What's New?

Cheema is successful because of its volunteers. Please consider volunteering your time and talent to help us keep supporting our amazing youth. We are currently looking for volunteers in the following areas:

- Canteen - We are looking for someone to run the canteen for the summer. Ideally this would be a shared role, with two people leading the canteen and a large group of volunteers to provide support. Duties include:

• Weekly shopping
• Finding and organizing a parent volunteer schedule (daily from 11-1:30)
• Hiring, scheduling, and paying athlete workers
• Setting up and maintaining tab books
• Working with the treasurer with deposits and spending
• Maintaining a clean and safe canteen environment

Please contact Scott Smith if you have questions or are interested in helping out.

- Fundraising - our board is still missing a fundraising chair. This is a very important position, as our club depends on these funds to run. If you would like more information about what this position entails, please reach out to Nadine, or one of our board members.

- Building and Repairs - We need many volunteers to help keep our facilities and equipment in top shape. Please consider sharing your time and talent to help with boat repairs, dock building/repairs, or upgrading our 1000m course. Please contact Rob Sampson if you can help.

Cheema has recently lost the services of our cleaner so please be patient as we look for someone to fill the gap.  If you see something that needs attention around the club please take a moment and help out. If we all do something small, the combined efforts will make a visible difference. Little things like changing the garbage bag, giving the bathroom a quick wipe down after you use it, and picking up litter around the club will make a massive difference. 

With regard to the Cheema Cleaner position, we are looking for an individual for 3-4 hours per week to do deeper cleaning at the club. Tasks include sweeping and mopping the change rooms in the boathouse, a damp mop of the weight room, a damp mop of the upstairs common room , stairs and hallways in the clubhouse, disinfection of all door handles in the boathouse and clubhouse, a proper full cleaning of the bathrooms in the clubhouse, and alerting the Facilities Chair of low stock levels of cleaning supplies and when the garbage bins are getting full.

The job is posting at $110 per week. Cheema will supply all cleaning supplies and equipment.

Hours and days are flexible. Tasks could be broken down over multiple days and might suit a parent doing the Cheema drive.

If you might be interested in earning a few extra dollars, or know of someone looking for a job for approximately 3-4 hours per week, please let me know by Saturday, December 1st. We are looking to fill this position ASAP. I would be happy to provide more details on the cleaning tasks. Thanks!

Chris Wheatley

Cheema Facilities Chair

As a follow-up to our AGM last week, we have had a nomination posted for the position of Summer Program Chair. Scott Smith put his name in after the AGM, and you will have seen his nomination posted below. Per our Bylaws, there will be a special meeting at the beginning of the Board meeting next week, starting at 7:30 PM. The purpose of the special meeting will be to confirm Scott as the Summer Program Chair.

We still have two Board positions that are vacant. The positions of Fundraising Chair and Communications Chair are still up for grabs. If you have an interest in these positions, please reach out to Andrew Koch. Nominations for these positions must be received by 8:00 PM November 27th so that they can be posted ahead of our December 11th Board meeting.

Our annual auction is coming fast!  Mark your calendar for Saturday, November 10th.  It will be held again this year at Brewsters in Bedford.  Paddles go on sale at 4:30pm, auction starts at 6pm.

If you are helping out with auction items, please see the attached donation letter to help you secure a donation.

Hope to see you there!!

Clothing order has been organized!!!  Orders need to be submitted to Tall Ships by July 31st.  Please see the attached PDF and Excel version of the order form, depending on how you will be submitting your order.  This order is guaranteed to be available for pickup on August 23rd, just in time for Nationals!

All information on submitting your order is on the order form.

2018 Paddle-A-Thon is just around the corner!  This year, paddlers will hit the water on August 14, 2018 to raise funds for Cheema's summer program.  Our goal is a lofty one...$15,000!!! Money raised will help fund our safety and summer program boat and equipment purchases and a NEW Lean To slated to be built this the Fall.

Participant pledge packages will be distributed on July 25 by the coaches of each program group.  If your child did not receive one, please contact Nadine.

Check out this year's fundraising incentives (there are both individual and team incentives) and some tips for fundraising success.
 

In late June, Sawyer Capes (High Performance), Matthew Casey (PaddleAll) and Elle MacKenzie (Summer Program) made a pitch to Jim Mills, President and CEO of Office Interiors Group to purchase some new Cheema branded tents . Mr. Mills, who had no direct connection to Cheema, agreed purchased three brand new 10 x 10 tents for Cheema, a contribution valued at $2,500.  The sponsorship pitch team made a GREAT impression and the tents are already on order. Keep an eye out for them at competitions later this summer. Thank you to Mr. Mills and Office Interiors Group for their support of our paddlers.

We will be holding our Open House/Orientation Night on Thursday June 28th at 5pm - 7pm.

Drop into the club and join our open-house where you and your family can:

• register an athlete for a program
• get a tour of the facility
• set up a canteen tab (cash, cheque or VISA)
• ask questions about the program
• meet the Summer Supervisor, Rick Storm and some of the coaches
• purchase a Cheema singlet ( “jersey” required for regattas) - $40.00
• meet and socialize with old and new members alike

Please note that Cheema is providing lifejackets’s for U13 and U-5 athletes as well as kneeling buns for canoeing included in your registration this year.  U11’s are expected to have their own lifejackets.  U13 and U15 athletes who own their own lifebelt will be permitted to use them this year, however for next year, all U11 to U15 athletes will be required to use a lifejacket when on the water.  This is a new policy which brings the Atlantic Division (A.D.C.K.C.) in line with national standards, Canoe Kayak Canada (C.K.C.) for the 2019 season.

***** If you have unwanted lifebelts/lifejackets taking up space in the garage or basement, the club is accepting donations for use with the summer program (U13 & U15).  Cheema is NOT purchasing lifebelts this year as they will be obsolete at the end of this season.

Dr. Richard and Mrs. Kathy Bezanson of Bezanson Orthodontics in Fall River presented a cheque to Cheema summer program athletes for their donation towards the Summer Program.  Bezanson Orthodontics is the 2018 presenting sponsor of Cheema's Summer Paddling Program.  Their contribution of $7500 will help this summer be one of the best summers yet!