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At our club, we have much to be thankful for. To start with, we are still here! It may seem to some that making it through the year was guaranteed. It was not. But with the leadership of our board, support of our athletes, coaches, volunteers, supporters, and our many sponsors we will be here for 2021. Our Island partners – CHRC, SCRAA, Ridley, and Brock have worked together as one seamless entity. While we have always been cooperative, this year has demonstrated how well we mesh in a difficult time. Sharon Ralph, the new president of Henley Island Helpers and Bob Ralph, president of SCRC Recreational League worked with SCRAA to host BBQ’s on the Alumni patio through the end of the summer and early Fall – everyone masked and socially distanced. Furthermore, I am excited by the spirit of optimism many of our junior and senior athletes and their coaches have displayed by a commitment to train through the winter in order to attempt qualification to compete at Henley Royal Regatta in July 2021. So far, all 2021 regattas are still scheduled. And that is enough for our rowers to focus on participating in them and to be ready to win them! Many of us will have a different Holiday Season this year. There may not be as many friends and family gathering around the table and celebrating with joy and laughter. But we have Zoom, WhatsApp, Google Chat, WebEx, and I am sure others that can help us stay in touch. Updates First off, we have opened our applications for our 2021 Board of Directors. All 2020 SCRC members, coaches and all past presidents are eligible to submit their candidacy to be elected to the Board if they meet the eligibility requirements. If you would like to submit your name for consideration, please review the attached document and submit your profile to Dave Derry - derry@vaxxine.com - by no later than midnight December 21st, 2020. The 17 candidates with the most votes will be announced as the SCRC 2021 Board of Directors at the AGM on January 21st, 2021. Questions about candidacy or process should be sent to Dave Derry - derry@vaxxine.com. To read more about the application process, click here: Nominations for SCRC Board of Directors Also, we are introducing a promotional series of interviews highlighting our distinguished alumni. Our first feature was published last week on Natalie Mastracci, two-time Olympian and 2012 Silver Medalist. You can read the interview here: A Conversation with Natalie Mastracci Looking Back at This Year As I write this update, we are 22 days from saying good-bye to 2020, an eventful year to say the least. or me, most memorable events were just that - events. The Kennedy assassination (yes, I was around for that), Bobby, MLK, Armstrong on the moon, Chris Hadfield serenading us from space, Terry Fox – his run, then losing him, Paul Henderson’s goal (you know the one…), Olympic medals in rowing… all of them! Some were tragic, many were uplifting. In every case you could tell people where you were when it happened – memorable events... How do you recap an entire year though? You might remember where you were when you first heard there was a virus that was spreading. Or the first time you put on a mask. Or the first time you went to the grocery store, lined up to get in and found they were out of toilet paper! This is an “event” that seemed to have no end and had no highs, just lows. As of December 9th , 2020, we have lost 12,983 Canadians to COVID-19. It has been said “The death of one person is a tragedy, the death of many is a statistic.” I would argue the death of 12,983 Canadians is very tragic! We should pause here and remember these people… This year will end though and with vaccinations on the near horizon we should also reflect on the good things that came out of 2020. So… if you haven’t yet, Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly and on the evening of December 24th put out some Purell (just to be safe!), a glass of milk, a cookie and don’t forget the carrot. Ya never know… Best in Sports, Rick Crooker President, St. Catharines Rowing Club  Comments are closed.
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