Membership

Introduction

Curling at Baie d'Urfé means getting exercise and enjoying the social aspect of belonging to your own club.

This Guide is meant to provide you with the information you need to enjoy the Club to it utmost. This will lead to clear lines of communication between you, your fellow members and with the Club's officers.

These clear lines of communication will reduce confusion and disappointment that can occur in any organization.

It will also help you invest your time more productively in assisting the Club to greater success and enjoyment for you and everyone else.

Volunteerism

The essence of a club such as Baie d'Urfé is the contribution each member makes to the operations and maintenance of the Club facilities and its events.
Volunteerism allows the Club to maintain its fees at a reasonable level.
Everyone should make a contribution throughout the year.
Key areas that require volunteer commitment are building maintenance and facilities preparation for Club and rental events. Especially in the Kitchen during the TGIF events.
Do not feel you must do all the work, join a team and learn the ropes. It is fun and a great way for you to contribute your fresh ideas.
Please answer the call as much as you can throughout the year.

Get into the Swing of Things

Remember you do not have to be good to play.
Learning to curl is easy and fun.
There are lots of opportunities to hone your skills and make new friends.
Play as often as you can.
The Club Board near the fireplace displays all the sign up sheets and relevant information that you need, along with a person you can contact.

What makes Curling at Baie d'Urfé fun?

Lots of opportunities to play, at whatever skill level.
A variety of events for you to join in on.
An active social calendar, with a couple of events each month to keep the winter cold away.
It is an inexpensive way to get out of the house, meet with friends, make new friends and have some friendly competition along the way, just to keep it all interesting.
Seeing how smoothly events are run based on the volunteerism of other members. So jump in and join the fun.
The opportunity to see your ideas come to fruition by working on a committee or by joining the Board of Directors.
Like any activity, you get more out of it when you put something into it and with your fello curlers, you are sure to have lots of company.

Who runs the club and who can I go see?

The Club is managed and administered by member volunteers who make up the Board of Directors and head the various committees. A salaried Club Manager is responsible for general day-to-day operations and reports to the Board of Directors. The Finance Director guides the Club Manager on a daily basis. The accounting is handled by both the Club Manager and the Finance Director. The Club also hires an Ice Man who is responsible for the maintenance of the ice and reports to the Director, Ice and Building Maintenance.

Bartenders are hired for special functions as required. However, Club members are asked to volunteer (sign up) for bar ending service. Members volunteer to assist the Club in many other ways such as cooking, decorating, building, repairing and organizing Club events, many of which raise substantial amounts of money for the Club. This participation not only aids in the smooth running of the Club, it also helps in the reduction of costs and promotes fellowship and friendships.

When you have a question do not be shy to ask any member.

How do I know what's going on?

The Club Communications Plan

1 - The Club Calendar

The Club Calendar is managed by the Vice-President, Men, along with the Club Manager and the members responsible for the curling and social activities of the Club. It is a tremendous undertaking as it must take into account all Club functions (curling, social, rentals, and special events), as well as outside events that may affect members and Club facilities.

The Club Calendar provides you with information on what games are scheduled at the Club for In-House, Provincial, and Branch events.

As well, it will tell you what various social activities are coming up, and of they are a part of a Club event, like the Calcutta. This is where the Club Notice Boards come in.

A current copy of the Calendar is posted in the Club, and is published in the Newsletter.

2 - The Club Notice Boards

Located within the Club Building are notice boards that provide all members with information about forthcoming events, both within the Club and outside the Club for Provincial activities. You will find the Social Notice Board at the stairs as you walk into the Club. Notice Boards for the Ladders, Open Leagues, and outside events are located in the Super Senior's Lounge.

Much of the current information will be on the Club Board next to the fireplace.

On these notice boards you will find information, and a place to write your name so that you can participate. The skip of your team will call you when the draw has been set up.

The notice boards will also provide you with the current draw schedules, standings and play off information and dates.

SO CHECK THE NOTICE BOARDS REGULARLY.

3 - The Club Newsletter

The Club, under the Club Manager's direction, provides each and every member with a copy of the Club Newsletter entitled “Nouvelles Curl d'Urfé News” The Newsletter is written by members and helps to update everyone on recent and upcoming events, and on the activities and achievements of the various members of the Club. The Newsletter includes a copy of the next month's calendar.

The Communications Plan is nice, but what can I participate in?

Section 3 of this Guide provides extensive descriptions of the different kinds of league and open play that all members are eligible to play in.

Here we have an example of what a regular weekly schedule would look like at the club.

Regular weekly schedule
Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
9:30 Little Rocks 10:30 Juniors	9:30 Day Mixed		9:30 Day Mixed		10:00 Super Seniors	10:00 Men's Crystals
	19:00 and 21:00 Schaefer Shield	19:00 and 21:00 Schaefer Shield	19:00 Open League	19:00 and 21:00 Club Draw	19:00 and 21:00 Mixed Ladder	Greens Socials Special Events Rentals

In general, most of the members curl in the evenings. For those Curlers who can, they may also curl during the day in the Day Mixed and Super Seniors.

The evening draws encompass 4 activities; 2 ladders and 2 open leagues.

In addition, for the newer members, clinics and a schedule designed for their playing level is available on Saturdays.

The 2 Ladders are the Schaefer Shield on Mondays and Tuesdays, and a Mixed Ladder on Fridays.

The 2 Open Leagues are on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The Wednesday Open League is a weekly sign up event, where teams are made up of different members from week to week. The Thursday Club Draw is a series of games between set teams for 4 or more different Trophies during the year.

Also, remember to add your name to the Spares lists. Even if you are unsure as to your availability, being on the Spares list makes sure that you get called when a Spare is required.

This will also help you get onto a team during the season as curler availability often changes during the season.

What about the Social Aspect of Curling that I have heard about?

The Club Social calendar helps the winter nights pass quickly.

Our Club is proud of its friendly competition. Many of our curling events are either centered around or end with socials. The Social Director coordinates a committee that sets up socials throughout the year. These include the following wintertime events:

TGIF Nights which occur most Friday evenings with special food, theme and / or music.
Special events, such as cards, bingo, and game nights take place.
Saturday Pot Luck Suppers followed by dancing.

The summertime social events include:

Barbecues hosted by members.
The Annual Golf Tourney and Steak and Corn Supper which provides a super day of golf ending with good food and good friends with prize presentations.

In addition, there are four major social events held during the curling season:

Opening Dinner Dance in late October / early November.
New Year's Eve Ball.
New Year's Day Levy hosted by the Board of Directors and free to all members.
Closing Prize Night and Dinner Dance.

What do I need in order to play? What should I wear?

To play, all you need is a pair of clean running shoes and a slider (or a pair of curling shoes) and a broom for sweeping. Dress warmly (including light gloves) so that you will be more comfortable during the game since the normal temperature range on the ice is between +2 and -5 C.

The Club colors are red, black and grey, red being worn on the top accompanied by black or grey pants or skirts, or the Grey Thompson kilt. However, most curlers generally choose to dress casually on the ice during in-house play. It is important to note that when playing at other clubs or in “In-Club competitions,” dress preference should be observed when possible. It aids in:

identifying teams,
helping to promote a team spirit, and
providing a uniform 'picture' when prizes are presented and photographs are taken.

Club jackets and name tags are available on order through the Club store. Sign-up sheets for these items are posted at the beginning of the season. You are encouraged to order a name tag and wear it every time you curl in-house or at an outside event.

What if I cannot play a scheduled game?

If you are unable to play a game, please try to get a spare. Let your Skip know that you will not be playing and advise him/her of the spare's name. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT COURTESY in order to avoid cancellation of games. And don't be shy about calling for a spare. Some members only curl in a 'spare' position because their busy schedules conflict with regularly posted draws. However, if you have difficulty in obtaining a spare, please contact your Skip immediately and he/she will attempt other resources, or maybe even have the game rescheduled. The latter, naturally, would involve all the other seven players so - TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE.

What kind of Membership can I have?

FAMILY - This category includes husband, wife and all children up to the age of 19. This category allows for unlimited participation in the curling program at Baie d'Urfé. The children will be in the Juniors category and the Juniors fee of $ 20 is extra to the Family Fee.

SINGLE -This category is for individual members over the age of 19 and allows for unlimited participation in the curling program at Baie d'Urfé.

SENIOR FAMILY - This category includes husband and wife, one of whom is over the age of 65, and allows for unlimited participation in the curling program at Baie d'Urfé.

SENIOR SINGLE -This category is for individual members over the age of 65 and allows for unlimited participation in the curling program at Baie d'Urfé.

STUDENT - This category is for persons attending a recognized educational institution and allows for unlimited participation in the curling program at Baie d'Urfé.

JUNIOR - This category is for children whose parents are not full or social members of the Club and allows for participation in the Junior or Little Rock curling program at Baie d'Urfé.

SOCIAL - This category is for people who do not curl but wish to have full participation in the social program at Baie d'Urfé. Any children up to the age of 19 can enjoy Junior Status and are eligible to participate in the Little Rock or Junior Program for $ 20 per child.

Where do I start?

Come out, attend a clinic, and get into a game.

Check out the sign up sheets and see what is coming up, and also see what social events are coming and check with the organizer to see what help they require.