July Newsletter

Hi Everyone,

With a few crews already starting morning rows and the shed being full of ergs, it certainly seems like the next season is upon us. Last weekend, fourteen of our rowers and a coxswain were fortunate enough to attend a training camp at Lake Mangakino. Lots of rowing in cold but stunning conditions and combinations largely in eights were a great way to kickstart the next phase in training.

In the background of this rowing, the past few months have seen the Committee working through a number of big issues.

The first big change has been the update to the Club’s Constitution. This is now on the website for review and adoption at a special meeting to be held at 5:30 PM on Thursday  1st of August. The reasons for doing this now are partially due to the need for compliance with recent legislation changes, and also because the cost of an audit required by the previous Constitution has now reached over $7,000 per year. By adopting this new Constitution, we will be able to decide if we require one for funding applications.

Also in the Constitution is a change to the positions on the Committee. This will reduce the number of people required to seven, with half being voted in each alternate year and term limits being imposed for the roles.

Please try to make it to the meeting if you are a 2024/25 member or a parent of a 2024/25 school member so we can pass this before the AGM.

We have a number of items on our list for upgrades this year, for which the club has begun applying for funding. These are:

• A new boat trailer, costing approximately $45,000. Given our current one is struggling to pass a warrant and is at the end of its life, we are hoping to fund a new trailer to transport all our boats in one load.
• Thirteen new pairs of sculling blades and eight pairs of sweep blades at a total cost of $25,000.
• Two new coach boats at $24,000 each.

Last year, we were very successful in obtaining grants for new roller doors and ergs, as well as updating our cox boxes and stroke coaches. However, part of this process requires the club to contribute funds, which we can either raise via fees or fundraising.

This year, we are considering running a ‘Night at the Races’ event in September but would need volunteers to make it happen. Please let us know if you could help with this.

We are now only one weekend away from the 2nd Club of Origin event on Sunday, 4th of August. Again, we will have an eight and an octi taking on Bay Coast in a 15km head race from the Wairoa River bridge back to TRC.

Several of our athletes are also training hard for the Interprovincial Regatta on the 28th of September, with selections taking place over the next two weekends.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to farewell Steven Finlayson, who is leaving us to take up a role as Director of Rowing at Mount Albert Grammar School. Steven has been a great asset to the club and has given countless voluntary hours to help guide young athletes to be their best. We wish him well in Auckland and will surely see him around the boat park for many years to come.

A huge thank you to all parents, teachers, coaches, and rowers for supporting our wonderful rowing club.

Richard van Dijk  - Club President 

021 047 2616 

clubpresident@taurangarowingclub.co.nz