2022 President’s Letter

Dear Little Falls Swimming Club Equity Members:

We look forward to seeing you all at the 2022 Annual Meeting of the membership on Wednesday, February 23 at 7:30pm. We are disappointed that we cannot meet in person but hope that a Zoom meeting will offer a safer and more inclusive opportunity for all households to join us. By Noon on Wednesday, February 23 we ask that you:

The dues will NOT be changing this year but the bylaws still require that the membership vote to set the dues structure at the Annual Meeting. You must be logged into your pool account to vote (one vote per account, please). If you need assistance, contact Admin@LittleFallsSwimmingClub.com.

Before I preview our meeting agenda topics, I would like to start with the most important part of this work: recognizing the extraordinary staff and volunteers who make it possible for us to swim and sun and learn and gather together each summer.

• On behalf of the entire Board, I extend a bittersweet and grateful farewell to Chuck Montrie and Teri Tomlin from Bethesda Aquatics. Chuck and Teri have been our operational partners for 32 years and have been so much more than operators–they have been Little Falls family. We wish them a well-deserved retirement and look forward to fêting them in person when the pool opens.
• Bethesda Aquatics managers and staff once again ensured a safe and healthy season by diligently enforcing our masking requirements and maintaining a clean, safe, and hygienic pool environment.
• Our administrator, Linda Karson, continues to provide her incomparable skill, experience, and support to us all, and our new bookkeeper, Kathryn Eliscar, has helped us update and streamline our bookkeeping to make life easier for future Boards. Linda Norman, AKA “Aunt Linda” continues to make sure that our socials and swim meets are both gracious and delicious and is always ready to lend a helping hand and ear.
• We were so incredibly fortunate to have had a competitive swim and dive season this past summer. This could not have happened without the tireless efforts of our swim and dive reps and the entire coaching staff. Meredith Hammond, Rachel Hirschberg, Taryn Rosencrantz, Emily Simone, Maren Matal, and Becky Wexler made it possible for our kids to get back into the water and compete and have fun! The icing on the cake was that our very own Penguins WON THEIR DIVISION this past season!!
• Our Audit committee volunteers Peter Dunkelberger, Andy Geffen, and Steve Volkers gifted us with their time, expertise, diligence, and dedication to ensure a thorough and professional review of our financials.
• Huge thanks to everyone who helped set up, grill, move tables, or clean up before and after our socials. Special thanks to Peggy Terry who served as honorary co-chair to Board Member, Chris Terry. This past social season saw the debut of innovative and wildly popular events which could not have happened without many helping hands.
• Finally, I want to wholeheartedly thank my fellow Board Members: Fred Atwood, Dave Cutitta, Lara Goldmark, Julian Kim, Nancy La Vigne, Kara Maciel, Maren Matal, Cynthia Morton, Phil Petrilli, and Chris Terry. Pandemic-era pool management was brand new territory for all of us and I am so grateful to have traversed this tricky terrain with these dedicated and truly devoted volunteers. While Nancy and Maren will be running for another Board term, Julian, Cynthia, and Chris will be retiring from the Board along with me.

Our Annual Meeting will provide the opportunity for all of these wonderful volunteers to review and share all of the hard work we have accomplished over the last year. We will:

• describe the process and announce the results of our search for a new operating company;
• review our financial statements;
• share membership and pool use information; and
• present the results of three feasibility studies we contracted to plan for future capital improvements–including estimates for a new bridge and the next phase of our bathroom renovations.

Please be in touch at Board@LittleFallsSwimmingClub.com with any new business you would like to include on the agenda. The 2022 Annual Meeting Agenda, 2021 Annual Meeting Minutes, and Financial Statements will be posted on the website.

I would like to conclude on a personal note and thank the membership for the opportunity to serve this very special community. I am so proud of the commitment to health, safety, and community displayed by our members over the past two seasons. I am so proud to work with such hardworking and dedicated volunteers. I am proud of us and grateful to you all and look forward to seeing you all poolside Memorial Day weekend 2022.

Cathy Stocker

LFSC Board President