Gorging Dragons Open House

Vancouver Island Paddlers

DATE: Sunday January 29, 2012
TIME: 4pm (1-1.5 hours expected)
PLACE: Yellow Pages office, Market Square, Lower Johnson Street
(Enter through Market Square Johnson St. gate, up the stairs on immediate left and enter building; Yellow Pages office is across from Ashtanga Yoga)

Drop in and learn about our women’s, open (men’s) and mixed dragon boat programs for 2012.

Meet our coaches, and learn about our program and the options the Gorging Dragons can offer to help you meet your paddling goals.

Who should attend?

1. Anyone interested in paddling with a Gorging Dragons team this year (either full-time, or while continuing to paddle with another local team).

2. Anyone who wants to learn more about our team, our training, or our new club.

- – -

GD Senior Crew Open House

Vancouver Island Paddlers 55+

DATE: Sunday January 29, 2012
TIME: 10:30am
PLACE: Yellow Pages office (directions above)

We got lots of interest from paddlers all over Vancouver Island in taking a Gorging Dragons-led crew to the BC Senior’s Games in 2012.

As well, we heard from paddlers who would prefer other senior crew competitions than the Senior’s games.

Interested in knowing more? Come and meet our paddlers and coaches, and let us know your paddling goals.

- – -

Please share this newsletter with anyone you think would be interested.

Cheers,

Tom Arnold
Gorging Dragons

 

Watch this video on YouTube.

 

One boat’s on Vancouver Island (Nanaimo’s Nauticals Marina), and the other’s on the mainland at the Dragon Zone:

(The red boat is in Nanaimo)

Asking $7,500 each, fully equipped, as is, where is.

Contact Ken (250-616-9431 or sales@championdragonboats.ca)

 

When I was a kid, a Sunday morning staple, and a holiday treat, was my grandfather’s Sweet Potato Pie. I never could figure out why it was served with dinner instead of after dinner, because it was chock full of sweet brown sugar and as far as I was concerned, it was desert.

I finally got around to creating a web page featuring this sweet treat – I hope you’ll like it…

Check it out – your kids will love it!

 

The Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival Society Board of Directors circled the wagons at their 8th annual AGM, which was attended by 15-20 people (I didn’t count them) who fully expected to join the Society and take part in the meeting, nominate directors and vote for their favourite candidates.

It was not to be, however, as President Bob Buchanan made immediately clear, when he announced that the bylaw’s Clause 4, which reads, “A person may apply to the directors for membership in the society and on acceptance by the directors is a member,” is interpreted as meaning that such applications can only be considered by a “directors’ meeting,” and that the AGM was, er, not such a meeting, even though all the directors were present.

Using a voice which could only be interpreted as patronizing, Mr. Buchanan explained that the applications would be considered at an unstated future moment (I am paraphrasing): “There are a lot of non-members here tonight, and we want to hear what you have to say, and you’re welcome to apply for membership, but you can’t vote.”

In other words, we and our aspirations were dismissed out of hand.

 
Click here to read the full article and comment

 

Certification: Candidates are required to successfully complete a written assignment, hold a Small Craft Operators license, and complete NCCP Intro to Competition Part A before they are fully certified.

Please click here for the course outline.

COURSE DETAILS

Date: October 29, 2011

  Time: 9:00 am ? 5:00 pm

    Location: Creekside Community Center

      #1 Athletes Way, Vancouver, BC

 Cost: $190 + HST

Please email jackie@dragonboatbc.ca for more information and to register. Be sure to include your Name, Email and Phone Number.

 

The full set is now online – You’ll find them here.

Facebook users will find them here and here.

 

Click here for a report and discussion

The Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival Society’s annual general meeting (AGM) is scheduled for Tuesday, October 25th at 6:00 PM.

Rumor has it that some members of the Board are going to try to block paddlers from participating in the AGM. To do this, they would have to actually deny membership to all those who show up, ready to join.

Frankly, I can’t imagine that anyone on the Board would be foolish enough to go out of their way to alienate the entire Island’s paddling community – the very people that make the Society’s lavish party – and donations – possible in the first place.

The meeting will be held in the meeting room of the Ramada Inn on Terminal Avenue (at Rosehill).

I encourage Everyone to attend and bring their ideas for improving the festival – and five bucks – with them.

The $5.00 is the cost of becoming a voting member of the Society, and that, children, means you get to participate in the election of the Board. (No, you don’t have to live in the City of Nanaimo – anyone with $5 can join the Society and become a Member.)

As I recall, there are only two paddlers on the Board at the moment, and at least one of them is stepping down. As a paddler and Coach, I don’t think that’s good enough – I think paddlers, not businessmen, should be driving this festival, and that both groups should work together for the betterment of the sport.

This should not be taken as a criticism of the festivals – they’ve been successful beyond what could have been imagined when this all began.

It’s simply a reflection on my belief that there are lots of improvements that could – and should – be made, not the least of which is the introduction of IDBF racing on the Island.

The introduction of IDBF racing would mean that recreational teams would not find themselves in the bizarre position of racing against teams like the Gorging Dragons, the Navy’s Dragon Anchors or the Portland Fire Dragons. Even though everyone knows the initial heats aren’t competition per se, but time trials, I think it’s still pretty demoralizing to lose your first heat by 30 or 40 seconds because random selection left you going head to head with sport-level competitors.

IDBF racing would also serve to attract more competitive teams from the lower mainland, and that can only be good for everyone.

Whether you agree with that particular idea or not, I urge you to bring your own ideas and join me for the meeting — and don’t forget that five dollar bill!

Some paddlers and coaches feel that there is too much emphasis on breast cancer, and not enough on cancer as a universal killer, others may feel that the beer garden revenues are more important than the racing…. whatever YOUR views, join the Society and air them on the 25th!

Is it worthwhile to ask whether paddlers are valued more for the money they bring with them than the sport, skills and enthusiasm they share with such passion?

While you’re at it, think about folks you’d like to see on the Board for next year’s festival – your Coach, perhaps, or an outstanding paddler with a love for the sport and a talent for leadership — and then encourage your entire team to attend and participate – you’d be amazed at how much difference 22 votes can make!

Nominations will be accepted from the floor, so this is your chance to make a real difference!

You’ll find an AGM Event page on Facebook here

Please note clause 2(a), above.

Questions you might ask a candidate:

• Do you support IDBF racing in the Nanaimo festival?
• Will you support and encourage a high performance paddling centre in Nanaimo?
• How do you feel about de-emphasizing breast cancer and honouring all cancer patients and survivors instead, in accordance with your Constitution?

• Will you support and encourage paddler participation in the Society?
• The Society’s Constitution says that one of the purposes of the Society is to, “provide financial assistance to research facilities, Foundations or Societies involved in the development of cures for, and life extending treatments of all types of cancer in humans.” The Society’s website contradicts this purpose, saying that “Every dollar raised through our volunteer efforts is committed to help those in need in their efforts to fight the fight through donations to the Nanaimo Hospital Foundation to purchase diagnostic equipment to treat breast cancer.” How do you feel about this contradiction?
• Has the race management contract for the 2012 Festival been signed? If so, was the process open to bidders, and was the lowest bid accepted?
• How many festivals have you paddled in?
• How many festivals have you paddled in other then on the Island?

 

Did you know that the roundest knight at King Arthur’s round table was Sir
Cumference? He acquired his size from too much pi.

That when cannibals eat a missionary, they got a taste of religion?

Click here if you want more

Some fine Squidoo Humour lenses:

Why did the chicken cross the road?
Dumb quotes from celebrities
More Dumb quotes from celebrities
More Puns, More Jokes
Puns, Puns, Puns & More