Note
Feb 12, 2025 from life member Will Powning:
Bill Powning, (my dad) joined the Club in 1968. Growing up in New Haven, he and his father enjoyed swimming in Long Island Sound. They would swim late into the fall and resume before most others in the spring. At the DC he and Lou Marcelli were among a small cohort of members who swam thru the winter. A steep drop-off of regular swimmers happened after Thanksgiving until the water temp rose. My understanding is that my dad and maybe of few others shivering in the sauna thought to encourage (challenge?) others to join them. Thus, the Club sanctioned Polar Bear Swim began in 1974 with awards for the finishers.
Dad, had a thing about keeping records. He kept a diary from the age of 15 until he was 80; it seemed no piece of paper he encountered over the course of a year failed to get wrapped into a bundle for posterity including ticket stubs to artistic and sporting events, letters from friends, menus from notable restaurants; his finish time and place number in every Club swim; and an almost daily note on his desk calendar when he swam and his current weight. Also, many photos that are now in the Dolphin Club archives. Filling in squares was second nature.
As Vince noted in his excellent Log article, the Polar Bear has always been “steeped in lore and intrigue". I cannot guarantee that my addition to the lore is correct (his diaries did not survive him). There may be other old timers who can add to the intrigue.
