Capital Rowing Club 2017 Annual Report contents Board Leadership 3 December 2016–December 2017 3 December 2017–December 2018 4 From the President 5 Membership and Programs 7 Competitive Sweep 7 Club AM 8 Club PM 10 Senior and Weekend (SAW) 11 Sculling and Small Boats Program 12 Capital Adaptive Rowing Program (CARP) 13 Capital Juniors 15 Other Programs 16 Regattas Attended by Capital Rowers 17 Regattas, Ergathon, and Gala 18 Volunteering and Community Programs 19 Finance and Development 21 Financial Summary Report 21 Donors 22 board leadership December 2016–December 2017 Executive Committee • Kirsten Peterson, President • James Mauro, Vice President of Resources • Toni Kerns, Vice President of Membership • Gretchen Abell, Vice President of Operations • Karen Zareski, Secretary Directors • Stephanie Acerra, Director • Jim Aust, Director • Jacqueline Battistini, Social Director • Kate Beukenkamp, Director at Large • Georgia Bullen, Director/Webmaster • Steven Fondreist, Director at Large • Hunter Gaiotti, Director • Bethany Neumann, Director • Mike Neumann, Director • Caryn Muellerleile, Director at Large • Abigail Potter, Director at Large Appointed Positions • Lauren Cisek, Gear • Alison Lenz, Safety Captain • Jennifer Ross, Community Programs Program Representatives and Directors • Rob Best, Comp Sculling • Lauren Cisek, Comp Women • Sara Grimes, Senior and Weekend • Mark Lance, Club AM • Meagan McAllister, Director of Adaptive Programs • Craig McKay, Comp Men • Mary McMenamin, Club PM • Susie Allen-Sierpinski, Senior and Weekend • Chantel Sheaks, Club Sculling • Joe Tezak, CARP • Lain Wilson, Club PM 3 December 2017–December 2018 Executive Committee • Kirsten Peterson, President • James Mauro, Vice President of Resources • Toni Kerns, Vice President of Membership • Mike Neumann, Vice President of Operations • Lain Wilson, Secretary Directors • Gretchen Abell, Director • Stephanie Acerra, Director at Large/Race Czarina • Jacqueline Battistini, Social Director • Kate Beukenkamp, Director at Large • Georgia Bullen, Director/Webmaster • Anne Diggs, Director at Large • Rick Evans, Director • Courtney Fratzke, Director • June Marshall, Director at Large • Bethany Neumann, Director • Caitlin Toynbee, Director Appointed Positions • Lauren Cisek, Gear • Lily Elsner, Community Programs • Alison Lenz, Safety Captain Program Representatives and Directors • Jacqueline Battistini, Comp Women • Rob Best, Comp Sculling • Sara Grimes, Senior and Weekend • Mark Lance, Club AM • Meagan McAllister, Director of Adaptive Programs • Craig McKay, Comp Men • Mary McMenamin, Club PM and Capital Juniors • Susie Allen-Sierpinski, Senior and Weekend • Chantel Sheaks, Club Sculling • Joe Tezak, CARP • Jennifer Tujague, Capital Juniors 4 from the president Since 1988, Capital Rowing Club has offered quality rowing opportunities and a sense of community and connectedness to residents of the greater DC Metro area. Capital has grown from a small group of dedicated individuals to an organization serving over 400 rowers in 2017. As a volunteer run organization, that is an incredible a feat, and while this past year was a busy one, we can see the fruits of this labor paying off. Capital’s Board of Directors used2017 to lay the groundwork necessary for the club to engage in an in-depth strategic planning process as well as celebrate our milestone 30th Anniversary year during 2018. 2017 Accomplishments • The Finance Committee launched a 2-year process of reviewing and evaluating our current financial controls, benchmarking against best practices, and making adjustments where needed to ensure the financial stability of the club for years to come. • Capital had its most successful fundraising year ever- shattering the $50,000 goal for the Ready All, Row! Fleet Fundraising Campaign and raising just over $70,000 for fleet improvements. • The organization hired 9 coaches, including 2 head coaches while formalizing processes for hiring and recruitment. • The Safety Committee established a launch driver training program and began reviewing and revising the Club’s safety policies and manual. • In order to start the process of bringing the club current with its boat replacement plan, the board authorized the purchase of 8 boats to directly benefit every Capital program. All boat purchases were made without financing. Looking into 2018 • Capital’s 30th Anniversary Steering Committee is leading the club in a year of celebration, which started with a special kick-off event in early March! • The Board of Directors is undertaking an intensive strategic planning process to lay out a road map for bringing Capital into the next phase of organizational life. • Capital Sprints Regatta has been renamed the Robert E. Day, Jr. Capital Sprints Regatta, to honor the memory of Bob Day, long-time Capital member who was instrumental in bringing rowing to the Anacostia River. • Over the spring season, the board began piloting a tiered, stipend pay system for coaches across the organization. 5 • The Finance Committee continues work on shoring up the club’s financial controls. • The board established a short-term working group to examine and make a recommendation for addressing the issue of multi-club rowing and racing. • Capital planned for the purchase of 5 boats in 2018 in order to continue bringing the club current in its boat replacement plan. In addition to the 5 boats purchased, CARP will receive one boat from US Rowing. In addition to the many achievements we have had on the water, I hope you will be just as proud of all Capital has accomplished off of the water. I look forward to our continued work together and celebrating Capital’s milestone 30th year with you throughout 2018! Sincerely, Kirsten Peterson President, Board of Directors 6 membership and programs In 2017, Capital Rowing Club had 290 members and served over 400 rowers across 11 programs. Competitive Sweep Coaches: Guennadi Bratichko, Elena Bratichko Comp Men The competitive men’s program had a strong year, with 14 active rowers consistently winning events in local, regional, and national regattas. The men along with the women won the Sweep Trophy at the Regional Championship Diamond State Regatta for the second year in a row. The men did exceptionally well at the 2017 US Rowing Masters National Championships. With only ten men participating, they placed 9th out of 70 programs in the team standings medaling in 6 of 7 events that including winning the very competitive Club E8+ for the second year in a row. Comp Men’s 4+ at Masters Nationals The Comp Men program ages span 23 to 77 years of age with varying degrees of rowing experience from former elite collegiate rowers to natural athletes who progressed up from the Learn to Row and club programs. The primary requisites for the Comp Men program are prior rowing experience, good physical condition, and a solid understanding of rowing technique. 7 Comp Women The competitive women’s sweep team had a fantastic 2017 racing season, and participated in a range of local, regional, and national events. During the sprint season our 20+ rowers and coxswains entered 9 events at the Diamond States Masters Regatta (DSM) and earned a respectable 5 medals. At the US Rowing Masters Nationals Capital Rowing Club placed 5th in points overall with the women’s sweep team earning 2 gold and 4 bronze medals out of 11 events entered. The head season culminated with the Head of the Charles Regatta, and the women rowing in the masters 8+ event. Year after year our masters women’s entry improves, and in spite of some stiff competition made it into the top5 finishers. After taking a few months off to recover and train over the winter we are ready to dive in to racing season 2018! Comp Women’s 8+ at the Head of the Charles Club AM Coaches: Ben Sproule and Zoe Gentes ClubAM had a really good year. It was a bit of a transition for us, as our long-time coach, Jon Clark, retired from full-time coaching. Ben Sproule and Zoe Gentes took over and were wonderful additions to the program and CRC. As usual, Club AM was something of a transition point for many, taking in new rowers from INR and out of town, and passing others on to the competitive team. We are not just a 8 club and racing program, but a training program for developing rowers. We sent boats to 9 regattas, won several medals, and all got stronger, fitter, and better. In addition to the races where we medaled, our women’s 4+ seemed to constantly be pushing the Comp Women. At Stonewall, for example, they were second overall, just 4 seconds behind the comp women. Our mixed 8+ at DSM finished4 th overall, and 2nd in their heat, 2 seconds behind Comp and 0.5 seconds ahead of Club PM. We interacted more with Club PM this season (and Comp and SAW as well), both socially and with mixed boats at regattas. We contributed a rower to a winning Club PM boat at one regatta and they contributed to a winning Club AM boat at another. We also reborrowed Joaquin to fill out our medal defending mixed 8+ at Head of the Occoquan (HOTO). We hope to continue all that in the 2018 season. Club AM was probably the most active program, per capita, in supporting Learn to Row, Juniors, CARP, etc. We take pride in our volunteer work. We also led three “learn to cox” days. Club AM rowing at sunrise 9 Club PM Coaches: Nathan Ballou, Steve Neumann, Jane Wang Club PM welcomed a new head coach, Nathan Ballou, and returning assistant coaches Steve Neumann and Jane Wang for a very successful year. The spring season was spent learning a new stroke in preparation for sprint and head races in the summer and fall. The team benefited both from returning rowers and new members from INR. Highlights from the summer include a dominant win by our women’s novice 4+ at Stonewall in June and mixed 4+ duels at VBC, Charm City, and Capital Sprints; and strong performances at DSM.