September 2020 - President's Message

Hello Curlers,

Well, this has certainly been a unique year. The advent of Covid has forced everyone to stop and rethink how we do things. And our club has been affected just like everyone else. As a result, we have consciously cancelled a number of our fundraising events that were to be held over the summer and early fall. And we also cancelled the first half of our curling season and are working toward a January half-season curling start-up.

Membership Survey

A survey of the membership was conducted in August in order to help guide the return-to-play decision-making process. A majority (68%) of the members that curled last season have responded. Thank you for your input, as we will be using the information from the survey responses to assist our decision making as we move forward with our return-to-play plans. Many of you want to curl as long as we can do it safely with the proper precautions in place. So, stay tuned for more updates to come as we get closer to the curling season. Ultimately, the decision on starting up in January 2021 will be dependent on the provincial, municipal and local health unit rules that we must adhere to in order to ensure everyone's safety and the number of curlers that register to play. We will have the rules incorporated in our return-to-play procedures and fully laid out before registration day, later in the fall, so that you can decide if you are going to play this year.

Upcoming events

The annual yard sale. Originally scheduled for last June,  is a go for this Thanksgiving weekend, October 10th and 11th. A flyer will be coming out shortly identifying the timing for drop-offs in case you have any items you would like to donate to this fund raiser. 

The Annual General meeting and Board elections have been pushed back by one month to Sunday October 18th at 2pm. As half of the Board is up for election each year, there are a number of Board positions that are opening up this year and we are looking for members to step up and fill the gap. Many thanks and appreciation to the Board members that are ending their terms this year.

Registration for the curling season is currently on hold as we work our way through the development of our return-to-play protocols to ensure a safe environment. Our goal for this year is to hold a half-season starting in January, so stay tuned for the announcement on timing for registration day and the rules that we will be playing under.

Due to capacity restrictions, the ATV poker run that was rescheduled to this September 19th has now been rescheduled to next May 2021.

Note: Covid precautions will be in effect for all events at the club, so don’t forget to wear your mask and practice physical distancing.

Basement Renovations

On the improvements front, the basement bathroom renovations are nearing completion, giving the club’s bathrooms a much needed update as well as A/C for lounge area. This renovation was made possible due to a grant and we would like to thank the Ontario Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. OTF awards build healthy and vibrant communities in Ontario.

Stay safe. 

Neil McQueen

President, MACC