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JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2019
STREAMLINES for Volunteers
NadineDay RJA Award

We want to thank you for all of your hard work in making big things happen every year. We're excited for 2019!

Swimming for Life,
Your Friends at U.S. Masters Swimming
Please Help Us Choose a Logo for 50th
We need your help making our big anniversary special!
Question Mark
We're excited about our 50th  anniversary next year, and we're creating a special logo and tagline to commemorate it all year long. The logo will be displayed prominently on our website, at our national championships, in our publications, and anywhere else we can think of to let people know how proud we are of our organization, its rich history, and our members. 

Please help us choose a logo by sharing your opinion of these logo and tagline options.
Don't Forget the Winter Fitness Challenge
Be sure to promote the event this month!
With this being the second year of the SmartyPants Vitamins USMS Winter Fitness Challenge , we're counting on our volunteers to promote this 30-minute event that can be done Feb. 15-28. We want to reach out to members who are just getting into the pool or just getting back into swimming.  Registration is open now!
Officer Nominations Open March 1
Elections information for officers 
elections
U.S. Masters Swimming will hold elections for all officers at its annual meeting of the House of Delegates, Sept. 11-15, 2019, during the United States Aquatic Sports Convention in St Louis. The nomination period is March 1, 2019, through April 30, 2019. Nomination packets will be available on the Elections page of the USMS website or by contacting   Elections Chair Erin Sullivan .
 
We're looking for energetic volunteers with a desire to help lead USMS. If you're interested in leadership and service at our highest level, or you know someone who would be willing to serve, please let us know. 
 
To be eligible for nomination, candidates shall:
  • Be members in good standing of USMS for the year when the election is held;
  • have attended one or more USMS annual meetings in the preceding five years; and
  • plan to attend the annual meeting for the election year in which they are standing for election, and plan to attend all House of Delegates meetings during their tenure.
If, after reading the materials, you have questions about the role of any USMS officer position or the nomination/election process, please contact  Erin Sullivan.
RJA Award Nominations Due Soon
Don't miss the March 15 deadline
The Capt. Ransom J. Arthur M.D. Award is U.S. Masters Swimming's most prestigious award. Named for the founder of Masters Swimming, the award is presented annually to a USMS volunteer who embodies Arthur's spirit and vision and who contributes at the highest level to advance the objective of Masters Swimming.
 
For nomination materials and information about past recipients, visit the USMS Awards page. Nominations are due March 15, 2019.
April Is Adult Learn-to-Swim Month
Initiative provides rewarding volunteer opportunities
April is right around the corner, and with the success we've had in the past with the  April Is Adult Learn-to-Swim Month campaign, we're really looking forward to what comes about this time. Last year, lots of clubs and LMSCs got involved and hosted free swimming lessons for adults in their communities across the country. We're hoping to increase the number of lessons being offered this year!

If your club wants to participate, talk to your coach or program director and download the  April Adult Learn-to-Swim Volunteer Teacher Lesson Guide. Need help organizing and planning your program? We have a  how-to guide for you.

If you enjoy your April volunteer experience and want to teach more adults how to swim, consider taking the  Adult Learn-to-Swim Instructor Certification Course. This innovative course is being offered in 18 cities this year. Check the  course schedule to see when a class is coming to a city near you.
Support SSLF Every Time You Shop
Turn your shopping into life-changing lessons
If you shop on Amazon, you can turn every purchase you make into swimming lessons for adults. Simply designate "United States Masters Swimming Inc." as your charity of choice on AmazonSmile and a percentage of every purchase you make will be donated to the USMS Swimming Saves Lives Foundation.
LMSC Meeting Minutes Due April 30
We know you had a meeting last year!
wire-bound-pad.jpg, writing, pen
Per USMS Rule 502.3, each LMSC is required to hold an annual meeting that is open to all individual members of the LMSC. Your LMSC is required to take minutes at that meeting and, per Rule 502.8, send a copy of your annual minutes to Volunteer Services by April 30, 2019. Don't delay, send in your minutes today!
LMSC Financials and 990 Tax Filings
Time to prepare and submit your financial reports
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Per USMS Rule 502.8, each LMSC is required to send a copy of its annual financial report to the USMS National Office. 

We are excited to offer a new standard format so that the financial information will be in a similar format for all LMSCs. The new format will help us better understand the services provided through our LMSCs and develop strategies and programs to enhance membership value at the LMSC level.  
  • Save the Date - Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019: There will be an LMSC treasurers' workshop to review the Reporting Template and how to convert to this Chart of Accounts (COA). This will be a time to bring up questions about the new standard format. Stay tuned for updates from the LMSC Development Committee on call-in details and instructions.
Instructions for preparing the reports can be found in the Treasurer section of the Guide to Operations.  Please send your 2018 financial report to Volunteer Services by April 30, 2019 . 

Instructions and links for filing your LMSC's 990 tax form can also be found in the Guide to Operations Treasurers section , which is due by  May 15, 2019 .
Upcoming P2P Teleconferences
Log on to teleconferences for best practices information
Need to Know
Mark your calendars for the next three peer-to-peer teleconference calls for: 

Officials: Tuesday, Feb. 12, 8:30 p.m. Eastern time, 5:30 p.m. Pacific time

Treasurers:  Tuesday, Feb. 19, 8:30 p.m. Eastern time, 5:30 p.m. Pacific time

Adult Learn-to-Swim/Swimming Saves Lives: Tuesday, March 12, 8:30 p.m. Eastern time, 5:30 p.m. Pacific time

The goal of these calls is to provide an opportunity for you to pose questions, get answers, discuss challenges, and share successes as you fulfill your role. In turn, we can use the information shared to help build a repository of best practices for each of our volunteer positions. 
 
Email notifications are sent two to three weeks prior to the respective volunteer and to the LMSC chair. 

Notes and recordings from Peer-to-Peer calls are now more easily accessible in the Meeting Minutes section of usms.org. Look under the Volunteers section in the large footer of usms.org and select the Meeting Minutes page. Then, select Peer-to-Peer Teleconference Notes or Peer-to-Peer Teleconference Recording from the By Committee or Group drop-down menu. Happy reading!
Volunteer Swag
Thank your volunteers for their hard work
Doozie
Want to show your appreciation for the hard-working volunteers who make your LMSC or club run? We have just the ticket in our online swag shop. There, you can order all kinds of gifts and tokens to express your thanks for all of their hard work.
Sports Medicine and Science Committee Seeking Specialists to Serve
Would you like to serve on this committee?
SMS Blog logo
T he Sports Medicine and Science Committee educates members and the public on topics of sports medicine and science by encouraging research pertaining to Masters swimming and providing information about these topics. The committee maintains a network of health professionals in various specialties to help answer questions and provide article reviews. If you have a background in medicine, sports, or exercise science or a related field, contact Sports Medicine and Science Committee Chair Megan Carlson today and find out how you can help the committee further its important mission. 
Quick Links

About U.S. Masters Swimming
U.S. Masters Swimming encourages adults to enjoy the health, fitness, and social benefits of swimming by providing more than 2,000 adult swimming programs and events across the country, including open water and pool competitions. USMS's 65,000 members range from age 18 to 99 and include swimmers of all ability levels. USMS, a nonprofit, also trains and certifies coaches and provides online workouts, a bimonthly member magazine, monthly newsletters, and technique articles and videos at usms.org.
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