Winter Term has started! Thank you for all the hard work by all our volunteers. There were so many of them who gave up their evenings and weekends! A special thanks to Mandy O’Brien for spearheading the work parties, and especially for finding our new home in the first place. Because of all of you, we have now opened the new Manchester club location! We are now in one of the historic brick mill buildings by the river. The address is 250 Commercial St, the Waumbec building, north entrance facing the river. Enter by the door next to the loading dock, go down four steps, and enter at the right, room 904.

All the usual days and hours are unchanged, except Rochester’s Youth Training (see below). The Winter term dues are below. Please bring a check payable to Seacoast Fencing Club, or cash (no credit cards or e-payments).

Winter Dues for both clubs (December, January, and February)
Children        $400
Youth            $420
Junior            $440
Adult             $440

Manchester Schedule  

Children                          6:00 to 7:00 on Mondays and Wednesdays
Youths                            6:30 to 7:45 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays
Juniors and Adults         7:00 to 9:00 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays

Foil and epee is fenced every practice.  However, in Manchester, epee fencers’ biggest night is traditionally on Thursdays, and foil fencers’ biggest night is Wednesdays.  Monday is usually an even mix of foil and epee.

Rochester Schedule

Children                         6:00 to 7:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Youths                           7:00 to 9:00 pm on Tuesdays, and 6:30 to 7:45 pm on Thursdays.
Juniors and Adults        7:00 to 9:00 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays
                                      2:00 to 4:30 pm on Sundays (National Training)

Foil and epee is fenced every practice.  The best turnout for epee is Tuesday, and foil is strong on both Tuesdays and Thursdays.  

Sunday practices in Rochester will have intensive training and coaching for those who want to prepare for regional and national competitions. We meet every Sunday except on weekends that we host a tournament. I will send an email with a sign-up spreadsheet to the fencers with the desire to travel outside of New Hampshire and Maine. Fencers, please check the National Training Schedule to see if it is being held- we need six signed up to hold a training session.

All Seacoast fencers can come to both the Manchester and Rochester locations if they want to pick up an extra day of fencing (with a new mix of fencers). There is no extra charge. 

As always, we are happy to stay an extra half hour if fencers want more time on the strip!

We will be open on most Federal holidays – The only other national holiday (other than the ones below) we will be closed is Memorial Day (a personally important day for me).  We are open for most of the federal holidays since schools & many employers are closed for those, and that makes it a perfect evening to fence!

Starting Monday, December 8, the Manchester club will be open in the new location at the Waumbec Mill building, North Entrance (behind Tidewater Café, facing river and next to loading dock) Suite 904 (basement). The Wilson Street location is officially closed.

Christmas is on Thursday this year, we will be closed on Wednesday, December 24 thru December 28. The Manchester club will be open on Monday, December 29. The Rochester club will reopen on Tuesday, December 30.

New Years is also on Thursday this year, so both clubs will be closed from Wednesday, December 31 thru Sunday, January 4. The Manchester club will be open on Monday, January 5. The Rochester club will reopen on Tuesday, January 6.

The Fall Term starts on Monday, September 8 in Manchester, and on Tuesday, September 9 in Rochester. Get ready now by renewing your USA Fencing memberships for the 2025-2026 season! Here is the link: https://www.usafencing.org/membership

Beginning and intermediate classes start on Tuesday, September 9 in Rochester, and Thursday, September 11 in Manchester.

I will have a parent’s meeting for all age training groups at 7:00 at both clubs, on Monday, September 8 in Manchester, and on Tuesday, September 9 in Rochester, to go over procedures in the club and answer any questions. And of course, collect the Fall Dues (Sept, Oct, Nov)! The fencer’s meeting is at 7:00 on Wednesday 10 in Manchester, and Thursday 9/11 in Rochester.

Please bring your dues payment to the first meeting. Cash is accepted, and checks should be payable to Seacoast Fencing Club. Sorry, but we do not accept credit cards or e-payments.

Fencers in both clubs should start this season in the same training group that they were in at the end of June. I will be transitioning some of the fencers into an older training group later this fall: one day a week in the current training group, and second day in the older group. At some point they will stay in the older group permanently.

Fall Dues for both clubs (September, October, and November)
Children        $400
Youth            $420
Junior            $440
Adult             $440

Manchester Schedule  

Children                          6:00 to 7:00 on Mondays and Wednesdays
Youths                            6:30 to 7:45 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays
Juniors and Adults         7:00 to 9:00 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays

Foil and epee is fenced every practice.  However, in Manchester, epee fencers’ biggest night is traditionally on Thursdays, and foil fencers’ biggest night is Wednesdays.  Monday is usually an even mix of foil and epee.

Rochester Schedule

Children                         6:00 to 7:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Youths                           6:30 to 7:45 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Juniors and Adults        7:00 to 9:00 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays
                                      2:00 to 4:30 pm on Sundays (National Training)

Foil and epee is fenced every practice.  The best turnout for epee is Tuesday, and foil is strong on both Tuesdays and Thursdays.  

Sunday practices in Rochester will have intensive training and coaching for those who want to prepare for regional and national competitions. We meet every Sunday except on weekends that we host a tournament. I will send an email with a sign-up spreadsheet to the fencers with the desire to travel outside of New Hampshire and Maine. Fencers, please check the National Training Schedule to see if it is being held- we need six signed up to hold a training session.

All Seacoast fencers can come to both the Manchester and Rochester locations if they want to pick up an extra day of fencing (with a new mix of fencers). There is no extra charge. 

As always, we are happy to stay an extra half hour if fencers want more time on the strip!

We open a new season of fencing in both clubs in September. We will be moving from our original Manchester location sometime in the Fall. Our new location is in the Waumbec Mill Building, one of the beautiful five story mill buildings in downtown Manchester. In the meantime, the new season will start in our current location at 271 Wilson Street. Rochester will remain at 261 North Main Street.

Rochester classes and training will start on Tuesday, September 9. Training groups will continue at the same days and time as last season. The new beginning class will be 6:30 to 7:30 pm, and intermediate classes will be 7:00 to 8:15 pm.

Manchester training will start on Monday, September 8. Manchester is starting an afternoon program, as well as our usual evening classes, with beginning classes starting on Thursday, September 11. Class times are 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm, & 3:30 pm, and our evening classes will be 6:00 pm.

Beginning Class Tuition is $300, and Intermediate Class Tuition is $330

Fall Dues for both clubs (September, October, and November)
Children        $400
Youth            $420
Junior            $440
Adult             $440

Manchester Schedule  

Children                          6:00 to 7:00 on Mondays and Wednesdays
Youths                            6:30 to 7:45 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays
Juniors and Adults         7:00 to 9:00 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays

Foil and epee is fenced every practice.  However, in Manchester, epee fencers’ biggest night is traditionally on Thursdays, and foil fencers’ biggest night is Wednesdays.  Monday is usually an even mix of foil and epee.

Rochester Schedule

Children                         6:00 to 7:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Youths                           6:30 to 7:45 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Juniors and Adults        7:00 to 9:00 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays
                                      2:00 to 4:30 pm on Sundays (National Training)

Foil and epee is fenced every practice.  The best turnout for epee is Tuesday, and foil is strong on both Tuesdays and Thursdays.  

Sunday practices in Rochester will have intensive training and coaching for those who want to prepare for regional and national competitions. We meet every Sunday except on weekends that we host a tournament. I will send an email with a sign-up spreadsheet to the fencers with the desire to travel outside of New Hampshire and Maine. Fencers, please check the National Training Schedule to see if it is being held- we need six signed up to hold a training session.

All Seacoast fencers can come to both the Manchester and Rochester locations if they want to pick up an extra day of fencing (with a new mix of fencers). There is no extra charge. 

As always, we are happy to stay an extra half hour if fencers want more time on the strip!

Manchester fencers and parents- I am currently in negotiations for a new home for the Manchester club. If everything works out, we will be in the basement of one of the beautiful brick mill buildings by the river- the Waumbec Mill at 250 Commercial St. It will have seven competitive strips (same as now, but all on the same level, with a viewing area for parents, and plenty of parking.

We will need to move the wood floors in the current locations, all the electronic scoring equipment, fencing gear, and the workshop.

I will let everyone know when the lease is signed, and I will notify everyone when I know the move-in date. I want to thank Mandy O’Brien for finding this space for us. Well done, Mandy!