Here are some updates from a recent Aoraki Dragons Board Meeting:

Season Fees are due (but we have dropped Late payment penalties)

Following discussion at the Delegates Meeting at the Tavern Harewood in June, Aoraki Board has decided to waive the penalty fees that had been signalled, when we issued season invoices.

This is to allow teams time to re-form, get a fair idea of numbers and to fundraise for their fees. 

We have emailed team contacts to tell them that the Aoraki BoM met on 5 August 2024 to review the Season Fee invoices and payments. The Board decided:

1. The payment due date is extended to 30th November 2024.
2. Any new club that finds it difficult to meet the new deadline should ask the Treasurer for a time extension.
3. The Late Payment fee will not be enforced this year.
4. Some Clubs have been invoiced for 2 x 20 Man boats.
   However, IF you think you may not be able to field them this year, we advise you to reduce to say 1 x 20 Man boat and 1 x10 Man boat. 
   Then if - by the final regattas - you find you can fill 2 x 20 Man boats, we will invoice for the difference at that point.

Training season starting early

For many years, Aoraki Dragons summer training season has started immediately after Labour weekend.

That is, the season training fees covered from late October until the NZDBA National Championships - usually in late March or early April. There was one unusual coccasion when South Island Champs had to be delayed till after Nationals, so in those cases the summer training season will extend to allow teams to get their last trainings in. 

In any case, Aoraki will sometimes need to close training in the last day or three before an event (South Islands, Nationals etc) to allow towing of boats to the race venue.

Once the summer is over, we encourage teams to take a break, to avoid burn out. But some teams like to 'push on' through winter with training (typically on the weekend, as days get shorter). For this, they can request Winter Training, and Aoraki Treasurer will invoice them for about $400 for the winter.

But in 2024, we questioned why teams wouldn't be able to start earlier, say, after Daylight Saving begins? Our Equipment Director has agreed that they can still manage boat hull, seat and gunwale repairs if the boats start being used a month earlier.

So as a trial in 2024-25, Aoraki will allow teams to train from the week after Daylight Saving. That is, from the Monday after 29 September 2024, Aoraki teams can start their on water training, as part of their season fees. Aoraki will make sure we have the right number of boats at each venue, once you confrm your team's site/time bookings.

The season End date will still align with Nationals (4-5 April 2025, at Lake Karapiro).

Dragon Boat Erg available at Owles Terrace