Another advertiser confirmed for 2009-10 ...

Thanks to Lori Coulter and the good people at McGinnis Landing, for continuing to sponsor the Royal Kingston Curling Club.

In addtion to their yearly wall ad, McGinnis also lends support to our annual RKCC Golf Day, which takes each June at Camden Braes Golf Course. Those of you who were lucky enough to hit the green at #12 should have enjoyed your free food by now ... if not, what are you waiting for? Get over to McGinnis Landing asap!

Recycling has finally come to RKCC!

REDUCE ... REUSE ... RECYCLE - let's do our part!

In an effort to minimize the Royal Kingston Curling Club's yearly contribution of conventional waste, a recycling program will be implemented this year at your club. Collection boxes for glass, paper, plastics and metals, will be placed in and around the building, and we hope that each member will encourage other members to be aware, spread the word and recycle - to do our part.

If you have ideas for the recycling program at RKCC, please contact me in the office to discuss how they might work ... I am excited to see how this will evolve!

While recycling is a responsible act, and a great start, striving to reduce is another part of the puzzle. I intend to carefully evaluate the office usage and disposal of paper, cardboard, batteries, etc., and make changes where I can. I hope that as we strengthen our commitment at RKCC, and develop effective strategies to minimize our footprint on the environment, that it becomes just a matter of fact to REDUCE, REUSE & RECYCLE.

Good Curling!

That time of the year ... HERE WE GO!

Well, hard to believe that the Cards of Intent are in the mail already! Seems like we just handed out the Championship Night trophies and turned the ice plant off. But, before too much longer, the chiller will be on, concrete will be cooling, Rod and Terry will be hauling hose and water will once again start to freeze at the second oldest curling club in North America! Come on curling!!

Now please, don't get irritated by my enthusiasm. I am enjoying the summer as much as you. The sun has decided to finally stand guard against the seemingly unstoppable rain clouds, while the warmer (and more humid) temperatures make travelling to your favorite swim hole a very good idea ... a more typical, lazy summer climate. However, the club has to get the ball rolling, and that's what the Card of Intent package signals.

Those members who provided an email address on a previous Card of Intent, should have received a notification on Monday, August 10th, with instructions on how to view and download this year's forms. The remaining members will receive their packages in the mail - they were mailed on August 10th as well. If you would rather receive email notification of club business, and did not yet receive your Card of Intent email, then please provide a valid address on this season's application.

Another quick point regarding providing the club with information ... the Cards of Intent capture the membership info effectively for the start of the year, but, given the turnover in email addresses and telephone numbers, they miss the mid-season changes. Please contact the office when you change your email address or telephone number. That way, you can stay in the loop!

Another way to stay in the loop ... read the 1st Sweep of 2009/10! It contains articles from all the usual suspects and was compiled and edited by Carole Rivington - excellent job, Carole! You can view it inside the Members area of the new, improved website. Teresa Wilson has done an absolutely FABULOUS job upgrading our site. She took some suggestions and want lists, and turned them into smooth, functional reality. You must, if you haven't already, browse the site to appreciate all of the upgrades - I am sure you will be impressed - thank you for your tireless effort and patience, Teresa!

One of the more important upgrades came with the addition of a password protected section for Member Only information. While we don't plan on housing any government secrets, and therefore do not require the most sophisticated, state of the art security, the necessity of a user name and password will allow us to post useful member items and information, like the club roster, online. In doing so, in the case of the club roster, we can make it easier for you to access other member's phone numbers and email addresses, without posting if for the general public ... higher level of privacy for club members.
What other type of information will be available in the Members area? Club by-laws, Board correspondence, the Sweep, event photos, league schedules and standings, and more - we are still working out some of the applications.
Will each member have a unique user name and password? No, it is believed that the time and effort to construct and maintain such a complex entry system is not warranted. By using a common user name and password (which all email active members would have received in their August 10 notification) we can keep potential solicitors out as effectively as if we had unique ones. If there was information online that was to be shared between only you and the club, and not the other members, then maybe it would be necessary to create the necessary individual files. However, since we only want to keep prying eyes from searching, the common entry should work perfectly. If you have not received the user name and/or password, please contact another member who would have received it via email, or contact the office for assistance.

Note to members ... to maintain the privacy of the Members area, do not share the user name or password with any one you don't want looking at club business.


It is very exciting to be getting close to the start of another curling season and there will be many more things to update to the membership in the days to come. Please check back to the Manager's Blog often, to see what may be happening in the club that you shouldn't miss. And, if you think that I have missed something, or have a suggestion for an item to be included here ... please call me in the office, or drop me a note :o)

Good Curling! ... but keep applying the sunscreen for now

The list of advertisers and sponsors for the 2009/10 season keeps growing!

Since the last update, we have had the following companies sign on for the upcoming season, and beyond:

Ramekins
Kwik Kopy
Edwards Jones Financial - Peter Schenk
Trousdale Home Hardware
Bob's Butcher Shop

Again, thanks to the companies and individuals who support RKCC - remember to consider them when shopping for your family's goods and/or services.

Also, a BIG thank you to the RKCC Marketing Committee for filling our walls with support. Some leads are suggested by members, some are cold calls, but they all need to be investigated with professional enthusiasm. With the number of wall sponsors/advertisers approaching 53, they have obviously done an excellent job.

Advertiser update ... just a short one

The most recent sponsor/advertiser to confirm for the upcoming season is one of the club's favorite caterers ... Rent A Chef - Joe Desousa.



It is worth repeating, that Joe, and all of our sponsors, appreciate being informed of how and why you choose to do business with them. Make sure that you mention your membership at RKCC when dealing with any of our advertisers/sponsors.



I have included the entire list again for easy viewing:

Ice Sheet Sponsors

Four Points by Sheraton/Ambassador Convention Center
Empire Life Financial
SLH Transport
TD Waterhouse
BMO - Bank Of Montreal

Wall ad sponsors

State Farm Insurance - Mark Armitage
Township Tire
ServiceMaster
McCoy Bus Service
Tackaberry
Haven Home Climate Care
RBC Dominion Securities
Wayne Halladay
Donohue Financial
Independent Planning - Jeanie Quirt-Brown
The Trophy House
Revell Ford Verona
Kingston Nissan
Amey's Taxi
Union Gas
Collins & Blay - Murray Robertson
Blaser's Physiotherapy
Sutton Group Realty - Brian Ward
The Loyal Oarsman
SafeStep Building Treatments
Independent Pest Control
Wine Kitz - Rose Schwager
Sutton Group Realty - Ron Pols
D&D Auto Service
Kingston Toyota
Exclusive Cooling
Parade of Paints
Thomson Jemmett Vogelzang
Wartman Funeral Home
Investor's Group - Brian McConnell
Svendson Bros. Auto Repair
Bennett's Valu-Mart
Rent A Chef Catering

There are still a few rock handles available for sponsorship ...

Before RKCC moved to our new facility on Days Road, a number of fundraising activities took place to help raise money for the move. Definitely one of the most successful projects, was the sale of rock handle sponsorship.

For $500, current and former members purchased individual handles, on which was engraved their personal message. Some simply recorded their names, while others took the opportunity to honor family members who spent many years in, and devoted countless volunteer hours to, a club that they loved. Either way, the names of all those who supported the club in this campaign will exist in perpetuity on the ice at RKCC!

6 sheets of ice - 16 rocks per sheet - 96 rock handles for sponsorship. Well, the good news is that there are still a few left!

If you would like to have your family name added to a handle, or perhaps the name of a loved one, please contact the club for more detailed information on how to arrange it for the start of the 2009/10 season. As mentioned, you will receive a tax receipt for the entire amount.

Once the remaining rock handles are sold, there will never be another opportunity to have your family honored in this manner ... what a great opportunity!

Advertiser update - your list of club sponsors for 2009/10

As every club member knows, RKCC has a long list of advertisers and sponsors. Their generous support helps in many ways and I hope you will show your appreciation by supporting them when you can.

To help provide a bit more exposure for the companies and individuals who support RKCC, I will update the list of confirmed sponsors for the 2009/10 season each week. This way, you can add them to your short list of companies to visit when shopping for a product or service.


Here is your current list for 2009/10, with recent confirmations in orange:

Ice Sheet Sponsors

Four Points by Sheraton/Ambassador Convention Center
Empire Life Financial
SLH Transport
TD Waterhouse
BMO - Bank Of Montreal

Wall ad sponsors

State Farm Insurance - Mark Armitage
Township Tire
ServiceMaster
McCoy Bus Service
Tackaberry
Haven Home Climate Care
RBC Dominion Securities
Wayne Halladay
Donohue Financial
Independent Planning - Jeanie Quirt-Brown
The Trophy House
Revell Ford Verona
Kingston Nissan
Amey's Taxi
Union Gas
Collins & Blay - Murray Robertson
Blaser's Physiotherapy
Sutton Group Realty - Brian Ward
The Loyal Oarsman
SafeStep Building Treatments
Independent Pest Control
Wine Kitz - Rose Schwager
Sutton Group Realty - Ron Pols
D&D Auto Service
Kingston Toyota
Exclusive Cooling
Parade of Paints
Thomson Jemmett Vogelzang
Wartman Funeral Home
Investor's Group - Brian McConnell
Svendson Bros. Auto Repair
Bennett's Valu-Mart

Thanks to all of these companies for their continue support!

Remember RKCC members, when you visit or do business with any of these individuals or companies, tell them that you are there because they support your club.