Our workouts will again be geared towards Triathlon and Open Water swimming with emphasis placed on Freestyle (the odd alternate stroke may pop in once in awhile!).

New this Year:

• We have moved the race package pickup from the start line on race day to the new Mission location of Fresh Air Concept, 555 Groves Ave. Pick up is Thursday, July 16 from 5-8PM and Friday, July 17 from 5-8PM.
• Due to the popularity of this event and its continuing growth, this year we are capping the swim at 400 participants.
• New Across The Lake Swim website. Visit us at: www.acrossthelakeswim.com. Check the site often as new information will be posted regularly.
• We are currently working through an arrangement with a local houseboat company to ferry swimmers to the race start for a nominal cost, to reduce the need for car traffic down the very limited access road in West Kelowna to the Old Ferry Docks. Please check our website at www.acrossthelakeswim.com for up dated information that will be posted as soon as it is available.

Click here to register now!

For all KMSC swimmers, we are having a one hour meeting after the Monday night swim on April 27, to discuss how we wind down the KMSC.  The executive needs an endorsement from its members regarding its assets.  Please think about this, and join in the discussion if you are interested and able to attend.

Monday, April 20, Wednesday April 22, Friday April 24, Monday, April 27, and Wednesday April 29. All are 7-8 PM (6 lanes, 25 m)

Because of the higher pool costs, drop in rates are now $10, but if you have paid for the month of April, you will not need to pay anything more. The KMSC will cover you. As far as I know, when you enter the pool, you need only enter the pool the same way you always have, by stating you are a masters swimmer prior to going through the turnstiles. ( I will confirm this with the H2O Manager).

On the last Monday in April, (the 27th), the KMSC executive would like to host a meeting at the new pool (in the same room we had the sign up in) to discuss the final wind down of the club, and what to do with the assets. We will discuss our equipment, our bank account, the stewardship of the Across The Lake Swim, and the final disposition of the KMSC’s identity. We hope to meet for an hour between 8:30 and 9:30 PM. Please come to get your say in!

In the coming days, please keep your eyes on this website, for any changes that may be necessary. Please appreciate that, while we will attempt to keep everyone as abreast as possible as to the changes, things may not reach you in a timely fashion. We are all treading water just as fast as we can! Please pass this information on to any of our swim colleagues to help with spreading the news.

Exciting times!

You may vote in one of two ways:
a) In person  when you sign up for the Spring session between the hours of 10:00 am and 12:00 noon on April 4th 2009.  You will be provided with a secret ballot.
b) If you are unable to attend the meeting in person, you may vote by way of a proxy ballot.  Please follow the instructions on the form.  You may elect to email/fax your proxy vote to a neutral third  party (Louise Arkle, President of the Westside Thunder Masters Swim Club)  or delegate someone to submit your signed vote on your behalf at the April 4th 2009 meeting.

In accordance with the Society Act of BC, we will be adhering to the following procedure as it pertains to a potential name change:

1) OMSC members have been given 14 days notice of a Special Resolution to change the name of the club.

2) The Special Resolution will ask the members: “Do you agree to change the name of  the Society currently known as the Okanagan Masters Swim Club?”  Yes or No.

3) OMSC members can vote in person at the meeting or by proxy ballot.  Votes must  be received at the meeting no later than 12:00 noon on April 4th 2009.

4) If less than 75% of the members vote “Yes” to a name  change, the name ‘Okanagan Masters Swim Club’ will stand as the name of the Society.

5) If the motion passes, the second part of the process will include a vote for one of 3 new names listed on the ballot; or alternatively, you can suggest another name.  The most votes cast for a particular name on the ballot will stand as the new name of  the Society.

If you have any questions or concerns about this process,  please contact Brent Hobbs (OMSC President), directly at (250)  864-2303.

Download Proxy Ballot Form

On April 4, 2009, from 10AM to 12 noon, we will be meeting at the new H2O Aquatic Complex to register all swimmers for the last of the swim season, the months of May and June. Although we have been given lane allocations every day of the week, we encourage you to register early to be sure you get your preferred swim times, as we may have to limit swimmers on certain days where we have limited space.

This meeting will also be your one and likely only chance to voice your choice on a new name for the swim club. If you prefer a new name to freshen up our new identity, then vote for any of the options presented, but you must vote yes to wanting a name change on the first part of the ballot (at least 75% of voters have to prefer a name change before any alternative is considered). But please, VOTE!! We are trying to get 100% participation in this vote, in an attempt to truly reflect the will of the membership. And be advised that you can vote by proxy, as long as the proxy ballot has been filled out appropriately. Download Proxy Ballot Form. We encourage you to find friends or family members to sign up for this spring session – it is a great way to “test drive” the new pool, the new masters program, and a great way to train for the upcoming (July 18) Across the Lake Swim!

Although we will be the only user group to be allowed access to the new H2O Centre on April 4 for our masters swim club sign up day, due to liability issues, we have been restricted to one guided tour with the Centre’s General Manager, Kelli-Ann Armstrong. This tour will occur at 9:30 AM on April 4, 1/2 hour before our scheduled meeting. So, come early to be seduced by this gorgeous facility!

The facility is breath-taking and drop-dead gorgeous (Canada’s version of the Water Cube!?), and we are confident that you will enjoy a quality experience at a bargain price. We are just a little worried that you might find the slides and the wave-rider even more fun!

We look forward to seeing lots of you very soon at the new H2O Centre!

Mark Fromberg,
President, KMSC
Past President, OMSC

Details of times and new rates

The training sessions are as follows:

The rates for the May/June (9 week) offering are as follows:

*Note: all users of this program must be registered with the Masters Swimming Association of BC

View additional information about the Special Resolution to change the name >

Download Proxy Ballot form

Date: Sunday, February 22nd
Time: 10:00am – 12:00pm
Location: Orchard Room at the Parkinson Rec Centre.

The Agenda is as follows:

1. Call to Order

2. Adoption of Agenda

3. 2008 AGM Minutes
3.1 Business Arising

4. Jan 2009 Club Meeting Minutes
4.1 Business Arising

5. Annual Reports
5.1 President’s Report
5.2 Treasurer’s Report
– Membership Status
5.3 Secretary’s Report

6. New Business
6.1 Overview of New Masters Program at Mission Pool
6.2 Recommended changes to OMSC Bylaws (see attachment)
6.2.1 Changes to “Definitions” subsection
6.2.2 Changes to “Membership” subsection
6.2.3 Changes to “Meetings” and “Auditing”subsections
6.3 Consideration for change in club name
6.4 Open Water Events (Across the Lake Swim and Apple Open Water 1.5k and 5k)

7. Other Business

8. Election of New Executive
– As discussed at the January 10th 2009 membership meeting, the current OMSC Executive will be resigning to enable broader Central Okanagan masters swimmers’ representation on the new Board, in preparation for transition to the Mission Aquatic Centre.”
– Positions for President, Past President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Members-at-Large

9. Adjournment

Click here to download a PDF version of the Agenda

For you to become eligible to swim in this new club, you will first need to become registered as an OMSC (Okanagan Masters Swim Club, the group we are amalgamating with) member. If you are already a KMSC member, you have already got your MSABC insurance, so you need to pay nothing. But you do need to register as an OMSC member with Conny Stamhuis, the OMSC Registrar, by emailing her at: stamhuis@shaw.ca

If you do not have an MSABC membership, you need to get one through the MSABC website, and identify yourself as having OMSC affiliation. Go to the MSABC website at http://www.mastersswimming.bc.ca/join.asp, where you can register online or download the form, complete it and send it to Connie with the fee.

PLEASE PASS THIS INFORMATION ON TO ANYONE WHO HAS AN INTEREST IN JOINING THE NEW MASTERS SWIM CLUB.

We hope to sell swim times to 80-100 masters swimmers, and this will be on a FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED BASIS, so that is why this is important information, and why this meeting is important.

More details to follow. We will try to keep you posted, both by email, and on the website!

These are exciting times for Masters swimming here!

For more amalgamation information, click here.