Flying Gamecocks – Meeting Minutes
10 Sept 2008 - 7:00 p.m.
William’s Brice Nursing Bldg Room 231 (Auditorium)
The meeting began with introductions, followed by a Q&A period. Important topics covered are below.
Introductions
Adam Gardner – President
James Hale – Former President
Laura Ware – Vice President
Rebecca Smith – Secretary
Doug Pavlowsky – Treasurer
Dr. Patrick Hickey – Advisor
James La Barrie, the manager at “Skydive Carolina,” spoke to everyone at the meeting and is really excited about the Flying Gamecocks club. He said he recognizes that price is an issue, and will be working with us on avenues for students to get their licenses. He also reminded us that the world champs of this sport started out just like us… making a tandem, getting hooked, and scraping the money together to get a license. If you’re really excited about skydiving, we’ll make getting a license possible!
Fundraising:
We’re hoping to one day get equipment for the club, such as rigs and helmets for those who want to pursue a license. Let us know if you’ll be interested in fundraising ops.
(Update, as of Sept. 12: Thank you to everyone who signed up to volunteer for the MTVu promotion fundraiser at the meeting, but unfortunately the representative did not call us back in time to finalize the deal. So no worries- if you signed up to volunteer Monday or Tuesday, you’re not responsible for anything. We will hopefully have another large fundraising opportunity soon!)
Transportation:
Skydiving takes place Saturday and Sunday, but some of us will be head up to Chester for College Weekend on Friday night to set up tents for the weekend. Let us know if you want to come out Friday to help out! (This will be a great opportunity to get to know your fellow Flying Gamecocks!) Also let us know if you’ll be available to help carpool at this event, or if you’d be willing to help carpool in the future.
Prices:
The cost of jet fuel has risen, so unfortunately the cost of a tandem is a little higher than we expected. Fortunately, though, Skydive Carolina has given us discounted prices for not only the special event weekends, but also every weekend this semester. Thanks Skydive Carolina!
Updated prices for club members are:
-$160 for a Tandem, on College Weekend or USC Weekend
-$169 for a Tandem, on any other weekend
(As compared to a usual $200 for non-members)
-Prices for AFF (Accelerated Free Fall) are still underway but will be posted soon.
What is AFF?
Accelerated Free Fall is the program for those of you who are interested in flying solo. The cost pays for instructors and 4-6 hours of instruction, which covers all of the necessary skills it takes to safely and successfully jump on your own, as well as how to “fly.” (back flips, front flips, how to steer right or left, etc.)
College Weekend: Sept 26 – 27
-We’re excited about our first big event! They’ll be groups headed out both Friday night and Saturday morning. Volunteers are needed to help carpool and to set up camp Friday night. We’ll be going over more detailed plans for this weekend at our next meeting: Wed. Sept 17. If you plan on going to College Weekend, please come to the next meeting!
USC Weekend: Oct 11-12
Our 2nd large event… The same discounts from College Weekend apply, but this time around it’s especially for USC Students! We’ll be setting up a “USC Village” of tents on Friday.
Free Tandem Give-Away!
Paying your $20 dues earns you one entry in the drawing… making a $50 deposit for a jump for either College weekend or USC weekend earns you an additional entry into the drawing! You are eligible to enter the Free Tandem Giveaway until Thursday, Sept. 25. The drawing will take place at the drop zone during College Weekend. (You don’t have to be present to win.) Good luck to everyone!
T-Shirt Slogan Competition
We are looking for a new slogan! Be creative and submit your ideas to
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
. If your idea is chosen, it will be printed on our club t-shirts as well as our website! Packing Parachutes
Looking for a way to pay for skydiving? Learning to pack parachutes can be done in only a weekend or two, and is a great way to earn money for jumps. Each pack can earn you around $6, (more for tandem parachutes) and after a few weekends, that adds up! Let us know if you’re interested in learning to pack. We hope to have lessons at future meetings.
How far away is the Drop Zone?
Around 60 minutes, and some say it’s a mere 45 minutes. Don’t use Mapquest to get directions, because many people have gotten lost! We’ll post directions from the school at a later date.
How often do the Flying Gamecocks go skydiving?
College Weekend and USC Weekend will be the biggest events of the semester, but there are Gamecocks headed to Chester to skydive every weekend!
Do you have to be a student to join?
You must be either a USC student or USC staff member to join the Flying Gamecocks and receive club discounts, but you do not have to be a member to jump independently at Skydive Carolina at the regular price.
Other announcements:
- If you cannot attend our next meeting and you would still like to join the club, you can mail your dues to:
“Flying Gamecocks”
1400 Greene St.
Mailbox SG 241
Columbia, SC 29225
-We found out that you must be 18 yrs. old to jump, and unfortunately there’s no way to get around it, but we encourage our 17 year old members to still come out and spend time at the drop zone with everyone! You can even make a reservation for a weekend that’s soon after your birthday!
Next Meeting: Wed. Sept. 17 @ 7pm
