As Springtime approaches, I am especially looking forward to paddling with our beginning paddlers that have joined HCKC!
We have all been through the challenges of being the beginning paddler…… trying to learn new skills, figuring out the new equipment we need, wondering how to get our new vessel from the garage to the water’s edge and especially wanting to fit in with a new group of experienced paddlers.
My anxieties were many:
The reality is that some of those things happened. But, other things happened, too.
I made new friends and found like-minded people to paddle with. I participated in local training, learning new skills and becoming more efficient and confident. I found wonderful mentors that were kind and helpful. I have been on new paddling adventures that had only been in my dreams. I found a paddling community that is passionate about safety, helping each other and having fun on the water………Thank you, HCKC!
Linda Decker
Greetings Fellow Paddlers: Let’s not lose hope that our frozen rivers &
lakes will thaw to make way for a stellar paddling season. As skipper, I
can’t promise an early Spring but, I can forecast a robust calendar of
paddling trips and events for all sections of our club: 25 enthusiastic HCKC
members participated in our recent Trip Planning Meeting, creating paddle
trips and events that may eclipse our previous year.
LET’S GET READY!
Here are some important things we can do in preparation for the 2025
paddling season:
Hoosier Canoe and Kayak Club serves many members in a wide variety of paddlesport activities. Committees have been established and tasked with areas of focus for 2025. If you are interested in working on one of these committees, please contact the chairperson for that committee or lsdecker2018@gmail.com
We would love to have your participation and input!!
TRAINING & SAFETY COMMITTEE Chairperson: Duane Garloch
Members: HCKC Trainers
Support recruitment of new instructors and development of current instructors for moving, flat and coastal water paddling.
Continue to offer a variety of training opportunities and educational resources
HCKC EVENTS COMMITTEE Chairperson Mariann Davis
Plan club-wide events that bring members together. This may include the Annual Planning Meeting, Picnic Demo Day, The Annual Meeting or Club-wide paddles.
TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE Chairperson Jan Rugaber
Update the website and make it easier to use
Implement electronic waivers
Determine the best use of social media for club communications
TRIP PLANNING COMMITTEE Chairperson Kyle Wills
Members: Fleet Chairpersons
Work with all three fleets to offer a wide variety of paddling opportunities for all skill levels
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE Chairperson Dave Ellis
Recruit new members and welcome them into HCKC
I’m looking forward to working with all of you on HCKC initiatives, welcoming new members into our club, providing training and enjoying time on the water.
Linda Decker 2025 HCKC Skipper
HCC NEWSLETTER --- MAY 1972
FEE: $1.50
To Cover the cost of Bob McNair’s Basic River Canoeing. If you have a copy, no charge.
PRE-REGISTRATION:
Call Gwen and Elmer Mackison as soon as possible.
291-7382
Friday, June 2, is the last day for registration. Register as individuals (you may not paddle with your spouse!). Registrations will be taken on a first—come—first—serve basis since the group
The CLUB has a trip scheduled April 8TH to coincide with a solar eclipse. We've done this before. Way back in March 1970 Cindy and I sponsored our first HCKC trip - about 6 months after we joined the club. Below are the trip announcement for that trip. The after-trip write-up. And maybe a few photos from that event --- if i can figure out how to include them here..
HOOSIER CLUB CLUB MARCH 1970 TRIPS
approaching the closed covered bridge at Brownstown.
SPONSORS: Dave and Cindy Ellis
DIRECTIONS: I 65 south to US 50. US 50 west to S.R.35
in Brownstown, S.R. 35 through Brownstown, across (West, Left) RR, to Closed Covered Bridge.
Unnamed Stream (UNS), US 50 concrete bridge., Hough
Creek, UNS, UNS, UNS, county road steel bridge, Wayman Ditch, UNS, Baltimore and Ohio RR Bridge, McMillan Ditch, UNS, S.R. 235 steel bridge.
SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT: Canoe & paddles, Change of clothes, thermos of coffee & a light snack.
NOTIFICATION: Please notify the trip sponsors, Tel. 253-5709, or the Yeoman 786-5394, the week of March 2nd you plan to attend.
CAMPING FACILITIES: Jackson County State Forest and Starve Hollow State Recreation Area.
SPRING IS DEFINITELY ON WAY by Cindy Ellis
I could imagine a foot of snow, a frozen river, and two sets of thermal underwear when Dave told me we wore going to sponsor a float trip the first weekend of March. But on the 7th, with the sun bright in a hazy sky and the anticipation of watching a solar eclipse from the river, 11 canoes and 3 kayaks embarked in two groups on the East Fork of the White River from the old, unused covered bridge outside Brownstown, Indiana. In about three hours we put out at the covered bridge outside Medora.
The river was up considerably due to the heavy rains earlier in the week and had overflowed its banks. Each group decided there was only one possible place to pull over for lunch, but since we ate in two different places, there were probably more. Tho low woodlands along the shore were swampy and a myriad of northerly-migrating ducks flapped out of inundated corn fields at our approach, obviously unhappy at being disturbed at their feeding. The water also neatly covered many protruding. Limbs and branches, much to the DeBoys’ consternation as they started their swimming season a bit early. Afire at lunch time and dry clothes must have bolstered their spirits, for they were smiling when I saw them at the end.
of their trip. So was Chuck Conklin, who had his ' shiny new kayak out for the first time and did an admirable job of staying upright the whole trip.
We enjoyed planning this trip, hope everyone had fun, and thank the Raineys, Tilestons and Flexmans for leading and sweeping for us.
P.S. those on the trip were the Andersons, Annises, Citrons, Chuck Conklin, Ellises, Flexmans Fredericks, Lankfords Mackisons, Jim Parnell, Raineys Tilestons DeBoys , 3 guest.
Some of the newer Board members had no concept of our Pirate Paddle/Party that we've done a few times in past years. We're considering the possibility of doing something like that this fall or in some future year. for the newbies benefit I said that I would post to my Pirate Albums so they could see what they are like. while collecting links, i just got all HCKC albums for you amusement. (You REALLY don't want to binge watch these.)
So, if you missed our 11/11/23 Annual Meeting, it was really a good one. Thanks to John Gates, Linda Decker, Mariann Davis and all others that made it happen.
Here are the Officers and Board for the coming year:
Skipper -------- Dave Ellis
Exec Officer --- Tim Owens
Yeoman -------- Lauralee Hites
Purser ---------- Kaleena Wright
Board Members --- Andrew Bredemeyer
John Carlson
Mariann Davis
Jeremey Giddens
Toni Harris
Anthony Pascuzzi
Jan Rugaber
Roger Starring
Jeff Stejskal
Judy Thompson
Kyle Wills
We now need to decide on our "To Do" list. I know we need to Complete the transition to a real not-for-profit. To set up the traditional board transition meeting for early December. To schedule the Trips Planning Meeting. To firm up the Wilderness First Aid / CPR certification class. To assure continuing weekly pool sessions. To develop new trip leaders, ACA certified instructors, and Club leaders to carry on into 2025 and beyond. Please let any of us know any other things we should be working on.
2024 will be the Club's 61st year or activity. GO HCKC!
Welcome to Summer Paddling! I just got back from co-hosting with Toni a Beginner/ Intermediate Whitewater Kayaking Workshop in Southeastern Tennessee, and it was amazing weekend for both the weather and seeing newer paddlers enjoying the sport we all love! I was showing the lines on the Hiwassee and after I would run the rapid, I would turn around and see the faces of the paddlers with huge smiles and cheers of enjoyment. It was an amazing feeling for them to conquer something that just a few moments before had been an OMG moment that they thought they couldn’t do before. It was also amazing watching some experience paddlers who I lead down the Ocoee breakdown a rapid and figure out exactly what angle to hit a certain wave and what speed and power was needed to help them get to where they want to go. But the bottom line to all this we were out paddling in a beautiful place and had amazing weather over our heads! I hope everyone get out on one of our club’s trips and recharges your soul with a paddle in your hands.
Your Skipper, John Gates
Greetings from a fellow paddler. I hope you are out paddling your local stream or a distant paddling trip to your favorite paddling spot. I have been out paddling and of course helping new paddlers get started in the pool and I can honestly say; I’m so happy to be paddling. We all are truly doing something that makes the soul happy! Something I love seeing is my fellow paddler gets excited about something they have been training hard for and succeed in that task. Examples I see are new paddlers get comfortable being underwater and able to do a controlled wet exit out of a boat. Another is running a rapid and not just surviving it but be able to control their speed and able to hit an eddy that seems impossible just a few minutes before. What inspires you?
Skippers Note The other day I was driving down to Cincinnati for the Annual Cincy Paddle Swap, and asked my Mom to ride along with me. As I was driving I said to her, “How many times over the years have we driven down I-74 to go paddle somewhere?” She responded with a laugh and said to me “Too many times to count!” I just smiled and the memories of those trips started flooding in like when the Ocoee Dam opened. The memories I have of paddling in different places with my mom are ones I cherish. My point in telling you this is that paddling is a lifelong experience that you and your loved ones can share all your life. I was blessed to have parents that got me involved when I was 7 years old and I plan on paddling until I can no longer do it. The HCKC was formed by a few families that wanted to get out and paddle as a group. Over the years our club has expanded from that and continues to grow, spanning several disciplines and several different places. We continue the tradition of creating memories of paddling adventures. I hope you have and continue to create memories of your own and I hope they include paddling! I would confidently say that my adventures paddling are some of my most cherished ones - Are they for you? See you on the water John Gates
Background image provided by Karl Zemlin www.zemlinphoto.com
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