Activities marking the 70th anniversary of the South River Curling Club have begun.
Jeff Griffith, the club president, says there are quite a few events and promotions planned for the season.
One promotion is the registration fee.
“If we have a new curler or someone who hasn't curled in the last three years, we've taken 30 per cent off the registration fee,” Griffith said. “So to coincide with our 70th anniversary, the individual pays 70 per cent of the registration fee. Also for current members we froze registration rates.”
Griffith says just before the end of the year the club held a free "Try Curling" event which was another effort to grow the club membership.
“This was for people who had never curled before or curled very little and wanted to learn more about the sport,” he said.
The promotion attracted 12 people including a couple from North Bay and Griffith said the event gave them a sense of whether this was something they would like to do regularly.
“The majority were younger parents and young adults”, he said. “That's our demographic. They will help the success of our club”.
Last year the club held a bonspiel for its members which was well received with 32 players taking part and the plan is to repeat the event in early January to start the New Year.
To maintain the festive mood, players are encouraged to dress as curlers did in the 1960s including wearing kilts. Prizes were awarded for the best “Throw-Back” outfit.
The club has 110 members with most living in the South River area.
However, it also draws members from across the Almaguin Highlands including Magnetawan.
Griffith says the curling club continues to make itself available to students of South River Public School. He says the school is very supportive of the club and makes its Grade 4 to Grade 8 students available to curl. Griffith said in December 73 elementary students from the school were brought to the club and were taught the “basic rules and techniques.” That was followed by a game on the ice.
The curling club has a Little Rocks program for students and has several members who are learning the finer points of the game. Several students who took part in the December event were interested enough in the sport that they also signed up for the Little Rocks program. Griffith says not only does introducing the students to curling potentially help grow the membership, but it also helps develop future players who can compete at higher levels.
As a 70th anniversary incentive, the club waived the registration fee for its Little Rocks program this season.
The club held its annual dinner-dance fundraiser at the local arena last week. The event sells out each year and is capped at 140 people.
To mark the 70th anniversary the club has made curling jackets recognizing the 70 years of local play and at the dance, one person will be awarded a gift certificate that allows the individual to buy the commemorative jacket.
The dinner-dance will also have prizes like beer steins and wine glasses that again display the 70th-anniversary milestone.
Another prize is from Corner Wines, a local retailer, which has put together a case of commemorative red and white wine with a label that displays the club logo and the 70 years of service.
In February the South River Lions Club holds its annual Winterfest and this year to attract still more members the curling club will host an open house during Winterfest for the public to drop by and get a sense of what the sport is about.
The South River Curling Club has two sheets of ice, a competitive league where the players play each other every Tuesday and Thursday. It also has mixed and ladies' curling in addition to its Little Rocks program.
Rocco Frangione is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the North Bay Nugget. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
