Please read these bylaws carefully:
Acknowledgement of Regulations and By-Laws
Ø When you sign the annual membership application, you are agreeing to these Regulations & By-Laws.
Ø The onus to have read and understood them is your own. If in doubt, please ask.
NSW RSL Youth Club Objectives
Ø Afford youth of the district the opportunity of participating in clean healthy recreation.
Ø Instruct youth in principles of good citizenship.
Ø Introduce an appreciation in youth of need for observance of laws of State and Commonwealth.
Ø Encourage music, literature, art and physical education among youth, particularly those who by reason of circumstances might otherwise be unable to enjoy such benefits.
Ø Awaken citizens to their responsibility towards adolescents.
Ø Teach members respect for older people, point out the meaning of the word “Ode” and RSL Principles.
Ø To be non-sectarian and non-political.
Ø Associate with and assist similar bodies and carry out such plans and undertaking as may be conducive to foregoing objects.
Penshurst RSL Youth Swim Club Aim
Ø The Penshurst RSL Youth Swim Club is primarily a community water awareness & safety programme, run by volunteers, aimed at enabling children from the age of four (4) to become confident in and around water.
Association
Ø The Penshurst RSL Youth Swim Club pays annual sport association fees to NSW RSL Zone 2/7 Swimming Group and by default the NSW RSL State Swimming Group.
Penshurst RSL Club Limited – Membership Requirement
Ø For a swimmer to be able to enrol in “Swim Club” at least one parent (or guardian) must be a financial member of the Penshurst RSL Club Limited.
Ø Parents must remain financial for the entire swim season October – March.
Ø Penshurst RSL Club Ltd memberships expire on 31st December. It is the responsibility of the parent to renew their Club membership in a timely manner.
Ø Penshurst RSL Club membership can be applied or renewed online (https://penshurstrsl.com.au/membership-information/) or at Penshurst RSL Club
Volunteering
Ø There is a reasonable expectation that parents will volunteer themselves to Swim Club on a regular basis. Your child is granted Swim Club membership based on this understanding. Café, coaching, in-pool teaching, front desk, pool set-up, timekeeping, BBQ, committee positions (etc.) all require volunteers.
Ø No task is too difficult but all are required to be filled in order for Swim Club to function successfully.
Prospective members
Ø A swimmer can enrol in Swim Club on the day they turn four (4).
Ø According to NSW RSL Youth Club Regulations a swimmer may no longer be a Swim Club member from the day they turn twenty-five (25), they may however still remain a volunteer helper and Associate Committee member if they so desire.
Ø Except in special circumstances, Swim Club will not accept new members in the current season after 28 February.
Ø There is no waitlist requirement for siblings of current members. They receive automatic membership to Swim Club as soon as they turn four (4).
Ø At times of high demand for Swim Club membership & during the off-season, a waitlist will be kept by the Registrar.
Ø Prospective members on the waitlist will be informed of their progression at regular intervals and granted membership in order of application. Queue jumping will not be entertained.
Ø Prospective members can only be promoted off the waitlist and into Swim Club if a current membership to the Penshurst RSL Club Ltd is held.
Penshurst RSL Youth Swim Club Regulations & By-Laws
Class sizes
Ø Swim Club has strict class sizes. Registrations will close as soon as these limits have been reached.
Ø SQUAD. A maximum of 50 members will be accepted for 7am Squad. Membership to squad is strictly by invitation and applicants will come (primarily) from the Swim Club Stroke Development classes.
Ø LEARN-TO-SWIM A maximum of 60 members can be accepted for the 8am Learn-to-swim classes.
Ø Teacher/Student ratios are between 1:4 & 1:10 dependent daily on student proficiency, class size & teacher numbers.
Ø All groups and their class sizes will be examined during the early part of the season.
Ø Assessments will be carried out on individuals to ascertain their progress & their subsequent movement between groups.
Ø In some instances where group numbers are disproportionate children might be moved laterally.
Ø Decisions to promote children will be made by the Club supervisors.
Attendance monitoring and warnings
Ø Like most sports, the NSW RSL Youth Swim Club is part of a sporting association.
Ø The proclaimed swim season of the NSW RSL State Swimming Group is from August in any given year to March 31st in the next.
Ø A swimmer must attend a minimum of 75% of lessons during the proclaimed NSW RSL swim season to maintain their Swim Club membership.
Ø From August to March 31, the Swim Club Registrar will regularly monitor attendance.
Ø Members will be advised if they are in danger of falling below the 75% attendance requirement.
Ø Legitimate reasons for absence may include dual-custody arrangements, documented holidays, certified medical absence & any other excuse as deemed acceptable by the Swim Club Management Committee.
Ø The Club Registrar must be advised of any request for an exemption, based on the aforementioned, within a reasonable timeframe.
Ø A Swim Club “season pass” does not exempt the barer from the minimum attendance requirement.
Ø Games/trials, training, representative obligations etc. of other sporting associations will NOT be considered acceptable reasons for absence during the period 1 October-31 March.
Ø Members (or parents of underage members) will be notified of any potential breech via their email address or SMS.
Ø At the discretion of the Penshurst RSL Swim Club committee there may also be additional contact by other means such as verbal warning, letter or telephone call.
Ø There are always swimmers waiting for upwards promotion and families on waitlists awaiting membership to Swim Club. If you currently hold Swim Club membership and do not attend regularly, you are denying other swimmers the opportunity to advance or to join our Club. Therefore, any member whose attendance record does not improve after repeated warnings will have their Swim Club membership revoked in favour of a new swimmer. Membership fees will not be refunded. Pro-rata season pass fees will be refunded (minus membership fees).
Automatic annual membership renewal
Ø All members that have 75% or higher attendance, twenty-one (21) days prior to the end of the season (31 March) will automatically qualify for membership at the Club in the following season.
Ø **Pro-rata for new members based on start date.
Gifts, Awards & Bonuses
Ø Any member whose attendance is under the 75% requirement twenty-one (21) days prior to the end of the season (31 March) will be deemed INELIGIBLE for consideration for Club awards.
Ø They may also place in jeopardy their “end of season” gifts & bonuses.
Teachers & Supervisors
Ø Supervisors are AustSwim/ ASCTA qualified.
Ø Teachers are volunteer parents & swimmers from our senior squad that are of high school age.
AustSwim qualifications
Ø A candidate may enrol in an AUSTSWIM/ ASCTA Swim Australia Teaching Course course at 16 years of age.
Ø A candidate cannot be assessed, and therefore cannot become accredited, until they have turned 17 years of age.
Ø A candidate who wishes to become AustSwim/ ASCTA qualified may complete their “face to face” training hours with Swim Club.
Ø AustSwim/ASCTA course candidates from outside of Swim Club may complete their “face to face” training hours with Swim Club
Ø Swim Club can assist with the organisation of an assessor to attend Peakhurst West Pool.
Ø All AustSwim/ ASCTA course/license fees & annual CPR renewal fees are the obligation of the individual.
Ø At the discretion of the Swim Club Management Committee, an AustSwim/ ASCTA qualified supervisor may be recompensed for the time they commit to teaching.
Penshurst RSL Youth Swim Club Regulations & By-Laws
Updated: January 2022
Zone/State Carnivals
Ø Swim Club encourages swimmers to attend all three (3) Zone carnivals and any other invitational carnival we accept. Race fees apply and must be paid prior to registration closing date for each carnival.
Ø A child of any age may contest the 25m Freestyle race at Zone carnivals however; they are ineligible to contest any other race. A child that contests the 25m event at Zone Championships is ineligible for consideration of a position on the State team.
Ø In order to qualify for Zone Championships a member must have contested two (2) different strokes (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly) at two (2) or more carnivals in that season. *Exceptions include 25m freestyle participants who can swim only that event at two (2) carnivals.
Ø A medically certified absence or a death notice of an immediate family member (or other similar notification of a major life event) for Carnival 3 may be accepted by the Zone committee so that a swimmer might be considered for Zone Championships; as long as one other carnival has been contested.
Ø The Zone Committee will NOT entertain any excuse for absence from the Zone Championship Carnival.
Ø There is a reasonable expectation that a swimmer who competes in two carnivals will make themselves available to contest Zone Championships if selected.
Ø There is a reasonable expectation that a swimmer who competes at the Zone Championships will make themselves available to contest State Championships on behalf of RSL Zone 2/7 should they qualify.
Ø Any swimmer selected to contest a State Carnival on behalf of RSL Zone 2/7 that accepts the nomination and fails to attend without reasonable excuse, may be subject to disciplinary action by the Zone 2/7 management committee.
Ø A member so disciplined may, in some cases, become ineligible to compete at the Zone Championship carnival in the following season.
Ø The age a swimmer is on the date of the NSW RSL State Championship Carnival; (next March) is the age group the swimmer will swim in this representative season (Oct-Mar).
Ø Representative swimmers are requested to wear the club kit at Zone meets and any other event where they are representing our Swim Club.
Ø To receive gifts, bonuses or benefits from Swim Club related to Zone Carnival participation, a swimmer must have contested two (2) different strokes (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly) at two (2) or more carnivals in that season. *Exceptions include 25m freestyle participants who can only swim that event at two (2) carnivals.
Ø Any member whose attendance is under the 75% requirement twenty-one (21) days prior to the annual Club Presentation event will be deemed INELIGIBLE for consideration for Club awards.
Pool Etiquette
Ø We are not the only group using the school for activities 7am-9am Saturday mornings.
Ø Park your vehicle only in the allocated parking areas.
Ø Only vehicles with a “disabled parking” sticker are permitted to park in the disabled parking space.
Ø There are swimming lessons after yours. Please vacate the pool and parking lot as soon as possible after your lesson.
Ø The pool must be kept clean and tidy at all times, please make sure the area you are sitting in is clean before you leave.
Ø Wading pools and unused lanes are out of bounds at all times.
Ø Non-member children are not permitted to enter the water at any time.
Swimmer Hygiene
Ø Swimmers should at all times wear a swim cap in the interests of hygiene.
Ø Swimmers should at all times wear goggles in the interests of health & hygiene.
Ø Rash shirts should not be worn as they inhibit stroke correction and development.
Ø It is preferable if female swimmers wear a 1-piece swimming costume.
Ø Infectious diseases – Community health. Many children use this pool. If you believe your child to have an infectious condition please refrain from bringing them to lessons.
Ø Conjunctivitis is HIGHLY infectious. Any swimmer with an eye infection should not enter the pool under any circumstance.
Ø Showers are provided to “wash away chlorine”. Swimmers must not linger in the showers any longer than required.
Parental Obligations
Ø This is a community programme. We are volunteers teaching your children to swim.
Ø Parents, you are responsible for the supervision and safety of your children, both in and out of the water. Just as they would be on a beach.
Ø Children (other than teachers) must at all times be supervised during lessons.
Ø One parent (guardian) must remain at the pool for the duration of the lesson.
Ø You must not allow children to leave the pool confines unsupervised under any circumstance.
Ø Our pool hire agreement permits Swim Club use of the pool and the parking lot only. The rest of the school is “out of bounds” & children should not be permitted to venture away from the pool.
Penshurst RSL Youth Swim Club Regulations & By-Laws
Updated: July 2017 4
Disciplinary Procedures
Ø Members should abide by the RSL Youth Club Code of Ethics.
Ø Members and their families must at all times abide by the Regulations and By-Laws of the Penshurst RSL Swim Club.
Ø Misconduct will not be tolerated.
Ø If a member of Swim Club contravenes the Code of Ethics, Constitution and/or By-laws of the NSW RSL State Swimming Group, the Zone 2/7 Swimming Group or the Penshurst RSL Youth Swim Club they may be disciplined by the Swim Club committee.
Ø The issue will be discussed and the ramifications decided upon at the next scheduled Club Committee meeting.
Ø If requested by the Swim Club committee, the member (and/or an adult family member) must attend this meeting.
Working with Children Check
Ø Any parent that volunteers regularly within our Club (i.e. coaches, committee, etc.) will be asked to confirm their suitability for working with children by producing a “Working with Children Check” (WWCC) number.
Ø All parents must be open to submitting to a “Working with Children Check” (volunteer) if so requested by the Club Committee. Applying for a “Working with children check” is free for volunteers.
Ø You must NOT enter the Peakhurst West pool, nor be in close proximity to Club members at any venue we fraternize if you know you would not pass a “Working with Children” check.
Concerns and Complaints
Ø We are ALL volunteers. Please remember this when approaching us with an issue.
Ø If a parent has a complaint, it is to be directed to either the Club President or the Chief Instructor at the 9am conclusion of lessons.
Ø It is preferential however, that issues be put into writing or placed on the agenda for discussion (without prejudice) at the next monthly Committee meeting (3rd Wednesday of each month).
Ø Teachers are not to be approached with complaints by parents under any circumstance.
Ø Interference with a teacher by a parent may result in ejection of that parent from the pool.
Ø Continued interference of a teacher may result in the revocation of membership of the family concerned.
Alterations
Ø The Rules, Regulations & By-Laws of the Penshurst RSL Youth Swim Club may be altered at the discretion of the majority of the Swim Clubs’ management committee, at a general meeting if all members of the committee are notified in writing of the proposed changes with at least seven (7) days clear notice of such a meeting.
Code of Ethics
While I remain a member, I shall keep my mind and body active.
I shall conduct myself in an orderly manner and treat other members as I would like to be treated myself.
I shall respect the principals of good citizenship and encourage my associates to do likewise.
I shall endeavour to build friendship with my club mates because friendship is one of the greatest assets that I can have and is advantageous to my future welfare.
I shall take proper care of the furniture and property of the club.
I shall follow my club leaders and respect and obey my instructors.
I shall be loyal to my club.
Finally, I shall remain loyal to my Queen and my country and love and respect my parents.
The Code of Ethics is recited at the beginning of all Youth Club Classes and Functions. At functions, all in attendance should stand throughout the Code and there should be NO applause at the conclusion. If you are chosen to recite the Code of Ethics at a function please keep in mind your appearance and demeanour throughout.