Every week, the Lakeside Swim Club Board of Directors will be issuing updates and more information regarding operations and policy enforced during the 2020 season.
For a complete list of letters from the Board of Directors, please click here.
May 19, 2020
DEAR LAKESIDE MEMBERS,
After an excruciating two months, the Lakeside staff and the Board of Directors have made decisions based on constantly changing information in a world where so much is unknown. It has been difficult to think of not seeing everyone this summer, not watching children play, not having families gather, not seeing the Big Splash contest and missing all those many memories that have been created at the Club. Normally this mailing would include a list of all summer activities at our Club, but this year is not normal.
This is to notify you that Lakeside Swim Club will not be opening on the originally scheduled opening day of May 23, 2020, due to current government guidelines.
Lakeside Swim Club appreciates its members. Therefore, we are updating you with this letter and will post weekly updates on the homepage at www.lakesideswim.com. It is our sincerest wish to keep our members happy and healthy which requires many modifications with the pandemic that is occurring at this time.
What will the 2020-21 season look like?
Dr. Steven Stack, Kentucky’s Public Health Commissioner, recommends that public pools stay closed at least through early summer, citing the inability to maintain the social distancing guidelines needed to help contain the virus. According to Dr. Stack, “public pools are not something we’re going to see, certainly not in the early part of summer,” and he added “And it’s too early for me to predict anything past the middle of the summer.” This refers to recreational swimming which largely occurs in our quarry lake.
Lakeside Swim Club is not a public pool, but it is one of the largest private swim clubs, with over 9,000 members. We support and want to maintain/enforce social distancing guidelines as all places of business and recreation should do. The Club staff has spent the last two months learning the measures that would be required for a large aquatic facility with a fitness component to safely reopen and protect our members and staff.
- Our first step is to open the weight room/gym fitness facility for members ages 18 and over on opening day. This will begin on June 1 for a trial period. If safety measures can be adhered to by members and staff, then we will continue expanding our services as the guidelines allow.
- With the very recent allowance for Swim for Health, it is anticipated the Instructional Pool without the bubble will open next for lap swimming only. The staff had already been working hard to prepare this pool for a slightly later opening date, but will now be working to open as soon as we can, so please continue to check the website for the latest information on its status, as well as what safety measures to expect.
- The land-based fitness classes like Yoga and Tai Chi may be our next step with a return in mid-summer with limited class sizes and different class locations.
- Currently we do not plan on preparing the quarry lake for swimming in 2020 due to the significant financial investment, and at this point it is unclear how much use would be allowed over the course of the season. We would love to have recreational swimming as soon as we are allowed and have a plan to keep all of our members safe.
- Member services to include concessions, swim shop, common use areas, saunas, showers, and guest privileges will not be available in the initial phase re-opening protocols.
What does this mean for our dues?
Lakeside Swim Club is based on an annual dues system that includes a summer and winter season, May through May. We depend on those dues to keep our Club safe, well maintained and provide the highest level of lifeguards and staff, as well as long term sustainability. Our ability to provide a full season of activities is not possible at this point. We are offering the following temporary changes to the rules for the membership dues so that Lakeside can continue to prepare its operating budget.
- Associate Members: Moving to inactive status or dropping members from your membership must be done by June 19, 2020. Refunds for changing from active to inactive status will be processed by holding the $85 inactive fee and refunding the difference of active dues paid. Members electing to remain in active status, but requesting a refund for a family member who will not use the facility will be a $212 per member refund. For the 2020-2021 season only, changing your membership status to active or adding members can be done at any time during the current membership year.
- Certificate Member: Please be aware of the changes to the 2020 Lakeside Swim Club. There are no changes to your dues or status at this time.
- There will be no changes to the dues amount. We acknowledge that this is paying for reduced services, but this decision was made in the best interest of our club’s future, as well as allowing the staff to focus on providing the best services allowed. Our gratitude is immense for all the members who will be supporting Lakeside’s 96th year.
The Lakeside business office has been inundated with requests for information and changes in membership status. Please use email to communicate with our staff so that they can better respond to your needs and meet the demands of their time. Membership email: [email protected]
In an effort to communicate these and future decisions, the Board of Directors commit to updating the status of the Lakeside Swim Club on a weekly basis. You can expect to hear from us each Tuesday on the homepage at www.lakesideswim.com. We want to communicate to members as we adapt to new information and guidelines from local and state governments. A FAQ and re-opening protocols will be found on our webpage upon its completion.
In closing, we are disappointed that we will not be seeing everyone this Memorial Day weekend. Our goal is to balance our Mission as a Swim Club with our responsibility to keep our members and staff safe and healthy while providing resources for the Club to continue into the future.
Thank you for your cooperation and support,
Lakeside Board of Directors and Management Staff