Rock Creek Pool, Inc.
Pool Rules
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ROCK CREEK POOL RULES & REGULATIONS

(Revised 2002)

In order to maximize safety, pleasure, and comfort of the members, the Board of Directors of Rock Creek Pool, Inc. (RCP) has adopted and issued the following rules and regulations for the operation of the swimming pool and related facilities that comprise RCP. All members and guests are presumed to have read and understood the rules and regulations listed below, which also are posted at the entrance to RCP.

  1. GENERAL RULES

1. Pool Management

The pool manager, or acting manager, (manager) is the representative of RCP and, as such, is responsible for the day-to-day management of the swimming pool and related facilities that comprise the RCP grounds. The manager is responsible for enforcing all RULES AND REGULATIONS regarding the pool, pool grounds, and all related facilities that comprise RCP. The manager, under the supervision of the Board of Directors (Board), is authorized to make on-the-spot decisions concerning all matters affecting pool operations. The Board has granted the manager full authority to enforce all rules relating to health and safety, and, therefore, he/she may eject, or otherwise restrict, any person whose conduct he/she determines could endanger the health or safety of others.

2. Dues

All members are required to timely pay in full all annual dues and assessments, as established by the Board. Members who have not paid dues and assessments will be denied entry to all pool facilities.

3. Pool Hours

a. The pool will be open each day of the season at hours specified by the Board.

b. The Board may establish six (6) special dates per season in which the pool may remain open until 10:00 p.m.

c. The manager, in conjunction with the Board or its properly designated committee, will establish specific times for providing swimming lessons or other special events.

d. The Board has authorized the manager to close the pool when necessary, due to adverse weather conditions and/or the performance of maintenance or repairs. During those times that the pool is closed, no one, other than authorized personnel, is permitted within the fenced area of the pool.

4. Guest Policy

a. A guest is defined as any person, other than a member or a members family, that a member or a members family brings to the pool.

b. A member, along with his/her guest/s, is required to register at the pool entrance. Any member or guest that refuses to register will not be permitted to enter the fenced pool area that day. In the event such member or guest walks into the fenced pool area without registering, both the member and guest(s) will be ejected from the fenced pool area for that day.

c. Members may obtain weekly admission cards, at rates established by the Board, for their house guests that reside outside the Washington metropolitan area. If a member resides in a "group house," the other residents of such "group house" may be considered as a house guest for the purpose of obtaining a weekly admissions card and can only enter the pool premises with the member as long as the member purchases such a guest card.

d. The member must pay, by duly issued coupons, the appropriate admission charge for each guest and must remain at the pool for the duration of the guests presence within the fenced pool premises. A member may not leave a guest alone at the pool at any time. In other words, the guest must leave the pool premises when the member leaves.

e. The Manager and staff are not authorized to extend credit.

  1. Any member who desires to bring more than ten (10) guests at one time to the pool, is required to request and obtain approval from the manager in order to assure that adequate safety precautions will be available. If the prospective guest group is 15 or more, the manager must provide the President or Board with an analysis of his/her consideration of relevant safety factors, and must obtain advance concurrence of the President or Board.

g. Any member who desires to have a birthday party or other special party must abide by all the rules and regulations therefore. A copy of the rules and regulations is available, upon request, from the pool manager or Board President, and is also set forth in Section III, below.

h. Members must provide the manager with the name, address, and recent photograph of each person that he/she designates as a non-member child care designee. Non-member child care designees who come to the pool only to supervise the children of members in the wading pool, but not to use the pool facilities, will be admitted without charge for that purpose. Non-member child care designees who utilize the remainder of the pool premises will be subject to the Guest Policy set forth in paragraphs 4.a. through 4. f., above.

  1. HEALTH & SAFETY RULES & REGULATIONS

1. All persons are required to use the toilet facilities whenever necessary. Parents are responsible for their children, especially those 10 years old or less. Parents should make sure that toilets are flushed and that their children do not leave a mess in the bathroom facilities.

2. Street clothes of any type may not be worn in the swimming pool. Only conventional, color-fast swimming/bathing attire is permitted.

  1. Except for eyeglasses, glass of any type (containers or receptacles) is prohibited in the pool area, including the main pool and wading pool areas. Eyeglasses shall not be worn in the water unless special permission is requested and obtained from the manager.

4. At all times, the entire deck area shall be clear of all obstructions, including baby strollers, carriages, deck chairs, etc.

5. All persons must be barefooted on all paved surfaces of the pool deck and the enclosed wading pool area.

6. Parents are responsible for the behavior and actions of their children in the main pool, wading pool, and the fenced areas of RCP.

7. Running on the pool deck, pushing, wrestling, fighting (in or out of the swimming pool), etc., are forbidden. The pool management has final, on-the-spot authority to take disciplinary action, including ejection of any person who violates this rule.

8. All food, including candy, chips, cookies, and chewing gum are forbidden on the pool premises, except within the designated eating areas. No drinks, except those in plastic reusable containers, are permitted in the pool area.

9. Infant Feeding Policy

a. Infant feeding, except within the designated eating areas, is restricted to liquids in non-breakable containers. Non-breakable containers also must be used in the designated eating areas.

b. Parents or an authorized child care designee must continually attend the infant being fed.

c. Feeding in the water is prohibited.

10. Smoking is prohibited within the fenced pool area.

11. No person shall be permitted entry into the fenced grounds of RCP if they have any of the following conditions: skin diseases, open sores, inflamed eyes, cold, nasal or ear discharge, or any communicable diseases. Persons with excessive sunburn and bandages of any kind also will not be admitted.

12. Spitting or spouting water, blowing the nose, etc., are forbidden in the pool. Pool

management has authority to take on-the-spot disciplinary action, including the ejection of any person who violates this rule.

13. In order to prevent over-fatigue in children under 14 years of age, there will be an "adult swim" the final 15 minutes of each hour. Children who ordinarily swim in the main pool are not permitted in the wading pool area during "adult swim" or any other time unless they are designated child care supervisors of eligible wading pool children. In any event, children older than six (6) are not permitted in the wading pool at any time.

14. Rules having specific application to children.

a. No child under 10 is permitted on the pool premises unless accompanied by a parent or designated child care supervisor 14 years old or older. (Swim team coaches, during practices or other swim team events are considered to be designated child care supervisors.)

b. Except for dates and times designated by the board, inflatable devices of any kind (including water wings, tubes, rafts, noodles, etc.) are prohibited from use in the main pool!

c. Children who are not completely toilet-trained are prohibited from going into the main pool. No child wearing a diaper is permitted in the main pool at any time.

15. The use of kick boards, goggles, snorkel devices, and all other swimming equipment will be regulated by the manager. Swim masks are prohibited in both the main pool and the wading pool. No toys are permitted in the main pool, and only soft plastic toys are permitted in the wading pool. Ball playing is not allowed in either the main pool or the wading pool, unless authorized by the pool management.

16. Only persons who can swim one length of the pool (25 meters) without stopping and tread water for one minute are permitted to use the diving well and the deep end of the main pool. The pool management is authorized to spot test swimmers as it deems necessary.

17. After consulting with the Montgomery County Department of Fire and Rescue Services, the Board has established the following policy in the event of adverse weather conditions:

a. When weather conditions dictate, the manager, in the interest of safety, has the authority to close the pool area and direct all people to leave the pool area, including the main pool, wading pool, bath house, eating areas, front steps, and grassy or wooded areas.

b. No one should stand under trees when thunder and/or lightening occur.

c. Lifeguards will direct all unattended children under the age of 10 to the bathhouse, where they will remain until the weather clears or until a parent, designated child care supervisor, or other adult picks up the child. If a parent cannot pick up such a child, the parent must make alternative arrangements. It is not the responsibility of the Board or management of RCP to provide child care services. Rather, it is the responsibility of the parent of adult to provide for or ensure that his/her child is picked up in a timely manner. Failure to adequately provide for the pickup of such a child may result in the suspension of that members privileges to the facilities of RCP.

d. It is the responsibility of the parent of adult to inform his/her children of the rules set forth in paragraphs III. 17. a., b., and c., above.

18. Pool management is authorized to clear the pool area (including the main pool, wading pool, bath house, eating areas, front steps, and grassy or wooded areas) of all people in the event of an emergency.

19. Rules governing diving

a. Diving in shallow areas (less than 5 feet deep) is forbidden. Diving areas are designated around the pool borders.

b. Divers are required to use care and common sense in approaching and leaving the diving boards.

c. Before diving, divers will make sure that no one is under the diving boards. Parents or designated child care supervisors are not permitted in the diving well while their children are diving.

d. Diving or jumping off the side of the diving board is prohibited.

e. Only one person at a time is allowed on the diving board.

f. Horseplay is never allowed on the diving boards. Repeated bouncing on the diving board and running off the diving boards also are prohibited.

g. Divers, upon completing their dive, immediately must exit the diving well using designated ladders.

20. All injuries promptly must be reported to the manager or lifeguard.

III. RULES CONCERNING PARTIES

Rock Creek Pool encourages its members to use the facilities for birthday parties and other special events. The Board and management want members and their guests to feel welcome, and to have a happy and safe time at parties, while respecting the rights of other members to enjoy their regular use of the pool.

Our primary concern in establishing policies for parties is SAFETY. To begin with, we need to be sure that adequate staff (manager and sufficient lifeguards) is on hand. Also, we want to ensure that unforeseen scheduling coincidences dont stretch the staff and the facilities beyond their capacity it would be terrible, for instance, to invite children to a birthday party, only to discover that there was no room to sit down.

The following policies have been adopted in an effort to assist our members in hosting parties at their pool. These party rules apply to any situation where one or more members, singly or together, intend to bring in ten or more guests and are intending to gather at the pool. Because the purpose of these rules is to prevent the gathering of large parties at the pool at times when the pool is typically busy and to assure that the pool is adequately staffed to accommodate scheduled parties, the rules will be interpreted to further those goals. Any members attempting to bring in guests in violation of these rules, as determined by the Board or Management, will be refused entry to the pool.

1) SCHEDULE YOUR PARTY IN ADVANCE. The Boards "Party Coordinator" must receive a written request for a party (any group or combination of groups that includes more than ten guests), no later than seven days before the party. He/she will then notify the Pool Management about the time, date, and size of the party. The requesting member will be notified whether the specified date and time are acceptable. In resolving conflicts, the rule of "first come, first served" will be applied, so plan ahead!

 

2) REMEMBER THAT THE DAYS AVAILABLE FOR PARTIES ARE LIMITED. Plan ahead, since while the pool is open, parties may be held only during the following time periods:

Sunday: 5:00 8:30

Monday Thursday: 3:00 8:30 p.m.

3) DECIDE IN ADVANCE HOW MANY GUESTS YOULL INVITE. The limit for the number of party guests is 25 people, including chaperones.

4) ONCE YOUR PARTY IS APPROVED, GIVE THE GUEST LIST TO THE MANAGER. Not less than three (3) days before the scheduled party, pool management must receive, in writing, a complete list of the names of all guests and payment for the admission of each non-member party guest. If the party host or hostess is a member of the Board, the first six (6) non-member party guests may be admitted without charge. However, he/she must pay for the admission of each additional non-member party guest. On the day of the party, the list will be posted at the front entry gate for the attendant.

5) MAKE SURE TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE SUPERVISION. If the party is for a child under ten, there must be at least one (1) adult chaperone for every (5) children. The member having the party is responsible for inquiring and determining whether any of the guests are not water safe and any such children must be supervised and accompanied by an adult at all times. To be water safe, a child must be able to swim one length of the pool and be able to tread water for sixty seconds.

6) PLAN YOUR FOOD. The grills are available for cooking at parties, but only adults may use them. The member is responsible for supplying charcoal. Remember, however that food can be consumed only in the designated eating areas or outside the fenced pool area. It is the responsibility of the party host/hostess to inform all guests of this rule.

7) CLEAN UP! The party host/hostess is responsible for thoroughly cleaning up the area after the conclusion of the party.

IV. MISCELLANEOUS RULES & REGULATIONS

1. Members always are responsible for the conduct of their guests.

2. Alcoholic beverages or illegal substances are forbidden from being brought onto or consumed in or about the pool area or on the property of RCP. Alcoholic beverages may be permitted on special occasions as designated by the Board.

3. Damage to or destruction of the property of RCP shall be chargeable to the person or family of persons responsible. Such persons shall be required to reimburse RCP for the actual cost of repair or replacement of the damaged or destroyed property. Failure to reimburse RCP may result in the suspension or loss of membership.

4. RCP is not responsible for the loss or theft of any personal property brought onto the premises of the pool. Inquiries concerning lost or stolen items should be made at the pool office.

5. Parking Regulations

a. Members and guests must park their vehicles in the lined spaces provided in the paved lower level of the RCP property.

b. Only members with authorized handicapped parking stickers/cards are authorized to park in the designated handicapped parking area that is located on the paved upper level of the RCP property. Violators will be towed at their own expense. No one may use a "handicapped" parking space unless a "handicapped" parking permit has been issued to that person. Violators will be reported to the Montgomery County Police Department.

c. Pedestrians in the parking area always have the right of way.

d. In order to safeguard the safety and well-being of members and guests, the speed of any motor vehicle may not exceed ten (10) miles per hour in the RCP parking area.

e. All bicycle riders must use the designated bicycle parking area. Bicycle riders shall ride in a careful, courteous manner while on the property of RCP. Bicycles may not be ridden inside the fenced pool area.

6. No person is permitted to use the main pool or the wading pool unless the pools are officially open and an adequate complement of lifeguards, as determined by the manager, is on duty.

7. Pets are not permitted on the premises of RCP.

8. Children are prohibited from playing or wading in the stream or culvert on the property of RCP. Littering of the stream or culvert also is prohibited.

  1. All inquiries, complaints, or suggestions concerning any aspect of the operation of RCP should be submitted to the Chairman of the Pool Operations Committee, the manager, or any member of the Board.