Devon Manor through the years…

It all started in 1963.

Sixty years later, Devon Manor Swim Club is still thriving as a top provider of outdoor summer fun to families in Lower Paxton Township.

DMSC is a private, unincorporated nonprofit association, and is operated by an all-volunteer governing Board of Directors. We offer lifeguard certification classes, water safety and education programs, as well as special events and annual activities. The pool is the host site for the Devon Crest Swim Team and the team’s annual Novice Meet. We boast 350 member families and employ about 17 young adults.

Over the past decade, Devon Manor Swim Club has marked many milestones, made vast improvements to facilities and infrastructure, streamlined operations, and thrived under a solid membership base.

We celebrated our 50th anniversary in style in 2013 with special events all summer long, culminating in a poolside gala under the stars that included a catered gourmet dinner with ice sculptures.

With an eye toward ensuring the pool’s viability in the next 50 years, the Swim Club Board applied for and received a Dauphin County Local Share Municipal Grant for infrastructure improvements, including the pump and pump housing. It was also the year the pool’s beloved ticket booth was retired as the Board moved to streamline operations and reduce costs.

Also in 2014, we became the region’s first community pool to host a public dog swim. One of our most popular events, the Capital Area Doggie Dip attracts hundreds of tail-wagging, doggie-paddling canines and their owners who enjoy a few hours of fun in the pool, and Frisbee and fetch on the grounds. Everyone agrees our dog swim is the best way to close out our summer season.

Continuing its work to update and improve the pool, the Pool Board applied for and received a second Local Share Municipal Grant in 2016 for a new landscaped entrance with stone hardscaping, new roofs, an improved gutter system, and new hardscaping around the dive well.

Again, in 2017, the Pool Board received a third Local Share Municipal Grant to install a new parking lot with safety enhancements and an environmentally friendly water retention basin.

The COVID-19 global pandemic led the board to make the difficult decision to close the pool for the 2020 season. Stringent health and safety rules by the CDC and PA Department of Health required community pools to ensure social distancing in and out of the pool, monitor mask wearing, limit facility capacity and restrict use of diving boards, slides, pavilions, and loungers. After several meetings with PA Department of Health officials and risk managers, the board decided that collecting membership fees with no concrete ability to meet members’ expectation for a safe and fun time at the pool was unreasonable.

That summer, however, the board applied for and received a $10,000 COVID-19 grant through the Small Business Administration. New for 2021 are updated windows and doors at the snack bar and rest rooms. Necessary infrastructure and pool restoration work was also competed during the offseason.

Future projects we are working to receive funding for include further renovations to the bathrooms and concession stand, and a sidewalk from the pool toward the Devon Manor neighborhood.

With continued support from members, Devon Manor Swim Club can achieve these goals and much more as we move into the future.

Your 2023 Board of Directors

Thad D’Ambrosia/President Karen Cattabiani/Treasurer Jann McNamara/Membership

Julie Laeder/Membership Rene’ Gillespie/Devon Manor