FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions (if you have questions not listed below, please contact the appropriate Board Member–emails are listed under Tab for Pool Board and Management)
Wait List Questions:
How long will I be on the wait list? We have a limited number of total memberships (377 total) and in any given year we may have openings for only 20-25+/- new Associates (varies year-to-year). To give you some idea of the range, historically, people living closest to the pool have about a 5 year wait; people living at the outer edge of the catchment area may have an 8 year wait.
How do I find out where I am on the wait list? Once a year, usually in early June, we send out a letter letting applicants know their current status on the wait list. If you do NOT get a letter by June 15, please contact the membership chair at membership@littlefallsswimmingclub.com
Why does it take so long to get into Little Falls and what is the Board doing to shorten the wait? LFSC operates under a special permit with Montgomery County which strictly limits the number of memberships available. The cap on membership and the fact that the neighborhood attracts lots of young families make the wait list unusually long compared to other pools in the area. Nobody is happy about the long wait and the Board has instituted several measures to address it, including the creation of Associate memberships, and a requirement that members joining after 2004 must relinquish their membership if they move out of the neighborhood.
End-of-Season Guest Pass Questions:
If we are offered an End-of-Season guest pass and choose to not accept, does that affect our standing on the wait list? No. The end-of-season pass, which the Board offers to about 35 people on the wait list each year, is entirely optional. It does not affect your wait list status either positively or negatively.
If we got an end-of-season pass last year are we automatically eligible for a membership this year? No. The Board has about 35 end-of-season passes to offer each year. The number of Associate memberships that are available at the start of the season varies depending on how many existing members resign or opt for inactive status.
We bought an EOS guest pass. How do we use it? The pass is good starting August 1 until the pool closes for the season. Everytime you go to the pool you will need to be signed in at the front desk; please explain that you are an End-of-Season guest and staff at the front desk will sign you in. Please be aware that since you are guests of the Board, you are not able to also bring guests. The exception is if you have paid the additional fee for a “houseguest” pass.
Membership Questions:
What’s the difference between an Associate membership and a Full membership? A Full membership is available whenever a Full member resigns. An Associate membership is available whenever a member (full or associate) opts to go inactive for the season. Associate members may not run for the Board or vote on pool matters but otherwise have full use of the pool and tennis courts. In theory, if a large number of inactive members “reactivated” we would need to cut the number of Associate memberships. In practice that has never happened.
If I choose to go inactive this season, can I change my mind mid-summer? No. Once a member opts for inactive status, we create an Associate slot for someone at the top of the wait list. Once that Associate position is filled, it is not possible to allow the members to “reactivate” for that summer. The member can choose active status the following summer.
Can adult children sign-in using their parents membership? Depends. If the adult children live in their parents home they may use their parents membership. Adult children living elsewhere may not. In addition, the membership may not be “inherited.” For that reason, adult children living at their parents home are encouraged to apply for their own membership.
I’m renting from people who are members, but who are living overseas. Can I use the homeowner’s membership? No. Membership does not convey with a property, either to renters or to subsequent owners.
Why do some members have different levels of equity shares? For example, my neighbor said she paid only $375 in equity when she joined, but I had to pay $1000–why the difference? The amount of equity that a member has in the Club is equal to what they paid in at the time they became members. That amount has changed over time. For example, in 1955 the equity payment for a full member was $285; now it is $1000. The equity is paid in two installments–half when he/she become an Associate member and the other half when he/she become Full members. When a member resigns, they receive a refund of whatever equity they have in the Club.