I am joining after the pool season started; will my dues be prorated?
No. All memberships are for the full season. See Paragraph V.
I pay taxes to the Borough of Madison; can I pay the resident rate?
Business / property owners are welcome to join the pool, but the membership rate is based on residential address. The Madison Community Pool is a non-profit corporation that works in close cooperation with the Borough of Madison, but no tax dollars are used to support the operation of the pool. The pool is overseen by a volunteer Board of Trustees and managed by staff members that are not municipal employees. See About Us.
My child is the only one in the family that uses the pool; can he/she join as an individual?
Your child must be 18 years old to be an individual member of the pool. See Paragraph I.
My 23 year old child is no longer listed as part of my family on my Dues Notice, why?
The definition of a Family Membership, as stated in Article III - Membership, Section 2 of the By-Laws, does not include children who are 23 years old or older. See also Family Membership.
My family is one adult and one senior; do I have to pay the family rate?
You may join as one individual and one senior.
My family is one adult, one senior and one child; is the family rate discounted for the senior?
No.
Do you have a membership category for a single parent and one child?
There is no special category. A family of 2 is a family membership.
My niece/nephew is visiting for the summer; can I add him/her to my family membership?
The definition of a Family membership, as stated in the By-Laws, does not include nieces or nephews. The question of adding a niece or nephew to a Family membership has been raised to the Board of Trustees in the past. The policy has been to treat the niece or nephew the same way as a family babysitter is treated and to charge accordingly. The same holds true for grandchildren.
For shorter visits, you may be able to take advantage of the discounted weekly Guest Fee.
I can not afford to join the pool, is financial assistance available?
There is a limited amount of assistance available so that families suffering financial hardship can join the pool. Families in need pay a portion of the membership fee and the balance comes from contributions made by generous members and grant money from other organizations. Families applying for financial assistance must complete an additional application that documents income, expenses and explanation of need. To receive a financial assistance application, return a completed resident registration form and indicate that financial assistance is requested. See Financial Aid.
Pool Use:
I am a Madison resident w/o a membership; can I use the pool on Wednesday?
Madison residents are welcome as guests on Wednesday’s only. All guests must be accompanied by a member who assumes responsibility for the guest’s conduct. Madison residents are limited to Wednesday to be welcomed as escorted guests because they have the opportunity to join the pool. See Guest Rules. All guests are charged a fee. See Fees.
Can I buy a day pass for the pool?
No. All memberships are for the full season. You may use the pool as the guest of a member, but if you are a Madison resident, you may only be a guest on a Wednesday. All guests are charged a fee. See Fees.
My grandchildren are visiting for the week; can I bring them to the pool?
If you are a member of the pool, you may bring your grandchildren as guests.
Can I try the pool out for a day?
No. You must be a member or the guest of a member to use the pool.
Can I use the pool the same day I sign up?
Yes. If you join while the pool is open, you will be given a wristband to wear. Your badge will be ready for pick up at the front desk a day or two after you sign up.
Can a child with a red or blue badge enter the pool without an adult?
Children with red or blue badges must have a responsible adult 18 or older with them on the pool grounds. Adults are responsible for the conduct of their children/guests and are discouraged from considering Life Guards as babysitters. A red badge indicates that the child is less than 13 years old and has not passed the deep water test. Children wearing a red badge may enter only the shallow section of the pool without an adult. They may enter the 4 foot section of the pool, if there is an adult ever present at their side. A blue badge indicates that the child is less than 10 years old and has passed the deep water test.
Children wearing a blue badge may enter the water, in any section of the big pool, without an adult.
Can a child with an orange badge enter the pool without an adult?
Children with orange badges are 10 through 12 years old and have passed the deep water test. These children are permitted to be on the pool grounds without an adult 18 or older if there is a signed permission form on file. The youth permission form can be found on Forms. The badges of these children are punched to indicate to the front desk personnel that they are permitted to enter the pool without an adult.
Can I swim during home swim meets?
Swimming is limited during home swim meets. The deep water tank is closed. The lanes in the 5 and 4 foot sections are used for the meets. Only the shallow end of the big pool and the baby pool are available for use. See Meet Schedule.
Badges:
Why do I have to wear badge?
A badge is issued to every member and it serves many purposes. Your badge certifies that you belong to the pool for the current year, it color codes your swimming ability and privileges, and it serves as identification in the event of an emergency. See Badges. Badges are to be worn on your swim suit at all times. See Pool Rules. For young children it is a matter of safety. The color of the badge indicates whether the child has passed the deep water test and is permitted to be in the deep water tank. For all swimmers, as stated above, it serves as identification in the event of an emergency.
Will I receive my pool badges in the mail?
No. Badges are picked up at the front desk. If you joined pre-season, your badge will be available on opening day. Each day of Memorial Day weekend, badges are distributed by staff from tables set up in the front of the pool. You must show proof of identification and residence when you pick up your badge. See Badges
We are new family members; why was my 12 year old given a red badge?
For safety reasons, all new members 12 and under are restricted to the shallow end of the pool until they pass the deep water test proving to pool management that they can swim well enough to be permitted in water over their head. See Badges
My child passed the deep water test last year; why did he/she get a red badge?
If your child passed the deep water test in the last two weeks of the season, they must take the deep water test again. For safety reasons, we need to ensure that your child has retained the ability to swim well enough to be permitted in water over their head.
What happens if I forget my badge?
If you forget your badge, you will be given a wristband and charged $5. See Fees.
What happens if I lose my badge?
You must pay $25 for a replacement badge. See Fees.
Can friends of my family borrow my badge?
No. Borrowing a badge is considered theft of service. If you are caught doing so, your membership will be suspended for 2 weeks. See Pool Rules.
Babysitter:
I paid to add a babysitter to my family membership; can that babysitter sign in guests?
If, as part of his/her duties, a babysitter 18 or older is asked by an adult family member to take playmates of the children he/she is supervising to the pool, he/she may sign in those playmates as guests. A babysitter is not permitted to go to the pool without the children he/she supervises. See Babysitter.
My babysitter is not a member; can she bring my kids to the pool?
Since your babysitter is not a member on her own, and she has not been added to your family membership as a babysitter, she must be signed in as a guest. See the answer to “Can members under 18 sign in guests?” below.
Guests:
I am a Madison resident w/o a membership; can I come as a guest?
Madison residents are welcome as guests on Wednesday’s only. See Guest Rules. Madison residents are limited to Wednesday to be welcomed as escorted guests because they have the opportunity to join the pool. All guests, regardless or residency, must be accompanied by a member who assumes responsibility for their conduct. All guests are charged a fee. See Fees.
I have an individual membership; can I bring a family member as a guest?
Residents with individual memberships may bring a family member as a guest on Wednesday only. See Guest Rules. Non-residents with individual memberships are not permitted to bring family members as guest on any day. See Non-Residents Item 7.
Can members under 18 sign in guests?
No, you must be 18 to sign in a guest. The Guest Information Form can completed prior to your arrival at the pool. Guests must be accompanied by a member 18 or older. Under a specific set of circumstances, a member 13 - 18 may remain with a guest after an adult member of the family has left the pool. Those circumstances are: 1) the guest is at least 13 years old, and 2) an adult member 18 or older of the same family signs in the guest at the front desk, and 3) that same adult gives permission to the member who is 13 - 18, to remain at the pool with the guest, and 4) that same adult assumes responsibility for the conduct of the guest, even though that adult does not remain on premise.
The guest I had at the pool all day wants to stay for the Moonlight Swim; do I have to pay another guest fee?
Yes. The Moonlight Swim is a separate event and requires a separate Guest Fee. See Guest Rules.
Lessons:
Do you have to be a member of the pool to sign up for lessons?
Group swim lessons are for members only and are given in the morning before the pool opens. Private lessons are available through arrangement with individual instructors and are available during regular pool hours. Guests may sign up for private lessons. A list of instructors is posted on the bulletin board. See Group Lessons.. See also Private Lessons.
My child can only attend half of the lessons; can I pay half the price?
No. Lessons are not pro-rated.
Swim Team:
Do you have to be a member of the pool to join the Swim Team?
Yes, Swim Team is for members only. Because team members are under 18, a family membership is required. The Board of Trustees has discussed this question at length and done an extensive cost/benefit analysis before making this ruling.