AUGUST 2020 NEWS

Provided by your faithful correspondent Trident.

Past News can be found via the links on the right of this page

Above: Our esteemed and longest serving member Arthur Atkins celebrates his 103rd birthday

News covered this month:

• Special General Meeting unanimously approves the new constitution • Join in the Rowing Victoria active minutes challenge and see Mercs win • RA new • News hounds spot an article on Andrew McNeil • Member correspondence - Paul Schreier • Club's Foundation enforces no tobacco rule • Interesting image from 1970 Australian eight • Kayakers buy a new K4 • Latest COVID restrictions • A picture from the past found by Peter "China' O'Brien • Happy birthday Arthur Atkins • The pandemic finally closes the Club • Member profile – Roger Wilson OAM

Special General Meeting approves a new constitution

Published 20th August 2020

The Club broke new ground with the first video general meeting in 140 years of the Club's history.

The President and another 43 members present, with another 8 others voting by proxy, unanimously approved the new constitution.

Many members duly recognised the significance of being conducted on a Thursday night at 6pm when the Mercs bar would normally be open by enjoying a drink during proceedings. There was some concern expressed at the size of the Secretary's scotch and whether he would survive the meeting, let alone count the votes.

The President chaired the meeting admirably dispensing with the business in 17 minutes, even after accounting for the Secretary's vote counting and the Geoff Barden questions. In the end, the President saved the Secretary the bother of counting by declaring it a unanimous decision to the acclamation of those present.

Members continued in discussion after the business had been dispensed with. Mike McKay was questioned by the Moomba King Hat wearing James Tomkins. Mike responded as best he could to this comical sight and provided some insights into how well the Club is progressing.

Matters completed with a vote of thanks from ex President Malcolm Batten to the coaches, athletes and administrators who have managed valiantly to maintain the Club under the very difficult lockdown situation.

Join the Rowing Victoria active minutes challenge and see Mercs win

Pubished 20th August 2020

From the Rowing Victoria website.

Rowing Victoria recognises the challenges that all Victorians are facing during the Stage 4 Lock down due to Covid-19. We want to help our community to stay connected during this lock down by challenging our clubs and schools to stay active!

Physical activity is vital for our mental health and wellbeing, which is why this challenge will be aiming to build connection and reduce feelings of isolation for all Victorians by staying active. The Rowing Victoria Active Minutes Challenge will be tracking the total minutes of each club and school within Victoria over 4 weeks to find Victoria’s most active Club/School!

So, connect with your club or school and encourage everyone to stay active and log their minutes for the challenge!

WHO? - Everyone!! - Rowers, Coxswains, Coaches, Parents, Staff, Volunteers *We want to encourage everyone in our community to participate.

HOW? - Ergo sessions - Running - Walking - Cycling - Yoga - Pilates - Strength sessions - Just get active!!

**ONE SESSION PER ENTRY**

WHEN? START: 12 Noon, Saturday 15 August 2020 FINISH: 12 Noon, Sunday 13 September 2020

WHERE? Individuals will submit their scores for the challenge via the link below.

WHY?

GOAL: To encourage the Victorian rowing community to stay connected and active by recording their total minutes of physical activity each day on behalf of their Victorian Club or School.

GUIDELINES:

• A school or club may elect to nominate their Club Captain or Head of Rowing to submit data on behalf of the entire group. If you would like to do this you must email cerise@rowingvictoria.asn.au. There is a group submission form on the event page.

• You can enter your minutes daily or weekly (individual submissions must be one session, not accumulative)

• Sessions must be recorded using a smart phone fitness app or fitness watch. Apps like Strava can be downloaded for free.

• Participants must keep a screen shot of their session for their records and auditing purposes.

Submission Link: INDIVIDUAL PARTICIPANTS SUBMIT HERE

Your correspondent has put in 2 hours of ergos since 15th August.

RA anti-doping policy amended

Published 20th August 2020

Rowing Australia’s Anti-Doping Policy has been amended :

Rowing Australia’s Anti-Doping Policy has been amended and is effective 10 August 2020.

The changes bring our sport in line with the establishment of Sport Integrity Australia which will replace the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) as the National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO) in Australia from 1 July 2020.

The changes which come into effect on 10 August 2020 are:

• Replacing the words Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) with Sport Integrity Australia (SIA)

• Recognising the National Sports Tribunal (NST) for first instance hearings by all athletes, and appeals by non-international-level athletes,

• Introducing the concept of ‘lower level athlete’ to allow greater flexibility in dealing with and sanctioning athletes below International or National level, and

• Removing the Anti-Doping Rule Violation Panel.

For more details please click here to ensure your up to date with all the latest changes.

News hounds spot an article on Andrew McNeil

Published 20th August 2020

Our eagle eyed news hounds have spotted an article in the local Warrnambool newspaper on

Andrew McNeil: https://www.standard.net.au/story/6873633/a-giant-involvement-andrew-mcneil-goes-under-the-auld-pump/?cs=10266. Andrew is a staunch Mercs man and his two children are also members.

To add a little colour to the local story, your correspondent spoke with Andrew. Given it was a football based story, your correspondent inquired about his footballing highlights. Andrew immediately referred to his school (St Joseph’s CBC WBool) being runners up for the regional Herald Shield final in 1989 at Waverly (VFL Park). I also gathered that he might have been a bit miffed tghat story did not cover this! A solid half back flanker apparently. Also playing in the same position, the South Warnambool U18s were also runners up in Hampden League GF in 1989.

But despite his football and umpiring glory, he picked rowing over footy in 1990. "As a footballer, I made a better rower!"

Warnambool boy made good, our Andrew McNeil.

Member correspondence - Paul Schreier

Published 20th August 2020

One of the joys of being your correspondent is receiving emails from Club members. (Fortunately emails from my peers reminiscing antics of youth are now more readily denied due to old age and poor memory.)

This month I have had the pleasure of correspondence with Paul Schreier who has been resident in England for much of his life since his rowing finished in 1980s. He is an avid reader of Club news and supporter of the Club. He is a deep thinker and so maintains a great perspective on rowing over the years.

He laments the false economy of Australian teams of the 1960s and 1970s where an almost tragic amateurism that must have robbed many crews of success. Year after year, one reads "the crews went to Europe with out of date Australian equipment" .. . Paul continues:

Anyway, the mind boggles, especially because the smaller (and poorer!) NZ was getting its crews right to the top of the sport at the same time, including a great win in the VIII in 1972. They did it again in 1982 at the world championships and one of that crew, Tony Brook, coached me at Cambridge. He was outstanding and a very good bloke too: one of those smaller types who used to get into heavyweight crews in that era through sheer bloody mindedness and determination (a al Antonie). He told me a great story once about that NZ crew build up in training in Lucerne in 1982.

They were boating out of the Rotsee sheds and every time they came in from rowing the (huge) East German crew was standing at either side of the entrance to the shed, arms folded, as the Kiwis put their boat away. It was a crude attempt at an intimidating "guard of honour". Anyway, after a few days of this, the Kiwis had had enough and one of them (the smallest one) let go of the eight as they were slipping it back in to the shed. He walked up to the biggest German he

could see, grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and pushed him back against the door, saying: "You know mate, we've got blokes as big as you back home. You know what we did with them?" German: "No." Kiwi: "We left them there." Game, set, match: Kiwi gold!

Paul recently moved into a beautiful country residence outside Oxford where he and his wife tend a surperb garden. His wife maintains a blog which attaches photos of the garden. The latest blog is at the following address and is worth a look: https://jannaschreier.com/2020/07/31/july-2020-in-the-garden/#more-10907.

Thanks Paul for your continued interest and support of the Club.

Paul as the three man of the Mercs national championship under 19 four in 1987

Club's Foundation enforces no tobacco rule

Published 12th August 2020

The investment policy of the Club's Foundation enforces a no-tobacco rule with investments.

A proposed investment of the Foundation was found to have 0.5% exposure to tobacco companies and so rejected.

How times have changed from when tobacco companies sponsored our major regattas and Rothmans sponsored coaching education.

Interesting image from 1970 Australian Eight

Published 9th August 2020

Whilst we have to wear masks in 2020 for reasons of the pandemic, what was the 1970 Australian eight thinking of by wearing masks back then?

The answer lies in an attempt to mirror altitude training. By limiting oxygen intake during training, the idea was to build up the red blood cell count to absorb more oxygen. We have no idea of whether it was a success or not. The crew made the final but only after a dispute with officials. Now that is yet another story for another day. Photo courtesy of Michael Morgan.

Kayakers buy a new K4

Published 9th August 2020

Our kayakers have purchased a new K4 and has been delivered in Mercantile livery. Whilst we can't wait to see it once the lock down is finished, the kayackers are yet keener to paddle in it.

Go Mercs

Latest COVID restrictions

Published 7th August 2020

Needless to say, the boatshed remains closed and no rowing is allowed.

The following message comes from Rowing Victoria quoting Parks Victoria.

From 6pm on the 2nd August all boat ramps and jetties across Metropolitan Melbourne are closed to all forms of recreational boating and fishing (ref). As such all ramps and landings on the Yarra and Maribyrnong rivers including the VRA landing are closed, as is the National Water Sports Centre.

Recreational and exercise restrictions are, as per the current guidelines and advice from the Water Police, apply to human powered craft, in that

Location of exercise must be within 5k of a person’s primary place of residence Duration of time away from a person’s primary place of residence must not exceed 1 hour The use of a vehicle to transport human powered craft to and/or from a person’s primary place of

residence is not permitted (‘use of a vehicle to facilitate exercise’) Authorities will be on patrol to ensure compliance with the restrictions. While there will be those that feel they can meet the guidelines for their use of the river for rowing, it is asked that they respect the intent of the restrictions in limiting all activities and travel beyond the essential services and emergency services. I would refer any questions on the guidance for restrictions under stage 4 to the DHHS website.

Rowing Victoria understands that these new State Government restrictions drastically limit the potential to row for Melbourne rowers for the next 6 weeks. Rowing Victoria will continue to explore every potential avenue to get the rowing community back on the water as soon as possible and will continue to plan and prepare for the future of Victorian rowing.

One day, we will get back to normal.

A picture found by Peter "China" O'Brien

Published 7th August 2020

China O'Brien has found this picture of a winning maiden eight from 1963 with China in the coxswain seat and fellow coxswain David Palfreyman in the two seat.

The crew was from the bow:

Rod Weatherhead David Palfreman Jim Lewis (we think) Gavin Hurley Peter McKenna Kevin Holian Barry Gross John Walker (we think)

Peter O'Brien (cox)

China almost looks like an innocent young man.

Happy birthday Arthur Atkins DFC

Published 5th August 2020

Today is the 103rd bithday of our oldest and longest serving member, Arthur Atkins. Congratulations Arthur.

Arthur has lived an interesting life as a rower both before and after WWII, sailor, accountant, war hero, business owner, husband and father, lover of cars (and he still has two) and proud Mercantile member.

Arthur continues to live a full life, albeit living alone, in his home of some 70 years in Kew managing the garden and home. Everything is well tendered. Pre COVID, Arthur was a regular attendee at the Club and also at his other Club, the Melbourne Cricket Club.

When your correspondent visitied one day, Arthur was spotted up a ladder pruning along the roof line. When I offered to take over, his response was, but are any good on a ladder?

Follow this link for a podcast interview with Arthur taken last weekend, in a 'COVID safe' manner - on his front porch in the sun. As a result there is some traffic and other background noise.

You will find that Arthur is sharper than the interviewer!

The pandemic has finally closed the Club

Published 4th August 2020

Your Committee and coaches have tried valiantly to keep the high performance side of the Club alive until stage 4. We have been now forced to close all activities. This is remarkably sad for our competitive athletes who are now doing all their training off the water and remotely.

Our thoughts are particularly with those athletes trying to gain Olympic selection from Melbourne.

We are also concerned about our social and masters rowers who are missing out on their important social interaction and exercise, the essence of club life.

All is not gloom.

There is remarkable ingenuity in planning training off the water and in many ways, it is similar to some European nations who are off the water for many months in the year.

There is also some fun. The funny hat video conference for team selection for another off water activity produced some amusing shots. The team names were also of interest. Apart from the obvious names of Team Acherman, Team KB and Team Fenno, there were Team 'Gorgan Gorganzola' Gleeson, Team Page 'Train or Die' Barr, Team Joel 'No hills' Kain, Team Kane 'Crash Test Dummy' Grant, Team 'did you know Chipper's first name is David'?, Team Alex 'out of retirement' Wolf and Ben "Potato Phone' Canham. But of most interest was the fact that over 110 athletes participated.

Great work rowers and coaches.

Member profile - Roger Wilson OAM

Published 4th August 2020

“The voice of rowing”

Roger started his lifelong interest in rowing whilst at Brighton Grammar School.

He start his rowing at Brighton at the end of 1957 and finished in 1962 – including rowing in the school’s first two head of the river crews in 1961 and 1962.

Roger then joined Mercantile Rowing Club in 1963 and raced until 1967. His highest win was the national junior eights title at the first National Regatta at Ballarat in May 1966 in what Roger regarded as freezing conditions. No one will argue with you on that one.

Roger has been a long serving Vice-President at the Club and coached at Club crews in the seventies.

However Roger is perhaps best known for his coaching at Brighton Grammar from 1964 until 1979 with the last five years as Head of the River first eight coach. His crews did very well including the first final appearance by BGS in the Head of the River in 1976 finishing third behind the two Geelong schools on the Barwon!

Roger’s fame to the sport was to come through his course commentating. He started started at Yarrawonga in 1966 and is still going strong over 50 years at most major rowing regattas in Victoria.

Roger was also the ABC rowing commentator from 1973 and called all Kings Cups & Nationals on the ABC Grandstand for 43 years as well as well as being course commentator.

Roger went onto commentate at Olympic and World Championships, the ABC commentator on a number of occasions at each. His biggest highlight was being the main course commentator at Lake Barrington at the 1990 World Rowing Championships where the Oarsome Foursome commenced their wonderful run of successes.

He has probably one of the longest runs as course commentator at any regatta with over 40 years at the APS Head of the River. He was also the main course commentator for world masters regatta in 2012.

Amongst all the above, Roger found time to be a journalist on rowing for many years. He wrote rowing stories for The Age, then in 1984 for the broadsheet Herald & also a weekly column in the Weekly Times for many years. He also submitted the results and stories for Australian Associated Press for over 30 years.

For such a great rowing career, he has been recognised by many.

• 2000, one of only two Australian Sports Medal awardees in rowing in Victoria • 2000, OAM for rowing and business and community affairs in • 2009, life member of Rowing Victoria, • Life Member at both Dimboola and Yarra Yarra rowing clubs • 2018, inducted into the Victorian Rowing Hall of Fame

Thank you Roger.