The Crossfield Curling Club is holding an emergency annual general meeting on Oct. 3, to help boost board membership ahead of the 2011-12 curling season. The board, which is currently operating with two members, needs a total of six volunteers to be able to operate.
“We are not really sure what will happen from here,” said club director Ryan Gassner. “Our board can’t continue on because there is a two-year limit on serving and we have to be re-voted in.”
The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. upstairs at the Curling Club, and Gassner says they need four more people to fill the board, but also need voting members of the club to attend to ensure votes are cast.
“I think (the loss of the club) would be horrible. We are talking about mothballing the place this year and just trying for next,” said Gassner. “As far as activities for the kids, and keeping them active, it’s one of the least expensive programs. Our junior program is only $30. A lot of kids are going to be heartbroken and that’s my biggest concern.”
The club runs a handful of bonspiels every season, starting with the Harvest-Spiel, which is put on by the Ag Society and is held in early November. Along with the harvest event, there is a men’s league bonspiel, a mixed bonspiel, and three or four black light bonspiels, which has been a huge draw for the club in recent years.
“The biggest (events) we had were black light curling events on Friday nights, it’s an open walk-in event,” said Gassner. “It’s a neat event. That has helped us out a lot for getting the interest in.”
The junior curling program is run Saturdays, allowing families to come out to cheer on their children.
Gassner said finding new volunteers isn’t easy because of the amount of work required, and the number of members who have already served.
“A lot of those guys have been around a very long time, and they have done their stints. They all appreciate the fact that we are still open and its going on, it’s just tough to convince them to put the extra time in because they did it years ago. We need some new blood,” said Gassner.
Anyone interested in sitting on the Crossfield Curling Club’s board, or would like to come out to the meeting, call Gassner at 403-993-9141, or e-mail him at [email protected]
