Hoosier Canoe & Kayak Club

Please see the current newsletter for December 2021 for important information on club elections, the candidate slate for board and officers, a by laws revision, wilderness first aid training, the annual trips planning meeting and watch for emails concerning an annual meeting and the Boat, Sport, and Travel show volunteer schedule.  And join in the fun for the New Years Day paddle!!!   Merry Christmas to all!  

SEASON’s GREETINGS!! 

Annual Meeting 

We had a zoom meeting attended by approximately 25 people on December 9, 2020. Elections were held. I am told the vote was unanimous. See a list of the newly elected Officers and Board in this newsletter. Congratulations to all.

Upcoming events: January 1 New Years Day Paddle and a Trips Planning Meeting. You should have received an email from your group leader asking for ideas and volunteers to lead trips for the whitewater, sea kayak and flatwater groups. If not, look on the facebook page. Or send your trip idea and date to your group leader.

If you wish to sponsor a trip but do not feel comfortable doing so, contact an experienced trip leader and ask for help. It is not difficult.

Dwayne James, writing in lieu of Your Skipper, Toni Harris

Well we finally are starting to see our beloved club trips come back even though it seems that nationally and locally other sports and entertainment events are remaining closed.  Paddling can be naturally a ‘socially distant’ activity, but there are still things we need to consider carefully when we prepare to go out on the water:

If you’re not feeling well and are showing any signs of sickness - please don’t go….I know this seems harsh but its generally in your best interest and that of your beloved paddling friends!

Shuttles:  If you’re running a shuttle, please consider wearing masks if you’re in close proximity to one another (either inside or outside of the vehicle)

Assisting others with their boats/gear (portaging, training, adjusting etc) - requires community contact...this may be minimal but it is still an opportunity for the transmission of sickness.  Always helps to keep a small travel size container of hand sanitizer with you even in your PFD or first aid kit if you so choose.

I will let you all know although I am disappointed that the Covered Bridge Festival will not be going on this year, it creates a unique opportunity for me as trip leader for the Raccoon Creek Covered Bridge Paddle trip to adjust the weekend to where we have a better chance to paddle among the stunning fall foliage that seems to be a bit later in the year nowadays!!  I do hope you and your family can join us!

As we quickly approach the end of the year, the HCKC board has also had to make some adjustments to the Annual Meeting and will likely be doing this year’s meeting virtually - what this means is that it will be accessible to watch via Zoom online or via your cell phone or simply by calling in to a toll-free number from the comfort of your homes.  Since the pandemic started early in the year, the Board members have diligently continued to meet virtually to discuss how we can best provide support to our members.  I truly appreciate everyone’s commitment and am so pleased with what we’ve been able to do despite the challenges we’ve had in 2020.

Please keep an eye out on Facebook, in the newsletter and your emails for upcoming events planned for the end of this year including the Annual meeting and upcoming training and trip opportunities!

See you all on the water soon!!

Your Skipper, Toni Harris

Due to easing of government restrictions associated with the Coronavirus, the HCKC will resume having some paddling and training events after July 1. 

Proper social distancing as prescribed by the CDC must be observed for events going forward after July 1.   Please check individual events to see if they are go.

With the concern over COVID-19 becoming something that has likely impacted the day to day activities of all of our lives, it is not without heavy consideration that the Hoosier Canoe and Kayak Club has decided to move forward with cancelling all club supported trips and training sessions through May 31^st until otherwise noted.  I personally have been in contact with representation of all three of our fleets as well as our Safety/Education leadership and we are all of the same opinion that it is best for us to recommend that everyone continue with what is recommended by the Indiana Department of Health and the Federal Center for Disease Control (CDC) to best prevent the spread of COVID-19.

What this means is this:  We as the HCKC will be cancelling all trips planned through the end of May until otherwise noted.  This may be extended (hopefully not) and we will communicate if this plan changes in any way.

In the meantime, please follow ISDH and CDC guidelines, practice ‘social distancing’ and refrain from gathering in groups larger than 10 people for your un-official gatherings. 

If you do choose to venture out to the water, we ask you to think about the following:

If the trip requires a shuttle, consider the risk you are putting not only yourself but your shuttle partner(s).  Emergency services are on skeleton crew – if there’s a breakdown it may take much longer for assistance.

Meeting at the put-in…this puts everyone in close proximity which increases risk of transmittal

Please keep up to date for state/CDC restrictions in the area you plan to paddle

On the water – distancing will happen – but we are not always distant.  If there is an incident while on the water, or someone starts showing symptoms of COVID-19 while on the trip, everyone on the trip suddenly becomes at risk (first and foremost the trip leaders/safety boaters)

Please keep in mind, we all have loved ones that are affected by this outbreak.  Not only are our lives at stake, but those of our families – much to consider when planning a trip on the river.

With this being said, please do not take this as the club forbidding any of its membership to partake in the sport we love…just do it safely and within the National and state recommendations.  Be careful out there we want to make sure after all of this is over, we continue on stronger than ever!

Be safe and we will see you all on the other side of this challenge!

Your skipper

Toni Harris

Last night at the Hoosier Canoe and Kayak Club monthly board meeting, the board voted yes (although not unanimously) to require wearing of PFDs on HCKC trips.  

In order to further forward our culture of safe paddling we are addressing a need the club has had for some time to make sponsoring and leading of our trips more consistent across all fleets in the club.  It is our goal and hope that the trip leader training planned for this Sunday will get us closer to that goal.  We discussed and will likely stress in the training this weekend that gear requirements be explicitly referenced in the trip description and that it be communicated before embarkation of each trip.  Other important subjects related to trip planning and management will be addressed such as writing trip reports and posting of events on the calendar, but so much more will be covered as time allows.  

If you have sponsored/led,  or plan to lead a trip (or are even just wanting to know what is involved in)...you should plan to attend this meeting.

It has been stated in the past that the HCKC strives to be considered the 'Premiere Paddling Organization in Indiana'...its time we rise up to the occasion and be the example and not a follower when it comes to being safe on the water.  

Pushing forward...with one voice

Your skipper,

Toni Harris

January and February are jam packed full of events as we kick off yet another year for the club.  January 25--trip planning meeting. Feb 9-trip sponsor meeting-come see what is involved and learn to help lead a great trip. Feb 14-16 Boat Sport and Travel Show--volunteers needed!!!!   Feb 15-weather permitting--hope for some cold weather, snow and then great sunny skies for our annual Ice Falls Trip on Sugar Creek.  Feb 22-23= Wilderness First Aid training.  And then Canoecopia in March!!!!   Check out the newsletter and come join in the fun.   

2020 Annual Planning Meeting

Do you have a favorite place to paddle or a paddle trip you have always wanted to take? We are always looking for new destinations, fresh ideas, event volunteers and trip leaders.

Bring your paddling ideas and get an early peek at our trip and events calendar for the year. Would you like to be a trip leader or some other type of volunteer but, you’re not sure what to do? Sign up anyway and we can guide and mentor you.     Our fleets will be laying out the 2020 trip calendar Saturday January 25^th at 1:30pm at Duane Garloch’s home.

Address: 2755 Sawtooth Oak Circle Westfield, IN 46074

Duane will provide chili. Bring a dish to share and BYOB.

Please register on our website for the event. Hope to see you there!!  https://www.hoosiercanoeclub.org/event-3668612?CalendarViewType=1&SelectedDate=1/5/2020  Your Skipper Toni Harris

 

Well, Hello and Happy Holidays!  If you weren’t at the club’s Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, you missed a wonderful gathering - representative of the personalities, skillsets, boating interests that make up the cornucopia of what is all things Hoosier Canoe and Kayak Club!  I was honored to have been accepted by those present to be your Skipper for the upcoming year.  Thank you to all that worked so hard to make the meeting a great success and I look forward to serving all of you.

A few highlights from what was discussed at the meeting: 

Membership – we are growing!  As of the Annual meeting our numbers have exceeded 350 memberships, four of which are new lifetime members who were honored at the meeting:  congrats and THANK YOU for being a formative part of the group to Tom Siddall, Patricia Bledsoe, Jack Mitenbuler, and Richard Coughenour.

Your HCKC Board consists of seventeen members whom meet monthly through the year to discuss topics related to club outreach, education, current relevant projects going on in the Hoosier state, and exchange ideas on how the club can better serve its membership.  I am thankful to have been a part of the board for four years now and am proud of the work that’s come out of the group.  I want to give a heartfelt thank you to Duane Garloch whom has served us well these past two years and I hope to build upon the good work that’s been done under his leadership.  Duane has been a member of the club for over fifteen years and has been an integral part of our Intro to Paddling classes as well as a beloved part of the Sea Kayaking fleet!  I also want to give a shout out to our newest board member Tim Owens. 

Always a fun time, there were several awards given out during the meeting…the most notable (and long time coming in my opinion) was to honor our Newsletter Editor Dwayne James for the tremendous work he has done month after month of putting the newsletter together in addition to all the other volunteer work he has done for the club over the years.  Thank you Dwayne for everything you do!

These are the things I am most excited about for 2020:

• ·         We have some INCREDIBLE Instructors!!  Over the past few years the number of ACA and Voyageur Certified Instructors has grown significantly – currently we have thirteen certified instructors in the club, most of which hold multiple certifications in more than one discipline.  Last year the club provided not only the always popular Intro to Paddling classes and weekly pool practice sessions, but added an ACA Swiftwater Rescue class with plans to add more opportunities in upcoming years.  The club now has a Safety and Education Committee that is working on Trip Leader education and more consistent instruction across all of our fleets.
• ·         Outreach opportunities and Amazing Volunteers – the Hoosier Canoe and Kayak Club has always been incredibly connected to the community.  Whether it be supporting the Triathalons at Eagle Creek Reservoir or taking kids out on their first canoe ride and talking to them about being safe on the water, we have had some amazing club members come forward throughout the year to represent the club and spread the word about our favorite pastime. This year we have opportunities to work with Veterans through the Team River Runner program and have several members involved in the Voyageur Canoe program.  I am thankful for the time and effort you’ve all put forward for us and look forward to hopefully working alongside each and every one of you again this year!

THANKFUL for a SUPER 2019 and EXCITED for 2020!! 

Your (Newest) Skipper

Toni Harris

I have been honored to serve as you Skipper, and look forward to the upcoming leadership of Toni Harris and the new board.  Next year will bring new trips and more training opportunities for members.  Be sure to come to the annual meeting on November 16^th to meet the new leadership, meet other members in person, check out some fun presentations and some great food.