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Salem Swim...we need help!


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It helps the club just as REI Demo Day helped the club: member recruitment and free advertising. We have a booth just like for Demo Day and everyone who comes to the event is interested in water sports. It is held where we hold our Friday night practice sessions and gives us a presence in the heart of the North Shore. We are also mentioned and pictured in all of the Coast Watch's advertisements in re this event.

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So you see this as a recruitment vehicle to increase the membership. I never really saw REI demo days that way but more as a service to the beginning paddling community - a way to get them started safely and give them a point in the right direction.

The club started helping REI at their demo days as REI used to let the board hold their meetings upstairs in their classroom area - rough space but it made it easy for the meetings. They also used to give out the safety brochures that NSPN (Liz et al) developed - one for rec boaters and one for ocean/touring.

But, back to the Salem Swim... I don't really know much about it, just that you were looking for people to help be safety boaters. As someone who may volunteer (as other readers may too)for this or other things, I was just curious about how this helps the club...

I have seen that "help the club" terminology used lately and wondered how volunteering at a swim would be helping the club. As a club member, I might be more interested in volunteering if I could see either how the club would benefit or how I would benefit. Gay's explanation of the event being one to protect and promote clean water in our local waters is one that I could understand better than increasing the membership.

Suz

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Thank you, Suz, for asking for some clarification, and to Gay for providing some ecological reasons. I've seen this "give back to the club that gives so much to you etc" a good bit lately. I tend to think, in my individualistic ignorance, that this line of reasoning serves to incite guilt and not participation.

As for recruitment etc: I know membership numbers are down but isn't it the paddling and not the numbers out there doing so that counts?

Just a few simple thoughts. If the waters get roiled, look to the tide and the wind.

Deb M.

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>Thank you, Suz, for asking for some clarification, and to

>Gay for providing some ecological reasons. I

Deb,

This is the text of an email I sent out to quite a few people, including you and Bob. I guess you must have missed it:

"Hey All,

Does anyone want to help out NSPN and the Salem Sound Coast Watch?

We need kayak spotters for the morning session on the 28th in Salem

and kayak "instructors" for the afternoon. We could really use the

help and it's a great way contribute to the protection of the

environment. Please let me know as soon as you can if you can help

out. (also need one or two people for the NSPN table!)

Cheers,

Kevin"

Environment is front and center.

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I think we were more surprised because we had a great turn out last year in volunteering - generally increasing membership means that we can assist new kayakers with the same great foundation that you mentioned for the REI Demo Day - one way we can get the word out to new kayakers is through events like this. I thought Salem Coast Watch was kind of obvious with regards to the purpose of helping our environment, but you're rigt, perhaps we should have pointed that out - maybe that would have gotten more volunteer work? Thanks so much for the folks who have volunteered this weekend so far and I'm sorry I can't make this weekend to help out!

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Kevin,

I'll plan on being there and while I'm always happy to help the environment and I'm happy to help the club, I'm really doing it because I did it last year and it was fun. Last year there was a good turn out and that always helps make it more fun.

Anne

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Not to "beat a dead horse" on this topic, but there was a recent fatality at a triathalon in Cohasset. 4 swimmers needed to be "rescued" and 3 of those were transported to hospitals.

Gay

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