Well folks, as threatened, I took up golf last year and although I enjoyed it immensely, I still have a lot to learn and a long way to go before I'll feel anywhere near comfortable on the course. My best score for 9 holes was 47 and I should have retired immediately after that game instead, however, I struggled on and will probably be back at it next year. If I can learn to keep my head down and not try to kill the ball on every shot I can only get better. They say that all the fresh air and fellowship makes the embarrassment worth while.
Unless you are a snowbird and travel south for the winter golf, for most Quebecers, winds up around the middle of October, just about the time curling starts ramping up. And for many of us it is a smooth transition from the Rock Pile to the good old St. Lambert Curling Club. Although struggling financially at times, especially since St. Lambert's merger with Longueuil and the loss of our favourable property tax status, the Club continues to flourish and provides a haven for many who would be house bound with nothing to do during the long winter months .
I've been curling for over 50 years, first in high school (1958 to 1960) and then as a member of the St. Lambert Club starting in 1961. I've been associated with the club ever since, except for my brief four year stay in Calgary and then a few years I took off waiting for knee surgery. Throughout the years St. Lambert and Chambly County High School have been well represented at Club from the outset and we continue to hold our own on the ice and in all social aspects of the club.
There has, of course, been a big transformation in the membership profile over the years with the club now being dominated by retired senior men over the age of 60. I'm not saying we are the best curlers, far from it, but we certainly are the most active group, some of us getting in over five games a week.
There are two inter club competitions that St. Lambert senior men participates in. The Richelieu Valley League, made up of South Shore Clubs and the Masters League which encompasses all the clubs in the greater Montreal area. These inter club games start in November and continue on through April with two or three events a week. The matches are what one would consider friendly but competitive with an annual playoff format leading to the crowning of a league champions. The best part, however, is the lunch, liquid refreshments and rehash of the game that always follows. In addition to the inter club games there is an active Saturday morning senior league and a number of in- house competitions spread out over the year. Some of us also curl in the evening with the younger crowd, although probably not as successfully as we (at least me) would like to.
If you don't happen to have a match on any particular day or you are just a social member, you can always find a cribbage game to pass the time. In fact, there is a formal cribbage league with about 40 regulars and probably a dozen or so part timers. I've come to believe that many wives are happy to see the husbands get out of the house (perhaps some even push them) every so often and what better place to be - at least they know where their husbands are and are fairly confident they won't get into too much trouble.
On the competitive front, around the end of January our team consisting of myself, Wally Charron, Stu Cummings and Gatean Beaudoin won an in club bonspiel for the Vic Lefebvre Memorial Trophy. The prizes were two crystal wine classes for each team member, our names on the trophy and bragging rights for a year. Gatean, unfortunately, did not attend St. Lambert or Chambly County High otherwise we would have had a full team of genuine Alumni. However, before retiring, he was a salesman for Labatt Brewery and on that basis Wally and I decided to make him an honourary Alumnus for the duration of the tournament.
Here are a few pictures of some Alumni & current members I thought you might enjoy. I didn't get them all and will have to give you an update of the few remaining in a future addition. Interesting to note that four Alumni and current active members of the curling club grew up on Mercille Avenue - myself, John Green, Dick Rylander and Dick Williams – it's a small world.
Dave Sharp – Class of 1969, Dick Williams – Class of 1950, John Green – Class of 1952
Wally Charron - Class of 1939, Stu Cummings – Class of 1949, Dave Saunders - Class of 1963
Bob Smiley – Class of 1938
Not a very good picture of Bob - I’ll have to get a better one. He wasn’t curling that day just holding up the bar.
John Green - Class of 1952
Stu Cummings – Class of 1949 and Wally Charron – Class of 1939
Adam Griffith - Class of 2000, Adam is the youngest Alumnus I could find.
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