DOES THE CLUB HAVE A GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE?
Should the situation arise where you have a grievance against other club members (or the committee), you would need to follow the process hereunder:

Starting the process:
If you have a grievance that you think should be looked into by the club, contact the Grievance officer either in person or by telephone.  Ask the Club Secretary email, or Club President email for the telephone number.   Alternatively, you may send your grievance in writing to:

Private and Confidential
Geelong Swimming Club
P.O. Box 1275
Geelong, 3220
Victoria, Australia

What happens next:
The Grievance Officer will make contact with you to discuss the issue, before conducting an investigation to find out all or circumstances.  Should the Grievance Officer decide that your grievance is not legitimate, you will be advised in writing.

However, if the Grievance Officer determines it is legitimate, then they will try to resolve the problem.  Should it be very serious, or in the event that it can’t be resolved, then the matter will be referred to the Club Committee.

Appeals:
If either party is not satisfied with the outcome, they can appeal to the Club Committee.  If either party is still not satisfied, or the Club Committee thinks it is necessary, the grievance can be referred to Swimming Victoria to be resolved.

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WHAT DO I TAKE TO A COMPETITION?

• Please read the Club Uniform Policy for details on uniform requirements for competitions.
• Warm up bathers, goggles, club cap and kick board/pool buoy.
• Club uniform (this should be worn to and from the competition).
• Racing bathers, goggles and club cap, plus spares of each.
• Appropriate footwear to wear on pool side and to marshalling.
• Some swimmers find a small lightweight bag handy to take to marshalling to carry a water bottle, towel, spare cap and goggles, etc.
• High energy (carbohydrate) snacks.
• Towels
• Drinks (sport drinks or water only)
• In the warmer months:  Hat, long sleeved shirt and sunscreen 
• In the cooler months:  club jacket or parka and tracksuit pants

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WHAT DO I DO WHEN I AM AT A COMPETITION?

Arrival – it is best to arrive about 15 minutes before warm up time.  Every meet will advise when the warm up time is, or you can confirm this with your coach prior to the competition.

Warm Up – The coaches meet all the competitors on pool deck – all you need to do is follow their instructions.  Don’t forget your goggles, cap etc for this warm up up time.  At the end of the warm up the coaches will tell you to get out of the pool.  If you have worn warm up bathers, you will need to change into your competition bathers.

Pool Deck – Generally speaking, swimmers should sit together to enhance team spirit and provide support for their team members.  Younger swimmers may like to stay with their parents, however, most parents sit in close proximity to the competitors anyway.  You will need to keep your muscles warm, so take a couple of short walks to keep active.  Accompanying team members to marshalling is one of doing this, or checking results as they are posted is another.  By remaining positive and supporting your team mates, you are bound to have a good swimming experience, regardless of results.

Events – It is most important that you speak with your Coach before you go to marshalling for each event.  Your Coach will give you last minute instructions.  Equally important is that you speak to your Coach immediately after each event for feedback.

Marshalling – On pool deck there will be a “Marshalling Board”.  This will display the events that are marshalling.  The event numbers are in the programs the the event holder provides as your enter the pool.  Remember to give yourself time to gather your gear, talk to your coach and walk to the marshalling area.  If you are unsure, ask one of your team mates to walk with you.  DO NOT BE LATE FOR MARSHALLING.

Behavior – Your behavior is very important because you are representing the Geelong Swimming Club Inc. every time you put on your club uniform.  This is something to be proud of.  You must follow the Swimmers’ Code of Behavior at all times.

When it is all over – At the end of the day it is time to reflect on your experience but not dwell on any negatives – try to take something positive away with you after every meet.  The Geelong Swimming Club has an Result Recorder however it is a good idea to write down the meet details and your times and placings for each swim to that you can use them for later competition entries.  Keeping a record is also an excellent way to measure your progress and look back years later with pride. 

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WHAT ARE ‘CLUB NIGHTS’ ALL ABOUT?
Club competition nights are held on Sunday afternoon at the Kardinia Pool during the warmer months, and at the Geelong College Pool during the colder months.  It is open to all Geelong Swimming Club members.

Entry is $3.00 and cards must be filled in by 4:15pm.  If you are unsure how to fill in a card, ask one of your team mates for assistance.

These competition nights are a great opportunity for young swimmers to practice their racing techniques, dives, turns and relay team participation in a competitive but non-threatening environment.

Times are taken by volunteer parents using stopwatches and recorded by officials of the Club.  The results are posted on the notice board and the web site, allowing swimmers to keep track of their times and progress throughout the season.

The dates of each Club Night are emailed to members, and posted on the notice board – it is a good idea to read the Club notice board on a regular basis so as not to miss any important information.

At the end of each season, various awards and trophies are awarded to our swimmers at Presentation Night.  Some of these will be for achievements at our Club Nights and some will be awarded for achievements right across the swimming season in all pools and competitions.  Participants of Club Night will receive attendance awards if they meet the minimum number of swims required by the Club.  To be awarded the “Age Group Aggregate” trophy a swimmer must have competed in 70% of the total age group swims as well as achieve the highest point score.