February Recreational Day Camps at Maskwa

I am so excited to announce the launch of our two-week February recreational day camps during the school break, February 14-18 & February 21-25. The camps are for children in grades two through six and will operate from 9am-5pm Monday to Friday at Maskwa. Hot healthy lunches provided by Sweet and Savory Catering Limited. The ratio is maximum 30 children/per two instructors. To register and secure your spot today click on the registration link on the top of the Maskwa home page (www.maskwa.ca)

We are still working out the daily schedule of events and activities but we will be creating themed days: Pirate day, Spy Day, Geek Science Day, etc. The children will be doing one hour of yoga instruction twice a week, badminton in the dry land area of the gym and we’re going to create a Lego section in Heritage Hall, a reading area and arts and craft area for the children. The children will be going outside twice a day for walks, free play on the basketball court and volleyball courts (weather depending).

We have also booked some great and exciting programs to make the two week break special for the children. In the first week, J the Magician will be showcasing his magical talents on Thursday from 3-4pm and the children will get to take home a magical animal balloon of his creation. The following Wednesday we’ve booked the Reptile Show and they will give an educational talk about their 7 species of reptiles they will be bringing to Maskwa and yes the children will get to touch them. Mad Scientists will be dropping by for our Geek Science Day (date and time to be determined) but it’s a hands-on educational component for the children to learn about the fun of science and they will also get to take something home with them.

It’s sure to be lots of fun so sign up your child today. Any questions please call 443-0178 ext: 221. Have a great holiday everyone!

Renee Field
Club Manager
Maskwa Aquatic Club
91 Saskatoon Drive
(902) 443-0178 ext: 221

Maskwa February Two Week Day Camp Registration is up and running

Maskwa Aquatic Club is pleased to announce two-week recreational-based day camps starting Feb 14-18 & Feb. 21-25, 9am-5pm. The club will take a maximum of 30 children/per week in grades 2 through 6. We will have themed days, scavenger hunts, Mad Scientists one week, an educational hands-on reptile show on Feb. 23 (www.maritimereptileadventures.com/ ) and the amazing Mr. J magician the other week.



Hot healthy lunches provided.

Cost is $225/per child. Tax receipts provided.

Register today at https://www.maskwa.ca
Any questions call (902) 443-0178 ext: 221.



Secure your spot today so your child will have a fabulous February break.


Maskwa is located at 91 Saskatoon Drive, Halifax just off the Kearney Lake Road.

Maskwa Offering Two Week February Day Camps

Hi everyone:
I'm so excited. We have worked out arrangements so Maskwa can offer a two week day camp service for parents/students during the upcoming February 2011 school break.

The camp is offered for students in grades 2 through 6 and will run from 9am-5pm, Monday through Friday, starting February 14-18 for week one and February 21-25 for the second week.

This has been lots of fun to organize. I have hired one main instructor who is very qualified to deal with multi-aged students. Her bio is attached to the registration form. We will also be hiring one more instructor. Our ratio is two instructors for a maximum of 30 students per week and we are providing hot healthy lunches thanks to our caterer Sweet and Savory Catering Limited.

The fun part is we are creating themed days at Maskwa. We will be having pirate days/scavenger hunts/ a magic day with The Amazing Mister J - Magician/Entertainer (www.misterj.ca), Mad Science will be popping by one week and we will be incorporating recreation-based activities like yoga, dance, badminton into our day programs.

So, jump the line and register your child or children today by visiting https://www.esourceevent.com/register/register.aspx?EventName=maskwa

Any questions don't hesitate to call me at 443-0178 ext: 221. I hope to see many familiar faces in February.

Maskwa Silent Auction at End of Jan for Spring Training

The wind is roaring here and I'm totally amazed no trees have fallen down at Maskwa. Thank you to the big person upstairs! I wanted to give everyone a head's up that a Maskwa Silent Auction event will be taking place the end of January to help raise money for our athletes to go their February/Spring training camp in Florida.

The event will take place Sunday, Jan. 30 from 2pm-6pm at Kokomo's Restaurant in Bayer's Lake Industrial Park. The restaurant is located at the corner where the Empire Theatre is located and the Bike shop. I've been told there are lots of great auction items including a complimentary night at the Quality Inn with continental breakfast. We are always looking for more silent auction donations so if you'd like to donate something to the club please email me at manager.maskwa@gmail.com so we can arrange drop off or pick up.

Also very soon I will be launching a website to highlight registration for our Maskwa upcoming day camps during the two week school break in February. Stay tuned for signs and more information on our web but basically we're creating themed days, included will be a magic show, a visit by Mad Scientist and much more. Every day will also have a recreational base included like yoga, badminton, or dance. This is sure to be lots of fun for children in grades 2 through 6. We will take a maximum of 30 children per week and have hired two qualified child care instructors to oversee the two week camps.

As for all the other stuff I'm trying to do - let's just say I'm busy. The need for a bookshelf so I can put my growing binders up would be welcome so fingers crossed someone will donate one - lol.

That's it for now folks.

AGM Tonight at 7pm at Club

I quickly wanted to remind Maskwa members that tonight is our annual general meeting starting at 7pm and it will probably last an hour or more. Drop by if you can.

Also the 1st Holiday Craft Market was a great success. We had about 60 walk through the facility and of course buy products from vendors. I am now broke-lol. I loved the variety of gifts and have to say that the bags that Prescott House created with the Maskwa logo are amazing. We might have an opportunity to sell these bags in the summer. Prescott House also made these amazing create your own Xmas bags, Xmas cards, and calendars. I took the Xmas bags and cards to my Sunday School class and the kids loved them - of course all the parents wanted to find out where I got them so I bragged about Maskwa and Prescott House.

Ideally, I would love to see something like a Farmer's Market take place in the summer. Hosting a Holiday Craft Market opened my eyes to the potential for this and all the vendors I talked to said to count them in.

Again, a huge thanks to the Maskwa members who popped in and bought gifts.

Maskwa Hosting First Holiday Craft Market

Looking for alternative gift ideas this holiday season?
Pop into Maskwa Aquatic Club's First Holiday Craft Market
Saturday, November 20
10am-1pm
Free admission


Vendors include Adsum House, Pampered Chef, Halifax Adult Services Society, Shoulder Sugar Purses, Sweet and Savory Catering Limited, The Monkey Show, Arbonne Cosmetics and much more.

Open House at Maskwa Tomorrow

Hi everyone:
This is a reminder that Thursday, November 4 starting at 3:30pm-6:30pm is Maskwa's Open House. This is a chance for the community at large to come in to see what our facility has to offer. We are looking to find out from the community what they would like to see take place at Maskwa during our off-season. Our local councillor Debbie Hum will drop by around 4pm to say a few words and our caterers, Sweet and Savory Catering Limited, will also be on site. Stop in and find out what Maskwa has to offer.

Maskwa and Quality Inn Deal

Hi everyone:
Maskwa Aquatic Club is pleased to announce a memorandum of understanding between the Club and the Quality Inn & Suites Halifax. The Quality Inn & Suites Halifax has created a special rate for our 2010 Maskwa members. They are offering a $99+ tax/room rate (from October-June) and $109+ tax/room rate during the summer (July-September). This rate can be used by any Maskwa member for leisure, a night away, for family or friends visiting. All guest have to do is call 444-6700 and ask for the Maskwa Rate.

Maskwa is very pleased with this business arrangement. Besides giving our Maskwa members a special rate, Maskwa will receive 10% commission from each room paid for. This is a win-win situation for all!

So, go ahead and book your night at the Quality Inn - you save while earning money for the club.

Great Paddle-a-Thon Success

Maskwa hosted its first paddle-a-thon and it was a great time had by all. Over twenty people showed up to participate and with it being Thanksgiving weekend and all, that was good. While the sun was shining the north wind was cold and lots of white caps on the water for the teenagers and younger children participating made it slow and cold. But that didn't stop them from getting on the water. Chad our head paddling coach loaded a good number of kids up into the dragon boat and off they took. They looked like young Vikings in training. By the time they were finished they were looking forward to getting their frozen hands wrapped around the hot chocolate mugs.

Thanks so much to all the volunteers (parents) who brought in fruit and veggie trays and yummy cookies and those wonderful chocolate brownies. The good news with this amazing paddle-a-thon is that we have officially reached our War Canoe goal. This would not be possible without the guidance, coordination and pep rally stewardship of Mike Haley. Thanks so much Mike for all you have done over the past six weeks (yes, in only six weeks we raised $25,000) for the Maskwa kids. For many years to come, and probably for decades because War Canoes are sturdy boats, we will be singing Mike's praises. It was no small task but necessary.

I wish I had my note book on Saturday so I'm trying to remember all the great info off the top of my head. There were three winners (pictured above). David Webster, placed 3rd for most pledges and considering he was sick as a dog the other day, he somehow managed to come and paddle. For David's efforts he received a 6-foot party sub from Subway. Nathan Haley placed 2nd received an MP3 player and bringing in about $500 in pledges the first prize went to Matthew McQuade who received an I-Pod for his great effort. All the kids did a tremendous job raising money and honestly every penny counted. This was such a great event, and for me, it was nice to see some familiar Maskwa faces again, I think we should make this a yearly Fall event for Maskwa paddlers. Don't forget we need to raise money now for a new trailer to haul our wonderful new War Canoe.

I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving Weekend.

1st Maskwa Holiday Market in November

Hi everyone:
Maskwa is going to host it's first Holiday Market on Saturday, November 20 from 10am-1pm, with the snow date being the following Saturday. We are currently looking for a minimum of 10 vendors looking to sell their goods/services. Our 6ft tables are $50 + tax/each. Tables will be booked on a first come basis keeping in mind that we will want a selection of vendors. If your organization is looking to raise money even doing a "bake sale" will be considered. We will not be charging admission to this event for the general public as we want to encourage newcomers to the club. Ads will be taken out in the community Herald and a glow promotion sign will be booked a week prior to the event and situated on Kearney Lake Road to inform the community. Please email me at manager.maskwa@gmail.com if you would like to book a table. Maskwa will take cash or cheque but no refunds will be given for no-shows and payment in full will be expected to reserve tables. Thanks so much.

Banquet Information

Maskwa Celebration 2010



Awards! Door Prizes! Cash Bar! Great Food! Good Times! Free Admission!



Bring your appetite and your sense of fun to Maskwa's annual banquet to be held September 23rd from 6:30pm to 9 p.m. at Maskwa Aquatic Club.

Members are asked to RSVP by *no later than Wednesday, Sept 22, indicating the number of guests in your party. As in the past we ask each family to bring food: either a main course, ham, turkey, casseroles, salads and dessert.

Mark your calendars and get ready to celebrate our many individual and club achievements for 2010!

Like last year Maskwa will supply the condiments and utensils! We will also have hot water for tea and coffee, plus drinks for the children.

Please email Renee Field, Club Manager, at manager.maskwa@gmail.com or call the club at 443-0178 ext: 221 to RSVP. Thanks so much.

Maskwa End of Year Banquet

Hi everyone:
Totally excited that I was finally able to borrow banquet tables and chairs for our end of year banquet. Have to say upfront special thanks to Jodi Pace for helping to arrange this with St. Peter's Anglican Church. If anyone would like to help us collect the tables/chairs please join us on Thursday, Sept 23 at 12:15pm at the church, corner of Kearney Lake Rd and Bedford Highway. We need pick up trucks/vans and lots of muscle power. Then of course we will be setting them up in the club house.

The evening is shaping up to be great. This year Maskwa will be providing hot tea/coffee/paper plates/serviettes, utensils and yes of course you can purchase a drink/ We're working on securing drinks for the children and there will also be buns/butter on the tables.

We ask again each family to bring a main meal, salad or dessert. I've had a few people RSVP what they are bringing but I'm hopeful more will. My email again is manager.maskwa@gmail.com.

If you have a trophy from last year please drop it off at the club. I'm in most mornings around 10:30am or call me at 443-0178 ext: 221 to arrange a time.

End of Year Banquet Info

Hi everyone:
It's a beautiful day where are you all? Just kidding. Back to school and back into the work routine makes it very quiet at Maskwa, but it also gives me time to plan for our upcoming end of year Maskwa Banquet. This event is a lot of fun and a large part of that fun is tapping into that Maskwa family spirit. The event is Thursday, Sept 23 starting at 6:30pm and it's being held at Maskwa. And yes I know it's Rockingham Elementary School's curriculum night but since all that info is on the HRSB website and available from the teachers, I figure I can miss that without feeling guilty and attend the end of year banquet.

Anyway, I am counting on people's support. As in past years we are asking all families to bring either a hot dish like a cooked ham, chicken, casserole, salad or dessert. Please keep in mine if you are a large family, like my own with six in total, making two dishes would be greatly appreciated. In my case I normally cook up a ham and bring along a large salad, and a dozen rolls, just because I always worry there might not be enough food for all. We also need people to bring buns, bread, etc.

As in past years we're asking for you all to bring your own dishes, cutlery, napkins and drinks. I'm working on the liquor license so that will be a nice treat.

I am hoping people will read this and fire off an email to me to RSVP and let me know what they are bringing. Please email me at manager.maskwa@gmail.com. It's very exciting that we're hosting our first end of year banquet at our new club.

Maskwa update from John Moore, the Commodore

Greetings Everyone,

Maskwa was a happening place today. It started around 3 pm and people kept coming.It was a beautiful day in, out and on the water. It' s wonderful to see so many members and their guests still enjoying Maskwa. The weather this week has been a phenom to say the least. Kearney Lake has actually felt a bit like a Jacuzzi these past few days.

This coming weekend we have a weather event called Earle passing through. Please take every precaution to be ready. We will be doing our best to ensure everything is secure at Maskwa.

This past week Sean O'Connor and myself gave tours to the Minister of Finance, Graham Steele and Ooficials from ACOA. They were extremely impressed with both our operation and our buildings. The officials from ACOA couldn't believe we built all this for just 1.2 million. Imagine what we could do if we received 10 times the $355,000 they gave us. There's no stopping us now, is all I can say. You ain't seen nothing yet….Think big….Imagine what 6 tennis courts would be like adjacent to our big parking lot next to the trails entrance….or what a wheelchair accessible trail would look like all the way down to PopCorn Island and around the loop…or a series of work out stations all the way back to Charlie's Lake……or brand new boats to meet all our paddlers needs .

The war canoe fundraising campaign is now at $6600 which is amazing given we only began less than 2 weeks ago. Please do what you can to help Mike Haley and his team achive their goal of $25,000.Check our website for updates and follow the progress of the fundometer. All ideas are welcome

I’m happy to announce Renee Field will be taking over as our new Registrar.This will be a gradual process and will make us much more professional as an organization. It also means a harrowing and difficult volunteer position has just been eliminated which is great news for future volunteers.Thank you to the Munroe-Capes for enduring what surely was the toughest volunteer job at Maskwa.You are to be commended for sticking with this for 4 years.

The Closing Celebration Banquet is being held in the Aquatic Room of our facility on September 23 starting at 6:30pm. An email will be going out shortly asking for your donated pot luck items. You will be getting more details in the coming weeks so circle your calenders as we prepare for a BIG celebration.

Yours in Maskwa
John Moore

Commodore

Making Heritage Hall Availalbe to the Community

This week I had a great meeting with Mabel MacEachern the Recreational Programmer for Northcliffe Recreational Centre. It got me thinking, as I sit here baking in my very hot so-not-airconditioned office, that we need to reach people outside the Maskwa community. That's why I'm posting this blog. If you know of anyone who might be interested in offering classes during the day at Maskwa in their trained profession please tell them to call me.

Maskwa Aquatic Club's new facility, located overlooking picturusque Kearney Lake, offers the perfect location for proffesional individuals looking to offer their services for the community. If you are trained in martial arts, are a personal trainer, teach yoga, pilates, aerobics, dance or are interested in holding specialized language classes or social classes we have the perfect set-up for your needs.

Heritage Hall is 36X32 with six large windows, three of which overlook Kearney Lake. Our gym, called the Aquatic Room, is 1,920 sq.ft 60X32 with nine large windows, six windows overlooking Kearney Lake. The club offers private access to washroom facilities, accessible doors and ramps, kitchen with stove, industrial sink, convection oven for use and free wireless and our gym is full of weight equipment.

We offer both daily and evening usage and are currently booking for our 2010-2011 season. Maskwa Aquatic Club has over 800 members, is located within the Halifax area, and has adequate parking. If you or your group would like to use our facility for instructional usage please call Renee Field, Club Manager at 443-0178 ext: 221 or email manager.maskwa@gmail.com today. Feel free to check out our club at www.maskwa.ca

Wow our Paddlers Rocked Nationals!

Hi everyone:
Talk about another hot, gorgeous week. I wanted to let everyone know that I'll be in most of this week, so the doors to the club and the washrooms will be open by 9am (except on Thursday for the first day back to school I'll probably be late and very emotional - ugh, my oldest starts High School, which makes me feel very old). Also our lifeguards are on duty all week, until Sept 6, from 12noon - 5pm. Please come down to enjoy the last week of our Maskwa summer.

I'm working on a number of Fall Maskwa activities so please subscribe to the blog. I would also ask you to please direct all Maskwa questions to manager.maskwa@gmail.com.

This morning I received this great email from Dan Dugie, our Paddling Director and take a look at what he has to say about our Maskwa paddlers who competed for Nationals in Regina.

"In looking at the times most races this year were quite competitive with places being decided by tenths of a second in many cases. To be among the top 9 in Canada is quite an achievement with many of our athletes finishing in and close to the medals. Well done to all!" says Dan Dugie.

Results for Maskwa athletes who qualified and placed in finals are as follows:

JUNIOR Women K-2 1000M
Alexa IRVIN, Natalie MILLER, 1st     

JUNIOR Men K-2 500M
Andrew JESSOP, Ian MILLER, 1st

JUVENILE Women K-1 1000M
Alexa IRVIN, 1st

JUNIOR Men K-2 1000M
Andrew JESSOP, Ian MILLER, 2nd

JUVENILE Women K-1 500M
Alexa IRVIN   2nd

JUNIOR Men K-1 1000M
Andrew JESSOP, 2nd

Ian MILLER, 5th

SENIOR Men K-1 1000M  B-Final
Andrew JESSOP, 4th

JUNIOR Women K-2 500M
Marielle HAWKES, Natalie MILLER, 4th

MASTER Men K-1 1000m
Peter GILES, 4th

JUNIOR Women K-4 500M
Chelsea CARR KINNEAR, Marielle HAWKES,
Alexa IRVIN, Natalie MILLER, 4th

JUVENILE Men K-4 1000M
Matthew BEAVER, Benjamin KENDALL, Nathan
MACKINNON, Jesse SCOTT, 6th

SENIOR Women C-4 500M
Chelsea CARR KINNEAR, Marielle HAWKES,
Alexa IRVIN, Natalie MILLER, 6th

JUVENILE Women K-2 1000M
Chelsea CARR KINNEAR, Alexa IRVIN, 6th

SENIOR Women C-1 200M
Marielle HAWKES, 6th

JUVENILE Women K-1 200M
Alexa IRVIN, 7th

JUNIOR Men K-4 1000M
Matthew BEAVER, Benjamin KENDALL, Ian
MILLER, Jesse SCOTT, 7th

JUNIOR Men K-2 200M
Peter GILES, Andrew JESSOP, 7th

JUVENILE Men K-1 200M
Jesse SCOTT, 7th

JUNIOR Women K-1 500M
Marielle HAWKES, 8th

JUNIOR Men K-1 500M
Andrew JESSOP, 8th

OPEN Women K-4 200M
Chelsea CARR KINNEAR, Marielle HAWKES,
Alexa IRVIN, Natalie MILLER, 8th

JUNIOR Women K-2 200M
Marielle HAWKES, Natalie MILLER, 9th

JUNIOR Women K-1 1000M
Natalie MILLER, 9th

SENIOR Men C-2 200M
Paul DEAN, Scott DICKEY, 9th

These are very impressive results and as I said in an earlier blog we're going to make sure a good portion of Nationals is funded by Maskwa for 2011.

A reminder if you haven't made your Maskwa War Canoe donation now is the time. Please take to the time to read the information on the website. Hope to see many of you around the club this week.

More Fundraisers in the Works

The week is almost over and I am soon hitting the road for our family camping trip but I have to say again how wonderful working here is. The other night a Maskwa member, Rick Davis, emailed me his idea about one, showcasing Maskwa photos and raising money for the new War Canoe campaign - talk about a great idea. I want everyone to check out this site www.redgrafx.smugmug.com. We will be adding more pics to it next week so there will be a lot more photos up to buy. I checked it out and bought one pic plus a digital pic of my son and $4 went to Maskwa. I love it when people get excited about raising money to make our club a better place for everyone. This is just one idea.

This morning Mary Negulic and I had a conversation about creating a Maskwa 2011 calendar and yes, you guessed it that's in the works. It's also going to be created so you can pick a pic (if we have it or if you have it) of your child/children and add it specific to their birthday month for an extra free. Again, people are coming forward with such great ideas I want to shout a yes!!! to everyone.

I also have to say a special thanks to my sister Cheryl Pace, who has been providing the cinnamon buns and blueberry buns all summer as the caterer for the club. Yesterday she made the most delicious 'thank you' cake for our volunteer appreciation tea that I swear to the heavens it melted in my mouth! Please check out her website at www.sweetsmilescatering.com.

I hope to see many of you next week. A reminder the canteen is closed for the season by end of today and our lifeguards are on duty until Sept 6 from 12pm-5pm. Enjoy.

Maskwa update from John Moore, the Commodore

Maskwa Weekly Update Aug 26^th

Greetings :

This has been another exciting week at Maskwa as we wind down our regular programs. I bet everyone is looking forward to Pizza Day on Friday. I understand it’s all you can eat but don’t quote me on that.

Now lets talk about …..The Warrrrrrrrr Canoooooooooooe. Yes, we are on our way to investing in a brand new War Canoe.Our War Canoe fundraising campaign is taking hold and many of you have received letters.I would ask you give this serious consideration and help Mike Haley and his team achieve their goal of $25,000. Checkout the website and watch our Barometer as it rises.If you haven;t received any information concerning this campaign you can check out at www.maskwa.ca/warcanoe/warcanoe.htm. Get your name on the sponsor strip for only $150 per individual or $300 per family.That's a great investment. Thank you to all those who have donated so far.

Alas, our season is coming to a close but then we have our fall training program to look forward. We also have various events coming up so keep reading Renee’s blog and our website. We also are looking at forming a Dragon Boat team this fall.Let us know if you would be interested in participating. One more thing, I can never pass up the opportunity to ask for volunteers. We are looking for new people to serve on the Maskwa board of directors.If you would be interested in serving let us know.

We have had some growing pains during this past season. We will be making changes to some of our internal procedures and programs so we will be able to deliver a better product to our members next season. A big 3 cheers for the tremendous spirit each and very one of you have shown this season. It's been a pleasure to have served you once again this year.

Don’t forget about our upcoming closing banquet which takes place on September 23^rd at the club. This will be a huge celebration of all our athletes , volunteers, parents and supporters and all that we have accomplished during this past year.Stay tuned for more details . Have a great and safe weekend.

Yours in Maskwa

John Moore

Commodore

Maskwa Quiet Week and Wrapping Up

Well a good chunk of our paddling programs are winding down this week and a lot of our paddlers are away at Nationals. We wish them all the best, but we really miss them. Maskwa gets very quiet without the normal throng of close to 300 paddlers here every day. This week we finished our pre-order foods with Booster Juice, Subway and Little Caesar's Pizza and raised close to $400 for Maskwa through this health-eating fundraiser.

With the season closing that does not mean Maskwa is closed. We are working on year-round programming and our spaces, Heritage Hall and the gym are available for rentals either per hour or on a daily basis. Our rates are very competitive so please if you or your business or organization you work for are interested in checking Maskwa out send them to either the website at www.maskwa.ca or email me at manager.maskwa@gmail.com.

Many of you have asked if I'm continuing on throughout the year at Maskwa and yes, but my hours go to half-time starting Sept 3 (picture me doing my happy dance here). That being said some members who have been using our gym have expressed interest in using it on a daily basis. While I'm not ready to commit my hours in stone yet as we're working on the schedule, I'm sure I'll be in some mornings and if you are interested in setting regular hours for gym use please drop me an email - I'm sure we can work something out.

The exciting news is Mike Haley has taken on the job of overseeing our Maskwa War Canoe fundraiser. I know the timing is tight with back to school and like many of you I have many children using Maskwa equipment but honestly paying in installments is a great idea. Nothing can beat that war canoe experience. I hope many of you, like me, will make a donation.

Our next big event I'd like everyone to have on their radar is our Maskwa Bingo, Friday, October 15 7pm-9pm - this will be our first fundraiser for Nationals next year. What that will mean is that if your son/daughter gets picked to go to Nationals next year Maskwa will be able to help off-set the costs. I know going to Nationals is a big thing for our club but it can also be very expensive for families so that's why we're raising money for Nationals in 2011. This will also mean I will need donated items from families for our prize packages. We will be creating themed baskets (much the way the elementary schools do), ie: gaming basket, coffee basket, cooking basket, gardening basket, knitting basket, book basket, movie basket, gift certificate basket etc. I'm basically open to anything. Please feel free to drop off your donations at the club or my house - 46 Nightingale Drive. I will be sending out emails with pleas for this.

So what have I learned as the Club Manager you might wonder? The first thing that stands out for me is that without volunteers Maskwa would not be the same. I can't thank enough all the volunteers who stepped up to help with the Friday BBQ, the men who took time out of their day and vacation to build our new playground (which I can't stress enough is a huge hit with the children), the women who came forward to help with our Monday Parent Afternoon Tea and everyone who helped me with the Bantam Regatta. I also learned that I've been spelling the Dugie's last name wrong all year - I'm so sorry about that!!! Sorry Anna - she kept crossing it out on the canteen list but honestly it didn't dawn on me until Dan mentioned it. Again sorry.

I'd welcome any feedback. Let me know what you thought of our year in our new club!

Amazing Week

There was a lot happening last week but I have to talk about our great Fun Day. I've attached a few pictures that Mary Negulic forwarded to me and they captured perfect our fun-filled day. Special thanks to Matt Duggie for really stepping forward to oversee the organizational aspect of this day. So events started at 10am with our sand castle competition, diving off the picnic table competition, rely and much more. Thanks so much to Boston Pizza for feeding our hungry crew. The pizza was great and everyone had at least one piece, if not two. Thanks so much for bringing along Lionel (the Boston Pizza mascot) -he was great. The kids/parents love the Boston Pizza coupons also. Our day finished with our candy toss, and the ever-fun pie in the face. Not sure why that's a favorite with the kids but they truly love it.

I would be remiss without talking about the guys who worked tirelessly to put together our new to us playground set. It was a lot more work than we, then they anticipated. Shawn McQuade and Jodi Pace worked probably more than 12hrs to get that playground in shape. The corn boil work crew party brought out a lot of families that helped like Ron Savoie, Peter Hope, Richard Nelson and a bunch more but I confess to working the corn boil so I couldn't meet or say a thank you to all who helped. So here it is - a big thanks to everyone who helped get our playground up and working for the kids.

Today, Sunday, Maskwa hosted our first Junior Lifeguard Competition and over 100 people are here enjoying our beautiful facility and having a great time. This competition is a lot of fun and a must-do for next year.

This week is our last week of Maskwa for regular programs/paddling/pre-orders and our last BBQ will take place on Friday. Please stay tuned for our upcoming events we will be planning like our Maskwa Bingo on Friday, October 15 from 7pm-9pm in Heritage Hall. We will be rescheduling our Halloween Dance to another time, probably a Valentine Dance, as we don't want to compete with Dankin Drive's very famous Halloween Dance at the Anglican Church in the area.

I have had a great summer as your Club Manager and I hope you've enjoyed it also. I know I'll see many of you over the course of the year but I want to say a special thank you to all the volunteers who made my job easier. There are so many I'm afraid I'll leave a few out but you will all be receiving a special invite from me for this Thursday at the club.

Again thanks.

Fun Day this Friday and lots of new stuff

Maskwa hosted its first large event on Friday night and all went well. I had to miss the event because I have no social life, unless it involves carting my kids around (lol), but I did drive by twice and I have to say the place looked great. I was also pleased at how well cleaned up the place/grounds were and that was very thoughtful.

This morning as the paddlers moved back the furniture from the gym room to the hall I noticed something funny....it's a ping-pong table!!! I have to say thanks so much for whoever donated it. I'm going to move it over from the gym to the hall for the kids.

A special thanks to Kathryn Arab (www.purefreedomyog.com) for donating her time all summer to offer adult and kid yoga classes. This was part of a fundraiser toward the playground and so far we raised about $120 from yoga. Yoga will take place for adults Wednesday, 10am-11am for $10/per person and Thursday $5 for children (aged 4-10yrs) from 1:30pm-2:15pm. This is our last week of our yoga program. Kathryn has agreed to be our Yoga Instructor for when yoga parties are booked at the club - so again, thanks Kathryn.

This Thursday starting at 5pm-7pm is our Corn Boil/ BBQ. It's $5/plate or $20/per family. If you are willing to help set up our new playground equipment it's a free meal!!! Talk about sweat equity. Thanks so much to Shawn McQuade for sanding the equipment down to remove the rust and for repainting it. Thanks also to Krista and Jafna Cox for helping with the paint job!

This Friday is FUN DAY - starts 10am-2pm. Boston Pizza, one of our sponsors, has graciously agreed to provide pizza for kids that day and they will be bringing along their mascot. Chad and I are still working out the events but they will probably consist of the usual, paddling races, foot races, strength testing, pie tossing, grease the hog (how could I forget that one) and of course the candy toss.

This Sunday, Aug. 22 Maskwa will be hosting it's First Junior Lifeguarding Competition. Registration is $10 and it will be lots of fun. Again we need volunteers to help at the canteen, etc.

I think that's it for now, but please email me at manager.maskwas@gmail.com if you're able to help with Thursday's work crew party & BBQ

Pancake Day a Big Success

The weather started out a bit iffy this morning but talk about heat and sunny by mid-afternoon and I'm not just talking about the sky - our cooks cooked up a storm. Today was our second pancake brunch and while we didn't serve as many people as last time (how dare people go on vacation-lol) we did raise over $163 toward our playground fund! Special thanks to Kate Giles, Michelle Pugh-Toole, & Penny Murdock and her hubby Tom and their son Aidan for helping, and if I'm forgetting another mom please give me a shout! Honestly they run that kitchen like pros and I only had to supply the product. We're hoping to offer a spaghetti lunch for the last week of August so please stay tuned for that.

Our next big event this week is our Scrapbooking event taking place on Thursday from 2pm-4pm. This is a free event - we just want your Maskwa photos! Thanks to Mary Negulic and the teens who are so excited about this event. I'm hoping to pop up to Costco tomorrow to print off the pics people have sent my way but please if you have more bring them in for Thursday.

Friday is our BBQ day this week and plans are underway for our Fun Day on Friday, Aug 20 starting at 10am. If there is a game/event you'd like to see in Fun Day please email me at manager.maskwa@gmail.com.

Also don't forget our Corn Boil is next Thursday, Aug 19th starting at 5pm-7pm and we're incorporating it into a work party to build the playground set. So in terms of sweat equity - if you volunteer your time supper is on us!!!!

Thanks so much.

Cake walk a success

Well the music was loud and the hopes were high for our first Cake Walk event. I think a lot of moms like me would have been better off just buying a cake because those loonies sure do add up. In total we raised $104 toward the playground fund. I want to thank the Dutch Village DQ store for graciously offering a $26 value gift certificate for our event.

A reminder that if you want your Maskwa mug shot/picture in our upcoming Maskwa yearbook to email me your pics by tomorrow, Tues., Aug 10 or bring them with you on Thursday for our Scrapbooking events from 2pm-4pm in Heritage Hall.

Tomorrow is our 2nd Pancake Brunch day from 11am-1pm. It's $3 for a kid plate (2 pancakes, slice of watermelon and juice pak) and $4 for a teen/adult plate (3 pancakes, slice of watermelon and juice pak).

Don't forget every Wednesday night from 7pm-8pm in Dragonboat - it's $5 for one hour and lots of fun.

And, Wednesday from 10am-11am for $10 is our adult yoga and on Thursday (fingers crossed it doesn't rain again) it's our kid yoga in the afternoon 1:30pm-2:15pm for $5, both classes are with Kathryn Arab at (www.purefreedomyoga.ca).

That's it for now.

Great Weather - 2nd Spa Day Today

(some pics of our very successful Pancake Day - come and join us for our 2nd day of pancakes on Aug 10).

Talk about nice weather. This has been an amazing sunny summer for us all at Maskwa and it just keeps getting better. I have to tell you we hosted our first Teen Fright Movie Night on Friday and twenty teens turned out for the event which was great. Our popcorn machine blub blew up on me (yes it really did) and I had my head buried in my laptop as I tried to ignore the movie - really not into horror and I have an over active imagination anyway so seeing it play out doesn't help. Special thanks to Sean Gibson for helping chaperon and we raised $113 for Nationals!

Today is our 2nd Spa Day starting at 3pm in Heritage Hall - again thanks to Mary Negulic for organizing this. The price is $10/per person for a pedicure. Mary is also the queen of scrapbooking and she has taken the time to put together a few pictures from our last Spa Day and our 1st Pancake Day - I've posted them to the windows of Heritage Hall.

We are going to hold our 1st Cake Walk on Monday, Aug 9th from 3-4pm. It's a loonie for a walk. I am looking for volunteers to bake cakes or buy them - we need 15 cakes to make this successful (I'm baking a chocolate one and it had better not come home with me).

Tuesday, Aug 10th - the ladies are going to host our 2nd Pancake Brunch - yes! This time we're doing a kid's plate for $3 (watermelon slice, 2 pancakes and juice pak) and $4 for a teen/adult plate which will have 3 pancakes on it.

Thursday, Aug 12 - 2pm-4pm in Heritage Hall - is our Scrapbooking event - send in your pictures to manager.maskwa@gmail.com by the 10th so we can get them printed and then join us on Thursday to create the first Maskwa yearbook. Don't miss out on getting your mug in the book!

We're also working on setting a work crew party to get our playground equipment up for the kids to use. I will post a separate note when and where and we really will need muscle power and people who know how to use tools to get this put up by end of Aug.

A reminder that there is no BBQ this week.

That's it for now folks.

Pancake Day a huge success

Hi everyone:
A quick update to let you know that the we feed close to 120 people this morning for Maskwa's First Pancake Day and it was a huge success. We raised close to $230 from this mornings event so we're going to do it again. Special thanks to Kate Giles, Michelle Pugh-Toole, Penny Murdock, Cathy Conrad, Kathy MacDonald, and Anne Young for all their help in the kitchen with set up, cooking and much more. It went smoothly and they are eager to host it again, which is amazing. We haven't nailed down an official date but we're looking at repeating this event soon. The moms are also keen to do a spaghetti lunch and while we're working out a date for that but we're aiming for the 2nd week of August.

The monies raised in total toward our playground fund with the combined Spa Day (which was great and will be repeated and raised $60 - thanks so much to Mary Negulic for volunteering her time and supplies) and our weekly Yoga classes with Kathryn Arab, has raised $420 and it was done very quickly and with lots of fun.

We are going to host our first Cake Walk on Monday, August 9th - this means we need people to either volunteer to bake a cake or bring in a cake for this event and to be successful we'll need at least 15 cakes. It's going to be a $1 (loonie) for one cake walk - and of course there will be music. This event will take place around the same time as our Parent Afternoon Tea but start at 3pm-4pm, so once you win your cake you can take it home with you at the end of the day. I will be of course walking around the area to recruit volunteers to help with this event so please stop running when you see me - lol!

This Friday, July 30 we're hoping to organize a work crew party to help put together our new playground. Please join us from 6pm-8pm with your tools, muscles etc and help us put it together.

This Friday night, July 30 - join us for "Fright Movie Night" 13 years of age and older from 8:30pm-11pm. Tickets are $7/ for your movie ticket/popcorn/pop or $5 for your movie and you can buy popcorn/pop/water/bags of candy/freezies from the canteen. The movie is "The Crazies".

We won't be having a Friday BBQ on August 6th - so please bring your lunch.

That's it for now folks!

A wet day but fun is planned

Well this is only day two of rain for us here at Maskwa and I think that's a record. I know last year I shivered under the blue tarp, soaking wet many days so it's so nice now for members to have a place to come in and keep dry. We also have a new addition in the club house - an air hockey table that was donated by Tim and Deanna Jenkins and rumor has it that a pin-pong table will soon be residing here with us also - a huge thanks to everyone for donating these items. Trust me they are a hit with the children and since I can hear every single word said in the hall their enthusiasm just cracks me up.

We have decided to postpone our Spa Day today and will reschedule it for this coming Monday, July 26 @ 2pm during our Afternoon Parent Tea - can you tell we're trying to lure people in. The cost is $10 and the money will help fund our playground.

And mark this coming Tuesday, July 20 @11am-1pm as Pancake Day. The cost is $4/per plate and you get pancakes, slice of watermelon and a juice pak. Join us in Heritage Hall for this event. If you want to help out (have a skillet etc) it would be greatly appreciated.

And speaking of playgrounds - we're looking to host a work crew party on Friday, July 30 from 6pm-8pm to get started on putting the pieces of the playground together. Please email me at manager.maskwa@gmail to let me know if you can help. We need muscles, tools and people who know what they are doing - that does not include me or my hubby, but I will be around that night to lend support in other ways (like treating you to coffee and donuts).

That Friday night will be busy as we're hosting our first "Teen Fright Movie Night" inside Heritage Hall starting at 8:30pm-11pm. Tickets are $7/includes movie, pop and popcorn or $5/ticket and you can pay what you want that night.

So I'm in desperate need of a few things to make this movie night a reality.
I've got a DVD player but I'm looking for a LCD projector and speakers - we can project it onto the blank wall. Throwing this out there but if anyone has one of those old fashion popcorn makers that would be great also. The teens are sooooo excited about this that yesterday afternoon they made up posters to highlight it - very cute.

And that got the teens thinking - dangerous I know (lol). They are going to start taking pictures of members because on Thursday, Aug 12 @2pm we're going to create our very own Maskwa Yearbook/scrapebook which will be left here in the club for future members to look at. We want as many people as possible to join us to write a comment, add their name, place their mug shots in it. I think this is a great idea and I'm thrilled they are so excited about it.

I think that's it for now. Oh, sorry one more thing. If anyone has a baby changing table we could put it in the ladies washroom for parents with young children. Thanks so much

What and Amazing Summer - Pancake Day coming up!

I have to first say a huge thank you to all the volunteers for the Bantam Regatta on Saturday. Hosting over 800 people is a huge task and it went very smoothly all thanks to the volunteers who worked the BBQ, the canteen and safety boats. Again a huge thanks.

This weeks events are:
Wednesday 10am-11am - Yoga for Adults - $10/per person for 1hr of instruction with Kathryn Arab (www.purefreedomyoga.com).

Thursday - Spa Day - starting at 2pm - join us for pedicures in Heritage Hall. This event is $10/per person and like the yoga all the monies raised are going toward our playground fund. Special thanks to Mary Negulic for organizing this! We do need volunteers to help paint toes. This event is for men, children and women - come on men, don't be shy - join us and add some color to your toes -lol.

Also on Thursday: Yoga for Kids (ages 4-8) for 45min of instruction for $5/per child. Kathryn Arab will teach young children the fun of relaxing and yoga in the gym.

Friday - 10am - 11am - Yoga for Adults in the gym $10/per person for 1hr.

And mark Tuesday, July 27 as Maskwa's First Pancake Day! Yes!!!!! Special thanks to Kate Giles, Michelle Pugh-Toole, Penny Murdock, Cathy Conrad, and Kathy MacDonald, for taking charge of this special brunch day. Come join us in Heritage Hall at 11am for pancakes - the price is $4/per plate and that comes with pancakes (of course), syrup, a slice of watermelon and juice. We will set up tables in Heritage Hall to make it easier to eat.

Weekend Regatta Draws - July 17 (Bantam) - July 18 (Bantam)

Here is a link, from CKC Atlantic,  to Saturdays Bantam regatta:  Bantam Regatta Draw

Here is a link, from CKC Atlantic, to Sundays Masters regatta:  Masters Regatta

Week Two a Hit and Week Three Lots of Activities - Spa Day/Yoga etc

We are rolling along and the list of things taking place at Maskwa continues to grow. I am truly impressed with the amount of people willing to help out/volunteer their time during the summer to make Maskwa a better place for all.

First off special thanks to Kathy Arab for hosting Maskwa's first Yoga class on Wednesday. We had five people join us for our first class and it went great. Please come out and join us again this Friday, July 16 from 10am-11am - it's $10/per hour and all the monies raised are being placed in our Playground Fund to help us offset the costs of our new $800 playground. So on Wed we raised $50 because Kathy is donating her time for us. It would be great to have this a regular weekly event at Maskwa so please join us in the gym tomorrow - bring a mat if you have one, and if not, there are a few in the gym we can use.

Our 2nd Parent Afternoon Tea was a huge hit and I must say the sweets were greatly appreciated. Mark every Monday from 2pm-3:30pm as your tea time and come join us. It's honestly a great way to meet other parents and yes this is open to Dads! My hubby snuck up for tea and I realized maybe the men on the beach don't realize it's for them also - maybe the sweets will bring them along.

This coming Thursday is our first Spa Day at Maskwa, starting at 2pm in Heritage Hall. A huge thanks to Mary Negulic for helping to organize this. We do need people skilled with nail polish (that is not me) to apply the product. Mary also did up a list of things we need. Any donations would be greatly appreciated for this event. Again we're charging $10/per person and it's a fundraiser toward our playground. Feel free to email me at manager.maskwa@gmail.com if you want to donate your services, or have any items we could use for this event.

Tubs for soaking feet – probably from the $ store – 3 maybe

Towels for drying feet

Moisterizer for feet

Nail polish remover

Cotton balls

Toe separators

-Can you tell we are serious about this.

A reminder that on Wednesdays and Fridays our Dragon Boat goes out from 7pm-8pm - 1hr for $5 and it's a great way to have fun, socialize and see the lake (not in the lake). Come and join us. Waiver forms are available from my office.

The gym is open to adults 18+ and waiver forms are also available from my office. The gym hours are 9am-5:30pm at the moment. You only have to sign the waiver form once for all summer.

A reminder to get your pre-order forms in to me by Friday at 3pm for Booster Juice, Little Caesar's Pizza and Subway. You can order weekly or for the entire summer. Order forms are available from my office or in the canteen.

I wanted to say a thank you to Ann MacLean-Young's family for the generous donation of a TV and VCR and some children movies - this will be great for those rainy days, especially for the young ones.

We did survive our first major downpour. My custodian, Frances, spent most of her time wiping up the very wet floor but all in all things worked out and it's nice to have a place to come in when it's pouring. I have to say as a mom I was totally touched to see the teens like Sam Nielson and her crew take the younger children into the gym to play games with - very nice and greatly appreciated by the parents.

This weekend is our Bantam Regatta - please donate items such as pop/water/juice/ candies/chips etc and drop them off to my office. We are in need of volunteers for that Sat morning for traffic and the BBQ - please help out.

That's it for now folks! See you on the beach.

Yoga at Maskwa

It looks like we have YOGA organized for next week. Kathryn Arab (www.purefreedomyoga.com), who has been teaching yoga for the past year will offer Intro Yoga at 10am for 1hr on Wednesdays and Fridays in the gym. The cost is $10/person. Please sign in at 10am and bring your yoga mat. We have also created a 45min program for children (aged 4-8) for $5 on Thursday's from 1:30pm-2:15pm. Come and join us.

I wanted to clarify that our Spa Day will take place on Thursday, July 22 at 2pm inside Heritage Hall. The cost is $10 and again it's a fundraiser. We're trying to raise funds for our new $1,000 playground and we'd love to be able to fill and sod the area up by the new parking lot.

Also we will need volunteers to help start assemble our new playground. Trudy Needler, bless her, has organized delivery of our new set but starting next week we will need volunteers who are handy with tools. In fact, why not come to the beach, drop off your children and spend a couple hours during the day helping us get in ready. A picture of what we purchased in tacked to the old club house.

A huge thanks to Peter Hope and his son, Alex for organizing the BBQ - it was great! This takes a lot of prep work behind the scene so it's great that Peter is able to organize this. Thanks so much Peter and Alex.

Oh, and how can I forget a thanks to Wendy Haley for all her help this week with figuring out our new cash register. Honestly, I think my hair turned gray over this (note to self buy more hair dye).

Again, a big reminder we need volunteers to work the Bantam BBQ regatta, we need people to help with parking/traffic and donated food items.

That's it for now folk. Thanks again for all your support.

BBQ tomorrow and Need for Volunteers for Bantam Regatta

This Friday is our 1st Maskwa BBQ. Also a reminder that all pre-order forms are due Friday by 3pm.

Hot dogs $1.50
Hamburger $2.50
Cheeseburger $2.75
Pop/water $1.00

My need for volunteers for the upcoming Bantam Regatta, Sat., July 17 continues to grow.
I need at least 6 people to help set up and deal with traffic, parking etc.
I need 10 volunteers for safety and official boats - 7 of which need to have boat operators license.
I need a further 4 people to help set up the BBQ and cook.
I need lots of donated items from each paddling group - water, pop, candy, treats for the canteen, sandwiches and salads for the officials.
I also need a parent volunteer to help in the Canteen - there will also be 2 staff members to help.

On another note - we need volunteers to help build bike racks. This is a big issue and it would be great to encourage the kids to bike and have a safe place for them to lock up. If you can help please email me.

And take a look at our new playground set - a picture of it has been posted on the old club house by the clock. We need to raise $1,000 to cover the costs of this and will need volunteers to help dismantle and set it up but all I have to say is, it's about time! The children will love it. If you want to donate any funds would be greatly appreciated.

We still are searching for a van/SUV/pickup truck with a trailer hitch for this coming Sat's regatta in Windsor. We can drive it if you can donate it and we'll cover cost of gas and time used. This is an urgent matter. Call me at 443-0178 ext: 221 if you can help. We would need it Friday night to load the boat trailer to it.

Thanks so much.

The Sun is Shining and it's hot

Wow! The sun decided to shine down on us at Maskwa. Things are getting up and ready. I am happy to report our Canteen (10am-2pm) is operational. Today we sold out of freezies so I'll be making a special stop tonight at Costco for more of those and some penny candies for the little ones - who are so cute coming to the window with their quarter.

Our 1st Monday afternoon parent tea was a huge success. Special thanks to Debbie Grantham, & Barb Ferguson along with Sylvia Warren for organizing this. It's going to take place every Monday at 2pm in Heritage Hall.

Also we're working on Spa Day. Mark your calendars for Thursday, July 19th starting at 2pm in Heritage Hall. Thanks so much to Mary Negulic for helping to coordinate this fun filled event which is open to everyone. Tickets will be $10 and we will need other volunteers, but it certainly should be fun.

I spoke with a few teenagers today and they're going to help with a "Scary Movie" night at the lake on a Friday night - date to be determined, but again it will be a fundraiser and I will need volunteers (that night I might be hiding in the canteen as I can't even watch commercials for scary movies).

Also every Wednesday night at 7pm-8pm is Dragon Boat Night. It's $5 and lots of fun.

Just a reminder Maskwa is hosting the upcoming Bantam Regatta, Sat., July 17th. I will need at least 8 volunteers to help with the BBQ and 9 people for safety boats. We need your help to make this event successful. By now all paddling levels should have received an email from coaches asking for supplies. Bantam parents are asked to bring sandwiches, salads or desserts by 3pm on Friday, PeeWee parents were asked to donate snackie items for the canteen (bags of candy, popcorn, cheese & crackers, granola bars etc) and Atom level parents were asked to donate cases of pop, juice or water. Please email me at manager.maskwa@gmail.com if you're able to help in anyway.

Thanks so much.

Update and Letter for Pre-ordering Healthy Options/lunches

It's officially started! This morning the Atom and Pee Wee paddling groups hit the water - in more ways than one. Does it make me a bad mom when I tell my 8 year-old who is in his first year as an Atom to get back in the water for his swimming test because that's what the coach asked? Ah, the parent guilt. I'll make sure he wears his wet suit for Monday and I'll pack hot chocolate.

In other news, a sewing party is taking place this morning in Heritage Hall. A group of about four ladies are in the process of making more buns for the club. A huge thank you!

The Canteen opens on Monday and while I have yet to figure out how to work the mega/computer cash registrar - it will open. It just might be done the old fashion way - a float, calculator and price list, but it will open from 10am-2pm and if there is need to have it open longer we will look into that.

I'm happy to report our healthy choice menu plan with Subway, Little Caesar's Pizza and Booster Juice is ready to roll. I'm hoping to attach the forms to this blog but if that fails I will be walking around introducing myself on Monday and have a clip board of forms if you're interested. Personally, I'm signing up because I'm seriously sick of making 4 sandwiches all year so even once a week of not having to make one makes my morning less hectic.

Join us on Monday around 2pm for Parent Afternoon Tea. It's free and a nice way to meet other Maskwa parents.

Once you enter Heritage Hall you will notice we could do with a few more things for the children/youth.

Again here is my wish list:
TV
DVD/VCR - so the kids can play a movie on rainy days
Movies for the kids to watch (pg please)
More board games
more puzzles for the younger ones
crafts for the younger ones
Foose ball table
Ping-pong table
More mugs for Parent Tea

Here is my letter for parents for our healthy lunch options.

Dear Parents:

Maskwa Aquatic Club is pleased to announce this summer we have partnered with Little Caesar’s, Subway and Booster Juice to offer healthy alternative choices for you and your child and to make your life a bit easier for days you might be tired of packing lunches.

All of our orders will be pre-paid and must be into me by 3pm each Friday. Payments can be made by cash, or cheque payable to Maskwa Aquatic Club.

Please fill out the below forms indicating your lunch program orders. The program commences the week of July 12 and the last week is the week of August 23. Booster Juice smoothie day will be on Tuesdays, Subway day is Wednesday, Thursday will be Pizza Day, and of course the Maskwa BBQ takes place every Friday.

Please note that if your child does not attend Maskwa for a day they have ordered lunch, no refunds can be given.

If you are ordering lunches for more than one child in your family, please complete separate order forms for each child.

If paying by cheque, please make out separate cheques for each of the lunch programs (Little Caesar’s, Subway and Booster Juice) you are participating in. However, if there are multiple children, it is not necessary to make out more than one cheque per lunch program.

Download printable forms here.

Little Caesar’s Pizza: Delivery Day is Thursday at 11:30am

Name: __________________________________

Membership status

Maskwa Member _____ Recreational Program ______

Please specify the dates you are ordering

Week 1 (Thurs July 15): _______
Week 2 (Thurs July 22): _______
Week 3 (Thurs July 29): _______
Week 4 (Thurs Aug 5): _______
Week 5 (Thurs Aug 12): _______
Week 6 (Thurs Aug 19): _______
Week 7 (Thurs Aug 26): _______

Please specify the numbers and types of pizza slices you are ordering.
(The order must be the same for all weeks selected.)

Pepperoni ($2.50/slice): _______ slice(s)
Cheese ($2.25/slice): _______ slice(s)
Hawaiian ($2.75/slice): _______ slice(s)



Total Cost per Week: _____________

x Weeks Ordered: _____________

= Amount Payable: _____________


SUBWAY Order Form: Delivery Day is Wednesday at 11:30am

Name: __________________________________

Membership status

Maskwa Member _____ Recreational Program ______

Please specify the dates you are ordering

Week 1 (Wed July 14): _______
Week 2 (Wed July 21): _______
Week 3 (Wed July 28): _______
Week 4 (Wed Aug 4): _______
Week 5 (Wed Aug 11): _______
Week 6 (Wed Aug 18): _______
Week 7 (Wed Aug 25): _______

Please specify the numbers and types of sandwiches you are ordering.
(The order must be the same for all weeks selected.)

Important: If you DO NOT want any of these items, please (X) them off ----
Otherwise all sandwiches come with CHEESE, LETTUCE , TOMATO & PICKLE.

4” Mini Sandwiches 6” Sandwiches

Veggie: ______$2.25 Veggie: ______$3.00
Turkey: ______$2.75 Turkey: ______$3.75
Ham: ______$2.75 Ham: ______$3.75
Roast Beef: ______$2.75 Roast Beef: ______$3.75

White: _______Wheat_____ (pick one)

Mayo______ Mustard_______ Salt _____ Pepper _____ (portion controlled packets)


Total Cost per Week: _____________

x Weeks Ordered: _____________

= Amount Payable: _____________



Booster Juice (delivered on Tuesday at 11:30am)

Name: __________________________________

Membership status

Maskwa Member _____ Recreational Program ______

Please specify the dates you are ordering

Week 1 (Tues July 13): _______
Week 2 (Tues July 20): _______
Week 3 (Tues July 27): _______
Week 4 (Tues Aug 3): _______
Week 5 (Tues Aug 10): _______
Week 6 (Tues Aug 17): _______
Week 7 (Tues Aug 24): _______

Please specify the numbers and types of smoothies you are ordering.
(The order must be the same for all weeks selected.)

Quantity

12oz ($4.50) 24oz ($6.50)

Strawberry Sunshine ______ ______

Mango Hurricane ______ ______

Very Berry ______ ______



Total Cost per Week: _____________

x Weeks Ordered: _____________

= Amount Payable: _____________

Week Two Is Shaping Up Great

Week two and it just gets better. First off I have to say hiring Frances Clark, our Custodian, has been great. She's working like mad to ensure the place is sparkling clean for our Orientation tomorrow at 11am-1pm, she's even learned how to plant and water plants thanks to Janice MacKinnon, who bless her has taken on the role as head volunteer gardener. It really is the little things that matter, like those beautiful plants Janice has taken the time to plant and tend.

Many of you that know me realize I'm always thinking of fun ways to generate revenue and I've come up with a few, but like all things I will need your support.

I'd love to hold a Thursday Fright Night (scary movie night at the lake): Scream at the Lake - of course we'd sell tickets for $10 and offer pizza and popcorn and drinks. Still working on the timing but thought 7pm-9pm.

And for us moms - how about a Pedicure Day - or Spa day at the beach. We did this event for my local writers group and it was such fun (not sure it was the best pedicure but it certainly made us ladies laugh). This would require people who might have pedicure stuff - see I don't even know what that is. But again it would be run by volunteers and a fun event for us busy moms - just think for $10 you get a pedicure at the beach.

My wish list is growing:
Honestly I need some kid friendly game, a foose ball table would be perfect, deck of cards, some craft items for the younger kids, even a smaller child-friendly table for the little ones (I've got one I'm donating I just have to get my five year-old to agree to it), even books for those rainy days.

Please feel free to drop items off at the club or call me at 443-0178 to arrange pick-up. I can't wait to meet many of you soon on the beach.

Maskwa's 2010 Season Begins!

Greetings:

We are well under way to beginning our 2010 season at Maskwa. We‘ve had a taste of summer weather and it’s given a number of our members an early start to the season. Proper thing!

In the next week we have much to do to finish our projects so any help you can offer is greatly appreciated. Check with Club Manager Renee Field by email and she’ll be glad to steer you in the right direction. I would also ask you not to call Renee if at all possible and it works much better to email her. Her email is manager.maskwa@gmail.com .Thank you.

Our needs list continues to grow as we continue to work on the best ways our new facilities can be utilized for the greater benefit of our members. This is not easy so we ask for your patience and your insights to help guide us along. We are in need of games, ping pong tables with fold down legs, foose ball tables, dvds and a large screen TV. A power washer and an industrial floor polisher would be extremely helpful. The Maskwa Manager would be happy to receive any of these items you may wish to donate.

Orientation Day will be held Saturday, June 26th at 11 a.m. This is extremely important for new members in particular to attend as you’ll be introduced to the Coaches and Lifeguards. The procedures and schedules will be outlined and explained. We‘ll outline any issues you should be aware of or new rules which will be introduced this season. This season there will be signage posted outlining expected code of conducts, safety and overall general rules. It’s much easier when everyone knows what’s expected and it’s openly and clearly communicated.

June 26th will be a busy one at Maskwa. Cheryl Kane has organized a car wash fund raiser which will take place at the Irving Station on Kearney Lake Rd. What coincidental timing this is! On your way to or coming back from the Maskwa orientation event you can stop by and get a thorough cleaning done by all those muscular Maskwa athletes. There is a note of caution however as your likely going to be temporarily blinded by the shine so suggest you wait a few moments before you commence driving.

Congratulations to Alexa Irvin who took Bronze in the K1 1000 metre race at the Ruhr International Regatta in Germany on June 19th! Alexa’s hard work, dedication, and talent have contributed to her success at home and now on the international stage. Well done, Alexa! We can’t wait to welcome you home.

Maskwa is now the proud owner of a Dragon Boat. This will further enhance our ability to offer competitive and recreational paddling for members who normally may not be able to participate. We also are in the midst of a campaign to raise funds to buy, among other things, a new war canoe. Our dragon boat will be entered in the Manulife Dragon Boat races at Lake Banook on July 10th. We‘re looking for participants to paddle as well as fund raise. See the Maskwa website for details. This promises to be a great event.

We have just hired our summer Custodial Engineer who is none other than Frances Clarke. Please give her a big welcome as she is the one who will make Maskwa sparkle both inside and out this coming season. Remember any kind of mess or misplaced dirt is her enemy so act accordingly.

That’s it for now. See you June 26th.Thank you.

Respectfully,

Yours in Maskwa

John Moore

Commodore

Week One Was Great!

Another hot beautiful sunny day at Maskwa. I just dropped off my 12 year-old for his early morning Saturday paddling training and popped into my new office to get some more work done. There is lots to get done before the 'official' opening, but there is also a ton of stuff going on behind the scenes. This morning there are people working on the getting the floating docks ready, so beside the sweet sounds of all the birds nesting nearby I hear the lovely, very productive sounds of a saw.

So what has my first week been like? A lot of people have been asking me that. It's been so exciting at times that I wake up in the middle of the night to add another note to my list of things to get done. In all seriousness, the new facility is beautiful. I am working on creating a space for parents who might want to do a bit of business while their children are in programs and trying to establish a place for the youth and children. My ideal would be a quasi-teen lounge. We have enough sofas so now I just need a few coffee tables (if anyone would like to donate one it would be used). I've brought in some board games from my house but more are always welcomed. I also want a place for those rainy days when young children want to come in to do crafts - again donations for such are greatly appreciated. Are you getting the idea that we welcome your input, and any items you think might be of use for club members? Correct. Same goes on the sport side of things.

Here is a bit of my wish list:
2 basketballs
2 volleyballs and one net
5 skipping ropes for the young ones
soccer ball
horseshoe games

I'd like to keep all the gym equipment outside in a covered bin during the day and have it accessible for all.

Also I need people volunteers. Chad, our paddling coach and I had a very nice chat and I stole an idea of his that was offered at other clubs. I'd love to start a "Parent Afternoon Tea' - this would of course be run by a group of parents willing to bring in some sweets and make tea and serve it for the moms and dads wanting to get together as a meet and greet. I'd love this to become a regular event on Monday afternoons.

In terms of the canteen, I'm still working on what healthy choices we can offer. I spoke with Little Caesar's Pizza on Parkland and he's willing to create a Maskwa pizza day which would run much like how the school pizza programs do. Place your order on Monday (I will have it that you can pre-order up to 4 weeks in advance or on a weekly basis) and you get your pizza on Thursday. My goal is to offer something special every day. Other potentials are a Subway day and Smoothie day and then of course on Friday's it's our Maskwa BBQ day - and bless Peter Hope for once again taking this on.

Maskwa is your club! I would love to hear from you on things we're doing great and things that need to improved or we haven't thought of yet. The more you get involved, trust me the better the club will be. Please feel free to call me or email manager.maskwa@gmail.com. I'm actively recruiting members for our Parent Volunteer Committee so please let me know if you can help.

Looking forward to week two on Monday - stay tuned for another update.

ORIENTATION AT MASKWA

PLEASE JOIN US ON

SATURDAY, JUNE 26,

AT 11:00 A.M.

AT OUR NEW CLUBHOUSE

FOR AN OVERVIEW OF OUR PADDLING AND SWIMMING PROGRAMS.

MEET OUR COACHES AND LIFEGUARDS.

PURCHASE SINGLETS, BUNS, AND LIFEBELTS.

TOUR OUR NEW FACILITIES.

Trail Walks

The Halifax North West Trails Association is holding a series of walks. You can check out the details in our calendar or visit their website at http://www.halifaxnorthwesttrails.ca/

Monday, June 14 Hike on the Old Coach Road Trail
Tuesday, June 22 Charlies Lake Hike
Wednesday, July 14 Hike into Susies Lake

NLS Waterfront Course- June 18 -20

NLS Waterfront Course

The Link is to a poster for the June 18 - 20 Waterfront Course. We know these dates won't work well for all of you due to exams. Dan Fraser our trainer has suggested that for those that are doing it as a refresher... even if you can't attend all of it it would be beneficial if you could be there for some part of it. If you have not taken this course last year it is mandatory that you have it before the season starts. Please note that Maskwa will cover the cost of the training for its full and part-time employees.

Maskwa Dragon Boat Fundraiser!

Calling all paddlers and those who wish to be one!

Maskwa has entered the Manulife Dragon Boat Festival on July 10 and is using this opportunity to raise funds in support of the Club and its programs. There are currently open positions for paddlers/fund raisers who wish to join us in these exciting 200m races against clubs and companies from throughout metro.

This event allows us to offer tax receipts for donations over $20 and has raised over $12K over the past 3 years. Ask any who have participated as to the awesome camaraderie and fun to be experienced.

For more information on how to become one of the Mighty Maskwa Paddlers or to sponsor this worthwhile endeavour please contact Dan Dugie at kayakdan@bellaliant.net.

Spring Into Action II

We need you once again to help us to get Maskwa up and running for the coming season. The boom truck will be arriving Saturday at 9am to put all the docks in the water. You will get to see first hand how this is done and you will have the thrill of being a bit like Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer as you ride the Maskwa docks into their proper stations.

You will also have the experience of seeing the brand new swimming docks put in their respective places. On top of all this you will be able to play in the sand as you help get the Maskwa beach raked and in order as well as the play ground and surrounding area cleaned up. Remember to bring gloves, sturdy shoes, rakes and a hoe,,,if you can.

A huge thank you to all those who helped out with our landscaping this past Saturday. It’s amazing what you can do in a short period of time when you have many willing hands and a strong sense of purpose.

Many thanks to Don and Janice Mackinnon and John Campbell for leading the way.
Thank you to Kynock Resources and Elmsdale Landscaping for donating the top soil.
Thank you to Terra Nova for giving us a great deal on the sods.

All this really enhances our surroundings and now the sodded waterfront gives us more room to spread out and enjoy all that Maskwa has to offer. Cheers to you all!

It is also important to note our paddlers have been asked to be involved in the Adopt A Highway program. They will be cleaning up along Kearney Lake Road from 11am to 2pm on Saturday, May 22nd. Highland Paving will be providing trucks and vests. It’s a great community thing to do and there will be a donation of $500 to Maskwa! Give them a honk if you see them to show you’re appreciation for what they’re doing. Thank you.

John Moore
Commodore

Job Posting - Club Manager

Maskwa Aquatic Club is seeking a responsible, mature individual for the key position of Club Manager.


The Club Manager position is full‐time during the summer season and part time in the off season. The successful candidate will oversee the day‐to‐day operations of the club and acts as the general liaison between club members and the club.
 
See the complete posting plus contact info here.

MASKWA SPRING INTO ACTION REQUEST

Greetings,

We are now getting ready for our upcoming season.  There is much to be done however many hands make for light work as they say.  We need your help to put it quite bluntly and with no shame in asking.  You don’t ask you don’t get.  We want to make Maskwa beautiful on the outside so for all of you who like the environment and the idea of playing in dirt then do we have a deal for you.  We need earth moved and sods put down.  We need our grounds picked clean of all garbage.  We need our play ground cleaned up.  We need weeds lifted and the beach raked.  We need some pot holes in our parking lot filled.  We need mulch moved from the big parking lot down to the gully by the new club. We would be extremely grateful if you would help and do what you are able to.  Bring gloves, solid shoes, shovels, rakes, a wheel barrow if you have it.  Start time is this Sat (May 15) at 10.  John Campbell and Janice Mackinnon will be there to guide you and make sure what time you can spare is well spent. Thank you.

John Moore
Commodore

Safety Boat Course and CPR/First Aid Course

Call for interest for Safety Boat Course and CPR/First Aid Course

The ADCKC has looked into hosting a First Aid with CPR course and a Pleasure Craft Operators Course. We need to ensure that we have enough people interested in order to hold these courses. Both will likely be held in May, 2010 prior to the racing season. If you are interested in taking one of both of these courses please contact Laura Lewis, Program Coordinator at programcoordinator@adckc.ca
Laura Lewis Program Coordinator
Atlantic Division CanoeKayak Canada, ADCKC
Office: (902) 466-9925
Mobile: (902) 830-7235

We are encouraging parents to attend these courses below as there is a need for safety boat drivers at regattas. You will be reimbursed for the cost of the course in return for a commitment to work during a regatta. Also, the Division and Maskwa will be offering on water boat familiarization for those who complete the course.

Thank you for your support!

John Moore Commodore

Spring Paddling

It's that time of year again! Time to start paddling! Starting this Thursday, April 8th, 4:30pm, Coach Chad Brooks wishes to invite anyone who has their balance in a single canoe or kayak to get training to ensure a successful racing season. Please email Coach Chad at chadebrooks@gmail.com with your intentions of paddling this spring.

The Ice is Gone!

Careful, Careful...

The first few folk have already ventured out on the lake. Now is a good time to remind everyone that whilst the air may be unseasonably warm the water is sill very cold... See here for the ADCKC Club Safety Checklist.

A New Club House

Look Ma! We grew again!!

Whilst there is lots of work to do to the surrounding areas we are ecstatic to announce the completion of our new club house! Thanks to the hard work of all of you we are ready to move into our new facility for the 2010 season. Pictures to follow...