Hoosier Canoe & Kayak Club

Happy New Year!  As we begin the new year, we are looking for your input on what you want to see the club do this year.  See below for details on the trip planning meeting on January 21^st.  Keep an eye out for details on a paddle around New Year’s day and a Wilderness First Aid class in February.  As you participate in trips, we always appreciate trip reports for the newsletter.  If you have something you’d like to share in the newsletter, send it to Dwayne James (dwaynesjamesa1@hotmail.com)  by the 17^th of the month.  See you on the water!

 Merry Christmas to all!!  

Duane

As another year comes to a close, I’d like to thank Natalie Needham for her great leadership during her two years as our skipper.  I am honored to be your skipper for the next year.  I would also like to thank the board, trip sponsors, and instructors for the work they have put in over the last year supporting all of the great opportunities this club provides.

We just had another wonderful annual meeting with 60 people in attendance.  Thanks to everyone who helped to put on this meeting.  We had a great presentation on a past trip “Uganda: In Search of White Water”.  The slate for the new board was approved.  Changes to the Constitution and By-Laws were approved to allow for voting using an Absentee Ballot.  Awards were also presented.

Winter is approaching, but we still have plenty of club activities coming up.  Keep an eye out for information about the New Year’s Day paddle, First Aid training, and the trips planning meeting.  We also have pool sessions at Thatcher Park on Saturday mornings from 10:00 to 12:00 throughout the winter where you can work on your roll, rescue skills, and paddling technique.

Hope to see everyone one on the water sometime next year!

Duane

I have thoroughly enjoyed my tenure as Skipper, and look forward to the upcoming leadership of Duane Garloch and the new executive board; new trips, and more training opportunities for members. 

Be sure to come to our annual club meeting on November 11th to meet the new leadership, meet other members in person, check out some fun presentations and, of course, some great food. Thank you for being such a great club and I hope to see you all on the water at some point! 

Natalie

From the Skipper

We’re nearing the end of the year, not for paddling necessarily; but the fiscal year for the club.  We have a great slate of officers and board members and some great news out of Columbus this month.  Our club is only as great as our members, and I know we have plenty of awesome members.  We always need volunteers to continuously improve our club.  Officers, board members, food prep, clean up, trip leaders, section chairs, co-chairs, instructors, educators, trip reporters, protesters, writers, picture takers, newsletter editor….these are all positions that are made possible by volunteers and also makes this club the best one around.  It’s a thankless job sometimes, but truly a group effort.  Be sure to thank any club volunteer; and if you have any time to spare then we could always use your help.

I hope to see you all at the annual meeting on November 11!

Natalie

We’re coming to the unofficial end of summer, but not the paddling season! 

We still have great trips planned and the annual meeting is coming up in November. We’ll have a new venue this year for the meeting, and there will be lots to discuss and a decent presentation.  

One of the most important items will be the voting in of new board members and officers. If you are interested in being on the board or an officer, please let a current board member or officer know. Also, many may not know this, but all the board meetings are open to the general membership. The current focus of the board is to increase safety awareness to the paddling community, along with discussions on how to move the club forward. The board meetings are very informal and easy going, don’t be afraid to participate! The monthly meetings are listed on the website calendar.

A club is only as good as its membership, and I know we have plenty of fine members. So, if you want your voice or opinion heard on how the club should move, or you’re just curious what goes on; feel free to come to a board meeting at the very least. If you’re really interested in steering the club, join the board or volunteer to be an officer.

Stay safe and see you on the river!

Natalie

I’m literally copying and pasting the Skippers Note from our last newsletter below,  as the situation on our water ways has only worsened.  

In addition to our  classes, remember that our entire club is a resource. Even if you’re not a member, feel free to reach out to any board member or fleet captain with questions.  Our board members have literally hundreds of years of combined paddling experience (I think Dave Ellis has at least 150 alone J ) and the depth of the entire club goes much deeper. I know that I can speak for all board members that we’d rather each have to answer 100 email questions than see another tragedy.

So far this year has brought high water, which has been great for the white water folks; but not so much for the flat water trips. Along with a lot of rain, this year has unfortunately seen several tragedies on the water. Flood conditions, strainers, and low head dams have all taken a toll on the paddling community this year. I would like to remind everyone to dress for the swim, know the river you’re paddling, know the boat you’re paddling, have the right safety gear with you and on you, paddle with a group (preferably a group that knows how to get you out of trouble if or when needed), and take classes that make you a better paddler and even an asset to have along on a trip. 

Wilderness first aid, swift water rescue, and knowing how to self-rescue are all valuable skills to master.  Throughout the year, we offer our members either free or discounted classes on all of these skill sets, along with access to a heated pool year-round for practice. Please make sure you take advantage of these resources, you never know if you will ever need it for yourself, for others in your group, or even a complete stranger. Paddle on and paddle safe.

Looking forward to seeing you all on the water at some point*-!

-Natalie

So far this year has brought high water, which has been great for the white water folks; but not so much for the flat water trips.  Along with a lot of rain, this year has unfortunately seen several tragedies on the water.  Flood conditions, strainers, and low head dams have all taken a toll on the paddling community this year.  I would like to remind everyone to dress for the swim, know the river you’re paddling, know the boat you’re paddling, have the right safety gear with you and on you, paddle with a group (preferably a group that knows how to get you out of trouble if or when needed), and take classes that make you a better paddler and even an asset to have along on a trip.  Wilderness first aid, swift water rescue, and knowing how to self-rescue are all valuable skills to master.  Throughout the year, we offer our members either free or discounted classes on all of these skill sets, along with access to a heated pool year-round for practice.  Please make sure you take advantage of these resources, you never know if you will ever need it for yourself, for others in your group, or even a complete stranger.    Paddle on and paddle safe.

Looking forward to seeing you all on the water at some point!

 Natalie

The summer solstice brings us the longest days of the year this month, so try to find the time to enjoy the extra day light on the water somewhere.  Our June 10 open house got moved to July 8, so keep an eye out for more information on our website, your email, and the July newsletter for details.

Looking over our June calendar, I really wish I had more time!  Every fleet has at least one trip every weekend.  Camping, paddling, clinics, pool practice – a ton of activity going on in and out of state.  Remember, if there is a trip you would like to do, please contact that fleet’s chair or anyone on the board.  And we are always looking for new trip leaders, so feel free to volunteer.

There are also numerous other ways to volunteer this month, from the Hoosier Outdoor experience to helping with a triathlon. 

Hopefully everyone had a chance to fill out the survey to vote for a white-water park in Columbus, IN last month.  At press time, we don’t have an update on the riverfront project; please see the article in this newsletter on how you to stay up to date.

Hope to see you all on the water at some point!

Natalie

I hope you all got to enjoy a spring paddle or two so far this year. With its warm temperatures warming up the water more every day, May brings us the unoffi-cial start of summer and even more paddling trips! 

As we get deeper into the paddling season, remember to share your experiences with the club. The news-letter is only as interesting as you are, so be sure to submit trip announcements, trip reports, photos, even articles that offer tips or your favorite campfire recipe. Submissions can be made to Dwayne James at DwayneSJamesA1@hotmail.com  - Thank you, Dwayne, for keeping us informed every month!  

Remember, although no trip announcements appear in the newsletter, we have various trips scheduled which can be found on our calendar. For example: Big Walnut Creek on April 29, the Muscatatuck Rendezvous May 6/7, and a trip sponsored by Muskrat on Wildcat Creek on 5/27.

Even more exciting than reading our newsletter is reading about the prospect of a year-round paddling destination in our newsletter! The city of Columbus in Indiana is researching that very idea for their riverfront, with a white-water park on the table of ideas. Be sure to check out the article in this month’s newsletter for more details and how you can make this dream a reality!

Hope to see you all on the water!

Natalie

April starts our main paddling season off with a bang with the FORTIETH annual paddle on the Big Pine. That’s right, Garry Hill has been kind enough to wrangle paddlers and their gear and boats onto this small stream in Attica, IN for forty years.  Garry has it down to a science and it’s much smoother than herding cats, as a lot of river trips can easily compare to. Thanks for including the Hoosier Canoe and Kayak Club in your adventures, Garry!

We have a lot more trips and training sessions scheduled for this year, and adding to the trip calendar is one of the newer sections: paddle fishing. This section will be dedicated to paddling leisurely while fishing, which can be difficult to do on a normal paddling trip. Please see John’s write up in this newsletter (April 2017) and contact him if you’re interested. 

As more trips and warm weather come our way, remember that the water takes a lot longer to warm up. Always be dressed for the swim and have a change of clothes with you and one waiting for you in the car. I hope you can get out and beat the summer crowds and enjoy some spring paddling and I hope to see you all on the water at some point this year! 

Natalie