A good crowd was on hand last evening at the air-conditioned Cornwall Curling Club for our Annual General Meeting. President Frank Martin and the Board of Directors members who chaired the various committees reported that it was another excellent season at the Club, with highlights including a large number of winning teams and curlers at the local through national levels, a huge Junior program (possibly the largest on the Island), and full weeknight and daytime draws. The weekends were packed with rentals, which showed a 23% increase in revenue from last year, Club bonspiels, which were all quite successful, and four Sunday nights where PEI Newcomers were introduced to curling, thanks to a provincial grant and a rental by the Newcomers Association of PEI. Also successful, even with some inclement weather, was the Friday night Drop In sessions, with a high of 30 curlers, many of them new to the Club, attending on the final night. Catering the lobster and steak meal for the Road Builders Assoc. was also a success, raising about $1700, so it was decided to do it again this year (June 4).
Membership was on par with the previous season, which is no small feat, as enrollment has declined in many curling facilities across the country. The Club’s rocks have been sent to Ontario for refurbishment thanks to financial assistance provided by a provincial grant, a successful “Cornwall Rocks!” fundraiser, a donation from the Daytime Curlers, and a loan from the Town of Cornwall. Biggest capital expense last year was around $1000 to replace rusted burners in the ice house propane heaters. Summer renovations planned by our landlords, the Town of Cornwall, include replacing the ice shed walkway, which is getting weak, and carpets, by the windows.
Financially it was a good year, despite a shorter season due to an early Easter, and some lost days due to snowy weather, with a net income of $1700, up about $700 from the previous year.
President Martin thanked the Board Members, staff, volunteers, and all Club members for another great season. He gave special thanks to the four Board members who have finished their terms on the Board – Krista Affleck, Leonard Gotell, Joe MacKinnon, and Paul Neima, along with Lew Black, who was appointed by the Daytime Curlers as their representative. Four new Board members were acclaimed: Colleen MacDonald, Kim MacDonald, Lisa MacEachern, and Alan Mason, with the Daytime Curlers selecting Jim Orr as their representative on the Board. The new Board will meet June 15 at 6:30 pm at the Club.
There were no items discussed during the Open Discussion period at the conclusion of the meeting.
