FEBRUARY/FÉVRIER 2004 Volunteer of the Year #1: François Vary By Bruce Deachman
acrid electrical odour of a fried comput- porarily, others permanently. Because, Lambert’s curlers were again back on er terminal; the dizzying stench of car- face it, everybody likes to watch a fire, but home ice. pets, clothing, bubbling paint and count- no one wants to curl in its aftermath. François Vary is a relative newcomer to less other objects; all gone up in smoke, For Vary, however, walking away and curling. The 52-year-old advertising con- down in flames, and finally drenched by writing it all off was not an option. He sultant had, until his forties, been active- the fire department’s hoses. All in all, was determined that, like the mythical ly involved in tennis, including a dozen nearly a half-century of history was lost. Phoenix rising from the ashes, St. years as president of a tennis club. That was the scene that faced François Lambert’s curling club would again host But by the mid-1990s, he and his wife Vary in the early days of 2002, as he sur- bonspiels. It would once again display were looking for a sport they could pur- veyed the damage caused by a Jan. 6 fire the camaraderie and social vigour that sue together, something they could start to his St. Lambert Curling Club. had made the club so popular with its from scratch. They had watched curling For Vary, then club president of the members. It would, through a Little on TV, but just weren’t sure. three-sheeter located across the St. Rocks program that had, overnight, been Through his work, however, Vary knew Lawrence River’s south shore from reduced to a few pounds of melted plas- Marco Ferraro (of Marco hack fame), a Montreal, the news would get worse. The tic, return to continue fostering a love of one-time competitive curler who had club’s insurance coverage was woefully curling in youngsters. thrown second’s stones for Lawren inadequate, and when everything was tal- Vary did all that, in a remarkably short Steventon’s 1988 Quebec Brier entry. In lied up, the best they could hope for was period of time, and without adding to the 1994, Ferraro decided to hold a funspiel some $700,000, about half of the esti- club’s debt load. Just 11 months after the for his industry colleagues, and invited Imagine the smell: melted rock handles mated $1.4-million replacement cost. fire, and only four months after the long- Vary to play. and trophies, an incinerated piano, Many members, of course, would find awaited insurance settlement allowed books and furniture turned to ash. That other clubs in which to play some tem- them to begin reconstruction, St. Continued on page 2 CURL ATLANTIC SPRING SYMPOSIUM 2004 “INVESTING IN YOUR CLUB’S FUTURE”
Curling clubs today are experiencing • four meals including a banquet on the CONTENT tremendous change both within the cul- Saturday night, A. Curling Club Operations ture of the sport and its participants and • coffee breaks 1.The Curling Club Bar the environment in which they exist. • an opening reception on Friday night, • spirits, wine, and beer - acquire Demands in terms of financing, rising • and course materials (both a hard copy a greater knowledge of products utility costs, competition from many and a CD-ROM). and new consumer habits more winter activities than ever before Each of the four member associations • learn methods for pricing indi- and increasing consumer demand for have offered to cover some of the costs vidual drinks, tracking inventory, quality products and services are creating for curling clubs in their jurisdictions. preventing loss new pressures in the business of curling. Please contact your member association • regulations - stay informed about This spring Curl Atlantic, in conjunction for details on what funding is available. new legal issues and in cooperation with the Newfoundland We highly recommend that every curling • to smoke or not to smoke & Labrador Curling Association, the Prince club in Atlantic Canada attend and that 2.Our Books – Keeping Track of our What’s Inside Edwards Island Curling Association, the they send a minimum of three people Hard-Earned Money Nova Scotia Curling Association and the (there is not a maximum number of at- • getting comfortable with account- Guy Hemmings New Brunswick Curling Association, is tendees). There are three simultaneous ing software Rockin’ the House Tour ...... 1,2 pleased to announce the 1st Curling Club sessions and for your club to absorb all • what accounts do we need? Curling Clubs Go Smoke Free ...... 3 Symposium for Atlantic Canadian clubs. the information provided, three repre- • producing reports – when and why sentatives would be ideal. • to budget or not Volunteer Burn Out...... 4 3.Refrigeration – an in-depth look at last issue SCHEDULE how it all works 2003 CCA Volunteer of the Year Award ...... 5 Friday, May 14th • follow the brine from start to finish This Business of Curling Symposium • what are the capital costs of will be held May 14th - 16th on campus • 7:00pm – 11:00pm The Blind River Curling Club ...... 5 Registration & Check-in replacing equipment including at Mount Allison University in Sackville, shelf life? 2003 Curling Development Fund...... 6 New Brunswick. http://www.mta.ca • 8:00pm Opening Reception • how to maintain equipment to The Legacy of Montreal Thistle...... 6 Curl Atlantic’s goal is to bring together lengthen life expectancy all curling clubs across the Atlantic Region • new methods to save energy and LaScie - A Success Story! ...... 7 for a weekend of learning and sharing. Saturday, May 15th • 9:00am – 5:00pm save money Abby and the Curling Chicks ...... 7 During this symposium, you will hear 4.Making Championship Ice at Your Club from a number of interesting and highly Keynote Address and Business Sessions • new scraping patterns and why After the game...... 8 qualified speakers, who will offer their ex- they work pertise in several key areas which all curl- • 7:00pm Your Curling Club and the Banquet & Entertainment • improved maintenance ing clubs face on a daily basis. • innovative tips Sandra Schmirler Foundation ...... 8 The cost is a very affordable $180 per (guest speaker – Guy Hemmings) • ice technician contracts: what’s 2004 Strauss Canada person which includes: in them? • two nights accommodation in resi- Sunday, May 16th Cup of Curling...... 8 dence at the university (based on dou- • 9:00am – 12:00pm ble occupancy), • Business sessions and closing Continued on page 6 FEBRUARY/FÉVRIER 2004
Volunteer of the Year #1: François Vary continued
“I liked the social aspect of curling,” “The rebuilding of the St. Lambert ceiving the full policy amounts. He dealt Vary recalls, “and within a year or so, I Curling Club is largely due to his efforts with 15 different building trades. had jumped right in.” Just before the start and leadership.” “History records that adversity pro- of the 1996 season - Vary’s second as a That leadership began with the club’s duces great leaders,” says Charron, “and member - St. Lambert’s secretary quit, Rebuilding Committee, which Vary that has indeed been the case in St. and their board, aware of his experience chaired. At some point over its 22 meet- Lambert.” with the tennis club, asked him to take ings that year, the club realized that it Vary also set up fundraising and refur- over. From there, it was just a matter of would have to act as its own general con- bishing committees. He helped organize Web site hosting time, two years as membership director, tractor if it were to successfully rebuild the plan to offer members 10-year leases followed by a stint as vice-president, until with the limited budget available. on their lockers, which raised more than Vary became club president. “We had to make some choices,” recalls $2,000. They sold sponsorships for their offer to member Vary. “We had to build a one-storey club- rock handles. They participated in a sum- house instead of two. We had to do away mertime softball game against a local curling clubs Danny, on Feb 10th with the nice wood panelling inside. radio station. emailed you to let you “There were sacrifices here and there, and “We did a little fundraising there,” re- Web site hosting offer to member curling know that the 3 images some hard bargaining.” calls Vary, “but mostly it was to keep peo- clubs. for St Lambert arrived There were challenges around every ple together.” It is almost a daily occurrence where a Canadian curling club launches a web site corrupt. corner, it seemed, and Vary, who had the Another of his initiatives was the club’s least curling experience of anyone on the Thank-You Wall, a display case that bears to promote their business and the benefits club’s board, had to manage it all. the pins of the 70 clubs that came to St. of membership. To help save your club Could you please resend? “First of all, there was a people-man- Lambert’s aid, either with material, fi- some money and get free access to a dedi- agement challenge,” he points out. nancial or moral support. cated web site address – without those an- thx “People were very, very willing to help “We sent personalized letters to every noying banner ads or pop-up windows – we Kelly and participate in the project, and we had club in North America,” says Vary, “with can help. a very good board of directors. But it’s dif- a pamphlet that shared some pointers The Canadian Curling Association can pro- ficult to keep everything in focus. People about what we had done wrong before vide paid web hosting and services to any were eager to get out and get things done the fire, so that they might not make the member curling club for a one time set-up fee regrinding and refurbishing the rocks, a same mistakes. of $40 and a monthly hosting charge of $6. And then, just a few months into his loan here and there, whatever. But it had “From that, the Laurier club in (Year One cost would be $119.84 – GST term as president... poof, it was gone, in Victoriaville held a bonspiel and gave us included. Year Two cost would be $77.04 – a billowing cloud of ugly black smoke. half of the proceeds. Glenmore, in West GST included) The cause of the fire was never deter- Montreal, gave us $1,000. Pointe-Claire re- You do not require a domain name (or mined, but its effects were clear. The walls placed our club championship trophy. An the annual costs of owning your own do- remained, but that was pretty much it. Ontario club offered us their junior rocks.” About the only things that could be sal- Meanwhile, Vary kept in contact with main name). The CCA has registered vaged were the pipes underneath the ice; St. Lambert’s members, mailing newslet- www.curlingclub.ca and any club can use the plant had suffered extensive water ters and sending e-mails to keep them in- this domain with our hosting package by and smoke damage, and would have to formed of the club’s progress. simply adding the club name, i.e. www.win- be replaced, as would the brine tanks. The “Getting the club rebuilt wasn’t the end nipeg.curlingclub.ca. two-storey lounge and all its contents of it,” says Vary. “Once we had it up, we You will not be connected in any way to were destroyed. Just about everything that had to bring the members back and man- www.curling.ca or any other CCA affiliated the club had accumulated since it formed age a half-season, meanwhile continuing site nor will you be required to host banner in 1955, with the exception of the loyal- to refurbish the club.” ads or any other form of advertising. ty and goodwill of its members, was His efforts have paid off. St. Lambert’s The package includes 10 e-mail addresses gone. Even at that, though, many mem- adult membership, which dropped 30 which, for example can be used for your staff bers were finding other places to curl. percent immediately following the fire, is and or board members: i.e. manager@win- There wouldn’t be enough money from now back to where it was. The club’s jun- nipeg.curlingclub.ca or president@win- the insurance company to bring back to be done in an organized fashion. ior program, meanwhile, boasts 30 more nipeg.curlingclub.ca or even jane@win- what they had lost, and who knew when, “There was a lot to accomplish, and a junior members than it had previously, nipeg.curlingclub.ca or even if, the club would be up and run- lot of decisions to be made, and we need- and was named the best in the province In addition, the following is list of servic- ning again. Things were looking bleak, ed everyone focussed on the same thing.” by Curling Quebec last year. es that are included in this package: indeed. But managing the people was only half Vary is quick to point out that St. a) data transfer of 2000 MB/month “It was important to rebuild, and to do of Vary’s challenge. Rebuilding a club Lambert’s rejuvenation wasn’t a one-man b) disk storage of 25 MB/month it as soon as possible,” says Vary. “If we had from virtually nothing involves a great job, and that it wouldn’t have happened c) 10 e-mail Aliases missed a full season, we felt, the morale of deal of expertise in a great many areas, without all the support he received. By the our members could have been bad. and getting it all done in less than a year same token, there might not have been d) a sub-domain name featuring the name “There are other clubs in the area, and requires that things flow smoothly and curling in St. Lambert today without him. of your club
For more information go to www.curlingclub.ca or to order this service, fill out the online form at https://www.curling.ca/curlingclub/order_fo rm.asp.
2 FEBRUARY/FÉVRIER 2004
“Right off the bat he started to volunteer for things,” he says, “and the first thing Volunteer of the you know, he knew more about the building than anybody else. He delved into every nook and cranny of that build- Year #2: Joe McGill ing, and he knew what was going on.” According to club president Angie By Bruce Deachman Anderson, Joe used to keep track of the odd jobs he’d do, and report each month Is it true what they say about Dixie? to the board. “There were never prob- lems, only solutions,” she says. “No job Does the sun really shine all the time? was beneath him and most of the time, Well do the sweet magnolias blossom at everybody’s door? our board didn’t even know there was a Do the folks keep eating that possum til they can’t eat no more? problem until he reported at the next { board meeting that it was solved. “Joe saved the day many times.” “The curling club was number-one, and ditioning and heating systems when they forgotten. Those who knew him report that he I was number-two.” broke down. He unplugged grease clogs “The club was his first love,” says sought no attention for his good deeds. There is no anger or resentment in in the kitchen and replaced the ballast in Kathleen. “He loved going down there “Whenever we tried to bestow and praise Kathleen McGill’s voice, just a loving ap- the lights. and working and puttering around. on him,” recalls Lauder, “he’d say ‘Aw, no. preciation of how important curling was He also solicited and examined quotes “Then he’d come home for a bit, but It’s just something that I like to do.’ to her husband. to repair the roof, refrigeration and heat- he’d have to go back to the club to do “It was always a labour of love. He liked Joe McGill, who died last August of ing systems, dehumidifiers and thermal some work. I used to say, ‘You could take to finish a job and look at it. He got a lot complications from surgery to remove a ceiling. a bed down there and stay,’” she adds, of satisfaction out of doing the jobs that brain tumour, spent the last decade or He got the ceiling fans working again, laughing. he did.” so of his 68 years doing whatever he and replaced the boards and walkway For decades, Joe, a sales manager with “Dixie was his home, his baby,” adds could for his home-away-from-home, around the club’s six sheets of ice. He an insulation firm, had curled out of Kathleen. “Judging from the number of Mississauga’s Dixie Curling Club. painted, cleaned up garbage and re- Toronto’s Board of Trade. After it ceased people who came to the parlour and fu- Joe did not save the Dixie from some moved mould from signs. If the club’s its curling operations, he joined Dixie. neral, he would have been awed that he sudden, unexpected catastrophe. He did- alarm went off in the middle of the night, “I can’t remember when he didn’t curl,” touched so many lives in so many ways.” n’t single handedly raise tens of thou- Joe was the first one to be called. admits Kathleen. “That was his first pas- A fitting tribute to a not-so-fitting end, sands of dollars to pay overdue property Last year, he was the club’s vice-presi- sion. When we got to (Dixie), he just took Joe McGill was buried with his curling taxes. He didn’t recruit hundreds of dent, yet still found the time to curl at to it like it was home.” gear: broom, shoes, sweater, the works. curlers to revive an ailing membership. least four games a week; a fiery competi- Joe often referred to Dixie as “the old “If he’s not curling now,” says Kathleen, Joe McGill quietly cut the grass. tor who might turn his back on a team- girl.” “he’s sure making a good attempt to He cut the grass, did plumbing repairs mate who missed the broom, then turn Dixie member and friend of Joe’s, Al make some ice up there and getting a in the washrooms and fixed the air-con- around again, the whole matter quickly Lauder remembers when McGill arrived. team going.”
TITLE for the website story???
Web sites have become effective com- and most important, the club’s contact Finally, Delta Thistle in British munication and recruiting tools for information is simple to find. Columbia – www.deltathistle.com offers Canadian curling clubs. It is critical, there- a combination of good looks; good in- fore, that you provide the 'right' content formation and an easy to navigate struc- for that potential customer who may ture that makes it one of the better curl- drop in to find out a little about your ing club web sites. club. Here are five current curling club web sites that are doing a very nice job of pre- senting their business to the market place in an efficient and informative format. potential new member/non-curler, I find this site visually pleasing and it answered all of my questions on membership / in- struction / about the club. More good Next is a simple yet effective site work! for the Mont Bruno CC in Quebec. Summing up the keys to success of www.curlingmontbruno.com has a clean these individual sites can be made with and elegant look with all the information two statements. The first is that they de- you might need to know about this club veloped their sites with new members in that is very easy to find and certainly all- mind. They certainly have much in the inclusive when it comes to content. Their way of info for their current members, newsletter is up-to-date and available but each is well prepared for that new from each web page under Le 9ième bout curler who wanders by to take a look. The first web site we encourage you to (The 9th End). The photo section is also Each of these sites gives a new curler visit is www.unionvillecurlingclub.com well done and easy to navigate. A new enough reason to contact the club and in Ontario. The site is well laid out with customer would certainly see that this is ask for a tryout. The second statement is key information for new players under a ‘fun’ club judging from the group of The Leaside Curling Club in Toronto that each of these suites has easy to find New Member Info which is very easy to photos. Nice work! has a superb site. Go to www.leasidecurl- contact information. You’d be surprised find. Also included are the membership On to the Lakeshore Curling Club – ing.ca and browse around; you will be how many curling clubs have nice web fees, a schedule of events, the club’s his- www.lakeshorecurlingclub.com – in impressed at the quality of information sites with no way of contacting the club!!. tory, and newsletters: both back issues Nova Scotia. Again simplicity is often el- especially for new members. Excellent and the current version on-line. Finally egant and is certainly the case here. As a stuff. Good luck with your web sites.
3 FEBRUARY/FÉVRIER 2004 CURLING VERSION 1.0 WCF and CCA get hip with new digital promo by George Karrys In the Business of Curling© program, much the www.curlingbasics.com website, which in was the project manager. I don’t think I would emphasis is placed on membership retention a short time has become well known in the have finished my work without Oli’s direction and keeping what we worked so hard to get. curling world. His website prompted me to and positive vibes. The section on membership (available at w in contact him regarding my idea to develop an I want to use this opportunity to thank all the the Business of Curling section) contains a piece animated curling demo, to help promote individuals that somehow helped and titled: Retention Realities which includes the German curling. All this his happened during supported this project with pictures, reviews, following important points: the season right before the Olympics in Salt background painting, video digitalization etc. • Many clubs give the lion’s share of resources Lake City -- I had personally experienced the This is why this Version 1 looks like it could be to recruitment and spend little if anything lack of German awareness of curling during and on retention. after the Olympics in Nagano, and I wanted to • Curling members continually evaluate the do something to avoid that happening a second value of their membership. To keep time. members, clubs must “deliver the goods”. That’s how everything started. We finished • Paying special attention to first-year version 1 of the curling demo in German and members can convert them into active life- made it available for download from several long members. websites. Then version 2 was produced for the • Retention is tied in part to how a member Italian Curling Association, obviously in Italian. was recruited. It starts with the first contact. Meanwhile, Markus created the German We are confident that by using this Mini CD- Axnick and Sticker Curling Association website: www.dcv- Version 5. ROM as a membership retention tool, you can curling.de, but despite all that we wanted to CCN: Was it difficult for a non-curler to deal be successful in keeping your members, spread our curling message to the world, and so with the details of curling animations? especially those who have joined the club the highest level ever, mainly due to the we contacted the WCF. Sticker: Well, when we met this summer within the last two years. By giving this Mini increased TV coverage of major curling Keith told us about a draft version of the demo CD-ROM to new and/or inexperienced competitions,” said WCF President Roy Sinclair. he showed to a Canadian audience. I was told participants to the sport, you will be focusing “This mini-CD will, at the touch of a button, that pebbling is like going down the ice sheet on their retention, you will be “delivering the provide the answers to the ‘what is curling’ with a watering can, so that is what I showed in goods”, you will be paying special attention to question and will, I am sure, be a major the initial animation, pouring water directly your first or second year members, and, you will contributor to the sport’s development.” onto the ice and walking over it in a forward be making a great impression during that first CCA Club Development guru Danny motion. Apparently the crowd laughed big contact with a prospective customer. Lamoureux is equally pumped. “We have high time, and obviously I changed it! The CDs are $2.00 each and must be ordered hopes not to make money, but to get this in the CCN: You have competed for a long time Oli -- in quantities of 50. For just one hundred hands of the new curler and increase the curling forgetting that you are intimately involved for a dollars, you will be making a giant step forward club’s ability to retain members,” he said. “Too CCN: Who from WCF or CCA oversaw the moment, what do you think about the project in retaining your members, growing your often we take their money at the start of the year project? concept and its importance for curling? business and, as a Board; you won’t have to pray and then ignore them until it is time to renew. Axnick: I contacted my friend and former Axnick: Curling is a very complex sport. that your new members return next season. Guess what? They don’t! German national coach Keith Wendorf, who Everyone who sees the game for the first time They’ll be back because you care. “As part of the Business of Curling program, we works in development for the WCF, in early has so many questions, like “how heavy is the Contact Rachel Delaney at or call 1-800-550- are stressing to clubs that retention is critical 2002. Keith liked it, convinced the WCF to rock?”, “why do you sweep the ice?” I believe 2875 (101) to place your order. You can also and to retain members they need to provide invest, and since then has been the key driver the secrets of this entertaining sport come to the order on-line at http://www.curling.ca/store/ them as much information about the sport and for the project. At a summer curling camp in surface if the spectator has an understanding of index.asp. their clubs as possible. The CCA and WCF feel 2002, Keith introduced me to Danny the basics. Therefore education is the first step in (Note: orders are subject to 7% GST. Ontario residents this mini CD is an inexpensive part of that Lamoureux who was preparing an animated strengthening curling’s reputation and add 8% PST. Shipping of this product is FREE!) orientation process and will help clubs cement demo for the CCA at the same time. We agreed importance. At the same time, Canada is a relationship with their first year members - that we should work together on the WCF basically another planet in curling terms and IN A STUNNING DEVELOPMENT that could instead of praying like hell they come back next demo and exchange knowledge. That was the that’s why we also focused on technical aspects, make an enormous impact on the age-old year.” first time we thought about doing this for the like the delivery, in addition to the basics. conundrums of novice curling promotion and The mini-CDs will be available for purchase CCA, when Danny expressed his interest in The possibilities that modern media allows retention, the World Curling Federation and the by Canadian customers from the CCA office; distributing the curling demo on a CD in were obvious. Today a computer is what the TV Canadian Curling Association have co-created a they will be available in the US from the United Canada. became 30 years ago, almost everyone has one major promotional tool, a mini CD-ROM. States Curling Association (USCA); and, for the CCN: How did the team work? or can use one. The CD is simply put in a rest of the world, they will be available through Axnick: This was excellent virtual team work computer and the demo easily starts. It explains the WCF offices in Scotland. that required a ton of discipline. Our group and shows more than any brochure can. And Lamoureaux estimates that up to 50,000 new only met in person for the first time at least a it’s even possible to display the excitement and curers are recruited every year, and every year the year after we started, in summer 2003, and that the atmosphere of curling... I still get goose sport loses approximately the same amount. was also the first time I’d actually met Markus bumps when I see Guy Hemmings’ last rock in “Our goal is to help curling clubs reduce that face to face, we’re about 500 kilometres apart. that video we included (Ed note: naturally this attrition rate to 10-15 per cent,” Lamoureaux Keith did a tremendous job with the content, was Hemmings’ winning shot in the 1999 Brier said. especially the technical aspects of curling, as semifinal). This is what you need to finally “The sense of triumph will come when clubs accurate as possible. He was the subject matter convince people that curling is exciting! are bursting at the seams, and we believe the expert, the reviewer, and had to sign-off on the sport is well positioned to do just that in the finished product. next 5-7 years Lamoureaux said. “This CD is just Danny and the power of the CCA was a big The recent Continental Cup was the backdrop a small part of a larger plan of tactics aimed at motivator; just knowing that the product would for the announcement, which will see thousands improving the business of curling.” be used in a country where curling has an of CDs packed with new curler information, Canadian Curling News recently sat down with outstanding reputation and importance was graphics, stills and moving pictures made the hackers behind the product, the German huge. Danny’s flexibility and resources gave the available in January. Now there is some modern duo of Oliver Axnick and Markus Sticker. demo a “complete” feel. ammunition in the promotional curling Axnick is well-known in high-performance Markus, of course, was the most important weapon, and it’s called Curling - Version 1.0. circles as a long-time member of the Andy Kapp guy in the team. He had to translate all the Just as curling club owners, presidents and team, while Sticker is a recent convert to the curling-specific information into computer CCN: Is this a one-time project? managers finally seem to be getting the message sport -- from his computer desk, that is. language, and spent tons of time on new Axnick: We hope not! I hope we get lots of that they need to provide stewardship and animations, piece-by-piece assembly... really the feedback in order to get new ideas on how to support to new curlers once they’ve signed up, guts of the CD. enhance the curling demo. Keith has also along comes a funky CD to make that prepared a document that can be used by other orientation job even easier. Once dropped into curling associations to translate the English the CD-ROM drive of any personal computer version into different languages. Markus then (PC platform), new recruits, prospective curlers uses this document to change the language of and novice players can walk through a the contents on the CD. collection of videos, animations, still CCN: Okay, why doesn’t Markus curl and when photography and text that illustrate, in a simple is he starting? and easy to understand format, how to really Sticker: I do not curl because I am much to enjoy the sport of curling. CCN: How did the two of you get involved in lazy to get up at 5:30 AM on Saturday morning “Interest in the sport around the world is at this project? to go to Düsseldorf Ice-Stadium. The training Axnick: That’s a long story! It started with CCN: Okay, obviously Oliver isn’t going to blow there begins at 7:30 AM because curlers only get Markus, who doesn’t curl, and his daughter, his own horn. Markus? the ice before the hockey players arrive. The who does curl... she took a curling trip to Sticker: The entire project was Oliver’s idea. conditions in Düsseldorf are not good; the ice is Edmonton and played many bonspiels around He structured the project and is the architect of not prepared for curling, the rings are not Europe, all of them well-funded by the German the whole technical content of this curling drawn into the ice, we have to draw it using Curling Association. Markus was impressed, demo. He’s the one who managed textmarkers. I don’t think these are the and then he realized curling doesn’t have a real communication, who did the first translations, conditions for me to start learning curling. At internet presence in Germany, and he created conceptual design, structure and support... he 5:30 on Saturday mornings, I want to sleep.
4 FEBRUARY/FÉVRIER 2004 Bénévole de l’année # 1 : François Vary par Bruce Deachman (traduit par Chantal Poulin)
Imaginez la senteur : des poignées fon- pour Lawren Steventon au Brier en 1988. et à son leadership ». ans en ce qui a trait aux vestiaires, ce qui dues, ainsi que des trophées, un piano in- En 1994, Ferraro a décidé d’organiser un Ce leadership a débuté avec la forma- a permis de ramasser $2 000. Ils ont cinéré, des livres et des articles en pous- Bonspiel pour ses collègues industriels, tion du comité de reconstruction, alors vendu en commandite les poignées de sière. Une odeur désagréable de fils et a invité Vary à jouer. que Vary en était le président. En tout et pierre. Ils ont organisé une partie de balle électriques d’ordinateur cuits; une puan- « J’aime l’aspect social du curling, » a partout, plus de 22 réunions ont été molle contre une station de radio locale. teur de tapis donnant le vertige, des vête- dit Vary, « et en l’espace d’à peu près un nécessaires durant l’année, le club a réal- « Nous n’avons fait qu’une petite levée ments, des bulles de peinture, sans an, j’étais vraiment embarqué dedans. » isé qu’il devrait agir comme son propre de fonds avec ça, a dit Vary, mais le plus compter tous les autres articles; tous par- Juste avant le commencement de la sai- constructeur s’il voulait reconstruire avec important était de garder les gens en- tis en fumée, dans les flammes et finale- son 1996 – la 2e année pour Vary – le se- succès tout en respectant le budget semble». ment arrosés par les boyaux des pom- crétaire du club St-Lambert a donné sa disponible. Une autre de ses initiatives a été la l’in- piers. En un mot, près d’un demi-siècle démission, et leur conseil d’administra- « Nous devions faire des choix » a rap- stigation du mur des « Mercis », un d’histoire qui était perdu! tion, connaissant son expérience avec le pelé Vary. « Nous devions construire un présentoir qui permet de voir les 70 épin- Voilà la scène à laquelle François Vary club de tennis, lui a demandé de prendre club à un étage au lieu de deux. Nous glettes des clubs qui nous sont venus en a fait face au début de l’année 2002, alors la place. À partir de là, il ne s’agissait que avons dû sacrifier les boiseries que nous aide, autant par du côté matériel, que fi- qu’il inspectait les dommages causés par d’une question de temps, 2 ans comme avions à l’intérieur. « Il y a eu des sacri- nancière, ou simplement avec un support l’incendie du 6 janvier au club de curling membre directeur, suivi par une année à fices un peu partout, et nous avons dû moral. St-Lambert. la vice-présidence, pour devenir président courir les soldes ». « Nous avons envoyé des lettres per- Pour Vary, président de ce club de 3 par la suite. Il semblait y avoir des défis à tous les sonnelles à tous les clubs de l’Amérique glaces situé sur la rive sud du St-Laurent Et puis, tout à coup, après quelques coins de rues, et Vary, qui était celui qui du nord, dit Vary. « avec un dépliant leur à Montréal, les nouvelles ne pouvaient mois, au début de sa présidence, … pouf, parmi les membres du comité avait le démontrant les erreurs que nous avions pas être pires. La couverture d’assurance tout était parti, dans un gros nuage de moins d’expérience, a dû prendre les fait avant l’incendie, afin qu’ils ne fassent du club était totalement inadéquate, et fumée noire. choses en main. pas les mêmes erreurs que nous ». après avoir fait le bilan de la catastrophe, La cause du feu n’a jamais été déter- « En tout premier lieu, il y avait un défi « Durant la saison, le club de curling le mieux que nous pourrions recevoir minée, mais les effets ont été clairs. Les au niveau de la direction et de son Laurier de Victoriaville a organisé un était la somme de $ 700 000, à peu près murs ont tenu le coup, mais c’est tout ce monde », avait-il précisé. « Les gens tournoi et nous a donné la moitié des la moitié du coût d’estimation de rem- qu’il restait. Les seules choses que nous étaient très prêts à aider et à participer au revenus ». Le club Glenmore, dans placement pour l’évaluation de la bâtisse avons pu sauver ont été les tuyaux en projet, et nous avions un très bon Conseil l’ouest de Montréal, nous a donné $1 qui représentait la somme de dessous des glaces; l’emplacement a subi d’administration. Mais il est difficile de 000. Pointe-Claire a remplacé notre $ 1,4 million. des dommages causés par l’eau et la garder le « focus » sur toutes ces choses. trophée de champion du club. Un club Plusieurs membres, bien entendu, ont fumée intense, et devront être remplacés, Les gens étaient empressés de com- de l’Ontario nous a offert ses mini pier- alors trouvé d’autres clubs pour y jouer ainsi que les réservoirs de saumure. Les mencer et de faire des choses concrètes, res. ». temporairement, d’autres y sont restés sur salles des 2 étages et tout ce qu’ils conti- telles que de replacer des pierres, avec un Pendant ce temps, Vary a continué à une base permanente. Pourquoi? ennent ont été détruites. `Tout ce que le prêt ici et là, peu importe. Mais ça devait garder le contact avec les membres du Faisons face à la musique! Parce que club avait ramassé depuis sa fondation être fait d’une façon organisée et bien fait. club St-Lambert, en postant des lettres beaucoup aiment regarder un feu, mais en 1955, à l’exception de la loyauté des « Il y avait beaucoup à faire, et il y avait d’informations et en envoyant des cour- peu aimeront jouer à l’intérieur par la membres et leur bonne volonté, était beaucoup de décisions à prendre, et nous riels pour les informer des progrès du suite. parti. Et qui plus est, , malheureusement, avons besoin que tout le monde soit sur club . Pour Vary, cependant, quitter la scène plusieurs membres se sont joints à la même longueur d’onde ». « Reconstruire le club n’a pas été la fin ou radier le tout n’était pas une solution. d’autres clubs où ils ont pu jouer. Il n’y Mais diriger les gens, était seulement la de l’histoire », dit Vary. « Un fois que Il était déterminé, tout comme le aura pas suffisamment d’argent en prove- moitié des défis de Vary. Reconstruire un nous l’avons mis sur pied, nous avons dû mythique Phoenix qui surgit des cen- nance des assurances pour redonner ce club à partir de rien demande beaucoup rapatrier les membres et organiser un dres,… le club de curling St-Lambert que nous avons perdu, et qui pouvait dire d’expertise dans plusieurs différents demi saison, en d’autres mots, continuer serait encore l’hôte de bonspiels. Ce club quand, avec des si, … que le club pour- secteurs, et le faire dans un délai de moins à installer le club ». présenterait encore une atmosphère de rait fonctionner un jour. Les choses sem- d’un an demande que les choses soient Ses efforts ont porté fruits en ce qui camaraderie et un côté social qui a per- blaient vraiment très ternes. menées doucement et rapidement. concerne le « membership » chez les mis à cet établissement de devenir si pop- « Il était important de reconstruire, et « Construire un club de curling, avec adultes du club St-Lambert, alors qu’il ulaire pour ses membres. Il organisera nous devions le faire la plus rapidement les nouvelles normes et avoir à rencontr- avait baissé de 30% suite à l’incendie, au- encore un programme de petites pierres, possible, » a dit Vary. « Si nous laissons er toutes sortes de technologies ainsi que jourd’hui tout est revenu comme aupar- alors que ces dernières sont présentement passer une saison entière, nous étions toutes sortes de décisions en ce qui con- avant. Le programme junior, a même réduites à un amas de plastique fondu, sûrs que ça affecterait probablement le cerne les coûts, par exemple : quelle sorte augmenté de 30 membres de plus qu’a- afin de continuer à donner aux jeunes cet moral de nos membres. » de cuisinière allons-nous acheter, quelles vant le désastre, et il s’est mérité le titre de amour qu’ils ont pour notre sport. « Il y a d’autres clubs dans les environs, sortes d’ameublement ou quelle sorte de meilleur programme pour junior dans la Vary a tout fait ça, dans un laps de cependant aucun d’eux n’a tenté de rap- chauffage allons-nous avoir, tout ceci de- province l’an passé. temps absolument remarquable, sans atrier nos membres, ils étaient tout sim- vait être fait dans quelques mois », dit Vary est empressé de dire que le rajeu- augmenter la dette du club. Onze mois plement là! Nous aurions pu perdre da- Vary. nissement du club St-Lambert n’est pas après l’incendie et seulement 4 mois vantage de membres ». « Il y avait beaucoup à faire dans un le travail d’une seule personne, que tout avant la longue attente du règlement final « De plus, a-t-il ajouté, plus vous court laps de temps, et dans des secteurs ceci ne serait arrivé sans le support qu’il en ce qui a trait à la couverture des assur- prenez de temps pour rebâtir, plus il est inexplorés, ajouta Vary. « Nous avons dû a reçu. Soyons honnête, les faits sont là, ances, ce qui leur permettrait de com- difficile de conserver les bénévoles" » faire toutes sortes de choses pour la pre- il n’y aurait probablement pas eu de club mencer la reconstruction, les membres Et puis, tout comme il avait plongé les mière fois. Nous devions tous être d’ac- de curling à St-Lambert sans lui. du club St-Lambert sont revenus sur leur pieds devant dans notre sport il y a une cord et diriger nos efforts vers environ 60 « Il y a tellement de travail d’accompli propre glace. demi douzaines d’années auparavant, projets différents en même temps ». par les bénévoles dans plus de 1 200 François Vary est relativement un nou- Vary a pris sur lui-même de faire tout ce À partir du 11e mois de la dévastation clubs à travers la Canada., dit Varry, veau venu au curling. Le consultant spé- qu’il pouvait pour sauver le club de curl- jusqu’à sa reconstruction, Vary a dirigé et lorsqu’il a appris qu’il avait été choisi cialiste en divertissement de 52 ans, a ing St-Lambert. assisté à environ 45 réunions et s’est comme bénévole de l’année par jusqu’à ses 40 ans, été impliqué au ten- Selon un membre du club, Walter dévoué jusqu’à 20 heures par semaine l’Association canadienne de curling cette nis, en incluant ses 12 ans comme prési- Charron, « C’est une réalisation qui ne pour reconstruire le club de curling de St- année. « ¸Ça fait chaud au cœur et c’est dent d’un club de tennis. serait peut-être pas arrivée, si ça n’avait Lambert. Il a mené les négociations avec un grand honneur. Je vais flotter sur un Mais durant le milieu des années 1990, pas été de Vary ». « J’ai eu l’occasion de la compagnie d’assurances, pour recevoir nuage durant le reste des 9 mois et demi lui et son épouse étaient à la recherche visiter plusieurs clubs à travers le pays éventuellement la totalité du montant de de l’année ». d’un sport qu’ils pourraient jouer en- depuis les derniers 45 ans, dit-il, « En ser- la police. Il a traité avec plus de 15 dif- semble, quelque chose où ils pourraient vant le club de curling St-Lambert en tant férents constructeurs. partir de rien. Ils avaient regardé le curl- que directeur, puis président, ainsi que le « Les statistiques de l’histoire révèlent ing à la télévision, mais ils n’étaient pas club de curling Gouverneur et la « que l’adversité produit de grands leaders sûrs d’aimer ça. Canadian Branch of R.C.C.C. », tout ça » dit Charron. « et c’est ce qui s’est pro- m’a donné une vision et une appréciation duit dans le cas de St-Lambert ». Par le biais de son travail, cependant, des défis vers lesquels François Vary avait Vary a également organisé une cam- Vary connaissait Marco Ferraro, (des à faire face. pagne de levée de fonds et un comité blocs de départ Marco), un ancien com- « La reconstruction du club de curling d’installations. Il a mis sur pied un plan pétiteur qui avait joué au poste de 2e St-Lambert est due largement à ses efforts pour offrir aux membres un bail de 10
5 FEBRUARY/FÉVRIER 2004
opportunity to see this caliber of curling.” Volunteer of the But McLean’s efforts at Highlander go deeper. He serves on the Ice Committee and, with a group of adult and junior as- Year #3: Paul McLean sistants, is the person out there shaving, sweeping, pebbling and flooding the ice. By Bruce Deachman He was instrumental in having inserts put in their rocks, also implementing the rock among other positions, president of the three-sheet club, it is. sponsorship program that paid to have Dartmouth Curling Club. He was in- “It was quite a balancing act,” recalls that done. volved in the Brier, while at Highlander, McLean. “But we got through it, and that And he gave St. Andrews curlers an op- the fiercest competition you’d see at the was the club’s first taste of a competitive portunity to play competitively at the curling rink was a friendly draw-from- event.” club level, forming the club’s first fixed- the-board. They hadn’t ever held an McLean continued working with team league. ‘event’ there, and they weren’t sending Dominic Daemen’s junior team, taking “When I got here,” says McLean, “there It’s a classic story, really, one used in teams to provincials. them to numerous competitive ‘spiels, was no competitive curling. You’d go, everything from fiction novels to western Then one day, McLean showed up, zone playdowns and Canada Games sign up for the night, draw names out of movies to romance tales. with his wife, Sharon, and two kids, qualifiers. Last February, he coached them a hat and that was your team. A stranger shows up in some little town Robby and Shannon, in tow. to Nova Scotia’s Under-17 title, and fol- “I said, ‘This is crazy. This is why you’re somewhere. The locals might be suspi- He was the new manager of the lowed that three months later with a win losing members.’ That’s fine when you cious at first; the way he does things, well, Antigonish Mall, but chose to live in St. at the Atlantic Junior men’s champi- have a new club and nobody’s ever curled it just ain’t the way things are done here. Andrews to be near the club. He and onships in Summerside, PEI. before. But when you’ve curled for four Soon, though, they’ve warmed up to him Sharon signed up to curl in the Sunday- “(Paul) takes great care to show these or five years, you’d have maybe a dozen a little, and they’re thinking, well, maybe night mixed league, and Robby, along boys the importance of giving back,” says players that were good enough to want to we could try it that way. And before too with his Level-1 coaching dad, began tak- Highlander’s past-president, Garrett be on a regular team.” long, they’re darn near deputizing him, ing part in the club’s junior program. Juurlink. “His players are becoming won- Still, McLean faced some opposition they like him so much. What followed was a steady blossom- derful volunteers in the community from a membership that had, up until Meet Paul McLean, a cowpoke who ing, as McLean sometimes almost un- under Paul’s lead.” then, been entirely non-competitive. “But rode into St. Andrews, NS, five years ago wittingly added one piece after another, “His coaching made other clubs take we convinced them to set one night aside and changed the way they curl there. transforming the once-sleepy back- notice when a Highlander team arrived and try it,” he says, “and now we have a Now you have to understand, St. bencher into a vital force in Atlantic to play.” competitive night with eight teams.” Andrews, just a few kilometres south-east Canada’s curling scene. Culminating in Meanwhile, with McLean’s help, some On top of it all, he’s also the fifth man of Antigonish, is a small town. When his selection as runner-up CCA of the best curlers in the Maritimes, in- and coach of Kevin White’s men’s team, they built their three-sheet Highlander Volunteer-of-the-Year, the 45-year-old cluding Russ Howard, Sean Adams and which qualified this year for provincial Curling Club in 1991, they couldn’t find McLean left his prints on every aspect of Paul Flemming, started showing up at playdowns, finishing second in zones to the big corporate bucks they needed, so the game in St. Andrews, from the once- Highlander. Flemming, and was elected last year to 160 community minded investors each a-week recreational curler on up to the A local building supply company want- Highlander’s board of directors, where he ponied up smaller bucks, and they pret- top. ed to sponsor a bonspiel, and they asked serves now as second vice-president. ty much put the whole thing up with From working with juniors, McLean McLean to chair the event. And so was According to club president Harry only volunteer help. Much like a barn- soon found himself coordinating the born the Central Home Improvement Daemen, “Paul McLean is so interwoven raising, really, only it took a little longer hosting of the PANS (Police Association Hammer Classic, which offers close to into every aspect of the Highlander than a weekend. of Nova Scotia) March Break event, an $20,000 in prize money, is now one of Curling Club fabric of volunteers, that it At that time, Paul McLean was annual competition of under-17 curlers. the stops on the Atlantic Curling Tour. is hard to separate his leader and do-er doing his curling in the big city If it seems a daunting task to arrange for “Without Paul’s tireless effort,” Juurlink qualities. Underlying and driving his con- Halifax/Dartmouth, where he served as, 50 teams to play a four-day bonspiel at a notes, “our members would not have the tributions is the basic love for the sport.”
CURL ATLANTIC SPRING SYMPOSIUM 2004 “INVESTING IN YOUR CLUB’S FUTURE”
Continued from page 1
5.Club Insurance / Liability / Property Taxes 3.Volunteering – our valuable workforce C. Learning • e-mail newsletters – everyone • do you have suitable coverage • creating an effective volunteer 1.Corporate Days / Charity Events reads them and are you paying too much? plan; • how to take advantage of this 4.Adult Intermediate Development • what is Directors and Officers • recruiting much needed help; new trend in corporate recre- • golfers, regardless of handicap, coverage • “paying” our volunteers for ation and charity fundraisers can get instruction to improve • property Taxes – how to ensure their work 2.Show me the money! their game. Now curlers of all you are paying your fair share. 4.Junior and School Programs • how to write effective & suc- skill levels can too! We will • who is responsible to deliver cessful sponsorship proposals show you how to implement B. People programs for our teenagers? • hosting championships – the and deliver an effective pro- 1. Recruiting New Customers • key components of a successful pros and cons gram for your members. • are we missing out on new junior program • where are the grants that can 5.The “How To Guide for Little Rocks” markets? • how to partner with schools for help your club and how to (or youth curling) • how to design an effective effective and ‘lucrative’ programs write the application • everything you need to know recruiting campaign • safety issues 3.Technology and how it affects the busi- to organize and operate and • sealing the deal 3.Board Governance ness of curling successful Little Rock Program 2.Retention or ‘Keeping What We • what type of Board of Directors • membership databases – why To register your club, contact Worked So Hard To Get’ should we be? you need them Karen Ouellette, regional development • what is customer service • roles & responsibilities • web site design – their value coordinator for Curl Atlantic, at • orientation – a new buzz word • committee structures as an information and market- [email protected] or call • 5 Effective Steps to Retention • duty of care ing tool 1-902-463-8847.
6 FEBRUARY/FÉVRIER 2004
On the road again. Going home from Deer Lake, Nl (Oct '03); Guy will log more than 40,000 miles this year.
Anxious young curlers getting their first lesson (Chicoutimi, Qc - Dec '03)
Guy feels strongly about visiting senior residences to say hello and meeting big Gerald Shymko versus Guy Hemmings. A television fans of our sport (North Battleford, Sk - Nov '03) A club full at the Quesnel CC in British replay of the 1999 Brier semi-final. Rumour Columbia (Jan '04) has it, the Green Giant extracted a bit of revenge!! Guy is standing on the end boards by the way. (North Battleford, Sk - Nov '03)
My first slide...and not my last!! (Chicoutimi, Qc - Dec '03) An on-ice battle with members of the Virginiatown CC in Northern Ontario (Oct '03)
A visit to the school in North Battleford. The Hemmings Tour has been fortunate to have visited thousands of elementary and high school Young curlers in Englehart CC in students since 2001. Northern Ontario(Oct '03)
7 FEBRUARY/FÉVRIER 2004
The Sandra Schmirler Foundation Space for Danny has a new pin for sale in 2004. It is only $5 MultiCast and your purchase of this pin will help this important foundation achieve its mission. Networks The Sandra Schmirler Foundation was created in January, 2000 as a legacy to Sandra in recognition and celebration of her love of family. The realization of this idea was a Inc. (MCN) collaborative effort by the Canadian Curling Association, Scott Paper Limited (founding sponsor of the Scott MultiCast Networks Inc. (MCN) a lead- Tournament of Hearts), family and friends. Working hand in hand, ing sports and entertainment web stream- the Foundation’s mission is to help families with children ing solution provider, in co-operation challenged by life threatening illnesses. with the Canadian Curling Association will be providing a global, web-casting Since its inception, the Foundation has proactively provided Pay-Per-View package for the Nokia Brier support to charities that are interfacing with the lives of families in being held in Saskatoon, Sk, March 6th need. to 14th, 2004. MCN Sports will be web- To order your pin, casting the event using the highest qual- call Joanne at 1-800-550-2875 (108) ity of Internet technology, showcasing an or e-mail to [email protected]. exciting brand of world-class curling at Canada’s premier curling event. MCN offers unprecedented simplified stream- ing solutions “as a service”, so media, sports and entertainment content Best Western International is a supplier providers have ready access to the power to the CCA's Season of Champions and to and technology they need, whenever they the Guy Hemmings Rockin' the House need it. “The excitement and quality of competition displayed at the Continental Tour. In cooperation with the Canadian Cup of Curling tournament will be de- Curling Association, they have designed livered throughout the world at a very af- the Member Value Program for the benefit fordable price through our exclusive SX4 of all Canadian curlers and their families. (v.2) software and delivery model” said Marc Brunet, President and CEO of As a member of the Canadian Curling Association, you are entitled to MCN. savings up to 20% at more than 4000 Best Western hotels To sign up for streaming of the 2004 Nokia Brier, look for this logo worldwide... each featuring the service and amenities you want at a price you're willing to pay.
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Editor - Danny Lamoureux, Canadian Curling Association • 1660 Vimont Court, Cumberland, ON K4A 4J4 1-800-550-2875 (106) toll free in Canada only • 1-613-823-2076 (106) all others • 1-613-834-0716 facsimile [email protected] • www.curling.ca
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