Let's Get Going!

For years now, I've looked at this time of year with anticipation (we're getting ready for another season), and dread (we have to handle team and individual registrations.) This year, I'm happy to report that it's more of the first and less of the last.

First things first: Yesterday, I found out that MGM has been registered as an official USMS club and is now in their system for 2009. That means we are now free to collect dues and start issuing 2009 USMS cards, allowing you to compete in any upcoming masters competition.

The next thing--and this is important-- is that USMS is now using an online registration system that allows you to register for your USMS card online. Rather than having to fill out a paper form and return it to us, you can now just get out your credit card and pay the $35 fee at your leisure.

For years, we've always collected registration forms and dues as part of the whole membership process, where team dues and the USMS were consolidated into one payment. While that strategy made paying dues somewhat simpler for swimmers, it was a pain for volunteers who were in charge of processing the payments. This year, I'd like to try changing that. The USMS's online registration process is so simple and streamlined, it makes filling out paper work seem like a needless hassle.

(I registered myself online yesterday and can tell you for a fact that it's really easy and fast. What I love most about this is that once you pay online, your card is delivered electronically, so there's no waiting for your card to arrive in the mail. Just print it out, and you're good to go.)

Now as far as dues go, I'll post a PayPal button for you to pay for your team dues online. (We'll subtract the $35 fee from this year's dues.) This way, you can pay your team dues with your credit card, and we wont have to go to the bank to make the deposits, since this will happen automatically. Of course, for those not completely computer savvy, we will still collect dues the old fashioned way. You can see me or Mary Moore on deck for more information. (Mary Moore has volunteered to take over the book keeping for 2009! Thanks, Mary, and thanks to Jolene Zywica for handling the books in 2008.)

I can't tell you how much easier this will be for anyone who's ever volunteered to help out with this team. Rather than having to worry about collecting paperwork and checks, we can now skip this entirely and leave it up to individual members to get their cards together.

There is only one thing to be aware of: When you register onine, select 'MGM' as your club affiliation. (It's in one of the drop-down boxes on the registration page. It's a really obvious choice, so you shouldn't have any trouble finding it.)

Let me know if you have questions.