New Alcohol Policy at Pool

With the change in Virginia law and a change in our insurance effective July 1, Dominion Hills Area Recreation Association (“DHARA”) has implemented the following policy relating to alcoholic beverages.

Alcoholic Beverages: A paramount goal of DHARA is to provide a safe, civil, cooperative, enjoyable, family-friendly atmosphere for all of its members and for the DHARA staff and volunteers who manage the pool operations and support its activities. Alcohol is permitted on premises, subject to Virginia law, including the Alcoholic Beverage Control laws and regulations, and in compliance with these DHARA rules:

a.  At no time will DHARA provide, sell, or store alcohol for the consumption of its members, permit holders, or guests.
b.  DHARA requires members, permit holders, and guests to drink and act responsibly and to limit alcohol use around the water.
c.  If your party includes beginning or inexperienced swimmers, attend to them while they are swimming and refrain from consuming alcohol.
d.  Underage drinking is prohibited.  Do not leave alcoholic beverages unattended or otherwise assessable by underage pool attendees.  The local police will be called if any underage drinking is witnessed.
e.  Glass containers are not permitted in the pool area, the bathhouse, or any location where members, permit holders, or guests may be traversing with bare feet. (DHARA Rule 3.7)
f.  Disorderly or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. (DHARA Rule 9)
g.  Anyone consuming alcohol on the premises is responsible for having a safe means of leaving, such as a designated driver.
h.  We do not, under any circumstances, accept responsibility for any harm that results to yourself, anyone else, or any property due to the consumption of alcoholic beverages.
i.  Anyone not complying with these rules may be directed to leave the premises immediately or may be suspended from returning. (DHARA Rule 9.1)

Movie Night Friday

Join us in the club house for a showing of Coco. The movie starts at 7:30pm on Friday, June 22. We’ll have snacks and drinks – and feel free to bring blankets, pillows, and comfy chairs.

Update on Renovation Projects

We received 140 votes by email, mail, and in person at the meeting on Thursday, June 7. Moving forward on the project with a cap at $620,000 passed with an overwhelming 124 votes. Option 2, which includes using $220,000 from our capital fund, borrowing $300,000, and adding a one-time capital assessment of $200 to each membership passed by a narrow margin.

Thank you to our members for engaging in the process of renovating our Community House at two meetings and our recent vote. We are grateful for your engagement and support, and we look forward to moving this project forward and keeping you updated on the progress.

Facilities Updates

We’ve had the deck chairs refreshed with new strapping, purchased new lane lines, and will soon have a pool lift that will allow swimmers with disabilities to access the water.  Pool Manager John Aldonas replaced the filtering medium in our pump room, and the water is clearer than ever.  The bathrooms have been repainted and some necessary upgrades and repairs have been made or identified for future work. Many thanks to Julie Smith and Sam Alexander for organizing and executing our spring clean up, because the garden areas look awesome.
We also are discussing both more extensive improvements to the bathhouse and necessary emergency egress improvements to the community house.  Last month, Michael McMahon and Matt Long led an excellent presentation that you can watch online.

Alcohol at the Pool

Our discussions last year led us to conclude that the then-current state of Virginia law did not permit alcohol to be consumed on our premises without a license. We explored licenses for both the Community House and the general membership and, during the off-season, required anyone renting the Community House to obtain the appropriate license for any alcohol being served.

Earlier this year, the Virginia Assembly recognized the same legal prohibition and moved to change the law to allow alcohol consumption at private pools without additional permits.  The legislature passed and the governor signed H.R. 1520, which permits any private swim club operated by a nonprofit association to allow members to bring and consume their own alcoholic beverages on the premises starting July 1.

Please know we are working on what happens after July 1.  Our current insurance carrier has said that it will not cover occurrences relating to alcohol, which leaves the association exposed to liability.  We do know that other Northern Virginia pool associations have insurance coverage that permits members to bring their own alcohol to the club, so we are evaluating those carriers and will have an update soon.
Note: This message also was sent to members via email on Saturday, May 12.

Register for Swim & Dive Teams

Registration is now open for the swim team and dive teams, which compete in the Northern Virginia Swim/Dive League. Practices begin in late May and competition runs through the first week in August.

The teams provide kids up to age 18 with an amazing experience that includes:

▪ friendly spirited competition
▪ skill development
▪ new friendships and a sense of team and community spirit

It’s also just a lot of fun for all involved (parents included)!

For questions or more information, visit the swim team and dive team websites. Registration is open now!

President’s Message

I am very excited to welcome you to the 63rd year of fun, sun, and relaxation at the Dominion Hills Area Recreation Association. Opening day for the pool is Saturday, May 12, at 10 am. Please bring your family and join your friends to welcome in another year at our association.

This summer’s calendar offers something for everyone, including early bird swim, the July 4 BBQ, family movie night, teen and kid nights, ice cream socials, overnight camp-outs, and many other family-oriented events.

The pool will be hosting its annual Memorial Day holiday cookout on May 28 from 12-2pm, so please join us then for hot dogs, hamburgers, and beverages with your fellow members.

Please also review the rules to ensure your family’s convenience and safety while at the pool.

Last but not least, the Goodlett Foundation awards a scholarship to a deserving young man and young woman each year. This scholarship is available to DHARA members only. If you or a family member will be attending college next fall, please consider applying for this award.

DHARA is an active member of the Northern Virginia Swimming League. The Board of Directors and I urge all members to support our swim and dive teams by attending the meets and encouraging your children to join either team. The competitive meet schedule is included on the calendar. Please be aware that during meets hosted at Dominion Hills, there will be parts of some days and evenings when the pool will be closed to general swimming.

If you have general questions about DHARA, our contact information is on our website, and you can contact me directly at [email protected] and our pool manager at [email protected]. The manager, the Board of Directors and I want to make sure you have a great summer at our great pool!

On behalf of the Board of Directors, we look forward to seeing all of our 500+ member families this year at the pool. Jump in—the water feels great!

Renovation Update

Learn about two major capital projects currently planned for this year — renovation of the community house and the bathrooms. The next meeting about these projects is planned for late May.

Read more

Reminder Notice of DHARA 62nd Annual Meeting Wednesday February 7, 2018

DHARA’s Annual Meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 7, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. at the DHARA Community House, 6000 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia. Please mark the date and plan on attending as DHARA values your input–and we require a quorum (of 30 memberships) to hold and conduct business at the meeting. The meeting will not be lengthy, but we will elect Board members, finalize the budget, discuss issues and make plans for the upcoming season–so please attend!

The Annual Meeting information packet has been mailed to all members of record. Copies of the packet may be obtained here.

Be sure to take time and make arrangements to participate fully in this important meeting. Please contact Scott Tate, DHARA President, at [email protected] with any questions. We look forward to seeing you on February 7, 2018 at 7:00p.m.