In the mid 60s, the NASA Apollo Space Program was at its peak. Families from all over the country were transferred to the Houston area and found Dickinson a beautiful, small community, perfect to raise their families. New subdivisions sprang up practically overnight…Sherwood Oaks, Colonial Estates, Bayou Chantilly, Casa Grande, Oakland, and all of the housing additions on Deats and Hughes Road…were full of children needing a safe place to grow and play. Thelma Aberson’s son Bobby had been on a swim team in their previous community and she knew the value of the neighborhood pool and swim team. Thelma talked with her friends who spread the word around and approximately 100 families “chipped in” to build a 25 meter neighborhood pool: The Dickinson Civic Association (DCA) Pool was born. Each family “owned” a piece of the pool and actively contributed their time toward making it a success. The grass at the pool was hand-dug from people’s yards and sodded. Families voluntarily (yes, voluntarily!) maintained the grounds, planted flowers, painted, and cleaned the premises. The picnic tables, built in one family’s back yard, were painted by members of the swim team. The older children in the families were trained as lifeguards and families actively participated in social activities at the pool. Teen night was packed and non-members prodded their friends to take them to teen night or prodded their families to join the pool. The pool was a family gathering place and lifetime friendships were formed.

It has now been 40 years since the birth of the pool. Thousands of children have joined the swim team and learned the fun and pride of swimming in the summer swim league. Families still have the opportunity to have a safe place to grow and play during the summer. It is great to see how many families show up on Friday night during the late spring and summer season, order pizza delivery and let mom flop in a lawn chair rather than cook dinner. And Sunday afternoons when the BBQ pit is hot and families bring their picnic dinner to eat so that the parents can chill out while the kids can swim. It is also somewhat amazing that no lifeguard ever tends to go hungry on Sunday afternoon because so many families share (some of the lifeguards just put in a huge plug for that comment, hint hint!).

We still train our older children to guard and during May and early June, they voluntarily teach the little ones how to swim so that they, too, can be on the swim team. If you have not had the chance, sit back one day and watch the interaction between the little ones and the teenagers. The little ones hang on the teenager, throw water on them, poke them, tease them, taunt them, pester them, and adore them. The older kids know they are role models for the younger children, just as previous groups were the role models for them; the older kids proudly tease, pester, and adore back, serve as surrogate big brothers and sisters, and make sure the little ones know how special they really are. It is especially awesome to watch the “transition years”, when the elementary age kids no longer think of themselves as “little” and they start mimic the roles of the teenagers and play with those younger than them.

So what kinds of kids do we attract to this pool? Kids who learn limits and boundaries, kids who learn that winning is not everything but effort, teamwork, fairness, and honesty are. Kids who are strong enough in their own self image to cheer for others and say thank you to the judge who disqualifies them. If you were at DHS graduation last week, you probably noticed that every single one of our “pool kids” was wearing honor cords of some kind or was recognized for outstanding contributions in some field: academics, effort, responsibility and teamwork and swimming go hand in hand. Our high school kids swim throughout the school year under the supervision of Coach Blake Henry, who came from a second- generation DCA pool family. By the way, as usual, the scholarships poured in for our swimming grads…both academic and athletic. Many, many pool kids have received substantial awards to further their education. Why? Because they learn the work ethic and they have the support of the “pool family”. If one mom can’t be there screaming on the sidelines, another mom or grandma screams for them. If a dad has to work overtime and can’t be at a meet, another dad takes the kid aside and congratulates them for their effort. We look after each other. Eventually, the kids take on this task and they make sure their peers stay away from drugs, alcohol, and other risky behaviors. Drugs, alcohol, public display of affection, pre-marital sex, and other reckless behaviors are not considered “cool” for the swim team kids, by their own definition.

Our pool is still the best deal around. It is the only large outdoor pool in Dickinson, Santa Fe, LaMarque, or Hitchcock. It is the only pool in these communities that supports a summer swim team. Gator swimmers get to compete in every single meet; no swimmer left behind. Even our less experienced swimmers race, often with the help of one of our more advanced swimmers. We have low numbers of children in the pool during practice. Our coaches know each child by name and skill. We have practice 5 days/week during May and June.  Parents have an active voice in decisions made regarding the pool and are strongly encouraged to join the board of directors.

Pool members have room and time to practice every afternoon and evening if they want to enhance their abilities because our pool is not crowded. Parents can contract with our coaches or guards for private swim lessons for the little ones who aspire to become Olympians. There is lots of space for Dad to play water monster or granddad to watch the latest “dive” from the low board. Impromptu games of Biggest Cannon Ball or Marco Polo appear daily, even for the older teenagers. If you want to watch real skill, watch the varsity team play Fishes and Minnows in the deep end. Girls win nearly every time! Safety is a priority and our guards are well trained and watch carefully to make sure everyone has a safe time at the pool. We even pull the kids out of the water for 10 minutes each hour to let them rest, dry off, get the wrinkles out, and let us old guys have a few minutes for laps or just general gossip. By the way, the 4 ½ foot section of the pool is just right for the moms who float crosswise on those noodle things and finally get to talk to other adults. We do not have discipline problems because we know our families and their parents and we look out for each other.

I have not even mentioned our adult parties (NO KIDS!). They are historical and hysterical. Everything from water balloon fights to cannon ball competitions from the high board. We usually laugh so hard we end up choking when the “dive scores” are counted for highest splash, most strained back muscles, loss of swim trunks, etc. And I don’t know who thinks to put those bubbles in the baby pool….probably a big secret.

Membership is only $300/family. Special reduced rates are available for singles or seniors. Member families pay only $25/child to participate on the swim team. Non-member families who want their children to be on the swim team pay $100/child. We are the only team that actually “owns” the pool. We do not have to appeal to city councils, politicians, school districts, or neighborhood associations in order to have a team event. Other teams have different problems: One team’s pool was closed for the whole season last summer and they had to find an alternate location to practice and could not have any home meets. Another neighborhood association first granted permission for 3 meets and then reduced it to 2, causing the CCSL league to have to rearrange the entire schedule. The large pools hold huge meets that last 8+ hours every Saturday in the heat.

We are hosting 3 meets this season. We have a unique opportunity to raise money for the pool. We need parents, grandparents, members, and children to help us maximize this money making opportunity. If we really develop and promote our concession sales, we can raise money to buy needed equipment.

If we promote family and business sponsorship of the pool and find supporting grants monies, we might be able to buy and maintain a pool heater. A heated pool would draw more families as well as offer a place for the Space City Aquatic Team and the Dickinson High School Swim Team to practice during the winter; both of these organizations would pay for the use of the pool. A heated pool would also draw families who want to be able to swim laps during the fall, winter, and spring.

Many of the original shareholders are still in town although far too many have moved off or passed away. I’m sure they never even dreamed that this pool would be such a long standing, generational icon for the community. Thank you so much to all of the “younger” set of adults that have picked up the responsibilities, obligations, and challenges left to them from the previous generations. But thank you more for keeping the most valuable traditions such as maintaining the grounds (my gosh, the place looks fantastic), cheering for the slowest or youngest swimmers, parents keeping an eye on all the kids, knowing the names of nearly every swimmer out there, and finding some way to financially make it through another year. You are the generation that will maintain this treasure, the Dickinson Civic Association Swimming Pool for the next generation and the one after that. Then perhaps your grandchildren will play in the same pool and swim on the same team as their parents. One of my friends, Linda Lanier, told me several years ago that this is what community and healthy family is all about. I didn’t understand until I tried it and I’ve just got to say she was right. Best money and time we have ever spent for our family. Linda’s an angel now (always was an angel, too) but I’m sure she’s smiling down on me and saying “Told you so”.

Do the math:

Active involvement + more interested families = lower annual dues for members and swimmers.

Active involvement + continued swim team = happy healthy children

Happy Healthy Children don’t use drugs, don’t get into alcohol, learn manners, and become strong contributing members of the community.