Newsletter of the London Curling Club December 2015 Olympics, Brier, Hearts make Dave Rush a busy volunteer Dave Rush’s passion for volunteering started on the water but played out on a much grander scale on the ice. It would reach its apex at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, where he was assigned to curling. Rush, who is vice-president of the London Curling Club, was introduced to volunteering in the 1960s at a Thames Valley Children’s Centre fundraiser known as the Bunny Bundle. It was started by one of Dave’s friends, a marathon canoe racer who worked at the children’s centre. “He wanted to do a fundraiser so he organized a canoe race. After the first year it was so big he couldn’t handle it.” Rush and others took it over and ran it for 13 years. They were so good on timing and organization that they went to Ontario Summer Games in Kitchener and Peterborough, where they officiated at the marathon canoe events. There was a lag after that until he volunteered at the 1996 men’s world curling championships in Hamilton. A friend of Rush’s through work was the manager of Emco in Burlington and one of the organizers of the event. “He took on me and a friend of us both. We worked together in the bar. That was my first one in curling. “Then I realized I was going to be retired when the 2010 Olympics came along. I thought I will do whatever I can to get a volunteer position. When I found out it was in Vancouver I knew it would work for me.” The Olympics is a three-week commitment for volunteers, who have to pick Dave Rush lives his dream at the Vancouver up the tab for their travel and lodging. Dave’s brother lives in Vancouver Olympics curling venue. so housing was not an issue for him. “I went online at the appropriate time and did all the tutorials. There’s quite an extensive training for it. A relative’s husband was a vice-president of Vanoc, the Vancouver organizing committee. I contacted him and told him what my ambition was,” said Rush. He had asked for help in steering him in the right direction. He didn’t hear from Olympic officials until the November before the Olympics, when he was contacted for initial training. Rush happened to be in Vancouver at the time and the training was in Squamish. “I told them I’m available. They signed me up right away. After that I hadn’t heard anything.” He booked his flight anyway, thinking flights might not be available if he waited too long. In late November he was offered a position at the Para Olympics, which follow the Olympics. “I told them because of my flight that wouldn’t work. I said ‘I guess my volunteer dream is over.’ Later on the same day they gave me the job as team driver for the German men’s curling team. “After the first training session I started to write a blog. I had never blogged before. I thought this is cool. Every day I would come back and I would have time to write this and post it faithfully every evening. I got a lot of feedback. I wrote it on how things were working on the inside.” The blog address is http://daves2010olympicjourney.blogspot.ca/ Going into the Olympics, Rush already knew he would be the director of transportation a year later for the 2011 Brier in London. He was determined to learn from the Olympics to help him prepare for his Brier role. In any job, a thoughtful supervisor can make a big difference in morale. At Vancouver, that person was Neil Houston, event chair for both men and women’s Olympic curling. Volunteers were not allowed on site unless they had a pre-arranged shift. “Neil, in his wisdom, made sure all drivers had shifts from. 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. The teams might have unscheduled events. There’s a definite reason for it.” But for the team drivers it meant they could see any curling game. Wanting to learn from the driver Kevin Martin always requested, Rush befriended him. His name is Scott Grant. “Who better to talk to? I asked Scott what I could expect from these guys. He told me I should have a list of good restaurants and sites to visit in Vancouver. There was a lounge and on odd occasions you could mingle with them.” See DAVE RUSH LIVES HIS DREAM AT THE VANCOUVER OLYMPICS CURLING VENUE. Page 4 Page 2 Page 3 Page 5 Page 6 President’s Harry Sifton Mixed leagues Ad revenue hits Column Classic spiel popular at LCC $12,500 ROCK TALK – December 2015 Page 2 President’s perks include posing with Jennifer Jones By the time you read this column we will be well into December. Our curling season will pretty much be half over or half remaining, whichever way you want to look at it. I think we’ve had an excellent season so far but if you disagree and/or have suggestions for the back half, be sure to contact me or any of our Board members. We’re all ears. It is not so bad being your president. I get to talk to groups I wouldn’t otherwise, I get to work with our energetic, talented, passionate and dedicated Board, and I get to hand out prizes and trophies for various events. At the Harry Sifton Classic I was part of a group that was piped to the head table and at the Junior Ontario Curling Tour event at our own club I got to meet and have my picture taken with Jennifer Jones. So the bottom line is when it is time to volunteer for a position on the London Curling Club Board of Directors leap at the opportunity. It is not that time consuming but it is certainly rewarding and you can make a difference. Christmas is almost here. If you still have to buy something for someone, your curling teammates perhaps, visit our Pro Shoppe. Greg has it well stocked and the items are seasonally priced. On behalf of your Board of Directors I want to take this opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas/happy holidays. Good curling in 2016. See you on the ice. Paul Pergau, LCC President Members may favour on-ice instruction over strategy The London Curling Club continues to provide coaching at different levels for its members, as well as clinics for beginners who want to try out the sport. The classroom strategy clinic planned for October was cancelled for lack of interest. I think that was because our members really want on-ice experience. We will rethink that one for next year. Ken Walmsley led a clinic that provided coaching on different aspects of delivery. Twelve members enjoyed a morning that had all of us shooting in the 80's. Jinx Finley and Kevin MacDonald lead the elementary school Learn to Curl program. They have had three fun sessions, although a few schools had to cancel due to the teachers' work-to-rule campaign. With a ratio of one coach to four students there is time for lots of practice and lots of fun. The next big event will be the Jan. 2 evening for members and the public. The evening will start at 7 p.m. for new curlers where they will get some basic instruction. From 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. we will play games. This event fills up quickly so make sure you get registered early. It has been a busy fall, but our commitment at the club is to provide opportunities for people to enjoy all aspects of the game and to attract new curlers. Pat Boothe, Skills & Development BOARD OF DIRECTORS CLUB STAFF WEBSITE Peter Fewster EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Club Manager Greg Lewis www.londoncurling.ca President Paul Pergau [email protected] Vice President Dave Rush Office Manager Barb Colbourn Past President John Crosby Head Ice Technician Kevin Breivik ROCK TALK Burt Dowsett Treasurer Bruce Turner Ice Assistants Mark Phillips (519) 641-4948 1847 2015 Secretary Fay Weiler Scott Breivik [email protected] Property Maint./Planning Dave Weber Jason Laroque Ward McKenzie Issue Deadlines October 28 PORTFOLIO DIRECTORS Stan Smith November 25 Advertising Don Agnew Bruce Thom December 29 LONDON CURLING CLUB Leagues & OCA Bruce Thom Sara Westman January 27 377 Lyle Street Promotion Marjorie Dudley Tony Verberne February 24 Member Services Roger Moyer London, Ontario N5W 3RS Bar Coordinator Les Sonier Skills & Development Pat Boothe Telephone (519) 432-3882 Bar Staff Cailyn MacEachern Email: [email protected] Katie McNaught Website: www.londoncurling.ca Jeff Lewis Housekeeper Kristen Venner ROCK TALK – December 2015 Page 3 Glass rink’s Sifton hat trick, Townsend’s rebound highlight day Doug Glass’s Highland rink won its third consecutive Sifton Classic and A flight this month. The same day, Chuck Townsend’s LCC rink won the B flight. It was his best finish in the event since winning it all about 20 years ago in one of the first Sifton bonspiels he ever entered. He was a lead on Jim Fitzpatrick’s rink that had Al McLeod at second and Ken Walmsley throwing third rocks. Townsend’s passion for curling began in 1954 when he first stepped into the hack at age 16 in high school at Goderich. If you do the math you might think he’s running out of chances to win again.