The Club is run entirely by unpaid volunteers, who give their precious free time to teach, carry out administrative work (like the registers, waiting list, attending meetings), planning, training, learning, and much more! The Committee is drawn from volunteers, for example parents or teachers.  The Committee are nominated by the membership in the run-up to the Annual General Meeting every year.  The only post that is not annually renewed is the role of President.  The President is chosen by the Committee and is recommended for office to the membership at the AGM.  If you would like to play a more active role in the running of the club, or have a skill that you might be able to offer for a particular activity (for example, fund raising) please talk to the Secretary. Here is a quick run down of who is who: Secretary: Meryl Smallbone Meryl came to the Club as a swimmer - she can remember swimming in The Grand outdoor pool at Broadstairs - brrrrrrrr!, before the Club moved indoors.  Meryl's 3 children have all come through the Club, and now her grandson swims with us.  Meryl's main role is to be the main point of contact for new and existing members, and also to work through the official paperwork, with the help of the Treasurer.  Meryl will not be seeking nomination for the role of Secretary for the AGM 2008, so we are actively looking for a suitable volunteer to take her place.  Please talk to Meryl if you wish to know more about the post. Contact Meryl via the club email: broadstairsswim@tesco.net If you can't access the email, please get your written enquiry to us via the swimming pool, Ramsgate Pool, Newington Rd, Ramsgate. President: Sheila Watson If you came through the Club as a swimmer, you will remember Sheila as either a poolside helper or at the front desk as our Secretary for about 30 years!  Sheila is now our Honorary President. Chair: Tony Taylor Tony came to the Club as a parent in the distant past - his offspring are now adults and Tony is still here!  TT is also a Level 2 Teacher and a great motivator.  The role of Chair is to keep an overall eye on the running of the Club, facilitate meetings, and has the casting vote if needed at the AGM.  Treasurer: Ian White Ian, known to everyone as 'Chalkie', has been the Treasurer for about 4 years.  He's the one in charge of all the money, standing orders, expenditure, looking for funding opportunities, etc.  He has two daughters who are still swimming with  us. Head Teacher: Sue Smith Many of you will remember Sue Smith if you swum with us over the last twenty something years.  As Head Teacher, Sue is in overall charge of the Teachers, waiting list (with Meryl and Sue White), and is a good mentor for the Teachers.  She also makes surethat the teachers and poolside helpers take up appropriate training opportunities. Vice Chair/Assistant Secretary: Sue White Sue has two daughters at the Club (funnily enough, the same two daughters as the Treasurer...).  Sue has been with the Club for about 8 years, is a Level 2 Teacher, runs the registers, membership applications and waiting list in the Main Pool.  She also provides information on training courses for the teachers, writes the session plans for personal survival and water polo and the newsletters (and looks after this website).  Sue is also one of our Masters swimmers.  Sue works with Tony New and Becky Bexley to co-ordinate badge sales and records. Committee members:  They are responsible for being the voice of the swimmers at Committee meetings.  Parents can bring their comments or concerns to a Parent Liaison Officer or Committee member, in confidence, for the Committee to discuss.  Jane Pond swum for us and is now volunteering her spare time, as her two children are with us. Debbie Barnett has two children in the Club, and kindly arranges the venue for our Committee meetings, presentation evenings, etc. Louise English has joined the Committee, and is likely to be found with a stash of raffle tickets in her hand at our functions or some Club nights!  She also signs the awards certificates for us in reception.  Louise also has two swimmers with the Club. These three ladies are also your Parent Liaison Officers - feel free to ask them any questions regarding the running of the Club, etc.  Please ask them in the first instance if you have any queries regarding the structure of the lessons, if they don't know that answer, they will find someone who can help. Tony New is a regular poolside helper in the teaching pool, as well as being on the Committee.  He orders badges and awards in advance of our skills and distance nights. He is working towards his Level 1 Support Teachers course later this year, and will be coming up to the main pool with the current Level 4 group in the near future. Becky Bexley can be found out in reception during the 7.30 group and the start of the 8.15 group.  Becky has helped us to raise a significant amount of money from NatWest Bank and is in charge of keeping the swimmers record of achievement up to date.  Becky has two children who are learning to swim and improving with us. Emma Warren is on the Committee and is also working towards her Level 1 Support Teacher award in 2008, by working in the Teaching Pool.  She is also one of our Masters swimmers and has 2 children swimming with us. Teachers & Poolside Helpers In addition to Tony Taylor, Sue Smith, Sue White and Tony New, the following teachers are also with us: Cathy Tuddenham - if you are an adult who swum with the Club, chances are that Cathy taught you to do breaststroke!  Cathy is a Level 2 Teachers and her grandchildren are now with us.   Rachel Clifton is a Level 2 Teacher and works with Sue Smith with our young non-swimmers and beginners in the Teaching Pool.  She is qualified in Paediatric First Aid. Darren Gambrill is a Level 1 Assistant Teacher working in the Main Pool with the improvers in Levels 5/6 Colin StJohn Jefferey and Erica Smallbone are also Poolside Helpers, working towards their first qualification in 2008 or 2009. Click here to have a quick read about the Bay Captains - pictures to follow! We appreciate the time and trouble that these volunteers give to the Club to make it a happy and safe place for the swimmers to be.