50th Anniversary – Back to Merrylands Day

Today we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Merrylands Swimming Centre and Merrylands Amateur Swimming Club.

We would like to extend a warm welcome to our current and past members including our life members, families, friends, community members and Ms Julia Finn MP for Granville. Our club has a rich history serving the community, with many members of the local community having participated in activities such as club races, squad training and learn to swim lessons.

The swimming centre was officially opened on Saturday 9th November, 1968 by the Mayor of Holroyd, Alderman Devlin. The pool cost $365,000 to construct (approx $4,500,000 in 2018 value).

Merrylands Amateur Swimming Club was formed in the same year and originally ran club races on a Friday night during December, January & February. The club had over 250 members registered in the first season – one of the largest in NSW at the time (last season we had 187 members registered – still in the top 10% of clubs in the state). The club’s logo comes from the model whale which was originally the centre-piece of the babies pool.

Pool Opening in 1968

Club Photo 1968/69

Whale centre-piece

Club Captains

We are holding voting this morning for the positions of Male and Female Club Captains. The nominations received for these positions are:

We have two returning officers who will accept votes from our First Claim members up to 9.30am.

100 metre Backstroke Championship –Saturday 24th November, 2018

The postponed 100 metre Backstroke Championship races will be held on Saturday 24th November, 2018, in addition to the 200 metre Individual Medley Open Championship. The 400 metre event has been removed from the program to provide time for the two championship events to be held. More details are available on the club website (online entries).

Parramatta InterClub Cup – Saturday 24th November, 2018

The Parramatta InterClub Cup will be held at Granville Pool on Saturday 24th November, 2018. The Competition Committee will advise all swimmers who have been selected to represent our club at this meet. If you need to purchase club uniform items before this meet please see the club Property Officer (Margaret Edwards) & the club website to place an order.

Member Profile

To celebrate our 50th anniversary today we have a member profile for one of our first club members:

Glad, together with her husband, Jim, were founding members of our club. Not only is Glad a Life Member of Merrylands Amateur Swimming Club (awarded in 1986), she is also a Life Member of Mt Pritchard and Blacktown City Swimming Clubs, Metro South West Area (formerly the Cumberland District), CHS (Combined High Schools Sports Association) and Swimming NSW (awarded in 2016).

In 2006, Glad's service to our club was formally recognised with the naming of the Club Room at Merrylands Swimming Centre after Glad and her husband Jim. The Club Room was officially named the "Glad and Jim Pye Club Room" by the Mayor of Holroyd, Councillor Dr John Brodie, at a special ceremony on Saturday, 9th December, 2006.

Glad has dedicated a lifetime to swimming and she has received numerous awards and recognition for her service. We would like to thank Glad for her dedication to our club and sport.

See Graham to provide your profile information for inclusion in future editions of the Whales Tales.

Important Information about Race Entries

Entries for races can be lodged online up to 8.00pm on the Thursday before Saturday races.

If you need to change a race entry already lodged please email race.secretary@merrylandsasc.asn.au

To be eligible to enter championships the swimmer must be financial in this season. The swimmer must have swum the same stroke and same distance during the current season (check the program and plan your swims carefully).

Remember there are limits to the number of swims you can do on a Saturday.

If there is a championship for your age (whether you are swimming in it or not) you can swim:

• your Age championship
• the Open championship (subject to having swum in your age championship)
• 2 other events
• Senior Handicap (if 17 and over)
• Relay (if there is one on the program for the day)

If there is NO championship for your age you can swim:

• 3 events
• Senior Handicap (if 17 and over)
• Relay (if there is one on the program for the day)

If you enter too many events your entries for the extra event/s will be withdrawn when the program is prepared for the day.

Shoosh For Kids

Shoosh for Kids is a collaboration between the Office of Sport and Swimming NSW to promote positive behaviour to clubs, members and spectators. See the attached brochure and posters in the club room for more information or visit https://sport.nsw.gov.au/clubs/ryc/fairplay/ShooshforKids

Play By The Rules

Play by the Rules provides information, resources, tools and free online training to increase the capacity and capability of administrators, coaches, officials, players, parents and spectators to assist them in preventing and dealing with discrimination, harassment, child safety, inclusion and integrity issues in sport. For more information and resources see www.playbytherules.net.au

Safe Sport Framework

The safety of children and young people in our sport is paramount. We want swimming to be fun, enjoyable and safe for all. The Swimming Australia Safe Sport Framework confirms the shared responsibility we all have for keeping each other safe in swimming - children and adults alike.

A copy of the Safe Sport Framework is available on the noticeboard in the club room or can be downloaded at www.swimming.org.au/Home/Officials-Volunteers/Safe-sport-(1).aspx

Upcoming Events

Thank you to our sponsors for their support of our club

Are you a member of Club Merrylands?

Club Merrylands are developing a program to reward local community clubs such as our club. To do this Club Merrylands would like to identify memberships held by our club members and group them together. If you would like to participate in this program and help our club obtain additional support from Club Merrylands let Graham know you are a member. We will provide more details of this program as Club Merrylands implement the reward program.

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