For those of you new to rowing, this whole Stotesbury Regatta thing must be a bit vague. It is the largest high school regatta in the U.S., and it takes place along along the banks of the Schyukill River in Philadelphia on Friday, May 20th (prelims) and Saturday, May 21st (finals). There are teams from all over the east coast and midwest there. It is like nothing you have every seen.

This year we have 25 rowers and alternates heading to Philadelphia (yippee). We leave on Thursday, May 19th, in parent carpools in order to get there to practice on Thursday afternoon. (We will decide the exact time tonight at the booster meeting.) Here are some details that we will discuss at tonight’s Booster Meeting — please come if you can. Please plan to come to Philadelphia and hang out with the team if you can.

• Transportation — We rely on parent carpools to get rowers there and back. Let me know if you can drive on Thursday. Usually we organize by boat so that if a boat of kids doesn’t make finals, they can head home on Friday and we try not to incur costs for Friday night hotels. Any parents or coaches who will be driving students — either or both directions — must complete a driver form. They should complete the form even if they already completed one as part of the registration packet. These need to come back to Mari Mullane by May 17, by email, delivered to a coach at practice who can send it home with Steven or to the crew mailbox in the front office (not the one in the activities department).
• Housing — I have 15 double queen hotel rooms booked for team, coaches and parents. I need to know if there are parents interested in having a room in the block. If you have not gotten back to me please do so. I have reservations in a Howard Johnson Express across the river in NJ. If we don’t need all the rooms, I will cancel some. Parents pay for their own rooms.
• Cost — Rowers will have to pay their portion of the hotel costs (assume about $50/ per kid).
• Food — Need some help/volunteers to provide food for our usual table of rowers at Stotesbury. Friday is a long day and it would be nice if we could do some hot food/grilling during the day for these rowers. I would like a parent to volunteer to take this on (again, let’s talk tonight). We will have a Team Meal (in a restaurant on Friday night — more to come on costs and arrangements for this). We should also decide if it makes sense to take our utility trailer as well as the boat trailer to haul stuff — I guess that depends a bit on if we have someone who can haul it and/or if we need it.

We need the following forms filled out and submitted to Ms. Mullane for EVERY rower.

• Every student will need to turn in a field trip form and a luggage search form. These must be in Ms. Mullane’s hands no later than May 17. They can be turned in at practice to a coach who can send home with Steven or to the crew mailbox in the front office (not the one in the activities department) or submitted by email.
• Each student must also take an absence form around to all of his/her teachers in order for the absence to be excused. This form should be turned in to the attendance office no later than May 18.

The four forms mentioned above are also available on the Forms page (http://justicerowing.org/forms/) of the team website in the Travel Forms section.

Thanks and hope to see you tonight.

Linda & Mari