New year, new opportunities! Thank you for all that you do to make U.S. Masters Swimming the vital and growing organization it is!

U.S. Masters Swimming will hold elections for all officers (President, Vice President of Administration, Vice President of Community Services, Vice President of Local Operations, Vice President of Programs, Secretary, and Treasurer) at its Annual Meeting of the House of Delegates, Sept. 30 to October 4, 2015 during the United States Aquatic Sports Convention in Kansas City, Mo. 

The nomination deadline is April 30, 2015. Nomination packets may be obtained from the Elections page of the USMS website or by contacting Elections Chair Cheryl Gettelfinger. 

We're looking for energetic volunteers with a desire to help lead U.S. Masters Swimming. If you're interested in leadership and service at our highest level, or you know someone who would be willing to serve, please let us know!

The Capt. Ransom J. Arthur M.D. Award is USMS's most prestigious award. Named for the founder of Masters Swimming, the award is presented annually to a USMS volunteer who embodies Dr. Arthur's spirit and vision and who contributes at the highest level to advance the objective of Masters Swimming.

 

For nomination materials and information about past recipients, visit the USMS Awards page. Nominations are due March 15, 2015.

Per USMS Rule 502.3, each LMSC is required to hold an annual meeting that is open to all individual members of the LMSC. Your LMSC is required to take minutes at that meeting and, per Rule 502.7, send a copy of your 2013 minutes to Anna Lea Matysek by April 30, 2015. Don't delay, send in your minutes today!

Per USMS Rule 502.7, each LMSC is required to send a copy of its annual financial report to the USMS national office. The report consists of two simple financial statements: an income/expense report, and a balance sheet. Instructions for preparing the reports can be found in the Treasurer section of the Guide to Operations. 

 

The IRS also requires each LMSC to file an annual 990 tax return. The rules were modified during the 2010 tax year. They now allow any LMSC with gross receipts of $50,000 or less to file the 990-N form, which is done completely online.  

 

Please send your 2014 financial report to  Anna Lea Matysek by April 30, 2015. She can also provide you with instructions and links for filing your LMSC's 990 tax form.

April is right around the corner, and with the amazing success we had last year with the April is Adult Learn-to-Swim Month campaign, we're really looking forward to what comes about this time! Last year, lots of clubs and LMSCs got involved and hosted free swimming lessons for adults who need them in their communities around the country. And we're looking to increase the number of lessons being offered this year! 

In addition to the free lessons being offered by committed volunteers like you during the month of April, we have also recently launched the Adult Learn-to-Swim Instructor Certification Course. This innovative, one-day course begins with several hours of classroom training in how to approach the various types of adult nonswimmers you may come across while offering lessons. After talking theory in the classroom, all attendees have an opportunity to practice what they've just learned in the pool under the watchful eye and enthusiastic guidance of Bill Meier, who designed the curriculum. At the conclusion of the class, you'll be a certified ALTS instructor, ready to help whomever comes to you for swimming lessons. 

We currently have classes scheduled for the following dates and locations: 

The U.S. Masters Swimming Open Water Committee is pleased to announce that USMS has again approved and funded an Open Water Insurance Surcharge Rebate Program. Rebates of up to $1,000 are available to LMSCs to help offset the open water sanction insurance surcharge.

 

Insurance costs associated with sanctioned open water events remains around 2013 levels. Because of this a $1,000 insurance surcharge will be assessed to the LMSC for each sanctioned event. The LMSCs may pass some or all of this expense to the event hosts through sanction fees.

 

USMS and the Open Water Committee realize that some LMSCs simply do not have the capacity to fully absorb the insurance surcharge and some event hosts do not have the capacity to easily accommodate increased sanction fees from the LMSCs.

 

Therefore, the Open Water Committee requested additional funding to help LMSCs that don't have the financial resources to promote the development of and participation in open water swimming.

 

Open Water Insurance Surcharge Rebate Program Highlights

• Rebates will be awarded to LMSCs for specific events, as identified in the application.
• Rebates will be awarded primarily on a basis of the LMSC's financial need. However other considerations, such as distribution of monies geographically, will be considered.
• Rebates will not be awarded for sanctioned solo (individual or relay) swims.
• Rebate preference will be given to events hosted by USMS clubs and their workout groups.
• Rebate awards to LMSCs will not exceed the USMS insurance surcharge amount, less any LMSC-imposed sanction fee.
• A five-member review and approval panel has been formed. The members of the panel were selected from the Open Water, Finance, and Long Distance committees, and from the USMS Board of Directors. The Open Water Compliance Coordinator will also sit on the panel.
• The rebate review and approval panel may fully or partially award rebates, defer action, reject applications, or return applications to the submitter for additional information. 

When filling out the rebate application, please be prepared to answer the following questions:

• Event information: Name, sanctioning LMSC, event dates, sanction number (if already sanctioned)
• Amount of rebate being requested
• Rebate request contact information: Requester name, email, and phone; recipient name, email, and phone
• Briefly describe why you are applying for this rebate
• If 2015 entry fees are the same as prior year's entry fees, explain why they were not raised. What other additional revenue sources have been explored?
• Event host financial forecast: revenue, expense and contributions to organizations other than event host
• LMSC financial summary: Revenue, expense, and anticipated 2015 open water insurance surcharge expense

Please direct questions regarding this program to the Open Water Committee. The rebate application form can be accessed online.