JUNE 2020 NEWS

Above: with COVID-19 procedures at Mercs Provided by your faithful correspondent Trident.

Past news can be found at this link. News covered this month:

• Current pandemic rowing restrictions • Beware of the dredging equipment • Happy birthday Jimpy • Dredging on staging finished • Welcome Mike McKay • Current rowing restrictions • Dredging works update • Updated Sun Protection Policy • New website in July – member access requests • From the vault – Percy Ivens, another great member of old ______Current pandemic rowing restrictions

Published 26th June 2020 Rowers 18 years and younger can now row in crew boats. Sadly all other rowers must continue in sculling boats. The next revision of the rules is scheduled for 13th July.

______Beware of the dredging equipment

Published 26th June 2020 Now that the dredging of the staging is completed, the dredge is on the move. Given the vast areas of the river it occupies, it is dangerous.

______Happy 94th birthday Jimpy

Published 13th June 2020 Another of our chronologically gifted members passed another milestone this week, Jimpy Shears had his 94th birthday.

Jimpy is sole remaining member of great Shears bothers who have been a key part of Mercantile since the 1930s. Jimpy is in care at the moment but was allowed out for the day to celebrate his birthday with his nieces, Jo and Amanda.

Given the current restrictions, the Manton family sent him a video for his birthday and he also had 25 posts on the Anglesea Surf Club Facebook page. Jimpy enjoying the celebrations

Jimpy again enjoying the celebrations. Happy birthday Jimpy.

______Dredging of staging is completed Published 13th June 2020 It was years in the making, but the urgent dredging work of the staging area has finally been completed. All is not however over as dredging work continues upstream to maintain the navigational hazards for a while to come.

There is now no excuse not to come down to Club for a scull (in accordance with the Club’s COVID- 19 restrictions).

The staging on Friday afternoon after removal of the dredge. ______Welcome Mike McKay

Published 1st June 2020 We welcome Mike who started officially on 1st June. For the active rowers amongst us, this news report will come as a surprise, as Mike has been doing the role which he started officially today.

The Mercantile high performance group has already grown and is being rapidly reinvigorated under his leadership. This work has been noticed both here in Victoria and across the country. Great work Mike and well done to you and your high performance team. Mike receiving the highest award of World Rowing, the Keller Award of 2007 ______Current rowing restrictions

Published 1st June 2020 The Victorian Government has increased the number of people in an outdoor setting to 20 plus coaches, and from late June, yet more. However the minimum distance remains at 1.5 metres. Given that the distance between seats in a crewed boat is 1.2-1.3 metres, single sculls are the only boats allowed, unless you are from the same household.

Given the above, Mercantile has followed the 10 athlete rule plus coaches in sending out pods of 10 single sculls.

Members with privately owned sculls can book a training slot with the Captain, so can others wanting to use the Club sculls.

Rowing Victoria has published the linked guidelines which have been adopted in full by the Club. Please read and follow to the letter. Sculling sessions High performance group This must be organized and supervised by a high-performance coach who will advise the Captain so that we ensure that there are no more than 10 people at the Clubhouse at any time. Club and masters rowers Any use of the Club must be booked with the Captain [email protected]. The Club has three club sculls available. Sign in/Sign out procedures To manage numbers and know who is at the Club, the following additional Mercantile procedure is also implemented: • When entering the Club you must sign in scanning the sign in QR code found at the downstairs entry door which will link to a questionnaire on the Google docs which you will need to complete. • When leaving the Club you must sign out scanning the sign out QR code found at the downstairs exit door which will link to a questionnaire on the Google docs which you will need to complete. Safety officers There must be a safety officer present at all sessions. Safety officer check list. High performance groups This will be the coach organizing the session. Club/masters rowers and private scull users This will be a person appointed by the Captain [email protected] and may be you. Please ensure that you understand and follow the RV guidelines fully and use the safety officer checklist. Other matters • Come dressed for rowing and bring in your own pre-filled water bottle. • No use of changing rooms (other than to use toilets), gym, kitchen, bar etc. • Maintain physical distancing – greater than 1.5m from the next person. • No leniency – failure to follow the RV guidelines, the sign in/sign out procedures, booking and safety officer processes will lead to serious disciplinary action. Get in, train, get out. ______Dredging Works update

Published 1st June 2020 Rowing Victoria reports as follows. The dredging at the VRA landing on the Yarra River is now well underway, showing wonderful progress. Dredging works will continue until approximately the 10th of June. Please note that the exclusion zone has now moved upstream and will continue to do so over the next fortnight, following the movements of the dredge operation. The latest exclusion zone. ______Updated Sun Protection Policy

Published 1st June 2020 In the middle of winter is a perfect time to update policies. The first is our UV protection policy. Please follow the link to find it. ______New website 1st July 2020

Published 1st June 2020 The Club is implementing a new member management system and associated website on 1st July 2020. Members will be receiving emails to establish their access to the new system.

Why introduce a new system?

• member self service – members can update of their own details • booking of boats – we aim to widen significantly the boats available for non-high performance members to use • safety management improvements through boat bookings • member communication system to enable more and better targeted communications with members • e-commerce • payments gateway • if we can overcome some functional changes, members statements and financials all on-line. • calendar function for events at Clubhouse This is an important step forward in making the Club’s facilities more accessible to members and improving member communications. As part of the migration to the new system, all member profiles have been migrated to the Australian Rowing History website, all 180 or more of them. The number of profiles grow by the day and will reach 200 shortly. Want to be recognised on the Australian Rowing History website, send your profile to the Secretary at [email protected]. ______From the Vaults – Percy Ivens, champion rower and sculler

Published 1st June 2020 Back at the start of the twentieth century, it was unusual to have a oarsman who raced at the highest level of sculling and rowing. Our Percy Ivens was one of these top quality and skilled athletes. Furthermore, he undertook the arduous task of Club Treasurer whilst actively rowing. He was a great Mercantile member.

1901 – Interstate Men’s Championship bow – First 1902 – Interstate Men’s Eight Championships bow – First 1903 – Interstate Men’s Sculling Championship – Second 1904 – Interstate Men’s Sculling Championship – Third 1905 – Interstate Men’s Sculling Championship – Third 1906 – Interstate Men’s Sculling Championship – First 1907 – Interstate Men’s Sculling Championship – First 1908 – Interstate Sculling Championship (selected but did not compete – was unwell on day.) 1910 – Interstate Men’s Sculling Championship – Second 1902-10 – Treasurer of his Club The 1947-48 annual report noted:

It is with the deepest of regret that we record the passing of one of our Life Members, Mr P C Ivens, at the age of 78 years. In the list of great oarsmen produced in this State, Mr Ivens will for all time possess an honoured place. His list of successes in this sport is truly remarkable. ….. As well as his rowing ability, Mr Ivens rendered sterling service to the Club in his capacity as Honorary Treasurer. …. Victorian rowing is the poorer for his passing.

Percy in the bow seat of the Club’s senior four in 1901

The following articles appeared in the Manning River Times and Advocate for the Northern Coast Districts of New South Wales (Taree, NSW: 1898 – 1954), Saturday 20 September 1947, page 4.

LATE MR. P. C. IVENS REMARKABLE RECORD AS OARSMAN. The late Mr. Percy Charles Ivens, of High St., Taree, whose death was reported in last Wednesday’s issue of the вЂTimes,’ was one of the most versatile oarsmen Australia has ever had. Mr. Ivens was a champion in the early days of this century, and was one of the very few who have won State titles in sculls, pairs, fours and eights. He had four Australian title wins and 14 Victorian successes to his credit. His most notable achievement was his success in the Victorian State champion sculls from the 1901- 2 season to 1907-8, and he won this title again in the 1909-10 season. The late Mr. Ivens, a fortnight before his death, returned to Taree from a holiday in , and the ‘Melbourne Sun’ in its issue of July 30, had the following: “P. C.’ Ivens, whose records in Australian and Victorian sculling championships between 1901 and 1910 remain unsurpassed, was afloat on the Yarra again during the week-end. Many years from the sport may have sapped his strength, but he still shows the style of a master. On the Henley course in choppy conditions, he ‘skimmed the dish’ with greater ease than the majority of scullers seen in recent years.’ When in his prime as a sculler, the ‘Sydney Bulletin’ referred to Mr. Ivens as a wonder and a phenomenon, and the boss sculler of Victoria. Mr. Ivens for eight years was hon. treasurer of the Mercantile Rowing Club, Melbourne. ______