For the first time at RKCC ... sponsor hosted Beer Dinner!

In an effort to enhance the social calendar at our club, I have worked out the details for the first ever RKCC Beer Dinner!

The event will take place on Wednesday, October 27th, from 7 to 9pm, and will feature a menu prepared by one of our club sponsors, The Loyal Oarsman. A 4 course meal will be served, each course accompanied by a different sampling of Labatt's beer, chosen specifically for the characteristics of the beverage. The professionals from Labatt's will be on hand to talk shop - explaining the nuances of beer brewing ... why certain foods and beers compliment each other.

Everyone one is invited to attend, tickets are available in the office and at the bar - $40 a person.

If well received, similar events will be considered for later in the season. Questions? Contact me in the office.

Cheers and Good Curling!!

Still time to join our Swing and Sweep ... or, come on down to the club for just the Fish Fry!!!

The best of both sports ... Golf and Curling - Swing and Sweep!

It is not too late to sign up for the Royal Kingston Curling Club's 2nd Annual Swing and Sweep Spiel. It's scheduled for Saturday, September 25: 9 holes of golf at the Landings and 1, 4-end curling game. The entry form can be accessed here. Simply forward it to the club by Monday, September 20th - that leaves you this weekend to convince your teammates and register your foursome.

Overheard excuses for not being able to participate:

• "I can't find an entire foursome" - No problem, we have plenty of participants looking for teams - let us pair you up.



• "I don't golf" - This is a trick quote - no person has ever uttered these words, so it's a non issue :o)



• "I don't golf well" - No problem, it is a team event - let your skip carry you on the course, as you do for her/him all season on the ice!!



• "I am busy that day" - Given that this might be the only legitimate reason for not having signed up, the organizing committee has a compromise to offer ...

Skip the sports and go right to the

Tickets for just the Fish Fry are available!!!

All participants will be treated to our own George Gratton's World Renowned Fish Fry, but you can get a belly full for just $10. The Fish Fry is open to anyone - that means family, friends, neighbours: anyone you want to show the club off to!

For tickets to just the Fish Fry, please notify the office, preferably by email, before Wednesday, September 22.

Confirm your tickets to the fish fry now ...

we need to know how many to catch!!!

RKCC at the City Of Kingston Fall & Leisure Show

The Portsmouth Olympic Harbour hosted this year's Fall & Leisure Showcase, and we were there with ... curling rock hats on?! Teresa Gibson was kind enough to donate her morning to meeting and greeting prospective members, of which there were a very healthy number. Our booth offered membership information, a photo slideshow of the club and a "Win this broom" contest (more on that below). The curling inquiries came from couples looking to find a weekly, social activity together, school students who had previously visited the facility with their class and wanted to take lessons, new arrivals to Kingston who were looking to get back into the sport and from seniors who had heard about stick curling and wanted to investigate it further. All in all, a wonderful day of conversation - I am certain we will see some new faces at our club this year!


In case you were wondering what that thing on my head was, worn correctly, it's a curling rock hat. I imagined it would be a nice prop, so I wore it at the show. Problem with wearing any hat ... hat head! This condition prevented me from removing my rock hat later in the day when I walked up the Timmy's at Mowat and King St. West. Standing in line for coffee, the guy in the curling rock hat was approached by several people, including the store's assistant manager, who had inquiries about the sport and our facility. In fact, the women in line behind me decided she had to have one for her relatives in Ottawa!

... I always enjoy talking about the sport :o)

As mentioned, we had a raffle for a new broom. From the 60 or so ballots entered, a winning ticket was selected at the conclusion of the show (it was not required to be present for the draw).

Congratulations to ... DEANNA KNIGHT!!!

Thanks to the team of city employees who helped organize this showcase. The Royal Kingston Curling Club will happily return next year.

ICE IS IN ...

While some of you are still on the golf course, those of us at the club have been bundling up for work in the ice shed. After creating a base, the painters take over and apply a coating of white to the entire surface ... had you ever even thought that the colour of the rink was painted?



After the ice has been painted white, the houses are scribed and painted by hand. Finally, the hogs and dividing lines are added and the entire surface sealed. Then, as Terry demonstrates above, thin layers of water are applied to protect the seal.





The final result is what you expect to see each year ... sharp, accurate RKCC curling ice!


Thanks to our painters for a job well done, and special thanks to Rod Leeder, Terry Barker and Mickey Smith, for the hours and hours spent installing this season's surface. With additional floods, scrapes and time to set, the rink will be ready for the free curling clinics on September 21 and 22, scheduled for 7-9pm.

Will there be practice time? Weather permitting, there may be practice time during the day starting on September 21 - please check the website for updates. And remember, league play begins on Monday, September 27.

Good Curling for 2010/11!!