WELCOME TO OLYMPIC VIEW SWIM CLUB
Olympic View Swim Club (“OVSC”) has been providing unforgettable summer memories for families in and around Normandy Park, Washington since 1961, and we are thrilled that you and your family are joining us! This Policy Manual (“Policy Manual”) is designed to provide rules and guidance for our members to ensure that our facility continues to be a welcoming, fun, and safe environment for all our members and guests.
OVSC is committed to providing an inclusive and safe environment for all members and guests. OVSC will not tolerate any actions, words, jokes, or negative comments based on a person's gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, race, or religion. If you experience or witness inappropriate behavior based on your own or another member or guest’s gender identity or expression while at the facilities, please report it immediately to OVSC staff.
Although this Policy Manual is designed to be a comprehensive list of rules and policies as OVSC, members or guests may have questions that are not addressed here. In those situations, the member or guest should speak with a member of OVSC staff.
OVSC expects to revise and update this Policy Manual from time to time. OVSC will advise members of changes, additions, or deletions in the policies by circulating such changes either in print or electronically.
The provisions in this Policy Manual shall be applied to all members and their family members and guests while visiting OVSC. Any general mention of “facilities” in this Policy Manual shall include the pool, locker rooms, bathrooms, offices, tennis courts, and any other area within the OVSC property.
Throughout this Policy Manual you will see the term “member” used to describe patrons of OVSC, but this term is only being used colloquially for the purpose of this document. “Members,” as they are referred to here in this document, are not “members” within the meaning of RCW 24.03A.010 and are not entitled to vote or hold office, unless otherwise permitted by OVSC’s Bylaws.
1. GENERAL POLICIES
OVSC strives to apply its policies equally to all members and guests. Any members or guests with questions or concerns about any policy are encouraged to bring these questions to the attention of OVSC Manager or another staff member.
2. GENERAL FACILITY RULES; POOL RULES
Generally, members and guests are expected to treat OVSC like they would their own home. Presentation and cleanliness at the club is the responsibility of the members, as OVSC does not employ servers or a cleaning staff. Members must clean up after themselves, their families, and their guests in the kitchen, on the tables, and around the BBQ. Members must put trash and recycling in the appropriate bins. Large amounts of garbage or recycling must be taken to the large dumpster in the parking lot.
2.1 Checking In
All members must check in at the office upon entering the facility during regular operating hours. If members are at the facility prior to regular operating hours (such as for team practice), they must return to the office and check in during regular business hours.
2.2 Prohibited Activities and Items
The following activities and items are prohibited in and around the pool and other facilities at OVSC:
- Any type of audio not connected to earphones.
- Glass of any kind (including but not limited to glass bottles or drinking glasses).
- Bicycles, roller blades, and skateboards. Bikes should be stored on the bike rack in the parking lot.
- Personal BBQs. BBQs are provided to members as part of their membership.
- Pets. Service animals are not considered pets and are permitted.
2.3 Conduct and Safety
Members and guests shall conduct themselves in a respectful and safe manner while enjoying OVSC. Parents are expected to watch their children at all times to ensure they are adhering to the rules and to step in and correct behavior when necessary. The following rules must be observed at OSVC for the safety and comfort of the members and guests:
- No standing or jumping on furniture.
- No vandalizing.
- No profanity or vulgar remarks.
- No bullying.
- No smoking, which includes the use of e-cigarettes and vapes.
- No urinating, expectorating, depositing foreign matter, or any other type of pollution of the pool.
- No running, wrestling, pushing, or other harmful acts of horseplay.
- No dunking others in the pool.
- No running on concrete areas of OVSC. Specifically, no running on the pool deck.
- No hanging on the lane line.
- No playing with tennis balls on the pool deck.
- Conversations with the lifeguard on duty shall be restricted only to necessary conversation.
2.4 Diving and Diving Board Rules
Proper and safe use of the diving board is extremely important. The following rules must be strictly adhered to:
- Only one person on the diving board at a time.
- Only one bounce on the diving board is allowed.
- No diving from the sides of the diving board.
- Divers, including children, may not dive into the arms of another person waiting in the water.
- Flotation devices are prohibited on the diving boards.
- Divers must immediately exit the dive tank on the west side of the pool.
- No backwards diving from the edge of the pool.
- No diving in the shallow end of the pool.
2.5 Alcohol Consumption
A person must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age to consume or possess alcoholic beverages on OVSC property. Absolutely no glass is permitted on pool property including pool, deck, or grass areas. Alcoholic beverages must be consumed discreetly in plastic cups and in cabana areas. The lifeguard(s) on duty must be notified prior to the consumption of alcohol. Excessive use of alcohol by persons over the age of twenty-one (21) and any drinking of alcohol by persons under the age of twenty-one (21) is strictly prohibited. The pool manager and on-duty lifeguards have the authority to restrict alcohol use as necessary, and in their sole discretion.
2.6 Swim Test
Children under four (4) feet in height must complete a swim test to enter the pool without being accompanied by an adult. At the discretion of a guard on duty, children over four (4) feet in height must complete a swim test to use the diving board. A swim test consists 15 yards (the width of the pool) of freestyle swimming without stopping. Whether a child passes a swim test is in the guard on duty’s sole discretion.
2.7 Transgender Members and Guests
2.7.1 Access to Restrooms, Locker Rooms, and Other Facilities
Members and guests shall have access to the restroom and locker room facilities corresponding to their gender identity. With regard to other OVSC facilities involving gender, transgender or transitioning members and guests shall be treated in accordance with their gender identity.
Transgender or transitioning members and guests shall not be required to have undergone or to provide proof of any medical procedure (including but not limited to gender confirmation surgery) in order to have access to facilities designated for use by a particular gender.
2.7.2 Swim Team
Swim team members shall be permitted to join the swim team that corresponds to their gender identity.
Transgender or transitioning swim team participants shall not be required to have undergone or to provide proof of any medical procedure (including but not limited to gender confirmation surgery) in order to join the swim team that corresponds to their gender identity.
2.7.3 Goal of Inclusion
OVSC is committed to providing an inclusive and safe environment for transgender members and guests. OVSC will not tolerate any actions, words, jokes, or negative comments based on a person's gender identity or gender expression.
If you experience or witness inappropriate behavior based on your own or another member or guest’s gender identity or expression while at the facilities, please report it immediately to OVSC staff.
3. TENNIS RULES
Appropriate footwear on the courts is required, which includes non-marking tennis shoes. Absolutely no black or leather soles are permitted on the courts. No food, pop, gum, candy, or liquids besides water are allowed on the courts. Playing time is limited to two sets or one hour. Please clear the court after that time if anyone is waiting to play. Tennis courts are for playing tennis only, and only tennis balls are allowed on the courts; without limiting the generality of the foregoing, no Nerf balls, pickleballs, baseballs, or soccer balls are allowed. Members must sign in in the OVSC office before using the courts. The tennis courts are not available after hours. Sportsmanlike conduct is required at all times.
4. BABIES, CHILDREN, AND CAREGIVERS
4.1 Children in Restrooms
Boys under the age of seven (7) are permitted in the women’s restroom with a parent or caregiver, and girls under the age of seven (7) are permitted in the men’s restroom with a parent or caregiver.
Children under the age of eight (8) must be accompanied by a parent, registered caregiver, or person over fifteen (15) years of age at all times at OVSC, even if the child has passed the swim test.
Children using swim aides and other flotation devices such as water wings, seat rings, and life jackets, or children less than four (4) feet tall (which is armpit height in the shallow end) must be either: (a) accompanied by a parent or adult in the water at all times; or (b) must pass a swim test.
Lifeguards may deny pool usage to babies and toddlers who are not using the appropriate undergarments (such as a swim diaper) in the pool.
4.2 Caregivers
A member may designate one caregiver per OVSC membership. Such caregiver must be at least eighteen years of age and must be approved by OVSC’s Board of Trustees (the “Board”). A Caregiver Form must be completed, signed by the member, approved by the Board and placed on file with the OVSC office. Caregivers must be accompanied by a member to enter the facility.
Should a member wish to change the caregiver on the account mid-season, a nonrefundable additional assessment will be charged to the member for a change in caregiver registration. Caregiver registration forms are available in the OVSC office or for download on the OVSC website and must be submitted annually.
5. GUEST POLICY
Members must check in their guests by name each day their guest visits the facility. Members must remain at the pool while their guest is in attendance. Guests are expected to follow the rules and guidelines set out in this Policy Manual, as well as any other policies or rules in place during their visit. The host member will be held responsible for the cost to repair or replace OVSC property damaged by their guest. Guests under sixteen (16) whose parents are not in attendance must provide emergency contact information.
5.1 Guest Limits
Members may have up to nine (9) guests on any day without prior notification of pool management. Members bringing between ten (10) and twenty (20) guests, during normal hours of operation, must request a cabana rental and schedule their group through the pool office at least five (5) days in advance. Approval of parties of ten (10) to twenty (20) guests are at the discretion of the OVSC manager.
5.2 Buying and Using Guest Passes
Members bringing a guest must purchase one guest pass per person, per day of use upon check in. Guest pass punch cards are also available for purchase at a discounted rate. Guests who will not be swimming must still purchase a guest pass.
5.3 Private Parties and Pool Rental
For parties of twenty-one (21) or more people, members are required to rent the pool at a time outside of normal operating hours. Please inquire about pool rentals with the OVSC staff. Guest passes may not be used for pool rentals.
6. POWERS AND DUTIES OF OVSC STAFF
All members, their families and their guests will treat all OVSC staff and volunteers (collectively “Staff”) in a respectful, sociable, and friendly manner. Members and their guests must respect and promptly follow all Staff directions at all times. Disrespect toward Staff will not be tolerated. This includes (but is not limited to) the refusal to comply with requests to follow OVSC policies and rules.
Staff have the authority enforce any and all rules in the Policy Manual, as well as any other rules in effect at OVSC. You are responsible for knowing these rules; OVSC should not have to repeatedly remind you of the rules and policies and will not do so.
Depending on the severity of the infraction, members or guests will sometimes be afforded a verbal warning from Staff upon violating a policy or club rule. If the issue persists, Staff may, at their discretion, impose sanctions. Those sanctions may include (but are not limited to) a denial of admission to the facility, ordering time out of the pool, dismissing the member from or guest from the facility, or prolonged suspension or permanent expulsion from the club. Any disciplinary determination will be at the discretion of Staff and/or the OVSC Board.
7. MEMBERSHIPS AND DUES
OVSC offers four basic types of memberships. These are described below. For all purposes of this Article VII, “Family” shall refer to the member, as well as their spouse or domestic partner and any minor children or stepchildren living together in one household. The two adults referenced in the previous sentence must provide proof of legal marriage or registered domestic partnership to the Board upon request.
7.1 Proprietary Members
A Proprietary Member is one who:
a) has paid any necessary equity contribution;
b) who is current in their payment of dues and assessments; and
c) has been approved by a two-thirds vote of the Board.
Only Proprietary Members are considered “members” within the meaning of RCW 24.03A.010 and have full access to all OVSC facilities. Proprietary Members have those rights specified in OVSC’s Amended and Restated Bylaws and this Policy Manual. The Family of a Proprietary Member is entitled to the same OVSC club benefits as the Proprietary Member, and are subject to the same rules, regulations, and policies.
If, at some time following the completion of a member’s original membership agreement, two adults who benefit from a Proprietary membership are no longer living in common, they may each retain membership privileges until such time as one remarries. At such time an additional membership must be purchased, if available; if not available, they will be placed at the top of the waitlist for the next available membership. While not living in common, only the individuals originally listed on the membership agreement will maintain their membership privileges.
7.2 Inactive Affiliates
Inactive Affiliates of OSVC are those who are delinquent in their financial obligation to the club, but not yet in default. Those in this category have all swimming and tennis rights and privileges suspended until their status is reinstated to active by payment of all delinquent dues and assessments. Inactive Affiliates are not “members” within the meaning of RCW 24.03A.010 and are not entitled to vote or hold office.
7.3 Senior Affiliate
Senior Affiliates of OVSC are those who were Proprietary Members for ten (10) years or more and have no minor children under the age of eighteen (18) living at home. In order to become and remain eligible for Senior Affiliate status, an individual must:
a) provide a current address to the Board; and
b) pay all dues and assessments as set forth by the Board.
Senior Affiliates are entitled to reduced annual dues as established by the Board but are not “members” within the meaning of RCW 24.03A.010 and are not entitled to vote or hold office.
A Senior Affiliate is subject to regular OVSC assessments but is eligible to pay such reduced annual dues to OVSC as may be established by the Board. Such dues must be paid on or before OVSC’s opening day, which is generally April 15. Failure to timely pay any dues owed will result in a forfeiture of a member’s Senior Affiliate membership.
Senior Affiliates are eligible to attend all OVSC socials, events, and annual membership meetings (in a non-voting capacity).
Only the Senior Affiliate and his or her spouse are considered the “member” for OVSC participation purposes. Any children, grandchildren, and guests will be treated as guests, and will be required to pay accordingly.
There is a limit of forty (40) Senior Affiliate memberships. Senior Affiliate memberships are non-transferable.
7.4 Senior Associate Affiliate
Senior Associate Affiliates of OVSC are those who:
a) qualify as Senior Affiliates, and
b) have applied to the Board for Senior Associate Affiliate status, and
c) have been approved for such status (which is generally granted based on availability and seniority).
Senior Associate Affiliates do not have further financial responsibility to the Corporation and are not “members” within the meaning of RCW 24.03A.010 and are not entitled to vote or hold office.
A Senior Affiliate in good standing may make a written request to the Board to become a Senior Associate Affiliate. Applicants may be:
a) given status as a Senior Associate Affiliate,
b) placed on a wait list or
c) denied.
Those who are accepted must relinquish their Senior Affiliate membership.
In the event that an applicant is placed on the wait list, Senior Associate Affiliate memberships that become available will be offered to the Senior Affiliate member with the longest tenure on the Senior Associate Affiliate wait list.
Senior Associate Affiliates are eligible to attend all OVSC socials, events, and annual membership meetings (in a non-voting capacity).
Only the Senior Associate Affiliate and his or her spouse are considered the “member” for OVSC participation purposes. Any children, grandchildren, and guests will be treated as guests, and will be required to pay accordingly.
There is a limit of fifty (50) Senior Associate Affiliate memberships. Senior Associate Affiliate memberships are non-transferable.
7.5 Transfer and Repurchase of Memberships
Members who desire to transfer their membership must follow the procedures contained in OVSC’s governing documents (including but not limited to its Amended and Restated Bylaws).
7.6 Suspension and Termination of Memberships
Any member may be suspended from membership in accordance with OVSC’s Amended and Restated Bylaws.
8. INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR
OVSC is committed to providing an environment that is free from conduct that can be considered harassing, coercive, or disruptive. If you experience or witness inappropriate behavior, please report it immediately to OVSC staff.
9. CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND
The Capital Improvement Fund (“CIF”) is used for upgrades and improvements to the OVSC property to keep the facilities functional, safe, and clean for all members. In the past, the CIF has been used to replace landscaping, repair the tennis courts, replace a water pump, update lighting, repair the diving board, and much more.
Use of the funds may require a majority vote of the Proprietary Members. Costs above $15,000.00 must be approved by a majority vote of the Proprietary Members, unless such costs are required to keep the pool operational, in which case such a vote is not required.
CIF dues are paid yearly and are due the following February after initiation of membership. For example, if a membership is purchased in April of 2023, the first CIF payment will be due February 1, 2024. There is a late fee for all CIF dues paid after February 1. CIF dues must be paid in addition to regular yearly dues.
If you have paid your CIF dues in full and then choose to sell or relinquish your membership prior to the due date of annual dues (April 15), and your account does not have an outstanding balance, your CIF dues will be refunded upon request. For memberships sold or relinquished on or after the due date of annual dues (April 15), the CIF dues will not be refunded.
CIF dues are established by the Board and are available upon request.