OCC NEWS AND UPDATES!

Check out all the latest OCC news and opportunities for involvement in this newsletter! The board and ice crew have been busy getting ready for a great season, and we're excited to get it kicked off!!

We're expecting the ice to be ready to go for practice TUESDAY (email for ice reservations)! League play will begin next Sunday (11/3), with junior practices beginning Saturday, November 9.

Good curling!

League schedules have been updated on our website and are also linked below.

The WEDNESDAY schedule has been updated with the addition of a 6th team. Use the schedule below/on the website, don't use the one that was distributed at the Skip's meeting.

Please try to stick to the schedule as much as possible. If your team is unable to make a game, please communicate with your opposing skip as soon as possible, and make an effort to play all make-up games in a timely manner.

Please snap a TEAM PICTURE in the first week or two and email it (along with your names) to the club. We'll get the bulletin board updated :)

We are working on getting a new 4-week Learn-to-Curl league started on MONDAY nights. This will tentatively run November 11-December 2. If you know of anyone interested in giving curling a try without having to commit to the entire season, encourage them to sign up by emailing the club. Cost is $40.

If you are looking to get more ice time (and a little instruction to help you improve your game!), this opportunity is also open to members curling in different leagues. There would be NO additional charge to join this crew.

Please consider sharing the infographic above to your social media accounts to encourage new folks to check out curling!

Check out the OCC calendar for upcoming events. If you are interested in reserving ice time for practice, check the calendar for availability at your desired time, then email the club with the date and time.

If you introduce new folks to curling during your practice time, they will need to complete a waiver before going out on the ice. Paper copies of the waiver are available at the club.

Registration is through Albert Lea or Owatonna Community Ed.

Juniors practice Saturday mornings with the elementary kiddos from 9-10AM and the junior high and high school crew from 10:30-11:30AM. $40 fee covers the season (+ Sunday night league if interested!). Register online or reach out with questions.

Practice dates are: November 9, 16, and 23, December 14 and 21, January 4, 11, and 25, and February 8 and 15.

The crew from Dakota Curling Supplies will be at OCC from 5:30-9pm to help with all your gear needs! Stop in and check it out!

Register your team by emailing mailto:owatonnabonspiels@gmail.com

Register by emailing owatonnabonspiels@gmail.com

There are a number of ways to get involved in the club. We are a volunteer-run organization and our club is strong because of our amazing members. Some opportunities require just a few minutes of your time. Check out a few of the opportunities below:

Ok, this one requires a little bit of training, but we're here for you!! The ice needs prepping every day, so we need folks that are willing to be primary ice preppers AND substitutes for when our primaries are out. Reach out to Brad Bettermann if you are up for this opportunity.

All you need is enthusiam for curling to help out with these events - no curling or teaching skill is required! 😀 Currently scheduled events are listed below. Contact Kim Swanson if you're interested in being on a list of folks we can reach out to for help (or for a specific event below).

- COMMUNITY ED LEARN TO CURL NOVEMBER 8

- JUNIORS CURLING PRACTICES (we're looking for at least one additional instructor each week - check out the schedule and openings here)

- MONDAY NIGHT INSTRUCTIONAL LEAGUE

- Additional learning opportunities to be scheduled may include high school classes, corporate events, etc.

There's always a lot to do to prep for spiels - this may include planning meals, creating brackets, or being at the spiel to help with money collection, coordination, raffles, awards and hospitality. If you can help make OCC bonspiels awesome, reach out to Darren Zempel.

If you are handy and/or are interested in helping determine the next projects at OCC in the warm room, then you should join the building committee!! Check in with Kent Arrell if you have ideas or we can count on you to help fix issues that may arise

This is one that we ALL need to help with! If you make a mess, clean it up. If you see a mess, please clean it up, too.

Each team will be assigned a couple of nights throughout the season to take care of clean-up, as well. Please check the posted schedule at the club for an asterisk next to your team name. Nightly clean-up involves sweeping the floor, taking out garbage as necessary, checking the tables, kitchen and bathroom and doing any clean-up that is necessary.

If we are short on necessary cleaning products, please let Kim know so we can make sure to get them!

Thanks to the U of M AED reuse program (for the AED!) and Modern Metal Designs (for the cabinet!), we are prepared at OCC should an AED be necessary. The cabinet will be mounted on the wall between the entry door and the light cabinet.

We reviewed this at the Skip's meeting, but it is a public use device, so don't hesitate to use it if the need arises. We hope that it can just hang out and collect dust, but we're happy to have it as a precaution.

Chris Dibble and Kim Swanson completed the USA Curling Level One Instruction course in September. We use USA Curling instructional strategies with our LTC and junior events. If you're interested in training as an instructor or an ice tech, let us know, and we can keep you in the loop for future opportunities!!

Your 2024-25 OCC Curling Board Members are:

Kim Swanson (president)

Chris Dibble (vice president)

Kent Arrell (secretary)

Jeremy Saufferer (treasurer)

Brad Bettermann

Steve Glynn

Jeff Hanson

Steve McKelvey

Darren Zempel

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