• Saturday, May 12th, 2012 – Slippery When Wet at the Baltic Room
• Sunday, May 13th, 2012 – Swim Clinic hosted by Seattle University Swim Team
• Monday, May 28th, 2012 – No swim practice due to Memorial Day
• Saturday, May 19th, 2012 – Board Meeting at Hank’s and Chris’s House at 10:30am
• Saturday, June 16th, 2012 – Bowhole: Salute to Seaman
• Sunday, June 24th, 2012 – Pride Parade
• Saturday, June 30th, 2012 – June (Beach) Potluck at Chip’s on Vashon Island
• Saturday, July 28th, 2012 – Summer Pool Party & Potluck at Colman Pool
• Saturday & Sunday, Oct 20-21st, 2012 – NW Zone Championships at KCAC

Board News

Slippery When Wet: An Orca Fundraiser at the Baltic Room

This event is a fundraiser to help us host the 2012 IGLA Championships. Chris Bresemann will be DJ’ing until midnight and Brian Gorr will be taking over until 3am. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $15 from our website (http://www.orcaswimteam.org/slippery-when-wet/) or for $20 at the door. Unlike fundraisers at the Lobby where money is raised by selling wristbands and Jello shots, the event’s tickets sales will go to the team. If you would like to help out, please email Jason at jsnstone@gmail.com. We will likely need someone working the door, not to mention we always love when swim team members come in their speedos to mingle. People who volunteer for the event will get free admission. More information can be found on online at https://www.facebook.com/events/313091118760777

Swim Clinic, Sunday May 13th, 2012

Seattle University will be hosting another Swim Clinic on Sunday from 3pm to 5pm. This serves as a fundraiser for their team, but is also a really great benefit to Orcas. At the swim clinic, the Orca Swim Team covered the entire entry fee for swimmers. This time, the team will be subsidizing 50% of the cost. The event is open to the public and will cost $20 per person or $10 if you are an Orca member. The clinic will be split into two 1-hour sessions and both pools will be used for both sessions. There will be a break in between sessions for swimmers to use the restrooms and also to regain some heat in the saunas and showers. You can RSVP to the facebook event (https://www.facebook.com/events/265569116872862/) or email Karla Ruff directly at ruffk@seattleu.edu. Karla is one of our coaches and was the main person responsible for putting on these events to our teams’ mutual benefit.

Blowhole: Salute to Seamen, Saturday, June 16th, 2012

Make sure to invite all your friends (as well as enemies, family, coworkers, and complete strangers) to our annual weekend-before-Pride event. (Not yet on facebook, gasp!) Similar to past Blowhole events, this will be an opportunity for the team to continue raising money while having a blast in our speedos. It will be held at the Lobby Bar, and we will need volunteers. There are plenty of opportunities which include making Jello shots prior to the event and then selling them the night of, selling wristbands at the door (someone please make a sign!), the famed “Suck for a Buck”, and quality performers such as the Backstroke Boys to help Juanita and Mermosa entertain the crowd. Or if all that is too much for you, feel free to simply mingle with the crowd in your speedos.

2012 Orca Pride Parade Float and Suits

This year Owen Wagenhals is organizing our Pride Float, but he needs your help and participation! The theme for the parade is “The Many Faces of Pride,” For information check out the Facebook event or email Owen here.

Our Pride swim suits are already available for purchase online via the team website: http://www.orcaswimteam.org/orca-store/pride-speedos/ . The team is subsidizing a third of the cost of the suits, bringing them to an even $20 for men’s or women’s suits. So don’t wait until the last minute to get one!

Orca Swim Caps & Unofficial Team Suits

Meghan did a fantastic job getting the swim caps ordered for the team! She brings them with her to practices where you can purchase them for $5. They are bright green which makes them useful for open water swimming as well as swim meets!

We are planning to put together an order for official team swim suits in the fall, but in the meantime, several Orca members have decided to order unofficial team suits, and we wanted to give everyone a chance to join in. The suits are made by Nike and available for online ordering. They are available in brief and jammer styles, and when you order the black and white color combination, they resemble the markings on Orcas! Imagine that. http://www.swimoutlet.com/product_p/8093.htm (Brief) http://www.swimoutlet.com/product_p/8092.htm (Jammer)

Volunteer Kayakers Wanted for the Fat Salmon

The organizer of the Fat Salmon has been helping us organize the open water event for IGLA 2013 and in return we have agreed to help recruit kayakers for the Fat Salmon event. For those of you who don’t know, the Fat Salmon is the most popular open water swim of the year in the area. They offer a 1.2 and 3.2 mile swim in Lake Washington; last year it sold out in 14 days! (For those interested in swimming, registration opens June 1st.) The event could use as many kayakers as possible to provide a border on either side of swimmers to keep them safe and moving in the correct direction. If you have a kayak or know a kayaker and would like to help out with this amazing event, please contact Jim Lasersohn.

Summer Pool Party & Potluck, Saturday July 28th, 2012

This year we have moved our annual Summer Pool Party & Potluck to the last weekend in July. Another change this year is that we have also reserved picnic tables at Lincoln Park for the afternoon. So here are the details:

We have picnic tables 47, 48, 49 and 50 reserved at Lincoln Park from 3pm to 10pm, which means you can show up at any time that afternoon with your potluck dish. There will also be a BBQ grill there if someone wants to make use of it. Note these are tables and not a shelter, so if you have a portable canopy that we can use for shade, email Ryan Robertson at rjr.devry@gmail.com. Also, please be aware that alcohol is not allowed in Seattle Parks. This will give us ample time to eat before heading to the pool for fun. A map of Lincoln Park with directions and picnic table locations can be viewed online at https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B9cjjiikvsW7dVEydDJpY1BncFU

We have Colman Pool reserved from 7pm to 9pm. Sunset should be around 8:48pm, so we should have light until the very end of our reservation this year. In addition to the alcohol restriction, glass is not allowed in the pool area. So leave it at the picnic tables or at home and just enjoy yourselves!

15th Annual Swim for Life Across Lake Washington, Wednesday, August 15th, 2012

Swim for Life is an annual 2.5 mile, team-based swim across Lake Washington from Medina Beach Park to Madison Park. Orca members have participated for the last couple of years. Participants form groups of four or fewer swimmers plus a kayaker that follows them across the lake to keep them safe. Two years ago the kayaker was essential since strong winds blew one team member away from the pack and toward the bridge. Last year the weather was perfect and two groups of Orcas participated; this year it appears there will be at least three teams.

This event is a fundraiser for the Puget Sound Blood Center and the entry fee per team is $160. Participants can setup online donation pages through the event website and individual and team totals are tracked. Last year an Orca team ranked fourth in team fundraising amounts.

If you would like to participate in the event, please email Ryan Robertson at rjr.devry@gmail.com and he will do his best to place you with a team. Even if you have a team formed, let him know so we can all find each other at the event and have a great time. This year some people are planning on bringing waterproof cameras to use during the swim! You can check out last year’s photos online at http://www.psbc.org/news_archive/swim2011.htm . (You might just know people in the 20th photo of the gallery!)

Orca is hosting the NW Zone Short Course Meters Championships Oct 20-21st, 2012!

Mark your calendars now for this 2-day meet being hosted at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way by our very own team. This is the Zone (WA, OR, ID) Championships for Short Course Meters (meaning swum in 25m pool). Although it is called a championship, you don’t have to be a certain speed to participate, and this is a great opportunity to experience one of the best swimming facilities in the country. We expect approximately 300 swimmers in attendance and we might even have some visiting IGLA swimmers giving the pool a test swim for IGLA 2013.

Like IGLA 2013, this is a significant undertaking for our team and we need assistance in many areas. If everyone helps in some way, we can pull this off. This will also be a great opportunity to prepare for running IGLA 2013. Please contact Jim Lasersohn  f you would like to help. And yes, we have a facebook event for this as well: https://www.facebook.com/events/329792690405395/ Here are some of the things we need assistance with:

Meet Preparation: Volunteer recruitment, food and drink planning for volunteers, solicitation of donations (in-kind food and drink donations for volunteers), solicitation of sponsorships (local businesses in Federal Way such as restaurants may be interested in promoting in our program), meet promotion to other swimmers, hosted housing, liaison to timer groups, social event(s) in Seattle for IGLA visitors, registration, website, program preparation, advertisement slide show preparation for display at aquatic center, etc.

Day of Meet: Check-in and Heat Sheet sales, Head Timer, timers, hospitality room food/ and drink volunteers, awards table, Safety Marshals, Clerk of Course, Announcer, results, etc.

If you have other ideas on ways to help, please share them!

11th Annual AIDS LifeCycle, June 3rd – 9th, 2012

From June 3-9, 2012, longstanding Orca member and prior Orca coach Paul Ikeda will be participating in the AIDS/LifeCycle event. It’s a 7-day, 545-mile bike ride from San Francisco to LA to make a difference in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

This year Paul’s goal is to raise $15,000. He is aiming to be one of the top fund raisers, and is currently ranked 32nd out of thousands of participants. Paul has donated $1,500 of his own money as a start to his goal. This will be his 10th ALC. Over the years Paul has raised around $120,000! Any donation amount makes a difference, so let’s support a member who has given so much not only to this team, but to people all over! You can contribute on his donation page which he updates regularly: http://bit.ly/GladOrca

• Friday, April 6th,2012 – No swim practice.  Have a GoodFriday.
• Sunday, April 8th,2012 – No swim practice in lieu of Easter Sunday.
• Saturday &Sunday, April 14th-15th, 2011 – PNA Championships
• Saturday, April21st, 2012 – Board Meeting at 10:30am at Hank’s at 112 NE 57th St.

Board News

IGLA 2012 Scholarships Applications: The Orca SwimTeam is proud to announce we are currently accepting applications forscholarships to attend IGLA 2013 in Reykjavik, Iceland.  We will be looking at several differentthings when considering who to award this scholarship money. If you are chosenas a scholarship recipient you can use the money towards transportation, lodging or food

To apply, please submit a letter of interest to BrianWilliams.  In the letter please let us know why you areinterested in going to IGLA 2012 in Reykjavik, Iceland.  Here are some of the criteria you shouldcover in your letter to help us make the decision:

• Your past, current and future involvement with the Orca Swim Team.
• Your financial need.
• If you are willing to participate in the helping organize for any of the upcoming swim meets hosted by the Orca Swim team, and in which capacity you would be participating.
• The NW Zone Short Course Meters Championships in October 2012.
• The Emerald City Swim Meet in March 2013. The IGLA Championships in August 2013.
• How you plan to be an ambassador for the Orca Swim Team at the IGLA 2012 Championships in Reykjavik, Iceland.
• Your current involvement in the community. (gay, sporting, arts, etc.)
• Anything else you feel would be an important reason why we should help you get to Reykjavik.

IGLA 2012 is rapidlyapproaching.  To be considered for thesescholarships, please submit a letter of interest by April 7, 2011

Orca is hosting the NW Zone Short Course Meters ChampsOct 20-21st, 2012! Mark your calendars now for this 2-day meet being hostedat the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way by our very own team.  This is the Zone (WA, OR, ID) Championshipsfor Short Course Meters (meaning swum in 25m pool).    Although it is called a championship, youdon’t have to be a certain speed to participate, and this is a greatopportunity to experience one of the best swimming facilities in thecountry.   We expect approximately 300 swimmers in attendance and we might even have some visiting IGLA swimmersgiving the pool a test swim for IGLA 2013.

Like IGLA 2013, this is a significant undertaking for our team and we needassistance in many areas.  If everyonehelps in some way, we can pull this off. This will also be a great opportunity to prepare for running IGLA2013.  Please let Jim Lasersohn know if youwould be able to help.  Here are some ofthe things we need assistance with:

Meet Preparation:  Volunteer recruitment, food anddrink planning for volunteers, solicitation of donations (in-kind food and drinkdonations for volunteers), solicitation of sponsorships (local businesses inFederal Way such as restaurants may be interested in promoting in our program),meet promotion to other swimmers, hosted housing, liaison to timer groups,social event(s) in Seattle for IGLA visitors, registration, website, programpreparation, advertisement slide show preparation for display at aquaticcenter, etc.

Day of Meet:  Check-in and Heat Sheet sales, Head Timer, timers,hospitality room food/ and  drinkvolunteers, awards table, Safety Marshals, Clerk of Course, Announcer, results,etc.

If you have other ideas on ways to help, please share them!

Orca Swim Caps: We now have team swim caps!  Meghan will bring them next week andselling them at the pool for $4.  They are bright green so you can use them for open water swimming as well as swim meets!

See the Orca website for moreinformation on swim meets and open water events. (http://www.orcaswimteam.org/competition/upcoming/)

Upcoming Swim Meets

Saturday April 14th – Sunday April 15th – 2012 PNAChamps, Federal Way, WA

This is the championship swim meetfor our Local Masters Swim Committee (LMSC) which is the PacificNorthwest.  We are encouraging all Orcamembers to go to this meet regardless of whether you actually compete.  The more people, the more fun we allhave!  Plus this is a great opportunityto show off your team shirt, and we should be receiving team caps just in timefor the event.

Registration for this meet is moreexpensive than usual.  The entry fee is$31 plus $2 per individual event.  As always, if you have financial hardship and would like to go, please speak toany board member and a portion if not all of your fee will be covered by teamfunds.  In case you don’t know the entireboard, there are six members: Chris Bresemann, Hank Meuret, Brian Williams,Brian Weiss, Steven Potokar, and Ryan Robertson.

The meet will be hosted at theWeyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center, 650 SW Campus Drive, Federal Way, WA98023.  It will run two days, Saturdayand Sunday.  Warm-ups on Saturday startat 11am and warm-ups on Sunday will start at 8am.  We will be organizing carpools to and fromthe meet.  There might also be a PNASocial associated with the meet. Registration is currently open. Enter online at https://www.clubassistant.com/club/meet_information.cfm?c=1449&smid=3621.Registration closes Saturday April 7th at midnight, and don’t forget to orderyour team shirt when you register!

•  Friday, March 2nd– Bring a Friend Friday!  Bring yourfriends to swim practice, and then afterward to the Lobby Bar for drinks andsocializing.
• Saturday, March24th – Board meeting at 10:30am at Roy Street Coffee & Tea: 700 BroadwayAve E.
• Sunday, March24th – Brian Weiss is hosting the March Potluck at 7pm: 5319 51st Ave S.,Seattle, WA 98118
• Sunday, April 1st– Seattle University is hosting a swim clinic from 3pm to 5pm (prior to swimpractice).

 Board News

Blowhole: Mardi Gras Recap:

A special thanks toeveryone who supported our third Blowhole event, our Mardi Grad edition.  Juanita Defuca and her Backstroke Boys put ona fabulous show, and thanks to Hunk Dujour and Mermosa for supporting the teamas well.  We raised around $800.  The money goes towards the swim team’sgeneral fund, but helps pay for things like our Pride Parade entry, the summerpool party at Colman Pool, swim meets, swim clinics, scholarships, poolequipment and more, especially with our team hosting the IGLA Championshipsnext year!

 Swim Meet Recap:

Congratulations to everyone for makingit through our many meets and activities in February.  We started off the month with the Beat theClock meet in Olympia followed by the Orca Bonfire afterward hosted by Orcamember Mike Turcott.  Next we visited theEnglish Bay Swim Club for some international swimming at the I Love to Swimmeet in Vancouver, B.C.  To finish offthe month, many members got out of their red dresses and into racing suits tocompete in the meet hosted by the Lake Washington Masters program at JuanitaHigh School.  Results of the swims fromthis season are still being collected and our team records updated; we willmake sure to announce when we finish so you can see your name, swims and timeson the team website.

 Bring a Friend Friday:

This Friday, March 2nd, weare having Bring a Friend Friday.  Thismeans you can bring anyone you want to swim practice.  They do not need to make arrangements withthe captains beforehand, but we do ask you arrive at the pool with your guestor guests around 15 minutes prior to practice to give us time to get themchecked into the fitness center and show them to the locker rooms andpool.  There will be music on deck, andmany people on the team will grab a quick bite to eat afterward on their way tothe Lobby Bar for drinks and socializing.

 March Potluck:

We are continuing potluck themesthis year for our March Potluck, which will be Asian themed.  Brian Weiss and his partner Telved will behosting this month at their home.  Thepotluck will start around 7pm on Saturday, March 24th.  The address is 5319 51st Ave S, Seattle, WA98118.  Ideas for dishes and drinksinclude: Sushi (maki rolls, kimbap, musubi), noodle dishes (Yakisoba, PhadThai, Jap Chae), Honey Walnut Shrimp, steamed buns (pork, shrimp, beef,veggie), rice (fried, brown, white), soups (udon, ramen, pho, dok mandu guk),panchan, katsudon, teriyaki, tea, sake, Kirin.

  Swim Clinic:

The Seattle University Swim Team ishaving a fundraiser for their swimming program by hosting a swim clinic onSunday April 1st from 3pm to 5pm.  Theclinic is open to any interested persons, so not only will Orca members be inattendance, but so will swimmers from the Seattle University’s own masterprogram and other swimmers in the area. The clinic will be free for Orca members but will be $20 per person foreveryone else.  The clinic will run from3pm to 5pm specifically so our swimmers could come for the clinic and just stayin the pool for practice afterward. Swimmers will receive one-on-one instruction, have a chance to askquestions, as well as have the opportunity to have their swimming recorded onvideo for later viewing.

Pride Parade:

This year a new Orca member has stepped forward to organize our PrideParade entry: Owen Wagenhals!  If you see him around, congratulate him on stepping forward this year and make sure tolend him your support.

IGLA Meetings:

There are weekly meetings on Tuesday at 7pm at Jason’s house (2156 BoyerAve E, Seattle, WA 98112).  The meetings might occur on Sunday at Spencer’s instead if it’s more convenient formembers.  Everyone is welcome to comelearn about Orca hosting IGLA 2013 and there are plenty of opportunities to beinvolved.  There are four main groupswhich will meet a different Tuesday of each month: Sponsorship, Sports, Parties& Events, and Technical & Logistics. These meeting are viewable on the Orca calendar.

 Swimming Events

Saturday April 14th – Sunday April 15th – 2012 PNAChamps, Federal Way, WA

 This is the championship swim meet for our Local MastersSwim Committee (LMSC) which is the Pacific Northwest.  This year we actually have two Clubs underour LMSC, Pacific Northwest Aquatics (PNA) and Blue Wave Aquatics (BWAQ).  BWAQ will compete as their own team (they arealso the team hosting the meet), and everyone else competes under PNA.  We are encouraging all Orca members to go tothis meet regardless of whether you actually compete.  The more people, the more fun we all have!  Plus this is a great opportunity to show offyour team shirt, and we just *may* have team caps in time for the event.

 Registration for this meet is more expensive thanusual.  The entry fee is $31 plus $2 perindividual event.  As always, if you havefinancial hardship and would like to go, please speak to any board member and aportion if not all of your fee will be covered by team funds.  In case you don’t know the entire board,there are six members: Chris Bresemann, Hank Meuret, Brian Williams, BrianWeiss, Steven Potokar, and Ryan Robertson.

The meet will be hosted at the Weyehauser King CountyAquatic Center, 650 SW Campus Drive, Federal Way, WA 98023.  It will run two days, Saturday andSunday.  Warm-ups on Saturday start at11am and warm-ups on Sunday will start at 8am. We will be organizing carpools to and from the meet.  There might also be a PNA Social associatedwith the meet.  Registration is currentlyopen.  Click here to enter online.  Registration closes Saturday April 7th at midnight, and don’t forget to order your team shirt when you register!

]]> http://www.orcaswimteam.org/2012/03/02/march-news-2/feed/ 0 http://www.orcaswimteam.org/2012/02/03/february-news/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=february-news http://www.orcaswimteam.org/2012/02/03/february-news/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:36:22 +0000 webmaster http://www.orcaswimteam.org/?p=1074 Calendar:

o Saturday, February 4th –Orca BBQ and Bonfire hosted by Mike Turcott, starts around 4pm, 13007 Black Bear Blvd SE, Tenino, WA 98589 (just south of Olympia).

o Saturday, February 18th –Board meeting at Hank and Chris’s house (112 NE 57th St)

o Sunday, February 19th –Blowhole: Mardi Gras Edition at The Lobby Bar [...]]]> Calendar:

o Saturday, February 4th –Orca BBQ and Bonfire hosted by Mike Turcott, starts around 4pm, 13007 Black Bear Blvd SE, Tenino, WA 98589 (just south of Olympia).

o Saturday, February 18th –Board meeting at Hank and Chris’s house (112 NE 57th St)

o Sunday, February 19th –Blowhole: Mardi Gras Edition at The Lobby Bar at 8pm

o Saturday, February 25th –Phil and Andrea are hosting the February Potluck, 716 29th Ave, Seattle, 98122 (29th and cherry)

Board News

Orca BBQ and Bonfire: Fellow swimmer Mike Turcott has invited the swim team over to his home in Olympia for a Bonfire and BBQ after the swim meet in Olympia this Saturday, February 4th. It is scheduled to start around 4pm. His address is 13007 Black Bear Blvd SE, Tenino, WA 98589. Mike will be providing burgers and hot dogs, and the music will be provided by our very own Chris Bresemann. It’s BYOB, and if you are interested you can also bring also a side dish. The weather should be nice and mostly clear skies should give a star-studded background to the bonfire. Mike want’s everyone to enjoy the BBQ safely, so he is providing lots of places for people to spend the night if they need. If you already know you would like to stay the night, please send him a message (via facebook or email) or you can email Ryan at rjr.devry@gmail.com and he will pass along the information.

Blowhole: Mardi Gras Edition: The Lobby Bar, Hunkdujour.com and Danial Webster Designs are getting together to sponsor our third Blowhole event Sunday February 19th from 8pm to 2am. Join Juanita DeFuca, Mermosa and Vera Vera Ahndahvahl in dancing and debauchery. We are looking for gogo boys and girls to participate, so if you are interested in supporting this event, please email Jason Stone at jsnstone@gmail.com. We will also need people to help with the clothes check, selling beads and wristbands (for drink specials), and to make and sell jello shots.

USMS & Orca Membership Reminder: We just wanted to remind everyone that on February 15 th ,we will be scrubbing out membership list. This means anyone who has not renewed their Orca and USMS memberships will be taken off the mailing list and check in list at the front door. 2012 will be a busy year for the swim team as we gear up to host the IGLA Championships in 2013. Some new events this year include Orca swim clinics, Spring Fling at the Baltic Room, and hosting the PNA SCM Zone Championships. Keeping your membership current will help to keep you up to date. Below are some helpful links:

Orca – 2012 Membership & Swim Passes http://www.orcaswimteam.org/orca-store/buy-passes/

2012 USMS Member Registration https://www.clubassistant.com/club/USMS.cfm?l=36

Swimming Events

Sunday February 12, 2012 –I Love to Swim, SCM, Vancouver, B.C., CA

“I Love to Swim” is a short course yards swim meet hosted by the English Bay Swim Club from Vancouver, B.C. every year. The meet will be located at the UBC Aquatic Centre (6121 University Blvd, Vancouver BC, Canada). Swimmers will compete in the 8 lane meters pool, and warm-up/warm-down will be in a separate 6 lane yards pool. Much like our meet, this meet will be having a Pink Flamingo relay, which means it will be a great opportunity to practice swimming with style for IGLA 2012 in Reykjavik. Paper entries must be received by midnight Friday February 4th, but online registration will still be available afterward. (http://www.karelo.com/register.php?BID=194&BT=10#Ev11523) The fee to sign up is $35 CDN. In addition to the swim meet, the English Bay Swim Club has invited any Orcas attending the meet to swim with them on Saturday from 5pm to 6:30pm and then go to dinner with them afterward before the meet on Sunday. If you are going to the meet, but can’t make the practice on Saturday, you are still welcome to join up for dinner by meeting in the lobby of the pool at 6:45pm.

Sunday, February 19, 2012 –Lake Washington Masters SCY Meet in Kirkland

The Lake Washington Masters swim team will be hosting this meet in yards at Juanita High School, which is just a short 30 minute drive from our own pool. This will be a great opportunity for swimmers who don’t like long travels to help represent the team. And after swimming at Juanita High School during the day, you can meet up at the Lobby Bar and party with Juanita de Fuca at Blowhole: Mardi Gras. Competition will occur in a 6 lane pool and there will be a separate warm up area. The meet fee is $16 plus $2 per individual event. Warmups will start at 9am and competition will start at 10am. Online registration is currently open (https://www.clubassistant.com/club/meet_information.cfm?c=1679&smid=3620) and will close the end of day Wednesday February 15th. Concessions will be available for purchase. There are already two Orcas signed up for this event!

• Friday, November 11th – No swimming. The pool will be closed in honor of Veteran’s Day. This also means that Bring a Friend Friday will be canceled and we will not be having normal Friday night dinner.
• Saturday, November 12th – November Potluck at David Husch’s home in Madrona (1639 37^th Ave)
• Sunday, November 13th – The Whidbey Island Swim Meet!
• Tuesday, November 22nd – Board Meeting from 7pm – 8:30pm at Brian Weiss’s house.
• Saturday, December 10th – The Orca Christmas Party, hosted by Jeff Meehan at his new house in North Capitol Hill (725 Harvard Ave E)

Board News

Veterans Day and Bring a Friend Friday: We were planning on hosting a Bring a Friend night Friday November 11th, with festivities at the Lobby Bar to follow. Sadly we will have to cancel; Seattle University is celebrating veterans as well, and the school and pool facilities will be closed. Of course, you are always welcome to bring friends to swimming any day of the week. And for those of you that had friends planning on coming this friday, be sure to invite them to our potluck on Saturday night in lieu of Friday night activities!

November Potluck: Thanks to Grady Paden for hosting a great Halloween potluck. Everyone’s costumes were amazing, from Tron to Duke Nukem. This month’s potluck will be held at David Husch’s home in Madrona. His address is 1639 37th Avenue. The festivities will start around 7pm, and I’m confident that among many good foods there will be some excellent guacamole. Our potluck’s are not restricted to Orca members, so feel free to bring your friends!

Christmas Potluck: This year’s Orca Christmas Potluck and White Elephant gift exchange will be hosted by Jeff Meehan at his beautiful new home in North Capital Hill. His new address is 725 Harvard Ave E. As always, we will be having a White Elephant gift exchange. Gift values should be between $10 – $20, although you may go higher if you wish. Technically there is no judgment made on the quality of gifts (and re-gifts are allowed), but we definitely encourage people to come up with creative and fun (or funny) gifts.

Renew Your Orca and USMS Memberships! The time has come to start renewing your Orca and USMS Memberships. The USMS Fee for 2012 is $45 and the Orca membership fee is $20 (waived for annual pass holders). You can find out all the details from our website, as well as links for registration / renewals. (http://www.orcaswimteam.org/orca-store/buy-passes/) And if you renew before 2012, you will get some great discounts:

• blueseventy – 20% off purchase
• Finis – 20% off purchase
• TYR – 20% off purchase
• SBR/TRISWIM – 30% off purchase
• SwimOutlet.com  – 10% off Sporti and USMS logo items
• Hammer Nutrition – $5 off total purchase (additional sale prices Nov 14 – Dec 16)
• Speedo – 20% off selected items
• Aqua Sphere – 20% off purchase
• Active.com - 40% off of Active.com Advantage annual membership

Orca Shirts: Orca team shirts have arrived and have mostly been distributed to team members. But if you haven’t yet received yours, you have two options for collecting them. You can email Ryan (rjr.devry@gmail.com) to arrange a pick up, or you can come to any of our potlucks to collect them. We’ll also take this opportunity to remind our swimmers that Choke Shirt Co (co-owned by Matt Thompson) offers Orca swimmers a special 10% discount at check-out. Choke Shirt Co. has a great collection of tees and hoodies for guys, gals, and babies. Check out www.chokeshirtco.com and enter ORCA for 10% off your order. Go to www.chokeprintshop.com for custom tees and mention your an Orca swimmer for 10% off your order (up to $100).

Swimming Events

November 13, 2011 – 3rd Annual Whidbey Island SCM Meet

 The registration for the Whidbey Island SCM meet has officially closed. 108 swimmers are registered and 16 of those swimmers are Orca members. This means more than 1 out of every 10 swimmers will be from our team. This is a great showing, and the swim meet should be a blast! We expect several team records to be achieved at this meet, likely including some female Orca relays. We are encouraging the swim meet attendees to wear their new Orca shirts to show our team pride! People registered for the meet should expect a separate email to coordinate carpools. Afterward, many swimmers from the meet will be heading to Flyers Restaurant and Brewery (http://www.eatatflyers.com/index2.htm). As part of the swim team’s goal of supporting its swimmers and creating a fun cohesive environment, the team will be covering $10 per swimmer for this after meet social event. Swimmers that go, make sure you keep your receipts for reimbursement from the treasurer after the meet. If you weren’t able to make the Whidbey Island meet this month, our next meet will be sometime in January in Anacortes. Put it on your calendars!

•  Saturday, October 15th – Party with the Orcas at Blowhole II at the Lobby Bar at 9pm. Juanita De Fuca will be doing a new number; don’t miss it!
• Saturday, October 22nd – Board Meeting for the newly elected members at 10:30am at Hank and Chris’s house. (112 NE 57th Ave, near Green Lake)
• Saturday, October 29th – October Potluck and Costume Party at Grady Paden’s house. Come and enjoy the spooky festivities and carve a pumpkin to take home with you!
• Sunday November 13th, 2011 – 3rd Annual Whidbey Island SCM Meet. Come swim with your fellow Orcas at the last swim meet of this year!

Board News

Update on the New Entrance Policy: Prior to the opening of the new addition to the Connolly Center we were informed the team would need to enter and exit the facility as a group. At least for the moment, this policy is not being enforced. Unless the Seattle University administration changes the current check-in procedure, Orca swimmers enter the facility in the same way as before. The old entrance is locked, so use the new entrance. Tell the reception desk you are an Orca swimmer, show them your ID, and they will unlock the turnstile for you to enter. Walk up the stairs directly ahead, go through the door at the top, turn left and follow the hall to the locker rooms.

October Potluck and Costume Party! Grady Paden will be hosting this month’s potluck. This will be a Halloween themed potluck; which means you are all encouraged to show up in your spookiest outfit! We will also have pumpkins on hand for carving; show off your artistic talents! We be sending out Grady’s address and directions as it gets closer to the potluck.

Great Job BAMfest competitors! Congratulations to everyone who swam at the Bainbridge Island meet this year. There were some great swims resulting in plenty of first place ribbons. More importantly, Orca members were able to have a fun time with each other. In case you come from a very competitive swimming background, master meets in our region are low stress events. Everyone is encouraged to swim as best as they can, but in the end you get to decide your involvement level. Keep an eye out for meet results to be posted at the pool.

An Extra Incentive to Join Fellow Meet Swimmers: At the last board meeting, it was agreed the team would chip in $10 per person to encourage participation in swim meets. How the money is used will be up to those attending the swim meet. If everyone agrees, you can use it to offset your entry fee, or you can all go out for pizza and beer afterward! We are always looking for ways to enrich the experience of our members and help you create fond memories. If you have any other ideas for the team, feel free to submit them to the beautiful Suggestion Box made for us by Coaches Alexis and Karla, mention it to a board member, or share it with us at a board meeting.

Orca Shirts: Orca shirts have been ordered and are on their way. We are expecting them to arrive no later than next week. We’ll also take this opportunity to remind our swimmers that Choke Shirt Co (co-owned by Matt Thompson) offers Orca swimmers a special 10% discount at check-out. Choke Shirt Co. has a great collection of tees and hoodies for guys, gals, and babies. Check out www.chokeshirtco.com and enter ORCA for 10% off your order. Go to www.chokeprintshop.com for custom tees and mention your an Orca swimmer for 10% off your order (up to $100).

Swimming Events

November 13, 2011 – 3rd Annual Whidbey Island SCM Meet

The North Whidbey Masters team is providing an opportunity to get in some Short Course Meters swims in this meet season. Online registration is currently open and closes on Mon, November 7th at midnight. Paper entries are accepted and must be postmarked by November 2nd. Deck registration is not allowed, so sign up now. Warm up starts at 9am and the meet starts at 10am, but the 1500 Meter Freestyle is the first event, which will give swimmers a little bit of extra time to get there. The pool is a six lane pool, with five lanes used for competition and one lane used for continuous warm-up and warm-down. This meet is a bit cheaper than others with the entry fee being only $16 and $1 per individual event. There are already several Orcas planning on going; Ryan will be organizing carpools (contact him at rjr.devry@gmail.com). http://www.clubassistant.com/club/meet_information.cfm?c=1577&smid=3260

•  Saturday, September 24th, – Potluck and Board Elections and Jeff Meehan’s starting around 6:30pm. (1077 26th Ave E.)
• Saturday, October 15th – Party with the Orcas at Blowhole II at the Lobby Bar at 9pm. Juanita De Fuca will be doing a new number; don’t miss it.
• Saturday, October 22nd – Board Meeting for the newly elected members at 10:30am at Hank and Chris’s house. (112 NE 57th Ave, near Green Lake)

Board News

New Pool Schedule! Sun @ 5pm, Mon/Wed/Fri @ 7:30p, and Thurs @ 6:30pm.With the new addition there will also be some new check in procedures, so try come a little earlier than usual and please bear with us as things get sorted.

September Potluck and Board Election Night! Jeff Meehan will be hosting our potluck and board election this year. It will start around 6:30pm, and we can bring alcohol and glass again! If you are interested in running for the board, please email Chris Bresemann. You may still run even if there’s someone currently there. We need at least one person to run for director, and applicants for the other position are encouraged as well.

Orca Shirts for Sale! There is only one week left to order Orca Team Shirts. Ryan will be contacting people to confirm their order and collect final payments. On Oct 1st the order will be submitted and if you haven’t ordered you will have to wait till next year. The shirt is American Apparel, Heather Grey, and 100% Cotton. The shirts are not preshrunk and are are $20 each, with sizes from from extra small (XS) through extra large (XL). The shirt will feature a large orca on the side and our team logo on the chest, both printed in black. (Online sizing chart: http://americanapparel.net/sizing/default.asp?chart=mu.shirts)