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CURL MESABI |
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CURL MESABI AS MANAGEMENT AGENT FOR THE RRCC The first item in this newsletter and what should be the first curling thought in each of our heads is the level of Volunteerism at Curl Mesabi. When the Board took on the task of managing the RRCC we knew that voluntary help from all of our members was going to be critical to our succeeding. Many thanks to those of you who have stepped forward to help in the management of the RRCC. A lot of us have taken that step over and over; some have yet to take that first step. The level of volunteerism so far has been a little less than adequate, but that is a pretty good start. It is less than adequate because of the time Ellen has had to spend behind the bar, both on league nights and during bonspiels. That evening and weekend time is over and above what her Building Manager duties call for. We need to cover more of those time slots with volunteers. There are about six weeks left to our season. I am asking each of the skips to look at your team’s participation as bartenders and kitchen help. If you haven’t been there yet, please schedule a turn at the bar for your team. Let’s see some different faces working back there BUILDING APPEARANCE AND ATTITUDE We have received a lot of positive feedback on the overall appearance of the building and the positive atmosphere inside. Many thanks to all those who have helped with the day-to-day maintenance and janitorial work. Your efforts are obvious and they are appreciated. Your time and work have saved your Club hundreds of dollars because we have not had to pay an outside janitorial service. The RRCC certainly has a much friendlier and calmer aura about it. It has been noticed by Bonspielers and the general public. We are looking and feeling a lot more like a curling club with a sense of pride and ownership in its home. That is a very good thing. FINANCIAL UPDATE The Club’s finances are in pretty good shape so far this year. We are paying the operating costs for the entire building for the first time and thanks to the Free Guard Zone’s income, which is exceeding our expectations, we are staying in the black. We need to continue to patronize the FGZ and look at ways of controlling costs. As an example, phone lines have been eliminated and consolidated saving about $100 per month. On the down side, it seems we are in the midst of a spike in utility costs. All in all, we are in good shape SPRING GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING: THURSDAY, MARCH 27th The spring general meeting will be held Thursday, March 27th. Like last year, the Club Championship and other finals, the Women’s, Mixed and League Play down, will be held that evening. The league coordinators met last week and decided on a change in this year’s year-end format. We will again have sixteen teams qualify for the double elimination Club Championships based on league play. The remaining 49 teams will be seeded into a two-event league play down. The details of the 49 team league play down have not been finalized, but the format will be normal, 8 end curling, and no skins. Games for both the Club Championship and the league play down will start the week of March 3rd. Most league play down games will be played within your usual league days and times with a few exceptions. A Monday afternoon team may be scheduled for Tuesday evening; a Thursday afternoon team may play Thursday evening. Only 4 or 5 teams will have to play outside of their usual days or times. The Club Championship games will be scheduled similar to last year. The draws for both formats will be posted by the end of the month. The field for the Club Championship was determined as follows: There are 4 men’s and one open league. Each league, Mon Aft 12 teams, Tues Aft 14, Tues Night 11, Thurs Aft 14, Thurs Night 14, was allotted three teams, a total of 15. Cards were drawn among the three leagues with 14 teams and Thurs Night drew the Ace, giving it the 16th team. MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE SURVEY About the same time you receive this newsletter, you will also receive a survey sent out by our Membership Committee. The committee was formed to look at what we can do to maintain and grow our membership. We about held our own this year. Our membership increased by 6 over last year, but that was the net of losing 55 curlers from last year and gaining 61. Please take the time to complete the survey. It is an excellent opportunity to make recommendations and voice your opinion about the Club, what we are doing right and things you think might be done differently. Instructions for returning the surveys will be included with it. The committee will also personally contact former Curl Mesabi members for their input. We would like to know if there are things we could do to bring them back to curling. TIP MONEY The Tip Pitcher sitting on the bar really should be viewed as a contribution fund. Because the people behind the bar are volunteers, whatever ends up in the pitcher is treated as a contribution to Curl Mesabi. The Board intends to treat that money in the same manner as the Capital Contributions all of us have made to Curl Mesabi. We have a few items on the list of potential uses, more on ice cameras and TV’s, additional janitorial equipment (vacuums, rug shampooer), a Nipper for the ice makers, additional storage space. Any suggestions are welcome. Mark Forte President |
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