Western Carolina Paddlers:  Membership

Club Description

Who we are

The Western North Carolina Paddlers are a whitewater and flatwater boating club based in Asheville, NC.  We are eager for you to consider joining us and adding to our energy and effectiveness.  Benefits of membership include our bi-monthly meetings, participation in our trips and clinics, the ability to rent our club raft, discounts at local outfitters, a $10 discount on an American Whitewater membership, and a more effective local voice for conservation and access.

How to join

Memberships cost $10 per family per year (including families of one!).  They run from January 1 - December 31 each year.  Joining is easy:  simply download, complete and mail our membership form and a $10 check to Western Carolina Paddlers, P.O. Box 8541, Asheville, NC 28814 or do the same and skip the postage by attending one of our monthly meetings.

Links to membership form

For your convenience, the membership form is available in two versions:

• HTML version of the membership form  (for immediate reading)
• Adobe PDF version of the membership form  (for easy printing, but will require the free download of the Adobe Acrobat Reader if you don't already have it installed on your computer)

When we meet

We meet every other month (February, April, June, August, October, December).  Most months we meet the first Tuesday at 7pm in UNCA's Highsmith University Union Cafe (directions below);  in December we have a Club Party at a member's house (2005 party details), and some months we meet on a river or lake.  Always confirm meeting dates, times and locations using the Club's online Calendar)!  Non-members are welcome at all our meetings.

The Highsmith University Union Cafe is located in the basement of UNCA's Highsmith University Center (opens in new window) .  The Cafe serves food until 8pm for those so inclined.  Here is a link to directions to the UNCA campus (opens in new window) and another to a campus map (Highsmith is building 21 (opens in new window).

How our trips are conducted

Our trips are conducted as common adventures, which means the Club and individual Club members may volunteer to coordinate trips but no one leads them.  All trip participants are responsible for making their own decisions.  These decisions include, but are not limited to, whether to participate in any activity or trip, or any given portion of any activity or trip, including paddling any given body of water, or section of any given body of water, on any given day.  Participants must rely on their own knowledge of their abilities and their own assessment of current and potential future conditions in making their decisions.

How our trips are scheduled

Our trips are scheduled two ways: in advance, using the Club's online Calendar, and on the fly, using the Club's email List Server.  At one time a significant number of our trips were listed on a published calendar, a tradition we are trying to bring back with the online Calendar.  Please post all trips on the Calendar, even trips that are formed on the fly!  The program generating the Calendar sends a message to everyone on the List Server, so your message will still emailed and the Calendar program will create a record of our member's activities.

Blessed as we are to be so close to great water, most of our whitewater trips come together at the last moment.  To learn about them you need to add yourself to the List Server.  You can also use this link to remove yourself from the list and to find out who else is on it.  To post a message to the list, simply need to send mail to wcp@main.nc.us.  For your convenience a link to this address is included on every page on this site's Navigation Bar.

Questions?

Any questions?  Email Club President Chris Bell (email).

HTML version of the raft rental policy

WCP Membership Form:  Year _______

Please read, sign and return this form
with your membership dues of $10 per family, per year to:

Western Carolina Paddlers
P.O. Box 8541
Asheville, NC 28814

Release of Liability and Acknowledgment of Responsibility:

In consideration of the benefits of being a member of the Western Carolina Paddlers (WCP) canoe and kayak club, I on behalf of myself, my heirs and assignees, hereby release the Western Carolina Paddlers club, its officers, employees and common adventure coordinators, from all liability from claims for property damage, bodily injury, or death arising from any club associated activity or trip.

I hereby acknowledge that whitewater, flatwater, kayak, canoe or raft paddling is an inherently hazardous activity, which may result in injury or death of its participants. I acknowledge that it is my decision whether to participate in any activity or trip, or any given portion of any activity or trip, including running any given river, or sections of, on any given day, and that I must rely on my own knowledge of my abilities and my own assessment of the river conditions to make any such decision.

Signiture:  ________________________________  Name:  ______________________________

Signiture:  ________________________________  Name:  ______________________________

Signiture:  ________________________________  Name:  ______________________________

Signiture:  ________________________________  Name:  ______________________________

Signiture:  ________________________________  Name:  ______________________________

Signiture:  ________________________________  Name:  ______________________________

Address:  __________________________________

Phone:
(H)  ____________________________  (W: name)  _________________________________
(C: name)  ____________________________  (W: name) _________________________________

E-mail adddress(es):  ___________________________________________________________________

Boat(s) paddled:  _______________________________________________________________________

Amount paid:  __________________________________  Date:  _________________________________

( $10 per year per family, including families of one. Prorate if new member: $5 after June 1st).