Mission statement
Big Shoulders Rowing Club aims to empower the individual member to reach his or her rowing potential by providing a comprehensive competitive environment and expanding
rowing opportunities in Chicagoland.
Principles
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Big Shoulders Rowing Club is a tool for you to reach your rowing goals
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At Big Shoulders Rowing Club the individual comes first; the Club is a collection of individuals
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Big Shoulders Rowing Club primarily rows small boats (1x & 2x/-)
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Big Shoulders Rowing Club provides an organizational structure for training (secure water access, coaching, competition, etc.) and racing (cost-sharing at regattas, etc.)
Specifics top
Land workouts:
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Land workouts will be provided for the winter months and during the rowing season to supplement the water workouts
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Members are encouraged to do the land workouts together, but because of the lack of a centralized indoor training facility it is expected that most members will do this work on their
own
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Occasional team-wide land workouts will be scheduled on weekends
Water workouts:
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Big Shoulders Rowing Club rows from 1501 N. Magnolia (on the corner of LeMoyne & Magnolia). Lincoln Park Rowing Club and St. Ignatius High School are also located there.
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6:00 - 8:00 AM
If you show up, pull hard.
New model top
We are attempting a new model, where the majority of the rowing equipment is owned by the members instead of the Club. It is our hope that one day Big Shoulders
Rowing Club will own equipment, but this is not a primary goal of the Club. The goal is to go fast, not own a lot of stuff.
Traditionally rowing clubs start when a few people get together and purchase a boat (generally a 4+ or 8+) or when a single individual makes his or her boat(s) available to others.
Subsequent equipment purchases are funded through dues, fundraising drives, or grants.
The Big Shoulders Rowing Club model is in many ways not very different to the traditional approach. However, instead of a few individuals getting together to purchase a big boat, we
hope that a few individuals will purchase 1x's. The cost should be similar, but the end result will differ. Big Shoulders Rowing Club is structured so that 5 members might row
in their own 5 1x's, rather than in a "club-owned" 4+.
Under this new model each member is ideally a completely self-sufficient rowing entity. Each members decides what equipment to
buy, how to maintain it, and how to use it.
A Big Shoulders Rowing Club member who wants to row in a very nice 1x can raise $4,000 and do so; a member who is satisfied with a not-so-good or used 1x (perhaps because he or she only
wants to row 3 times per week) only has to raise $2,000. Both of these individuals should be happy at Big Shoulders Rowing.
If a member wishes to go to a regatta (or leave the club) he or she has a roof rack, shell, and sculls to do just that.
Please note that members are encouraged to share ownership and use of equipment. For example, two or three members can organize themselves to purchase and share a
2x/-.
We believe that the greatest strength of this system is that it encourages personal ownership and proportionately rewards the individual's effort and
interest.
Additionally, we believe that this approach is good for the short- and long-term. In the short term, this structure allows those who are ready to row to start
rowing as quickly as possible. In the long term, this should help couple the growth in membership and equipment tightly.
Under this system, Big Shoulders Rowing Club will:
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Facilitate fundraisers
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Assist members in the purchase of rowing equipment
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Serve as a liaison between members looking to share equipment
The Big Shoulders Rowing Club member will:
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Execute his or her own fundraiser(s)
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Own his or her own rowing equipment, acting as a de facto self-sustained rowing entity
Club equipment top
Big Shoulders Rowing Club does not own any equipment at this time.
For the time being, instead of providing equipment Big Shoulders Rowing is committed to providing opportunities for individual members to acquire their own
equipment.
Big Shoulders Rowing Club should begin acquiring equipment after being granted tax-exempt status, in 2007. While it remains to be determined, Club-owned equipment will probably
initially consist of 2x/-'s.
Member's equipment top
How much does rowing equipment cost? It turns out that decent rowing equipment does not cost nearly as much today as it once used to. With inexpensive
financing and the growth of the popularity of rowing in the US, rowing equipment is now affordable.
For example, for $4,567 one can buy a very good WinTech International 1x ($3,975), a pair of Concept II sculls ($350), a Hudson roof rack ($150), and
a set of lights from Potomac ($92).
One could also buy a WinTech Club Racer 1x ($3,000) and save almost $1,000. Alternatively, good used equipment
can be found at www.row2k.com, www.irow.com, among others.
I understand that this is a significant investment. However, please keep in mind that it is an investment in your personal rowing
equipment and rowing future. You own this stuff.
After all, compared to the rigors of training, the cost that we are talking about is not really an excuse not to row.
Links to a handful of rowing equipment vendors can be found here.
I will provide the coaching and safety equipment.
Fundraising top
Big Shoulders Rowing Club is committed to providing fundraising logistical assistance. Unless otherwise stated (see below), the model at Big Shoulders Rowing Club
is that members keep all the funds they raise.
Once again, we believe that the greatest strength of this system is that it encourages personal ownership and proportionately rewards the individual's effort and
interest. It is as simple as this: If you raise more funds you get a nicer boat (or whatever you want, it is your money after all).
One drawback of this system is that the Club's (future) non-profit status cannot be leveraged in the fundraising effort. This is an ethical and legal
issue: It would be misleading to say that the donation would benefit the Club when in fact it benefits a private individual. In other words, we cannot use money given to the
Club to buy ourselves equipment a 1x. Money given to the Club belongs to the Club, and so does any equipment purchased with said funds.
However, it is perfectly acceptable to say something like "I am a member of Big Shoulders Rowing Club, a not-for-profit (or not) rowing club in Chicago... The Club
does not own equipment for me to use, so I am fundraising to buy myself a 1x, which I will name 'Friends & Family,' in honor of all those who have helped. Are you interested in
donating anything for the upcoming ergathon (for example)?"
I believe that the drawback of not being able to fundraise on behalf of a not-for-profit organization will be offset by the member's motivation to own nice equipment.
Of course, whenever Club members decide that they would like to raise funds on behalf of the Club they may do so.
Membership top
Membership is open to men and women. If you just want to row, and want to be fast, this is your place in Chicago.
Recreational (<3 outings per week) members are always welcome.
Novice members are always welcome. Tentatively, novices can be taught to scull at the LPBC lagoon in one of their "Learn to Scull" sessions by either myself (a former LPBC instructor)
or someone from LPBC. Depending on the availability of equipment, novices will then blend into the Big Shoulders Rowing practices (or stay at LPBC if they prefer).
General membership dues are expected to be minimal, as Big Shoulders Rowing will have very few fixed and operating costs for at least the first years.
For insurance reasons, all Big Shoulders Rowing Club members are required to have current USRowing memberships ($65).
Last updated: 05.26.2007
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