Paul E. Fortoul - In Memoriam: Metropolitan Local Masters Swim Committee, Inc. ...

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Paul Fortoul Memorial Service
Sunday February 10, 2008 (early afternoon)
Time 1:30
Fieldston High School, Riverdale, NY

The family will be available from 12:30-1:15pm. There will be a reception immediately following the service untll 4pm. Directions to Fieldston are available from the web page: http://kfortoul.home.comcast.net/paul/
Monday December 10^th, 2007
With immeasurable sadness, the Board of the Metropolitan Local Masters Swim Committee Inc. announce the passing of Coach Paul Fortoul on Saturday December 8, 2007 from an aggressive type of kidney cancer that had already metastasized when it was diagnosed in September.
A swimming polymath of the first magnitude, he was a constant presence in both the METROPOLITAN Local Swim Committee (LSC) and the Local Masters Swim Committee (LMSC) as well as the national governing bodies for more than three decades as a coach, official, Board member, committee chair, delegate, national relay coordinator, meet director, timing system operator and athlete. He was also instrumental in the creation of the Metropolitan Swimming Hall of Fame.
He deeply affected the athletes he coached in Masters programs at Asphalt Green, Team New York Aquatics, Red Tide, West Side YMCA, the YWCA (1999-2005) and many individuals of many affiliations. He also did similarly with the age group programs of Fieldston School, AGUA, the New York Aquatic Club and many others. No one understood, able to cite chapter and verse of every aquatic sport rule book, the intricacies of swimming rules, statistics, by-laws and policies better than Paul. In a unseen and unheralded effort of enormous dimension, he made all of us safer as we swam and our leaders more accountable with his shark-like instincts of how procedures should and must be followed for fairness and safety to prevail. Few have served the swimming community in our area and in the gay/lesbian aquatics movement in such an enduring way.
His spirit now prowls the deck of many, many pools, arriving probably even now, as he often did, in a hurry, with an impossibly bulging briefcase, but quickly deploying himself, stopwatch in hand, workout in mind, breast pocket stuffed with pens and notes to self, sporting under combed hair and with glasses perched askew on his nose, reminding us, exhorting and inspiring us, with utter equanimity to all swimmers, big and small, slow and fast, young and old to reach our potential as athletes and maybe, if we thought about it, to do the same as human beings.
Messages of condolence may be sent to the Fortoul Family:
1370 St. Nicholas Avenue #20S
New York, N.Y. 10033

A memorial event will be planned ... Stay tuned for details and save your pictures, momentos and memories for a special day to come. Visit the family's page at http://kfortoul.home.comcast.net/paul/
Conrad Johnson

2008 Registration form is now available - on paper or online. Please visit the Registration page for more info. For information on where your dues go you can open this PDF document.
2007 Convention Report PDF Word
2007-2008 Projected Metropolitan LMSC Budget PDF Word
About Us

United States Masters Swimming (USMS) is an organized program of swimming for adults which has nearly 43,000 members, a few of whom are in their 90's and even 100's, but anyone 18 or over can join. It is not necessary to have previous experience in competitive swimming. USMS, Inc. is the National Governing Board which provides the administrative structure for Masters swimming.

The country is divided into eight regional zones comprised of smaller groups called Local Masters Swimming Committees (LMSC). LMSC's in turn are composed of smaller groups (clubs or teams and unaffiliated swimmers). Metropolitan LMSC, Inc. is a part of the Colonies Zone

As an individual, you may choose to join a team or club and enjoy the camaraderie and structure of the group. Competition is optional. Only 35% or so of Masters swimmers compete in swimming meets on a regular basis.

For those who are serious competitors, there are an incredible number of opportunities to test your skill and conditioning. Pool meets, lake and ocean open water swims, postal meets, special events and international championships are all part of an ambitious program of Masters swimming.

Masters swimming in New York City, Long Island and the Lower Hudson Valley (which includes Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester Counties) is governed by the Metropolitan LMSC which itself has over 1,700 members on almost 3 dozen teams.

New Document Postings

2008 Metro FAQ's in Word and PDF
Proof Of Insurance for USMS Teams - located on the Metro Insurance Page

2008 Club Membership Application - for new teams and all renewal teams.
2008 Registration form will be available October 31. See Registration Page
Where do your dues go?

Fall2007 Streamlines PDF
2007 Convention Report PDF Word
2007-2008 Projected Metropolitan LMSC Budget PDF Word

Metro Records are in the process of being updated.
SCY Relays: updated 10/15/7
Men's SCY: updated 10/15/7
Men's LCM: updated 9/11/7
Womens SCY: updated 9/6/7
Womens LCM: Updated 6/26/7
SCM Relays: Updated 5/29/7
Men's SCM: Updated 5/26/7
Women's SCM: Updated 5/25/7

2006-2007 Metropolitan LMSC Budget