Whaling City Rowing
Whaling City Rowing is dedicated to cultivating an appreciation for all aspects of open-water rowing. Our mission is to provide access, education and training to people of all ages and income levels. We strive to keep alive the history of whaleboats and other traditional rowing craft and our area's maritime heritage.
Description:
Whaling City Rowing runs youth educational programs as well as an adult membership program.
The youth rowing programs provide whaleboat rowing training, maritime history, environmental education, and physical fitness education to youths aged 11 and up. Through after school programs, summer programs, and single day programs over 200 of our region's young people experience the harbor through rowing. The qualities of teamwork and accountability are emphasized, and the opportunity to expand leadership skills exists through coxswain training.
The adult membership program provides year-round rowing opportunities, member events, educational programs and training to our members. Membership in the WCR costs $120/individual and $210/family, and is open to anyone. Beginners are welcomed, and are taught free of charge through the club's Open Rows.
The WCR holds a number of annual events, one of which is the Independence Day Whaleboat Race. This race was first held in New Bedford Harbor over 140 years ago. The WCR carries on the tradition, and invites individuals to form teams and compete in this historic event in our 3 whaleboat replicas. The course is a little over a mile long. This race has grown to include nearly 30 crews competing in 3 categories, and is the premier waterfront event during New Bedford's SummerFest.
The WCR also organizes the Youth Whaleboat Challenge. This event is open to all student organizations aged 14-18 yrs old. The students compete in three disciplines and the winner is awarded the coveted "New Bedford Cup". This event is held in May each year. All the teams are trained by our members beginning in April of each year.
History:
The WCR was founded as a non-profit organization in 1998. We ran our first youth after school program in the spring of 1999, teaching junior high students from New Bedford. We now include all surrounding area students in our rowing programs. We have collaborated with many other area organizations to serve their constituents; recently we collaborated with the South Coast Learning Network, offering a rowing experience to anyone willing to try.The past two years, we have worked with the Living Classroom Foundation and the students aboard the Lady Maryland. We have taken the students out in our whaleboats, each time the ship in in our harbor.
The adult rowing membership program has grown to over 100 members from across the South Coast region. Besides almost daily rows in New Bedford Harbor, our boats and rowers have rowed around West Island in Fairhaven, down the Slocum River in Dartmouth, down the East Branch of the Westport River, in the Snow Row in Hull, MA, and have twice crossed Buzzards Bay to Cuttyhunk and back.
Our annual events have included: Earth Day clean-up, whaleboat rowing clinics through the South Coast Learning Network, Palmers Island clean-up with the Coalition for Buzzards Bay, the Independence Day Whaleboat Races, and the Cuttyhunk Row-a-thon.
Contact person: Pattie MacMillen, Treasurer, (phone), (email)
Address:
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P.O. Box 40625
New Bedford, MA 02744 |
Web Site: http://www.whalingcityrowing.org
Directions:
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Nearest Bus Stop: New Bedford Bus Station, 2 minute walk |
| Last updated on August 12, 2009 |
