Facilities Updates

We’ve had the deck chairs refreshed with new strapping, purchased new lane lines, and will soon have a pool lift that will allow swimmers with disabilities to access the water.  Pool Manager John Aldonas replaced the filtering medium in our pump room, and the water is clearer than ever.  The bathrooms have been repainted and some necessary upgrades and repairs have been made or identified for future work. Many thanks to Julie Smith and Sam Alexander for organizing and executing our spring clean up, because the garden areas look awesome.
We also are discussing both more extensive improvements to the bathhouse and necessary emergency egress improvements to the community house.  Last month, Michael McMahon and Matt Long led an excellent presentation that you can watch online.

Alcohol at the Pool

Our discussions last year led us to conclude that the then-current state of Virginia law did not permit alcohol to be consumed on our premises without a license. We explored licenses for both the Community House and the general membership and, during the off-season, required anyone renting the Community House to obtain the appropriate license for any alcohol being served.

Earlier this year, the Virginia Assembly recognized the same legal prohibition and moved to change the law to allow alcohol consumption at private pools without additional permits.  The legislature passed and the governor signed H.R. 1520, which permits any private swim club operated by a nonprofit association to allow members to bring and consume their own alcoholic beverages on the premises starting July 1.

Please know we are working on what happens after July 1.  Our current insurance carrier has said that it will not cover occurrences relating to alcohol, which leaves the association exposed to liability.  We do know that other Northern Virginia pool associations have insurance coverage that permits members to bring their own alcohol to the club, so we are evaluating those carriers and will have an update soon.
Note: This message also was sent to members via email on Saturday, May 12.

Register for Swim & Dive Teams

Registration is now open for the swim team and dive teams, which compete in the Northern Virginia Swim/Dive League. Practices begin in late May and competition runs through the first week in August.

The teams provide kids up to age 18 with an amazing experience that includes:

▪ friendly spirited competition
▪ skill development
▪ new friendships and a sense of team and community spirit

It’s also just a lot of fun for all involved (parents included)!

For questions or more information, visit the swim team and dive team websites. Registration is open now!

President’s Message

I am very excited to welcome you to the 63rd year of fun, sun, and relaxation at the Dominion Hills Area Recreation Association. Opening day for the pool is Saturday, May 12, at 10 am. Please bring your family and join your friends to welcome in another year at our association.

This summer’s calendar offers something for everyone, including early bird swim, the July 4 BBQ, family movie night, teen and kid nights, ice cream socials, overnight camp-outs, and many other family-oriented events.

The pool will be hosting its annual Memorial Day holiday cookout on May 28 from 12-2pm, so please join us then for hot dogs, hamburgers, and beverages with your fellow members.

Please also review the rules to ensure your family’s convenience and safety while at the pool.

Last but not least, the Goodlett Foundation awards a scholarship to a deserving young man and young woman each year. This scholarship is available to DHARA members only. If you or a family member will be attending college next fall, please consider applying for this award.

DHARA is an active member of the Northern Virginia Swimming League. The Board of Directors and I urge all members to support our swim and dive teams by attending the meets and encouraging your children to join either team. The competitive meet schedule is included on the calendar. Please be aware that during meets hosted at Dominion Hills, there will be parts of some days and evenings when the pool will be closed to general swimming.

If you have general questions about DHARA, our contact information is on our website, and you can contact me directly at s.christensen@me.com and our pool manager at manager@dominionhills.org. The manager, the Board of Directors and I want to make sure you have a great summer at our great pool!

On behalf of the Board of Directors, we look forward to seeing all of our 500+ member families this year at the pool. Jump in—the water feels great!

Renovation Update

Learn about two major capital projects currently planned for this year — renovation of the community house and the bathrooms. The next meeting about these projects is planned for late May.

Read more

2018 Newsletter

Check out the 2018 DHARA newsletter.

Reminder Notice of DHARA 62nd Annual Meeting Wednesday February 7, 2018

DHARA’s Annual Meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 7, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. at the DHARA Community House, 6000 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia. Please mark the date and plan on attending as DHARA values your input–and we require a quorum (of 30 memberships) to hold and conduct business at the meeting. The meeting will not be lengthy, but we will elect Board members, finalize the budget, discuss issues and make plans for the upcoming season–so please attend!

The Annual Meeting information packet has been mailed to all members of record. Copies of the packet may be obtained here.

Be sure to take time and make arrangements to participate fully in this important meeting. Please contact Scott Tate, DHARA President, at members@dominionhills.org with any questions. We look forward to seeing you on February 7, 2018 at 7:00p.m.

A Brief History of DHARA

In 1985, DHARA members Brad Billings and Sam Gaines co-wrote a paper detailing the fascinating history of DHARA’s property with an emphasis on the significance of the spring located behind the pool. If you are a history buff or just want to know a bit more about the very special place DHARA members are so fortunate to enjoy, an updated copy of the paper may be obtained here.

Notice of DHARA 62nd Annual Meeting Wednesday February 7, 2018

DHARA’s Annual Meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 7, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. at the DHARA Community House, 6000 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia. Please mark the date and plan on attending as DHARA values your input–and we require a quorum (of 30 memberships) to hold and conduct business at the meeting. The meeting will not be lengthy, but we will elect Board members, finalize the budget, discuss issues and make plans for the upcoming season–so please attend!

The Annual Meeting information packet has been mailed to all members of record. Copies of the packet may be obtained here.

Be sure to take time and make arrangements to participate fully in this important meeting. Please contact Scott Tate, DHARA President, at members@dominionhills.org with any questions. We look forward to seeing you on February 7, 2018 at 7:00p.m.

Notice of Special Meeting Thursday December 7, 2017

A special membership meeting will be held on Thursday, December 7, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. at the DHARA Community House, 6000 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia.

More than 25 members of the Dominion Hills Area Recreation Association (“DHARA”) requested in writing a special membership meeting to vote on a proposed amendment to the Bylaws. Pursuant to the Bylaws, Article VII, Sections 2 and 3, the Secretary of the Board of Directors hereby provides notice of the special membership meeting and a ballot.

At the special membership meeting, the membership 
will vote on the following question:

Should the DHARA Bylaws be amended, effective January 1, 2018, to add a new Section 6 to Article V “Board of Directors” to read as follows:

“Sec. 6. No member of the Association shall be eligible for appointment or election to the Board of Directors if the member has already served four (4) or more full or partial terms on the Board of Directors. These terms may be consecutive or non-consecutive. Appointment or election to an unexpired term shall count as service of a full regular term for the purposes of calculating this term limit. This Section 6 may be repealed or amended only by a vote of the members held pursuant to Article VIII of these Bylaws”.

The Board takes no position for or against the proposed amendment.

If the proposal is adopted as written, over the next two years, the following Board members will be disallowed from serving on the Board: Rich Engel, Brice Henderson, Melissa Martin, Scott Tate and Wayne Vincent.

A special meeting packet containing voting information and a ballot has been sent first class mail to all DHARA members.

Members are welcomed to reach out to individual Board members with their questions and concerns about the immediate and long-term effects of the proposed amendment. Board members may be contacted by visiting here..

All DHARA members are urged to attend this important meeting and actively participate in the process of determining the future of DHARA’s leadership.