In this Issue:
Update Your Membership
Nomadic Flow Outfitters Grand Opening in Canton, GA
Volunteer for the Half Ironman on Sunday 5/23
Jim Ledbetter Recognized as a Volunteer of the Year by Water Ways
Sign up for Paddle School!
The long awaited time has come – Paddle School Student Registration is OPEN!
All of the links are on the Paddle School Page on our website.
Here’s what you need to know:
All Students will be signing up for the waitlist.
The number of available spots depends on how many instructors and support boaters sign up. We will be admitting students periodically based upon instructor/support boater availability and in the order of registration. This will happen periodically, so please be patient with us during this process.
Once you are admitted from the waitlist, you have 10 days to pay your invoice, or another student will be admitted in your place. Invoices will be sent via email.
We still need Instructors and Support Boaters.
Sign up so we can admit more students.
Other family members who will be camping need to use the Non-Paddlers & Extras Form.
This can also be used to buy more shirts and stickers.
All Payments Must Be Handled Online
You can only register for paddle school and remit payments online this year. You do not need to be an ACA member or pay for ACA insurance this year to participate in paddle school. Paddle school is only open to TVCC members who are in good standing at the time of registration and at the time of the event.
All Paddle School Questions should be addressed to Cat Vogel (vp@tvccpaddler.com).
Update Your Membership
When your membership expires this year, you’ll need to do things a little bit differently to renew – You will need to update your membership level to the new model.
To change your membership type go to www.tvccpaddler.com then login to your account, then click “My Account” in the top right corner. On the my account page there is a section that says “Membership Level”, click the change level button underneath that section and change your membership type to the appropriate level and complete the form. For detailed visual instructions on how to do this please click this link:
Click Here for Detailed Instructions
When renewing please take care to note what a “family membership” includes. A family membership includes a couple and their children which are under the age of 18 who reside in the same household. This includes married couples and domestic partnerships only.
Meryl Stark (comm@tvccpaddler.com) can help you with membership-related questions.
Nomadic Flow Outfitters:
Canton, GA Grand Opening
Nomadic Flow Outfitters in Canton, GA is holding a Grand Opening Event on Saturday, May 1st to celebrate their permanent location!
TVCC is planning to be there to recruit new members, so we need a few volunteers to staff a table from 10am to noonish. Contact Darren if you’re interested in helping.
Did you know? NFO is a 2021 Paddle School Sponsor and provides a 10% discount to TVCC Members. Definitely pay them a visit if you’re in the area!
Ironman Volunteers Needed:
Sunday, May 23rd
The Ironman Races are coming back after the 2020 hiatus, starting with the Half Ironman on Sunday, 5/23.
TVCC needs volunteers for on-water support! Help this race maintain its distinction of having the best on-water support of all the Ironman Race, and help TVCC retain its financial support from the Ironman foundation.
This year’s race is expected to be the largest ever held, with over 3,000 registered. TVCC will support the athletes as they swim from the rowing club dock to Ross’s Landing. In return, the Ironman Foundation supports TVCC monetarily, contributing to projects the club supports such as TRR. Our participation is crucial to the safety of the swimmers, who by and large are runners or bikers first, and are in the water swimming so they can get to what they really prefer. We need about 80 volunteers in canoes/kayaks/SUPs to be on the water, each in a relatively fixed location along the swim course, to be available for whatever is needed to assist a swimmer. Typically this takes the form of allowing the swimmer to hold on to the bow of your watercraft, while they resolve their issue. The most common issues are anxiety, muscle cramps and just needing to rest. While easy to resolve for a biker or runner, who can stop and sit on the edge of the road, we are needed to provide the “edge of the road” while they are in the water, allowing them the opportunity to finish the swim and head off to the bike ride.
No special medical training is required to volunteer. You do not need to be an EMT, pass a first aid or CPR test, or have any specific credential to participate. You do need to have your own watercraft/equipment, and feel confident in handling your canoe/kayak/SUP in the kind of minimal moving water which is typical of mid-summer on the Tennessee River. TVA will throttle back the outflow from the dam, making it easier to keep your boat positioned. Watch the sunrise (yes, the swim is early) and then marvel as thousands of flailing arms approach you from upriver. Once the first swimmers come past you, it will be non-stop action for the next hour or so. It’s really impressive.
Yes, you will receive a t-shirt for your efforts, and a safety whistle for communication. There’s food after we get off the water. Best of all, we will all be socially distanced on the water, minimizing the threat of COVID.
Join the team for HIMCHOO (code for Half Ironman Chattanooga) at
https://ironman.volunteerlocal.com/volunteer/?id=53011&job_name=canoe/kayak/sup
TVCC membership is not required to volunteer. If you are a TVCC member, your skills, experience and training will be a welcome asset to the water safety team. For additional information or if you have any questions, please contact Buck Meyer at mousecreek@gmail.com.
Mark your calendar – May 23 is the Half Ironman race. September 26 is the Full Ironman race.
Thank you for your support of this event and the athletes who are competing.
Congrats Jim Ledbetter:
WaterWays Volunteer of the Year
(from WaterWays Press Release, courtesy of Mary Beth Sutton)
Local water rat and member of TN Valley Canoe Club and South Chickamauga Creek Greenway Alliance, Jim Ledbetter received one of two prestigious “Volunteer Water Champion” awards [at the Save Water Drink Wine Event]. Jim is one of those folks who is always willing to help out and provides so much guidance in protecting our creeks and rivers. He is always on the water, is amazing at white water canoeing and simply loves our rivers and streams. As a longtime member of the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway Alliance, he coordinated the removal of a huge debris jam/ snag on South Chickamauga Creek which was severely eroding the streambank around the edges and also helped create the blueway paddling trails. He has also volunteered with our Gear Closet and our outdoor classroom projects as well as the Bonnaroo Cleanup!
In Case You Missed It
Quick Bits from the Last Month
Buck Meyer and Andrea White put on a Facebook Live Talk about recreational paddling around Chattanooga. Check it out, and share with your friends.
Did you see TVCC Member Lisa Lemza in the Chattanooga Times Free Press? Check out the article about “Rewilding” Yards here.
Are you into Social Media?
Are you creative?
TVCC is looking for a special person who loves to post on Social Media!
This individual would need to be good at writing, design and photo editing. If this is you and you would like to help TVCC get the word out to members, please read on.
TVCC needs the right person to get news such as upcoming events and reports out to members on a regular basis. In the past we have used Facebook, our website and a newsletter primarily for outreach platforms. However, it is possible these are not the only, best ways to keep members informed. With the new year, perhaps it is time for a very forward looking person to move TVCC into better and more effective information delivery. If you would like this challenge, we need you. Please contact Darren Caputo (president@tvccpaddler.com) for more information.
Check out the official
TVCC website
for all the latest news plus details on all upcoming events.
Follow TVCC Facebook Page (Events) for list and details on upcoming events.
Check out Photos and stories about recent club activities.