candidates.
Members of the VCU Crew Club are eligible to
run for any position at the designated time each year. Members who
are interested in holding position are expected to contact the officers
in place. With the exception of the equipment manager, appointed by
the president, officers shall be elected in a fair process at the
end of the spring semester, no later than May 1st. The elections will
be held at an official meeting place other than the boathouse. All
members in good-standing must be notified. Candidates may only run
for one office.
The election process will be run by the current
president. With the presence of a quorum, the president will declare
the election open at a designated time. The laws of the club will
decide the number of members required for the quorum. The election
will vote for one officer position at a time in the following order:
Fundraising, Secretary, Treasurer, Vice-President, and President.
Each candidate will have no more than five minutes to speak on any
topic they choose, and be presented in the order which they were nominated.
Members counting the ballots should include
at least one coach, one officer, and one neutral party. Majority will
win the election. In case of a tie, a re-vote will be held between
the tying candidates. If there are only two candidates or the re-vote
is unable to decide the majority, the officers will make the final
decision together. If an office is empty after the elections, the
acting officers may appoint a Club Member to fill the office.
Records of the election result will be kept
by the Secretary for future Reference. Newly elected officers will
be notified and announced to the team the following day. Once the
selections have been made and accepted, it is the officer’s
duty to groom the replacing member.
Officer Positions include:
a. President
b. Vice President
c. Treasurer.
d. Secretary
e. Equipment Manager (can double as an assistant coach)
f. Fundraising Chair – someone who works well with the Treasurer
New positions may be amended to this with the unanimous approval of
the officers.
