The holiday season is upon us. Christmas and New Years Day fall on Friday, both days which we are already closed, so they will not impact our schedule.

Both Christmas Eve and New Years Eve fall on Thursdays, so the Rochester will be closed on both days. The Manchester youth fencers will not be meeting on Wednesday, December 23, but will meet on the following Wednesday (12/30). I will see what the junior and adult fencers want to do on those two Wednesdays. The beginning and intermediate students will make their decisions on their Wednesday classes with their instructors.

Happy Holidays!

The second Seacoast team meet will be held on Saturday, December 12, at the Rochester facility.  After some discussion with various parents, the date of the team meet is being pushed back one week due to the possible ramifications of family gatherings at Thanksgiving. The 5th would be in the middle of any Covid-19 infection that could have occurred during gatherings during a Thanksgiving celebration. December 12 is well past the 14 day contagion period.

All events will be scored electrically, and will follow the collegiate format, where each bout is for five touches.  You must have your own body cord, and you can buy them at the meet for $30.  

Electric equipment will be available for rent ($10 for a weapon, $10 for lame). And we willhave knickers available as well (no charge- but you must take them home and wash them, and bring them to the next club meeting).
Below are the steps for signing up for this meet.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1iH32SgKa9pigxthRo73NjtMPmIeUIh1K3bimcToevQs/edit#gid=0

See you on the 5th!

No one has emailed that they were contacted by the schools or the health officials that they were in close contact with any of the students in the Rochester school system had Covid-19, nor that any of our fencers tested positive.  

So all of you can come back and fence tonight!

These are difficult times with the pandemic, and it is my belief that it will always better to err on the side of our fencers’ health.  Thank you  for your cooperation last week.

I was just forwarded an email from the Rochester school system  that several individuals across the district tested positive for COVID-19, and that all students have been ordered home. Contact tracing calls will be completed by Friday, Nov 6.  If you do not receive a call from DHHS by then, this means you have not been identified as a close contact and you are not required to quarantine.

  
So to keep this all under control at the club, I am afraid I will have to ask all the Rochester students to stay home this week, and to let me know if they were contacted as a possible covid case.  

If you get a Covid-19 test this week, please send me the results. If you are contacted by the school or other medical authority, and told you are at risk, please let me know.

Hopefully, you all will all be able to come back to the club next week.  So unless you get tested and have a negative result, please stay home until next week. I am emailing all the Rochester fencers about this today, and will do so again this weekend about what I have heard from the students & their parents, and what decision I make about next week.  

Seacoast had a highly successful summer, bringing in 22 new beginning students to the club in the June/July and August sessions- a new record!  (more than double the average over the past 11 years).  The summer session will end in Manchester on Monday, August 31, and in Rochester on Tuesday, September 1.

And now it is time to start the regular season!  We start right after Labor Day (Rochester on 9/8, Manchester on 9/9).

Click on the Covid-19 menu at the top of this page to see the procedures we are following to keep everyone safe.

And we will, of course, continue to welcome members from all area clubs who want to train with us until their old clubs reopen.

Please use the link below to sign up for the Fall term (September, October, and November), so your teammates will know who is coming each night

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_uRkf7HSivGA1qAwqnwMpyLXguzf7CZ0pjFH1l2sbZ4/edit#gid=0

Beginning and intermediate classes will resume the once a week classes during the regular season (September thru May).  If you are interested in learning to fence, please email the head coach at cjpullo@gmail.com

You can call him at 603/428-7040 between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm if you have questions.

August started the new season for USA Fencing, so be sure to renew your membership. You must be a member to fence at Seacoast Fencing Club, or the club’s insurance will become void (a $10 non-competitive membership is fine). 

The link to renew is https://www.usafencing.org/membership

As always, please bring payments to the first meeting of the term.  Cash or checks payable to Seacoast Fencing Club – we do not accept credit cards.

I will offer an advanced class later this term in both locations.  Private lessons are offered in both locations as well.

Seacoast offers three training groups in both clubs for fencers who have successfully completed the beginning and intermediate classes:  Children (ages 7 to 12), Youth (10 to 14), and Juniors & Adults (13 to 80).

Manchester Schedule  

Children                          Will join Youths 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 and Wednesdays

Most of the epee fencers have chosen to meet on Wednesday evenings, while the others will meet on both Mondays and Wednesdays.

 Rochester Schedule

Children                         Will join Youths 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
                                            5:30 to 7:30 pm on Sundays, but will email                                                          each other before coming to the club

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

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

Tuition for the three month Fall Term  (September, October, and November)
Children        $325
Youth             $340
Junior            $365
Adult              $365

Advanced Class     $100 (a great way to learn more offensive and defensive techniques for newer and younger fencers).  Meets once a week for 30 minutes, for nine classes, 7:45 to 8:15 pm.  Manchester on Mondays and Rochester on Thursdays.