Dear Members,
It’s hard to believe, but another curling season is fast approaching, soon it will be time to put the clubs and bikes away and dust off the shoes and broom and head to the curling club.
By the time you read this letter Nick and his dedicated ice crew will have started to install the ice. September 17th this process was started by servicing some of the equipment and turning it on.
This year our ice shed will have a new look. Thanks to the Granite Committee headed by Nick Roy, we have sold eight full house ads to generate funds towards our capital investment program.
As per the recommendations from the report generated by the icemaker/consultant Jon Wall, our next major investment will be rocks. Our present rocks are undersize and have reached the end of their life expectancy. The cost of new rocks is approximately $50,000. This is another investment into the future of the club and providing our members with the best playing conditions possible.
The Granite Committee, heading this project, has several fund raising activities planned this season to help with the cost of this major expenditure. Please stay tuned for further details. The goal of the committee is to raise these funds over the next 3 to 5 years.
New this year on the membership application form, you will see a line for a voluntary donation to the capital fund. The existing building and its equipment are approaching 30 years of service and require more and more attention in order to maintain their functionality. An example of this is our glass washer in the bar. This will be replaced before the start of the season at a cost of approximately $8000.
As per the requirements of our insurance provider, it is necessary to upgrade our key system for the club. If you presently have a club key in your possession, please see Gary Burton our house director for an exchange. The new locks will be changed on Friday November 2, 2018.
The cost of doing business keeps going up with electricity being our biggest expense and incurred a rate increase in January,2018. Even though we have taken initiatives to keep our cost to a bare minimum, you will see a slight increase of 2% to 3% in your dues this year. This amounts to $10 on a full membership.
Sometime in early November we will update our membership with a semi-annual meeting. This will be an information meeting and will give you a chance to meet our new board members and asked questions regarding the up-coming season.
If you have a buddy that is on the fence about curling, encourage them to come out and try the sport. Joe Proudfoot, our membership director, will be glad to set them up for a season of fun and exercise. Donalda Buckingham and her team of club coaches will provide instruction and a friendly smile to all of our new and returning members.
In the near future you will receive a survey from the club. Please take the time to answer it and return it as soon as you can. This is an opportunity to tell us what you would like to see and how we are doing.
Finally this summer wasn’t all work; some play took place on the ice at the 55+ National games in Saint John, New Brunswick. The Bluenose Club was well represented in the Mixed and Men’s 55 divisions. Our mixed team lead by Skip Alan Graham, Mate Anne Blandford, Second David MacNeil and Lead Barb Leck lost a heart breaker in the Bronze medal final on a measure. However, the Men’s squad lead by Skip Jim Nix, Mate James Barr, Second Peter Neily and Lead Marc Essiambre had a perfect record of 6-0 and took home gold and a National title for the Bluenosers.
Yours in Curling
Marc Essiambre
President
