So why should you join the Greater Baltimore Canoe Club?
All Levels of Paddling
The GBCC membership has people of all skill levels, from novices through advanced paddlers.
Paddlers have a diverse range of interests including canoe camping, sea kayaking, scenic and relaxing easy moving water, fun intermediate white water, and advanced adrenaline rushes.
Membership provides the opportunity to meet many paddlers.
Paddling Trips
The club offers coordinated trips throughout the year. A schedule is on-line and in the newsletter.
The web site provides a forum for meeting with people for last minute trips. Many club trips are organized on the web site, because of the difficulty in predicting water levels in advance.
There is a phone hotline for finding trips if you don’t have web access. Just call 410-729-1219.
Many trips are in the Greater Baltimore area, as well as frequent trips in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Free classes
The club offers beginner kayak and canoe classes to members. Both are an excellent introduction to flat or white water paddling. Classes begin with the basic strokes, learning how to control the boat on flat water. These skills are then applied when learning the techniques for moving water. The classes are a lot of fun and a great way to try out the sport.
The advanced white water class is for intermediate skilled people looking to try harder rivers with the guidance of experienced paddlers.
A safety class provides knowledge that everyone can use. Traditionally a river oriented first aid class is offered to add to the safety curriculum available.
Roll sessions
The club rents a pool in the winter so people can learn and practice their roll. Experienced club members help those new to the sport learn the technique of rolling.
Club Meetings
Meetings every other month feature interesting speakers, relevant to paddling. We have had world famous paddlers, authors of books on rivers, and presentations on the history of kayaking.
The annual ‘Best of the Rest’ features club member’s video of their trips (including video from the crazy people). GBCC member’s productions from past years have included the world premier of commercial videos and entries from The National Paddling Film Festival. The ‘Best of the Rest’ is the meeting with the highest attendance and a ‘must see’.
The meetings are a great place to check out the club and meet the people that are the GBCC. They are open to the public so you don’t have to be a member to check us out.
Supporting the Environment
River Clean Up – Every year the GBCC runs a river clean-up to improve our local resources.
Donations – We donate money each year to several local environmental groups. We choose organizations with a specific interest in boating and rivers.
Newsletter
Every two months a newsletter is published. It includes the trip schedule and articles about trips.
Directory
An annual membership directory is mailed to all club members. Members have the option to include specific interest areas and contact information.
Informal races
The races the club sponsors are informal but a lot of fun. Our race has been covered on the front page of the Sunday Baltimore Sun.
Parties
A holiday party is held every year. This is a great time to relax, eat, socialize, and participate in the annual raffle to win great stuff.In the summer we have a picnic/grill out. The entertainment is provided by ‘Throw Rope Follies.’
General Policy
Club outings are cooperative adventures among participants. The group is collectively responsible for conduct of the outing, and each individual is responsible for judging his or her qualifications and for his or her safety on the river. By participating in a club outing, you release the Club, its members, trip coordinators, and fellow paddlers from any and all damages resulting from any injuries due to any negligent act or omission or to any intentional act intended to promote your safety or well being
