Contents

Royal Club Officials & Headquarters Staff ...... 3 In Memoriam ...... 5 Membership of the Royal Caledonian Club ...... 6 Current Membership ...... 6 New Clubs ...... 6 Resigned Clubs ...... 6 Clubs that have completed 100 years continuous affiliation ...... 6 Clubs that have completed 150 years continuous affiliation ...... 6 Members who have been awarded 50 year medals ...... 6 Teams who have been awarded Eight-Ender Awards ...... 7 Reports ...... 9 Board ...... 9 Finance ...... 9 Areas Standing Committee ...... 10 Ladies Standing Committee ...... 11 Club and Member Development ...... 12 Coaching ...... 14 Competitions ...... 15 International Relations ...... 16 Marketing & Communications ...... 17 Performance ...... 18 Results of Royal Club Competitions ...... 22 Performance of Scottish Teams in International Competitions ...... 26

Photo credits on the front cover: World Women’s Curling Championships: WCF / Richard Gray World Junior Women’s Curling Championships: WCF / Richard Gray World Junior Men’s Curling Championships: WCF / Richard Gray World Men’s Curling Championship: CCA / Michael Burns

2

Royal Club Officials & Headquarters Staff A Company Limited by Guarantee with a share capital Registered in under Company Number SC232571

FOUNDED 1838

Patron HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN

Honorary Members HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH G ROY SINCLAIR

President WILLIAM DUNCAN (Bank of Scotland – Perth & District)

Vice-President ALAN DURNO (Fochabers)

Board of Directors

WILLIAM DUNCAN (Bank of Scotland – Perth & District) President WILLIAM NICOLL (Bank of Scotland Fife) Chairman BRUCE CRAWFORD (Abbotsford Curling Society) Chief Executive Officer KAY GIBB (Northern Lights) Director TREVOR DODDS Oxenfoord) Director ROBERT KELLY (Reform) Director CATHERINE MCLEAN (Aberlady) Director GRAHAM MCWIGGAN (Beechnuts) Director

Honorary Vice-Presidents L McINESS (Canadian Branch RCCC) G KRAILO (Grand Curling Club of America)

Past President Patrick Edington (Boswall)

3

Headquarter Staff

Chief Executive Officer BRUCE CRAWFORD

Office Manager Development Manager SUZY WAKEFIELD (Clubs & Juniors) JUDITH MCFARLANE

Finance Manager Development Manager ALASTAIR A HIBBERT¹ (Adult & Disability)

Administration Officer National Coaching Officer MARGARET MACKAY LYNNE MACKENZIE

Administration Officer High Performance Coach JOAN YOUNG¹ NANCY SMITH²

Marketing Officer Assistant Performance Coach STUART MCLEAN BRAD ASKEW

Marketing Assistant Competitions Manager TALHA ISHAN COLIN HAMILTON

¹ Part-time ² Also based at sportscotland institute of sport

Other Officials & Advisors

Chaplain REV WILLIAM HOLLAND (New Abbey)

Company Secretary & Legal Adviser COLIN LIDDELL BA (Oxon), LLB, WS J & H Mitchell WS

Independent Accountants THOMSON COOPER

Representatives to International Federations European & World Curling Federations

HEW CHALMERS (Stoneykirk)

MIKE FERGUSON (Edzell)

EDITH LOUDON (Airleywight Ladies)

4

In Memoriam (Names as supplied at the time of issuing)

CLUB NAME Abdie Ladies ISOBEL FERGUSON Aberdeen / Past President PHILIP DAWSON Aberdeen Ladies BETTY MILNE AWW DAVID MILLAR Belmont Ladies CHRISTINE STEWART Broomhall GEORGE HENDRY Cadder JA RUTHERFORD Cairngorm Ladies JEANIE FINLAYSON Cambo JOHN LAIRD Corstorphine WILLIAM ROY Corstorphine Ladies SHEENA PETTIGREW Craigielands DOUGLAS MURRAY Cumnock & District JEAN HOWAT Dalgety Bay JOAN WRIGHT Edinburgh Ladies MORAG COLLEE Falkirk SID COOPER, DAVID FERGUSON, RICHARD HOTCHKISS Fifteen Club JEAN TAYLOR Fingask JOHN BRYDEN, ANDREW MILLAR Foulden ALISTAIR DAVIDSON Ladies MARGARET GOW, LAURA HEATON Glenrothes GEORGINA SNEDDON, DEREK WILSON Gogar Park DAVID DONALDSON Heart of the Highlands IAIN CONACHER Hercules Ladies JESSIE PAUL Highland WT CAMPBELL MACLACHAN Holywood JOHN NEILSON Inverkeithing DEREK PEARSON Kingsmills SIMON JONES Kinross Wheelchair KENNETH DICKSON Leven JOHN RAMSAY Limekiln Loch STEWART MAXWELL Loch Connell ROBERT GRIERSON Lothian Ladies MARY ALLISON Old Grammarians GEORGE BAGOT Orwell BOB DUGUID Orwell Ladies TINKY WELLWOOD Partick ALEX DALLAS, JOHN WP JOHNSON Parton SAMUEL CALLANDER Pitlessie TOM NEILSON, IAN WAUGH Raith & Abbotshall HARRY BEGG Raith & Abbotshall Ladies RUBY CHRISTIE, MAY STARK Sorn MORAG CLARK Stoneykirk WILLIAM FINDLAY Stranraer Ice Rink CLEM HOSKING Stratheden SANDY MATTHEW Thornton GEORGE SLOAN, MARJORY SLOAN Watsonian KEN DUNBAR Wigtown RT CANNON

5

Membership of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club

Current Membership 627 Affiliated Local Clubs 12, 804 Associate Members

New Clubs Buccaneers Fife Flare McLaren High School Cairn Fife Ice Arena After Schools Nairn Academy Clydeview Academy George Heriot FP Rephad Primary School Dundee Junior Highland Virtual Stranraer Ice Rink Wheelchair Elgin Academy Inverclyde Academy

Resigned Clubs Cairndow Drymsynie Ladies Craigmount High School Perthshire Medical

Clubs that have completed 100 years continuous affiliation Edinburgh Clubs that have completed 150 years continuous affiliation None

Members who have been awarded 50 year medals Name Club Chrissie Fenton Breadalbane Killin John Phillips St Fillans, Gartmore & Strathendrick Robert Smellie Shotts, Bathgate, Carrington J Walter Brown Penicuik David Birse Catterthun Alexander Strachan Catterthun John Steel Cambo Raymond Denholm Musselburgh John Miller Catterthun, Panmure Colin Alloa Prince of Wales, Broomhall Charles Binnie Panmure Ann Turnbull Cambo Ladies Robert Ferguson Penninghame Ian Terris Broomhall

6

Teams who have been awarded Eight-Ender Awards Team Club Played at Competition Katie Wright Leswalt Dumfries Dumfries Lauren Morgan Limekiln Loch Ice Bowl Lions Jenni Cannon Wigtown Rachel Mills Glasserton

Trevor Dodds Oxenfoord Murrayfield Torphican Scott Baird Mid Calder Curling Broom Alistair McFarlane Mid Calder Colin Campbell Gogar Park

Bryce Smith Coulter Lanarkshire Lawrie Hugh P. Jackson Coulter Ice Rink Trophy Jack Wright Coulter Tom Moffat Coulter

Margaret White Ayr Stranraer Scottish Robert White Ayr Ice Rink Gold Cup David McIntyre Troon Frank McHugh Stranraer Ice Rink

Richard Dickson Auchterarder Dewars Centre Rink Stuart Stark Auchterarder Perth Championship Adam Haggart Auchterarder Marc Haggart Auchterarder

Margaret Agnew Sorn Ayr Morton Sheila Kennedy Sorn Ice Rink Trophy Catherine McCubbin Sorn Katrina Geddes Crosshill

David M. Whyte Gourock Waterfront Campbell John C. McCall Gourock Leisure Cup James K. Wise Gourock Complex Tim Forrester Gourock

Sheila Glendinning Nithsdale Ladies Dumfries Barbours Nancy Gallacher Nithsdale Ladies Ice Bowl Bonspiel Anne Templeton Nithsdale Ladies Margaret Harvey Nithsdale Ladies

7

Teams who have been awarded Eight-Ender Awards Team Club Played at Competitions Nicé Muir Edinburgh B.M.A Ladies Murrayfield Pearson Rosie Wild Edinburgh B.M.A Ladies Curling Cup Lynne Watt Edinburgh B.M.A Ladies Patricia McLure Edinburgh B.M.A Ladies

Kathie Cameron Perth Ladies Dewars Centre Norrie Miller Rita Drysdale Perth Ladies Perth Trophy Anne Sidey Perth Ladies Maureen Gordon Airleywight Ladies

George Esson Aberdeen & District Rotary Curl Rotary Tim Stevenson Aberdeen & District Rotary Aberdeen League Ian Flett Aberdeen & District Rotary Alistair Thom Aberdeen & District Rotary

John Penny Jnr. Meldrum & Daviot Curl Dick Fleming Andrew Dolman Meldrum & Daviot Aberdeen Communications Ryan Craik Meldrum & Daviot Super League David Hibberd Meldrum & Daviot

Elma Sturgeon Duntocher Ladies Greenacres Torrance Julie Briggs Glasgow Ladies Trophy Wilma Graham Bearsden Anne Monteith Duntocher Ladies

8

Reports

Board

This last year, the Board has continued to govern and manage the sport in line with the four year Strategic Plan 2011-15. This has been achieved by working with staff and volunteers across all of the areas of operations.

A number of our policies and procedures have been reviewed to ensure that we operate effectively and to the best of our abilities. A key development has been the progress on equity and protection of vulnerable groups (not just children).

The elusive Grand Match, on outdoor ice, continues to evade us. Despite early frosts and heavy snowfalls, the ice depth did not reach levels required for outdoor curling. We are working closely with the authorities and emergency services and hope to be ready for the day when conditions are good enough.

We continue to offer advice and support for ice rinks around the country facing the challenges of increasing energy costs and the requirement to upgrade cooling plant to the 2015 environmental standards that eliminate the use of R22 chemicals. We have played a role in bringing future international competitions to Scotland, particularly European Mixed Curling Championships to Edinburgh in September 2013 and World Seniors and Mixed Doubles to Dumfries in April 2014. We hope that these events will help to raise the profile of the sport and attract new people to enjoy our game.

Our staff provide a great service for our members, in the office and around the rinks. This year Morven Bruce (CDO Inverness) left the organisation and we appreciate her contribution to the development of curing in the highlands and wish her every success for her future. We were joined in January by Talha Ihsan as Marketing Assistant and he is proving to be a valuable member of the team.

The partnership working with the RCCC Charitable Trust has centred around the fundraising for the restoration of the “Grand Match at Linlithgow Loch” painting by Charles Lees and advancing the disability curling work that we have been delivering across a number of ice rinks.

The board has worked effectively with our valued members, committees, partners and sponsors in pursuit of our vision “that curling is a game that is played and enjoyed in communities across Scotland, renowned for its proud history, traditions and great friendships.” We look forward to take forward our plans for an exciting year as our 175th and one that includes the Olympic and .

Willie Nicoll Bruce Crawford Chairman Chief Executive Officer

Finance

Following successive years of small net surpluses and operational deficits, several areas came together in 2012/2013 for us to end the year with a comfortable surplus that will help to restore the financial strength of the Royal Club.

9

Management & Administration costs have been cut, through the introduction of more efficient working practices that have allowed a reduction in the total hours worked by staff. For example, since 2010 administration staff salaries have been reduced by almost £20,000. We have also reviewed our long term contracts for office equipment and these have been terminated wherever possible e.g. we disposed of our franking machine in August 2012 which cost over £2,000pa. We now use an independent mailing company who collect our mail and frank it for us at no extra cost. Overheads directly attributable to administration have been reduced by over £33,000 since 2009.

Elsewhere, direct costs attributable to Development activities have gone down by £22,000 and those attributable to Performance by £32,000. In part this has been due to overly cautious budgeting for competitions in Sochi, where the worst case scenario did not occur. The cost of international competitions was down by approximately £12,000 which reversed the situation seen in 2011 when the cost of international competitions soared by £48,000 compared to the previous year. Looking ahead we forecast a more challenging year in our 175th, with Olympic and Paralympic Games being a catalyst for new programmes to raise the profile of the sport and attract more people into curling.

To summarise, the Royal Club has had a good year but we do not expect these favourable conditions to persist. It has been nice to anticipate a surplus in 2013 instead of worrying about whether we would break even or suffer another operational loss. We continue to look for savings wherever practical and obtain best value for our members.

Alastair Hibbert Bruce Crawford Finance Manager Chief Executive Officer

Areas Standing Committee

This committee consists of two representatives from each of the 10 designated Royal Caledonian Curling Club areas, and provides the main contact link between the members and the Board. Unfortunately, Area 6 continued to only provide one member, but I am hopeful that this will be rectified in time for the new season beginning.

We continued to hold regular meetings of the committee, plus two joint meetings with the Ladies Standing Committee and members of the Board. However, with a number of the committee members being selected for the Strathcona Cup Tour to Canada in January/February 2013, there were fewer meetings than in the previous year.

As has been the practice, most of the members continue to be involved in one or more of the sub- committees, dependent upon their interest and skills, and these sub-committees which have either a Board or ASC member as their Chair, have had a varying number of meetings throughout the year, as required.

Throughout the year there are a number of events that take place with curling at its heart. Firstly the Priestfield Cup which allows the LSC to match up against the ASC, and this year saw a dramatic final stone which decided the winner and retained the trophy for the ASC. Close to Christmas, two rinks were fielded against The Royal Company of Archers at Murrayfield Curling, and the ASC came out on top in a very close match. Finally the annual Tamnavulin Trophy match against Area 10 was held in Perth in February, and this year the trophy changed hands giving the ASC a clean sweep of the silverware.

10

A major disappointment was the lack of a frost over the winter months, sufficient to have allowed a Grand Match.

The Royal Club were also asked to step up by one year to host the Four Nations curling competition which was held at Ayr Ice Rink, as Ireland had been hopeful that they might have had an ice rink outside Dublin available for the 2014 competition, but this has not come to fruition. Whilst the Ladies managed to win the Connie Miller Trophy, all of the other pieces of silverware ended up with the other Home Nations.

In conjunction with Board and LSC members, a sub-committee has been formed to review the infrastructure of the Royal Club and to establish if the structure is fit for purpose in these fast moving times, as good communication becomes a core requirement. This group has met on a couple of occasions, and is formulating its draft findings at present.

During the year, the tartan designed and chosen by the Strathcona Cup tourists was registered as the official tartan of the Royal Caledonian Curling Club after confirmation by the Board – and talking of the Strathcona Cup Tour to Canada 2013, 61 intrepid travellers set off on 9th January on a 25 day trip of lifetime, and returned successful, by regaining the Trophy by 255 shots.

A sub-committee has also been looking at other means of raising the shortfall of funds to complete the restoration of the Lees Painting, but good news was received which confirms that a bequest has been received, which along with a donation from the Royal Club’s Charitable Trust, will allow the restoration work to begin.

At this time I would like to thank the ASC members who complete their 4 year involvement, for their hard work and input to the committee and various sub-committees.

The Area Representatives have represented the ASC at many curling and social events throughout the country over the last 12 months, and I would like to thank all of them for their hard work and assistance. I would also like to thank Jenny Bain, Ladies President, and Alan Durno, my Vice President, for standing in at a number of events when I was abroad representing the Royal Club, and to members of the LSC who also assisted.

The ASC and Board of the Royal Club have worked well together over the last 12 months, and I must say a big thank you to all of the staff at Cairnie House for their help and support throughout the year.

Bill Duncan President

Ladies Standing Committee

Over the past year the Ladies Standing Committee members have continued to represent our lady curlers of Scotland at our meetings throughout the season. Representatives also sit on a number of Royal Club Committees and communicate information gained, and given at these meetings back to the LSC and then to their local centres. This continues to be very effective. Our Ladies Branch competitions were organised and run successfully. They included the Ladies Branch Bonspiel, the Unders & Overs, the Henderson Bishop Trophy, and the Morton Trophy.

We have had two joint meetings with the Board and the Areas Standing Committee where we discussed relevant topics on the future structure of the Royal Club and its aim on communication.

11

The invitation from the Swedish Curling Association last season was circulated in all centres and applications were received to fill the 16 places available. The successful applicants will be off to Sweden in November for a 10 day friendship tour.

As Ladies Branch President, I have attended Junior summer camps, as many home competitions as physically possible, spoken at curlers courts, and curlers dinners. I also had the pleasure and honour to present medals and prizes at the World Junior Curling Championships in Sochi, Russia, where we came home with the boy's winning Gold and the girls winning Silver medals. I then went straight to Riga, Latvia to attend the World Women’s Curling Championships. Again I was honoured to present the Scottish women’s team of , , Vicki Adams, and with their Gold Medals. I was unable to attend the World Senior Curling Championships in Fredericton, Canada, but our women’s team put in a strong performance, finishing fourth overall. I was delighted that Scotland retained the Connie Miller Trophy at the Four Nations. Ladies Branch continues to support young curlers, the Unders & Overs with competition prizes, Gold Medallist with gifts, and championship brooches for the winners for the Co-operative Funeralcare Scottish Women’s Championship. We continue to raise funds by selling our merchandise at centres throughout Scotland. None of this would be possible without our volunteers who make up our LSC, ASC and the Board, a big thank you to all. I have been very proud of all our team’s achievements and their hard work this year and also the friendship they have shown me, it just shows how much strength we have in our Scottish Curling at the moment. To finish I would like to wish our 16 Lady Tourists to Sweden all the best and hope they have a great tour in November 2013 from all at Ladies Branch.

Jenny Bain Ladies Branch President

Club and Member Development

Curling’s Cool 16 Curling Rinks delivered the Curling’s Cool Programme this season with 5060 Children from 199 Primary Schools participating.

TryCurling 109 TryCurling sessions have been provided by 17 Ice Rinks this season with 815 people participating in the sport for the first time.

Development of Junior Curlers Junior Membership – 1,118 Junior Members in 21 affiliated Local Clubs.

 Skill Awards: 421 Awards have been achieved with an increasing number at metallic levels including 14 Gold this season.  Skill Awards Challenge Trophy: 12 teams competed, many thanks to Dumfries Ice Bowl for hosting this event.  U13 and U15 Funspiels: Regional Qualifiers were organised via the Curling Development Officer Network with the winners representing their region at the National Finals in Braehead. Congratulations to the winning teams from Dumfries (U13) and Forfar (U15).  Asham U14 Slam: Following its successful introduction last season this competition has increased to include 3 events with 18 Teams competing for the top prize.

12

 U17 Slam: This competition continues to flourish and is a great asset to our junior development programme. This season 37 teams competed over 6 events to win the top prize of places at the WCF Junior Camp.  Newcomers Trophy: The maximum entry of 72 U16 curlers was achieved on an individual basis. The Newcomers encourages junior curlers to mix with curlers from other areas and is positively received.  Summer Camps: The RCCC Junior Summer Camps (13-17 years), were fully subscribed both being met with positive feedback.  Scottish Student Curling: 6 teams competing in the League and 10 Teams at the Universities Championships.

Local Partnerships  Curling Development Officers: Currently we part-fund 9 Curling Development Officers covering 11 Curling Rinks.  Partnerships: In addition to our CDO Network we have partnership agreements with 4 Curling Rinks and are working with Development Groups to establish collaborative action plans.

Schools There were 52 entries for the Scottish Schools Championships; the finals were hosted at Murrayfield Curling Rink and were won by Kelso High School.

Disability Disability Clubs - The number of affiliated Disability Curling Clubs has increased to 11 this season with the introduction of Stranraer Club. Membership of these clubs has risen by 5%.

 Wheelchair TryCurling: Forfar Indoor Sports hosted a Wheelchair TryCurling event this season with 16 participants trying Curling for the first time. Waterfront also scheduled Wheelchair events but unfortunately they were not supported.  SWCA Spokes Development Squad: This Programme aims to support with the prospect to progress to the World Class Programme. 8 athletes were selected this season and received coaching and support at Squad Days and additional regional sessions.

Seminars and Camps  Seminars: 8 seminars involving 231 curlers were delivered this season in partnership with Ladies Centres, Development Groups and Facilities.  Adult Camp: Another successful Adult Curling Camp was held at Kinross with 20 participants. The Camp again attracted curlers from out-with Scotland with participants from England and Spain attending.  Virtual Clubs: Virtual Clubs provide exposure to the rudiments of a fully affiliated Curling Club to new curlers with the addition of coaching advice and assistance on a regular basis. Currently there are 9 Virtual Clubs affiliated to the RCCC.  Virtual Club Bonspiel: Affiliated Virtual Clubs are eligible to enter teams into the annual Virtual Clubs Bonspiel. This season 16 teams competed at Braehead with Kinross retaining the title.

Judith McFarlane Sheila Swan Development Manager Development Manager (CDO Network, Junior & Club) (Adult & Disability)

13

Coaching

Highlights  All courses were advertised and for registration through the Royal Club website in July prior to the season and the online payment system offered.  We currently have 1,052 active coaches registered on the RCCC database.  955 coaches are actively qualified.  115 upgraded / trained this season.  The Royal Club achieved UKCC endorsement for the level 2 Technical Coach qualification.  7 Assistant Coach courses were delivered with 69 attending  4 Technical Coach courses were delivered with 16 attending  2 CPD opportunities were delivered; o the Introduction Wheelchair curling module with 8 attending o a 2 day event for Royal Club Academy and Talent programme coaches  RCPO training session – further training for new & existing, summer 2013.  PVG signatories, currently processing applications – further training scheduled for retrospective checking in summer 13.  The third annual coaches Gathering was a repeated success

Coaching Committee: The Royal Club Coaching Committee has met regularly throughout the season with minutes available via Royal Club website.

The Coaches Gathering: The Coaching Committee decided to repeat the Coaches Gathering, a free social event for coaches held during the Scottish Championships, on the 16th Feb in Perth. The main theme of the Gathering this year was the celebration of the UKCC endorsement for the level 2 Technical Coach qualification. The gathering also provided an opportunity to thank, Ena Stevenson for the years she has dedicated to the development of coaches. Over 70 coaches from all areas attended and positive feedback was received.

Anti-doping: The Royal Club Anti-doping Education Strategy, submitted to UKAD, endorsed in August, was implemented throughout the season. In addition, five Scottish athletes registered in the International registered testing pool required support to ensure that they were ADAMS system compliant.

Rink Child Protection Officers (RCPOs): Recruitment and training of RCPOs is on-going.

Disclosure checking of coaches: The PVG scheme is being utilised to vet all new and upgrading coaches. The retrospective checking will begin after signatory training planned for summer 13.

Communication: Positive feedback has been received for the RCCC Coaches Newsletter, which is distributed electronically bi-annually and for the new improvements to the coaching pages of the website, particularly the downloadable resources.

Acknowledgements: Finally I would like to thank all the coaches for donating their time to our sport, the members of the RCCC CC, staff at Cairnie House, in particular Joan Young and Margaret MacKay, and all who have assisted throughout this very busy and productive season.

A full detailed report is available to download, from the Royal Club Coaching Committee webpage. A printed version is available from the office upon request.

Lynne MacKenzie National Coaching Officer

14

Competitions

Results from this season’s competitions:

The first competition for season 2012/13 was the Scottish Mixed Senior Championship played at Stranraer. Congratulations go to David Clydesdale and his team on winning this competition for the first time. They defeated Trevor Dodds’ team in the final. We thank McMillan Hotels for their continued support of the event.

The Scottish Province Championship was played at Greenacres. Loch Leven (Kinross) defeated Moray (Nairn CC) in the final which was played on good ice. The Low-road was won by Central (Kerr CC).

The Scottish Mixed Doubles was played a Perth due to a clash of dates and the winners were Bruce Mouat and .

The Junior Challenge: D1 & D2 played at Murrayfield Curling and the trophy was retained by Stranraer. D2 was won by Hamilton A Juniors. D3 was played at Dumfries and was won by Aberdeen Juniors. Both ice rinks produced very good ice.

The Scottish Junior Championships were a great success. The ice at Aberdeen was very good and this made for great curling. and her team retained the Women’s final defeating Tasha Aitken. and his team retained the Men’s final against . The only game that Grant lost was the final game; they had already beaten Kyle twice during the competition.

The Scottish Senior Finals were a great success. The ice at Lanarkshire had a bit more draw this season. In the final David Hay and his team defeated Ken Horton and his team. This was a tight final with David coming out on top. Christine Cannon and her team won the Women’s event defeating Gwen Prentice with a steal at the last.

The Co-operative Funeralcare Scottish Men’s Championship: The Final was played between the teams of ( ) and . Congratulations go to Tom on winning the title for the third year in a row.

The Co-operative Funeralcare Scottish Women’s Championship: Eight teams played a round robin. Eve Muirhead and her team defeated Hannah Fleming in the final. It was nice to see our Junior Champions holding their own against a more experienced team.

6,000 watched the Finals live on the WEB.

The ice was very good thanks to Paul Martin and his Perth icemen who worked hard to make this happen.

The Rink Championship: Congratulations go to Adrian White and his Fothringham Club team on winning the Rink Championship played at and supported by Forfar Indoor Sports. They defeated Iain Watt and his Dunning Club team. The players were given very good ice to play on.

The National Masters finals were played at and supported by Greenacres Curling Rink. Congratulations go to Margaret Robertson and her team on winning the Women’s competition; they defeated Annette MacDonald’s team. In the Men’s Final George Delgaty and his team defeated Jim Stevenson. The Ice conditions were good.

15

The Scottish Schools were played at Murrayfield Curling and were won by the Kelso High team skipped by Cameron Bryce. They defeated Stranraer Academy team skipped by Bobby Lammie. The ice conditions were good. The standard of play was very encouraging for the future.

The Scottish Pairs Finals supported by McMillan Hotels were played at Stranraer. Ross McCleary and Craig Gudmundsson defeated Brian Thomson and Ryan Asher.

The Scottish Mixed at Aberdeen was a great success. The ice at Aberdeen was very keen, with a nice draw. The curling was of a very high standard. Congratulations go to Ewan MacDonald and his team on retaining their title. They defeated David Mundell and his team.

The Under 17 Slam: and his team won the Under 17 slam. In the Girls section, Abi Brown and her team were top. These two teams received an entry to the WCF summer training camp in Fussen. This year the competition was supported by 30 teams.

Rules Changes: Some changes may be introduced in the system of play for this coming season. Finally, I would like to say thank you to everyone who has helped in any way: Office staff, umpires, helpers, ice staff, bar staff.

Colin Hamilton Competitions Manager

International Relations

This year has seen considerable progress across a number of areas in which we have involvement at international level.

The 's first Congress and AGM to be held separately from world championship competitions took place in 2012, hosted by the Royal Club at Turnberry with support from South Ayrshire Council. A total of 108 delegates representing 42 countries took part and it was a great success.

The WCF has continued to work on a new constitution through a Governance Commission. Royal Club chairman, Willie Nicoll has been a key member of this commission and the output of the group’s work will be put to the member associations at the WCF's Congress in September 2013.

In December 2012 at the AGM of the European Curling Federation in Karlstad, Sweden, the decision was made to cease operations of the ECF and pass responsibility for competitions to the WCF. This change reflects the developments that have taken place in the sport over the past ten years, in particular the impact of Olympic and Paralympic competitions. Our representatives Edith Loudon and Hew Chalmers were elected onto the board of the ECF for the next two years which are likely to be the time required to conclude the business of the ECF.

In March 2013 the WCF formed two new Commissions that will provide expertise in key areas. We are pleased to report that Michael McCreadie has been appointed to the Athlete’s Commission and Hew Chalmers has been appointed to the Competitions and Rules Commission.

All of this work with other nations in the international setting is important for the future of the sport and we have been fortunate to receive valuable support from UK Sport. We recognise the commitment given by our experienced group of members who represent us in our international work: Kate Caithness (Edzell CC), Hew Chalmers (Stranraer CC), Edith Loudon (Airleywight Ladies CC),

16

Mike Ferguson (Edzell CC), Bruce Crawford (Abbotsford CS) and Michael McCreadie (Braehead Wheelchair CC).

Bruce Crawford Chief Executive Officer

Marketing & Communications

Marketing & Communications Committee The Marketing Committee and Communications Committee were merged to form one Marketing & Communications Committee with Board Director Catherine Maclean appointed as its convenor. A new remit was agreed and regular meetings were held throughout the season. A new Marketing Assistant, Talha Ihsan, was appointed to RCCC Head Office.

Strategy A review of the marketing and communication strategy was undertaken to assess its objectives in line with the RCCC Strategic Plan and ensure outcomes could be measured effectively. Metrics are currently being put in place to provide a more quantifiable method of evaluation and the plan will be redrafted in due course.

Highlights of some marketing, communications and fundraising activities follow:

Marketing  Research – Much effort has been invested in gathering data, analysing statistics and studying membership trends and demographics to help inform the range of products and services on offer. To assist in this process members are encouraged to take part in future surveys and ensure their database profile is up to date and complete including email address and date of birth.  Branding – A new ‘Scottish Curling’ brand was introduced to market the national championships and develop an identity for Scottish representation at international events. This was well received and work continues to define how this will be applied in the future. Policing of the main RCCC brand has also been enforced to ensure authorised users adhere to brand guidelines and identity is not being compromised.  Departmental Support - Marketing has continued to work with Coaching, Club & Member Development, Competitions and Performance on a variety of projects including; Try Curling posters and marketing material, Curling’s Cool giveaways, Athlete Parent Resource online and event and sponsor branding.  Scottish Curling Awards – In 2013 the awards will feature in proceedings at the RCCC AGM in its 175th year. This will be a fitting stage for the awards and it is hoped more members will be able to support and celebrate the achievements of their fellow curlers and clubs. The 175th Anniversary will also be acknowledged across communications and events from 25th July onwards.

Communications  Website – Due to increased levels of traffic at peak times many users experienced slow page load times or connectivity errors. To resolve this, the website was transferred to a dedicated server with the capacity to deal with this level of activity. Website development is on-going particularly in the competitions section with plans to embrace the use of mobile technology and improve live scoring and reporting.  Competitions – A communications schedule was implemented resulting in the coverage of over 80 competitions including RCCC, Scottish Curling Tour, and

17

Scottish Wheelchair Curling Association events over the season. Members and volunteers helped provide reports and photography which were used in a variety of communications including press releases, website, social media, Your Curler, and the Annual. More budding journalists and photographers are encouraged to get involved in this initiative by contacting the Marketing Department.  Your Curler – A redesign was undertaken to improve the aesthetic appeal of the ezine and improve layout for readers. Eight issues were published from October 2012 to May 2013 and in what is becoming a valued and regular member benefit, distribution increased by 1,000 to 8,000.  Social Media – A targeted poster and advertising campaign was implemented to raise awareness of the RCCC’s social media channels including Facebook and Twitter. Page likes and followers doubled to a combined total of over 1400 offering wide reach and the capability to push information to users and drive visitors to the RCCC website.  TV Coverage - A two year deal with BBC Sport Scotland was agreed for televised highlights and live online streaming of The Co-operative Funeralcare Scottish Curling Championships finals for 2013-14, securing broadcasting of the national championships during the . Opportunities for wider curling coverage with other terrestrial, digital and online channels were explored but no further partnerships have been agreed as yet.  Press – Journalist Mike Haggerty provided comprehensive daily reporting of Scotland’s team performances from the European, Scottish, World Junior, World Men’s and World Women’s Championships. This generated extensive regional, national and international press including television coverage of Scotland’s World Women’s Champions on their return from Latvia.

Fundraising  Plan – With the marketing remit incorporating grant funding, advertising and sponsorship it was clear that a plan was required to target and track funding activity. A procedure was put in place to organise new business leads/revenue streams, monitor approaches/applications and provide an overview of performance. Project planning guidelines were also created to support staff in the process and help the marketing team lead on successful applications.  Grant Funding – A number of projects within the RCCC’s Development and Adult & Disability Programmes were identified for financial support and these were the subject of grant applications. This season, the Curling’s Cool programme received generous support from A.M. Ross Family Foundation.  Sponsorship – The RCCC continues to benefit from the support of its event partners including The Co-operative Funeralcare, Tullis Russell, Asham and BBC Sport Scotland. Sponsor opportunities are now available for a number of RCCC events and proposals have been submitted for the Scottish Junior and Senior Championships in a bid to secure headline sponsors.  Advertising – The majority of advertising income was generated through Your Curler and The Scottish Championships with all amounts invested back into the production and marketing of these initiatives.

Stuart McLean Marketing Officer

Performance

World Class Performance Squad The British Curling programme continued this season with the coaching provision by Performance Director Dave Crosbee, National Coaches Rhona Martin (Women), Soren Gran (Men) and Tony

18

Zummack (Wheelchair), and High Performance Coaches Cate Brewster (Women) and Nancy Smith (Men). The programme was also complimented with assistance from identified support coaches: David Hay, Debbie Knox, Sheila Swan, Tom Brewster Snr, David Ramsay, Robin Halliday and Keith Prentice.

21 men and 16 women along with 8 wheelchair athletes were supported. Selecting athletes for inclusion into the World Class Performance Programme was on the basis of their prospect of winning Olympic/Paralympic medals in Sochi 2014 and 2018 by gauging key performance factors on an ongoing basis.

The training and preparation programmes focused on increased coached sessions throughout the summer at The Peak, Stirling and a number of identified ice rinks in the winter months. The programme emphasis was on:-  Technical delivery and sweeping  Tactics and  Team dynamics

Mind-set, attitude and commitment to a World Class programme are also key expectations.

Performance Squad Notable Competition Results  European Mixed Championships, Erzurum, Turkey: Eve Muirhead vice skip of the Scotland team won Gold  European Playdowns, Perth: Team Muirhead won the playoff v team Munro & team Brewster qualified automatically due to Team pulling out  European Championships: Scotland Ladies along with 5th player and coach David Hay won Silver, Scotland Men finished 7th. Results ensuring both teams qualified Scotland for the 2013 World Championships  Scottish Women’s Qualifiers at Dumfries Ice Bowl: Jennifer Martin’s team qualified for the Scottish Women’s Championships  Scottish Men’s Qualifiers at Perth: All four supported men’s teams skipped by Logan Gray, , Grant Hardie and Kyle Smith qualified for the Finals.  Scottish Junior Finals, Aberdeen: Team Fleming (Hannah Fleming-skip, Lauren Gray, and Abigail Brown won the women’s event and Team Smith (Kyle Smith- skip, , Kyle Waddell and Cameron Smith) beat Team Hardie Junior team the Men’s event.  Scottish Men’s and Women’s Finals, Perth: Team Muirhead (Eve Muirhead-skip, Anna Sloan, Vicki Adams and Claire Hamilton) won the ladies event and Team Brewster (David Murdoch-skip, Tom Brewster, , Michael Goodfellow and ) won the men’s event  Scottish Wheelchair Finals: Team skipped by won.  Continental Cup, Penticton, Canada: Teams Muirhead and Brewster earned the right to represent Team Europe at this event. Team World came out winners.  EJCT: Jennifer Martin’s team finished top of the European Junior Curling Tour  World Wheelchair Championships, Sochi, Russia: Selected Scottish team of Aileen Neilson, Gregor Ewan, , Jim Gault and Gill Keith (replaced by ) finished 6th overall. This secured Paralympic points to qualify GB for Sochi 2014.  WCT and WCT Europe results: Team Muirhead finished 1st in the Curling Champions Tour and 4th in the World Team Ranking. They also won the Player Championships in Toronto. Team Brewster finished 6th in the Curling Champions Tour which earned them the right to play in the European Masters, St. Gallen. They also finished 11th in the World Team Ranking.

19

 World Junior Championships, Sochi, Russia: Olympic test event. Scotland women, along with along with 5th player and coach, Debbie Knox won Silver, and Scotland men, along with 5th player Hamilton McMillan and coach, David Ramsay won Gold – last time we won this title for men was 17 years ago.  World Women’s Championships Riga, Latvia – Scotland ladies along with 5th player Lauren Gray and coach David Hay won Gold (marking 2nd time in history of the event for Scotland to win this title) and secured Olympic points to qualify GB for Sochi for 2014. Scotland/GB finished 4th in the WCF World Rankings list which is an improvement of 3 places from last year.  World Men’s Championships, Victoria, Canada –Men achieved Bronze medal and secured Olympic points to qualify GB for Sochi for 2014. Scotland/GB finished 2nd in the WCF World Rankings list, the same position held year previous.

Royal Club Academy 16 Men (4 teams) and 16 Women (4 teams) were supported across 10 Academy Areas. Programme delivery and monitoring focused on fortnightly on ice training which was complimented by the mentoring of the Assistant Performance Coach Brad Askew. A further identified team of coaches compliment the programme: Barbara McPake, James Greenwood, David Jones, Colin Morrison, Susan Kesley, Steve Russell and Stuart Sturrock.

Gold members also received expert training in the summer months at The Peak, Stirling and further additional team sessions along with psychological team dynamic support. An RCA Training Day was held The Peak, Stirling at the start of the season complimented with a RCA Coach Training Day in which 25 coaches attended to enhance their skills and knowledge.

Over the next cycle 2011-2014 the Royal Club intends to build a strong pathway which delivers and aligns with the World Class Programme and which identifies and develops athletes. The programme aspires to a maximum number of 80 athletes to be selected to the programme in each year subject to Royal Club selection criteria and capacity numbers for each Academy.

RCA Athlete Notable Results  EJCT: Bruce Mouat team overall runner up  U17 Slam: Very good entries again this season. Overall winners skipped by Ross Whyte, and highest up girl’s team skipped by Naomi Brown. Both teams receive the prize to attend the WCF / DCV Hummett Junior Curling Camp in the summer.  Scottish Junior Finals: All 8 RCA teams qualified to the finals this season.  Scottish Mixed Doubles - Gina Aitken and Bruce Mouat won this title and earn their first cap for Scotland at the World Mixed Championships, Fredericton, Canada

Talent Programme 80 Athletes from 17 different ice rinks were supported across 14 ice rink programmes with fortnightly on-ice coaching expertise.

The programme now in its second year aspires to build over 2012-2014 to a maximum number of 8 athletes per ice rink and 160 athletes nationally each year. This is subject to the selection criteria and capacity numbers. This is an evolving programme and as Skill Awards become more firmly and broadly established the intention is a minimum of Silver Skill Award alongside participation in U14, U17 or U21 Slam events depending on the age of the applying athlete. This is intended to mirror the progressively higher standards that will be required to be accepted into the Royal Club Academy to which all Talent Programme athletes should be aspiring.

20

In the second season of this new programme being implemented we have seen a dramatic uptake on Skill awards – over double are now embarking on the top levels of proficiency.

Athlete Parent Resource This useful resource was launched in October. Check out the website under the performance link to glean all the information within. This resource is intended to be a ‘one stop’ reference for athletes who aspire to compete as performance athletes on the world stage, and to provide tips and advice for parents on how best to encourage and support.

Final Thanks Thanks to all partnerships, stake holders, support provision and the coaching network who commit and assist in the delivery of these performance programmes to provide opportunities for athletes to excel on the World Stage. We continue in our pursuit to improve and progress these programmes with the innovation and vision towards 2018. That way hopefully we will strive to be World leaders in the delivery of our sport. The funding received for the performance programme is highly beneficial to the sport in general in terms of assisting with facilities, competitions, development, coaching and marketing. Well done to all the athletes who aspire and deliver on the performance pathway to achieve on the World Stage. To finish a season with three Gold, two Silver and one Bronze across all of the European and World events is a huge achievement and a credit to their country and their sport.

Nancy Smith High Performance Coach

21

Results of Royal Club Competitions

SCOTTISH CHAMPIONSHIPS Men (Aberdeen) (Stirling) Winners: Tom Brewster Runners-up: Logan Gray David Murdoch Greg Drummond Alasdair Guthrie Scott Andrews Richard Woods Michael Goodfellow

Women (Perth) (Lockerbie) Winners: Eve Muirhead Runners-up: Hannah Fleming Anna Sloan Lauren Gray Vicki Adams Jennifer Dodds Claire Hamilton Abigail Brown

SCOTTISH JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS Men (Perth) (Dumfries) Winners: Kyle Smith Runners-up: Grant Hardie Thomas Muirhead Blair Fraser Kyle Waddell Hamilton McMillan Cameron Smith Ruairidh Greenwood

Women (Lockerbie) (Murrayfield) Winners: Hannah Fleming Runners-up: Tasha Aitken Lauren Gray Louise Joiner Jennifer Dodds Naomi Brown Abigail Brown Karina Aitken

SCOTTISH SENIORS CHAMPIONSHIPS Men (Perth) (Inverness) Winners: David Hay Runners-up: Ken Horton Robert Kelly Andrew McQuistin Tom Pendreigh Hugh Aitken Greig Henderson

Women (Stranraer) (Lanarkshire) Winners: Christine Cannon Runners-up: Gwen Prentice Margaret Richardson Marion Craig Margaret Robertson Rhona Fleming Janet Lindsay Helen Drummond

SCOTTISH WHEELCHAIR CHAMPIONSHIPS Winners: Aileen Neilson Runners-up: Gregor Ewan Robert McPherson Jim Gault Richard Craig Jackie Clayton David Lesson Lizzie Jackson

SCOTTISH MIXED CHAMPIONSHIP Winners: (Inverness) Runners-up: (Galleon) Ewan MacDonald David Mundell Eve Muirhead Sarah Reid

22

Euan Byers Karen Barthelemy Fiona Steele

SCOTTISH MIXED DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP Winners: Bruce Mouat Runners-up: Graham Shedden Gina Aitken Claire Sloan

SCOTTISH PAIRS CHAMPIONSHIP Winners: (Kinross) Runners-up: (Inverness) Ross McCleary Brian Thomson Craig Gudmundsson Ryan Asher

SCOTTISH MIXED SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP Winners: (Kinross) Runners-up: (Murrayfield) David Clydesdale Trevor Dodds Angela Wilcox Catherine Dodds Jim Hogg Robin Copland Sue Cameron Lois Copland

Low Road Winners: (Stranraer) Runners-up: (Aberdeen) Jim Cannon Peter Malcolm Christine Cannon Kay Gibb Peter Wilson Bill Gibb Anne Wilson Anne Malcolm

SCOTTISH SCHOOLS’ CHAMPIONSHIP Winners: (Kelso High) Runners-up: (Stranraer Academy) Cameron Bryce Bobbie Lammie Neil Sutherland Neil Topping Amy Bryce Euan Kyle Callum Potts Stewart Kyle

NATIONAL MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIPS Men (Perth) (Kinross) Winners: George Delgaty Runners-up: Jim Stevenson Stuart Smith Alistair Sinclair Bill Duncan Jim Boswell Ian Lindsay Willie Stevenson

Women (Border) (Stirling) Winners: Margaret Robertson Runners-up: Annette MacDonald Glynnice Lauder Raye Rickard Venetia Scott Mary Paterson Gillian Smith Irene Hird

SCOTTISH PROVINCE CHAMPIONSHIPS Winners: (Loch Leven) Runners-up: (Moray 1) Kinross CC Nairn CC Ross McCleary Alister Asher Craig Gudmundson Ross Cope Hugh Thomson Ryan Asher Gavin Baird Robbie Cope

23

Low Road Winners: (Central) Runners-up: (East Lothian) Keir CC Athelstaneford CC Lee McCleary John Shedden Judith McFarlane Robin Aitken Barbara McPake Callum Harvey Eric McKay Alec Kerr

DOUBLE RINK CHAMPIONSHIP Winners: (Musketeers) Runners-up: (Reform) Alan Chalmers George McConnell John Munro Frazer Erskine Gordon Addison Neil Ross Alistair Hay Alastair McIntyre Graham Cormack Brian Heron Iain Cormack Douglas Ratcliffe Paul Baughan Stewart Philp Calum Mcnee Jim Winning

THE HENDERSON BISHOP TROPHY Winners: (Stirling) Runners-up: (Stranraer) Janette Wilson Beryl Niven Norma Brown Gail Munro Margaret Mauchline Fiona Hardie Elspeth Johnston Beth Aitken

Cherry Stone Trophy Winners: (Murrayfield 1) Runners-up: (Lockerbie) Susan Kesley Moira Hastings Jenny Barr Anne Smith Fran Stretton Fiona Robson Morna Aitken Linda Smith Margaret Nicol

SCOTTISH JUNIOR CURLING CLUB CHALLENGE JUNIOR CHALLENGE DIVISION 1 Winners: Stranraer Runners-up: Gogar Park A

JUNIOR CHALLENGE DIVISION 2 Winners: Hamilton B Runners-up: Dumfries

JUNIOR CHALLENGE DIVISION 3 Winners: Curl Aberdeen Runners-up: Border

MAXWELL TROPHY Winners: Ayr Runners-up: Border

MORTON TROPHY Winners: Ayr Runners-up: Inverness

24

RINK CHAMPIONSHIP Winners: Forfar Runners-up: Perth 1 (Fothringham) (Dunning) Adrian White Iain Watt Jill Donald Paul Martin Graeme Nicoll Bob Kelly Andy Ducat Greig Marshall Johnny Wilson

SIR RICHARD WALDIE GRIFFITH TROPHY Winners: West Lothian Province

UNDERS & OVERS Winners: (Stranraer) Runners-up: (Stranraer) Gail Munro Vicki Adams Debbie Torbet Kate Adams Katie Wright Kerry Adams Robyn Munro Lauren Morgan

UNDER 17 SLAM Men (Dumfries) Women (Greenacres) Winners: Ross Whyte Winners: Naomi Brown Bobby Lammie Karina Aitken Neil Topping Euan Kyle Laura Barr

UNDER 14 SLAM Winners: (Kinross) Runners-up: (Border) Callum Kinnear Angus Bryce Gavin Hay Cailin Jones Ben Cormack James Hair Matthew McKenzie Amy Bryce

25

Performance of Scottish Teams in International Competitions

EUROPEANS 7th SILVER Tom Brewster Eve Muirhead Greg Drummond Anna Sloan Scott Andrews Vicki Adams Michael Goodfellow Claire Hamilton David Murdoch Sarah Reid

WORLD JUNIORS GOLD SILVER Kyle Smith Hannah Fleming Thomas Muirhead Lauren Gray Kyle Waddell Jennifer Dodds Cameron Smith Abigail Brown Hamilton McMillan Vicky Wright

WORLDS BRONZE GOLD David Murdoch Eve Muirhead Tom Brewster Anna Sloan Scott Andrews Vicki Adams Michael Goodfellow Claire Hamilton Greg Drummond Lauren Gray

WORLD SENIORS 5th 4th David Hay Christine Cannon Norman Brown Margaret Richardson Andrew McQuistin Margaret Robertson Hugh Aitken Janet Lindsay Gordon Muirhead Marion Craig

WORLD WHEELCHAIR EUROPEAN MIXED 6th GOLD Aileen Neilson Ewan MacDonald Gregor Ewan Eve Muirhead Tom Killin Euan Byers Robert McPherson Karen Barthelemy Angie Malone

WORLD MIXED DOUBLES 7th Bruce Mouat Gina Aitken

26