Weekly News and Announcements
September 21, 2005

SWEEP COACHING SCHEDULE: 9/25-9/30

Open/Novice p.m.
S (4:30 - 6 p.m.) - Megan
M - Bernadette
T - Peter, Scott
W - TBA
Th - Peter, Kevin
F - Cristin

Saturday practice

Coach Scott will be holding Saturday practice on Sept. 24 from 10 - 11:30 a.m. for those who are interested. Please come down to either drop-in or row as part of a set boat. All are welcome!

Evening Practice Times

Starting NEXT Monday, 9/26, evening practice will be 15 minutes earlier to account for the waning sunlight. This means evening practice will begin at 6:15, the evening sign-in period will end at 6:10.

Then, beginning Monday, 10/10, evening practice will be moved another 15 minutes. Practice will begin at 6:00, the sign-in period will end at 5:55.

This is the plan for now, but it is subject to change, depending upon how it goes.

Summary:
Week of 9/26: evening practice begins at 6:15, sign-in by 6:10
Week of 10/3: evening practice begins at 6:15, sign-in by 6:10
Week of 10/10: evening practice begins at 6:00, sign-in by 5:55
Week of 10/17 and beyond: TBD

Morning Open/Novice Practices

Wednesday 9/28 is the last day of coached morning rowing. After this point, if you'd like to continue in the mornings, boats will need to either meet the experience guidelines for rowing unaccompanied or will have to recruit a safety launch driver.

Daytime Rowing

Still looking for interest in rowing during the week day (morning, mid-day, or afternoon). If you'd like to try that out, email Tricia your availability and the number of years of experience you have (according to the newly released experience guidelines - see the safety page: http://www.a2crew.com/safety.html). triciam@umich.edu

Do you like to go to regattas? Are you an organized person? WE NEED YOU!

Looking for regatta captains for Frogtown regatta (Toledo, Oct 15), Speakmon regatta (Columbus, Oct 29) and Wyandotte (early November), to collect names, work with Kevin who will make the lineups, submit entries, and disseminate info about the regatta to the club members. Those of us more experienced at this will help you, but it is not hard at all!

PLEASE email Carly (cago@umich.edu) if interested, we especially need someone NOW for Frogtown, which is also a great regatta for novices!!

Head of the Ohio entries final

We will be sending one womens masters 8+ and one mens masters 8+ (the Charles boat) to Pittsburgh next weekend. Unfortunately we did not have enough interest to get together a novice boat, but those of you novices and open rowers alike who are itching to race, sign up for Frogtown, it's close by and has events for everyone

End-of-Year Party Planning!

If you have a good suggestion for a venue that would be inexpensive and house about 100 people, or would like to be involved in planning the end-of-year shindig, email Tricia! Triciam@umich.edu

Regatta Sport order is in

We picked up the Regatta Sport order last weekend in London. If you ordered anything, please send me an email by the end of the week, Barb-Kraft@sbcglobal.net, listing what you ordered - including sizes- and I will package it up and arrange dropoff at the boathouse when you’re around. I’ll let you now what you owe when I find my list! (My organizational skills are minimal right now and I’m unable to retrieve the list of what you ordered from my computer, and can’t find the handwritten price list that is buried in the box of clothing. I appreciate your tolerance! And if anyone needs field hockey socks I’d be happy to pick up a pair or two this afternoon after work, in between the carpool and coxing! I learned this morning that we (my daughter) have to have white ones for the game tomorrow!) If I have extras, I will let everyone know by the end of the week. Baseball hats are available for $15.

Project Backpack - A relief effort for children affected by Hurricane Katrina!

This is an effort to give children a little bit of what they left behind. Donated backpacks will first be distributed to children who have been relocated to Michigan. After that, backpacks will be shipped to the Houston area and distributed from there.

*WHAT TO CONTRIBUTE: Backpacks filled with small toys, books, school supplies (see list of suggested items below) for children of all ages.

*WHAT TO DO:
Find gently used things in your home – this initiative started as a kid–to–kid effort! Nothing fancy!
1. Choose an age: (bags may contain items for babies, young children, or pre-school up to teenagers)
2. Label bag with a child's age and fill with age-appropriate items
3. Drop your filled, labeled backpack into the large open box below the regatta sign-up board at the boathouse.
The official external drop site for Ann Arbor/Washtenaw County is Daycroft Montessori, Zeeb Road Campus

*WHEN TO DO IT:
The drop box will be in place starting Saturday, September 24, through Sept 30. Suggestions for children of all ages:

• Note or greeting card to child
• Small toys, (new or clean) stuffed animals
• Playing cards
• Magazines
• Empty sports bottles
• A change of clothes
• Notebooks
• Paper
• Notepads
• Pens, pencils, crayons
• Paperback books (not heavy text books)
• no need to purchase fancy items – take clean, gently used things from your house

Please - DO NOT INCLUDE:

• Food or drinks (including chewing gum, candy, etc.)
• Sharp objects (non-safety scissors, pocket knives)

Suggestions for baby bags:

• Note or card to child or parent
• plastic bottles & single-serve, powdered formula
• receiving blanket
• onsies
• rattles, pacifiers, small toys
• grooming items
• Board books
• teething rings

Please - DO NOT INCLUDE:

• Liquid formula
• Cans of powdered formula
• Glass bottles
• Baby food

QUESTIONS?
We want to make this easy for you and your family to donate backpacks! If you have any questions as you are assembling your donations, please contact Ann Arbor Project Backpack Michigan Lead: Lisa Greek-Donnellan: Lisa.greek.donnellan@pfizer.com, 734.622.3814 (w), 734.424.0420 (h)

CALENDAR

October 1: Head of the Ohio, Pittsburgh
Tuesday, October 11: AARC Board Meeting
October 15: Frogtown Races, Toledo
October 22-23: Head of the Charles, Boston
October 29: Speakmon, Columbus
November 6: Wyandotte
Tuesday, November 8: AARC Board Meeting
Tuesday, December 13: AARC Board Meeting

ITEMS FOR THE WEEKLY NEWS

To submit items for inclusion in the Weekly News, please email Barb Kraft at Barb-Kraft@sbcglobal.net.