Sunday’s Croquet draw marks the end of the 2019/2020 season at Canadian Pacific. It’s been a very messy, yet busy year. Our membership rallied early on to keep programs and facilities functioning… I hope most of you were content with the outcome. Perhaps now we can take a well-deserved breath.
Annual General Meeting
As I reported in my last mailing, we will not be holding an Annual General Meeting this year. A large, in-person gathering was not considered safe, and it was determined that holding an online event would prove too difficult to access for a good portion of our members. We will instead be following the pandemic option provided by the Societies Act and postpone our AGM to October of 2021.
Three members of the Board have stepped down. Past President Ian Jesney left the Club in a very healthy position, both financially and with improved membership levels. He also delivered new, streamlined by-laws to strengthen the governance of our organization. Mark Planiden, who served as Vice President, was tasked early on with compiling our Safe Play Protocols and managing the pandemic online signup system. He did a fantastic job with both. Harry Walker has served two terms as our Games Chair, where he devoted a lot of time organizing Club tournaments and coordinating BSI schedules. On behalf of the membership I’d like to thank all for their service to the Club.
At our Board meeting last Tuesday we appointed four new directors in accordance with the Club by-laws. I’d like to welcome Gordon Folka, Susan Penner-Davis, Alan Forster and Deanna Germain into the fold.
Each Committee Chair has submitted annual reports on their group’s activities. These can be found on the Membership page of our website downtownlawnbowling.ca Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions or comments. I will attempt to address them directly.
Winter Play
The structured portion of the season is done, but members are free to carry on playing croquet, bowling or bocce all winter long. Please note that indoor social activities like cards and darts are still prohibited.
Member are free to organize pick-up games when conditions allow. Our Safe Play Protocols still apply however. Each visitor to the Club will be required to self monitor. A sign-in table will be positioned inside the front door. Everyone, including members working around the site must fill in a separate medical screening form and enter themselves in the Log Book with each visit. No exceptions. You must sanitize all equipment used plus any touch-points inside the Clubhouse.
Anyone wishing to access the facilities must have completed Volunteer Monitor training. If you wish to be trained please let me know. lornecarnes@shaw.ca
Limits of 30 people to the grounds and 16 players on the green are still in place. Please utilize the green groundsheets if the lawn is damp. Do not play on the green when frost is present.
Be aware that during the week you might be sharing the green and so situate your rink/court appropriately. Saturdays will be reserved for bowling…Sunday for Croquet. The bocce court is open everyday.
Our Club dress during the season is white and/or burgundy. This does not apply during the winter months.
We have a number of members whom have just joined and don’t know everyone. To facilitate casual play, I am setting up a WhatsApp group for all three sports. WhatsApp is an app for your phone/desktop which allows people to chat within a group. If it’s a nice day out and you’re interested in playing you simply text the group to see whom else might be keen. Contact me if you’d like your contact info added.
Guest Bowls
Some members have been using Club bowls from the guest rack all season and keeping them in their lockers. Those should go back in the rack now. Please ensure they are sanitized first.
Work Party
I’m hoping to organize a work party next week when the weather permits to rake and level our bocce court. If you are willing to lend a hand let me know. lornecares@shaw.ca
Thrifty Smile Card Program
Our Smile Card program was delayed this summer when we changed our Club’s legal name. We have now been approved for $3500 worth of fundraising….so charge those cards up! (For those who don’t know… when you charge up your pre-assigned Smile Card to purchase groceries at Thrifty Foods the Club gets 5% of every dollar towards new equipment.) Elaine can supply cards if needed.
Membership
Finally, a big thanks for supporting Canadian Pacific through this tough time. I look forward to welcoming everyone back next spring… including those long-term members who decided to take this year out. In the meantime, I’ll will endeavour to keep you in the loop through the winter with regular mailings.
Thanks, Lorne