Dear Member:
Welcome to Prince George’s Swimming Pool – or PG Pool as it is universally known. As president of the board I want to extend our thanks to you for joining. We all very much look forward to meeting you or seeing you again.
If you are new member, please read the rules and regulations. They are important both for your safety and the smooth running of the pool.
We have made several significant changes to the pool over this past winter. We installed a new non-slip rubber liner in the toddler pool. We replaced the deck of the main pool and some of the paths. We introduced a full-time student membership category and have reduced the cost of membership for single parents. We also introduced a houseguest category, to go with the $50.00 babysitter option. Houseguests may join a membership for up to a month for a fee of $75 per adult and $20 per dependent child. Please contact me or another board member for details. As a result of some confusion last year about the Capital Improvement Fee we levied on members, we simply rolled it into the overall fee. So, for the fourth year in a row, fees remain the same as last year.
Sadly, we did lose some of our trees due to decay, but we have planted six new ones, so the shade situation should improve in the coming years. We purchased some new grills and ordered more umbrellas. We are extending the opening hours on weekends. Our special events committee is in full swing and has scheduled several bands to entertain you. We are also investigating some catering options to offer food for purchase during the season. If you would like to have a say in any of these matters, please contact the relevant board member. The full committee listing is here.
I do ask that at least one person in each membership signs up to the official PG Pool listserv (on Google). Only board members may post to it and we aim to keep traffic to a minimum, with timely notices about upcoming events, unscheduled closures and a weekly newsletter that summarizes everything neatly. Links to that, as well as our Facebook page, Twitter feed and the open-to-all-comers listerv (on Yahoo) are at the bottom of every page on our website. The Twitter feed is very useful as we use it to alert members to unscheduled closings – we aim to keep those very rare.
As a member, you have a say in how the pool is run. Please feel free to email any member of the board, or grab us on the grounds – our photos will be by the front gate. There are also two official opportunities to have your say. Member meetings for all members take place on the second weekend and second-to-last weekend of every season. We vote in new and returning board members at the second meeting. Watch the listserv for timing and the agenda.
As returning members know, PG Pool is run on a co-operative basis, which means that members take responsibility for much of the work that goes into running a pool. All memberships are required to contribute to the co-op effort.
Co-op Jobs –To fulfill the co-op obligation members may choose to commit to a seasonal job, work a few hours at a time at any number of scheduled workdays or scheduled events or recruit new members (worth two hours per new membership). Workdays occur on various Saturdays and Sundays, March through October. Members are reminded to keep track of their hours by logging into our membership website and registering their hours. For information about documenting your co-op hours or requesting a refund, see the Co-op Refund page. Please note that a refund will not be made without a request. Memberships with one or two adults may opt to prepay a $100 ($50 for senior memberships) fee in lieu of working the five hours. (Each additional adult is another $100 or five hours work.) The co-op payment is made with your membership fee. For a list of co-op jobs see the Co-op Jobs List page. We are, of course, completely open to people completing more than the co-op requirement and/or donating the co-op fee to the pool.
Toddler Swim – Seven mornings a week! The wading pool is open every day (except on holidays) from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (NB: Until June 13, the main grounds do not open until 4:00 p.m., so the grounds will not remain open). On 6/18, 7/09 and 7/23 our swim team has a home meet, so there is NO toddler swim on those dates. A note will be posted to the listserv to remind you. Adult guests for toddler swim are not limited by the four-visit rule, but must leave the grounds after toddler swim ends by 1:00 p.m. – or pay the additional guest fee and complete the online guest form. The non-member rates for the toddler swim period are: $1 adults, $3 children.
Lap Swim – Every weekday (except holidays) from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. and from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. on weekends.
Guests – Upon payment of the appropriate fee, each membership may bring in up to eight (8) non-member guests on any one day. All adult guests are limited to four (4) visits per season. (If they want to come more often, they should join up as members.) Guests must be accompanied by a member and will not be admitted without showing ID and the member signing them in. Children are not limited to a number of guest visits. Guest fees may be paid in cash or by check. Guest rates (Friday - Sunday and Holidays), Adults $7, Children 2-17 $5, Non-swimming $3, Under 2 free; (Monday to Thursday) Adults $5, Children 2-17 $3, Non-swimming $1, Under 2 free.If you want to have more people as guests, you may book a party.
Entertainment, Concerts & Open Mike nights – About every two weeks through the season, as well as at our pre-season Countdown to Splashdown and the post-season Oktoberfest.Watch the listserv and bulletin board for details.
- Regular dinners from local restaurants & cookouts.
- Late Night Swims and Tent Nights. (See calendar for dates.)
- An excellent party venue for birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions.
- Swim Lessons.
Again, welcome to PG Pool.
Mary Melchior
President, PG Pool Board of Directors
mulchness (at) gmail (dot) com
