Frequently Asked Questions

Currently about 440 bondholders, making up more than 1,700 individuals, belong to Five Oaks Pool. We generally have about 100 families on the waiting list, and the wait is 1–2 years to join.

The members do! Members buy a “bond” when they join the pool, which gives them a membership stake in the pool. The pool is governed by an elected board of 15 volunteer members who receive no financial compensation or discounted memberships for their service. Board members are elected to three-year terms. The board hires a paid staff of about 30 (managers, lifeguards, snack bar workers) for each summer season.

Five Oaks runs on a very tight budget, and discounting memberships would significantly cut into the pool’s income. In addition, with a consistent waiting list of around 100 families, it isn’t financially prudent to reduce prices.

Dues don’t always go up every year, but they probably should. Wages, insurance, electricity, and repair costs all rise over time. If our income stays static, we won’t have funds to cover the increasing costs of basic operations or improvements.

To illustrate: in 2003, the pool’s insurance cost was about $12,000. By 2010, it was nearly $30,000.

There are several reasons annual dues must be paid by March 1st:

• Resignations and waitlist transitions: Some members resign when dues come due. We need time to sell their bonds to families on the waiting list before those families make other summer plans.
• Spring expenses: Bills for insurance, winter maintenance, and other operational costs start coming due in the spring.
• Avoiding opening-day issues: A later deadline inevitably leads to late payments, which creates complications when the pool opens. The March 1st deadline gives our volunteer board time to resolve everything before the season starts.

This information is available to members only, and the website is not password-protected. If you are a member and would like a copy of a particular board meeting’s minutes or the budget, please email us at [email protected].

All guests who enter Five Oaks use the facility in some way, even if they aren’t swimming. With often hundreds of people at the pool on a given day, we also have no practical way to monitor who swims and who doesn’t.

Scanning your ID lets pool management track how many members enter at different times throughout the day. This helps us plan for staffing and budgeting, and these numbers have also been important during health department inspections.

Even if you have belonged to the pool for decades and the staff knows you, please scan your card. Because we have a large membership with turnover and new staff each year, ID cards also help our team match names to faces.

No. Five Oaks is a non-profit membership organization, and we’re strict about guest policies because we care about keeping the pool running cost-effectively. Guests create wear and tear on the pool’s systems and grounds and require additional staffing — costs that can’t be borne by members alone. Guest fees are an integral part of the pool’s budget.

Membership passes may not be shared with family members who are not listed on your bond. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and other relatives may not use your pass. They may be added to your bond only if they can provide proof of residence in your home (usually a government-issued ID).

From the Five Oaks by-laws:

A Family Membership may be issued to two adults legally residing at the same residence, or a husband and wife, with their dependent(s). The holder(s) of such a membership shall be required to purchase a bond in accordance with Article VII, Section 2. A head of household, husband and/or wife, or both adults shall be designated as the bondholder(s). The bondholder(s), the bondholder(s)’s children residing in the household, and other persons living in the household approved by the Board of Directors may utilize the Club’s facilities upon payment of the membership fee and annual dues. Exemptions shall be approved by the Board of Directors.

Other caregivers must purchase a weekly or seasonal caregiver pass, at a reduced rate from the regular daily guest fee. Caregiver passes are intended for use when a bond-holding parent is not at the pool.

The board has discussed adding a baby pool many times over the years. The main considerations against it:

• Cost: Recent estimates exceed $80,000.
• Family preference: Many parents of young children report joining Five Oaks because we don’t have a baby pool — their children of different ages can be supervised together in one pool.
• Hygiene: Baby pools can be very unsanitary because the shallow water burns off chlorine quickly.
• It wouldn’t prevent contamination of the main pool: Pools with baby pools still report multiple fecal contamination incidents in their main pool each summer, often due to newly potty-trained children.

The high dive/slide combination does increase insurance costs, but not dramatically. The board has felt the benefits justify the cost. The current rate is based on our impeccable safety record — if a serious accident ever occurred involving either structure, they would likely be removed immediately.

Interesting fact: Most accidents involving a high dive or slide happen on the steps. That’s why we’re vigilant about supervising anyone who changes their mind and needs to come back down.

Broken glass is a safety hazard around bare feet, and if glass were ever suspected to be in the pool, we would be required to drain the entire pool for safety. That would close Five Oaks for several days.

In the past, Baltimore County regulations required commercial pools to close for 24 hours after any fecal contamination. Baltimore County is now adopting the recommendations of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, which vary based on the type of contamination and may involve shorter closures in some cases.

Chairs are expensive to purchase, maintain, and store. Providing them would also require additional labor for cleaning, repairs, and putting them away each night.

Our insurance policy does not allow alcohol to be consumed on the premises while the high dive is operational. During special events where alcohol is permitted, such as adult nights, the high dive is closed.