The Smithers Curling Club and Curl BC honoured three long-term volunteers at a banquet Feb 15.
Melissa Sim, Member Services Manager for Curl BC came up from the Burnaby to hand out the awards.
Gord and Debbie Judzentis were given theirs first. Gord served on the board for Curl BC, which is the governing body for the sport in the province.
“This plaque recognizes his valuable contribution to the board of governors for 2017-2019 but Good has actually been on the board for much longer representing the interests of this club and the interests of the north and being a voice for the north to Curl BC,” said Sim.
Debbie served as the regional rep for Region 6, which is the northwest of B.C.
“Sometimes it is easy to forget there are strong teams and clubs and strong curlers in the north because we are so focused on the Okanagan and the Lower Mainland where the bulk of our curlers are,” said Sim. “But Debbie has kept the organization in line and reminded us that the North is important and a crucial part of the province and a crucial part to curling in this province. As your regional rep, she did a lot of things for the north to make sure Curl BC was still connected to all the different clubs in the area.”
President of the Smithers Curling Club Klaus Kraft spoke about David Mould and thanked member Bob Shiach for nominating him to Curl BC for the volunteer of the year award.
Mould has been a member of the Smithers Curling Club for many years and has taken care of the lounge and ordering curling merchandise for the past 20 years.
“Here are the words that Bob put down when they asked him to describe the contributions the individual made:
‘The Smithers Curling Club has a proud history going back to 1927. Over those 90 years it has been managed and operated as a private, non-profit society. As ambassadors of the grand ole game, many generations of hard working curling club members have dedicated an infinite number of volunteer hours to ensuring the club remains an affordable winter sport for the residents of the Bulkley Valley. It is an ongoing challenge to grow the membership, ensure aging infrastructure is maintained to an acceptable standard, pay ever increasing ice fund utility costs and be somewhat prepared for unplanned funding pressures. David Mould has been one of those pivotal volunteers that has been integral to the ongoing operation of the club. Since 2008 he has been managed the curling club lounge and bar by ordering all the beverages and confections, cleaning the lounge and keeping the books for the lounge. He knows all his lounge patrons and their beverages of choice.’
Kraft also said Mould also makes up the draw for the Thursday night men’s league, he tends the bar for all bonspiels, rental events, and curling leagues. He also takes care of the annual fire inspections, orders and sells curling merchandise and organizes the annual 50/50 draw.
“He is basically the face our curling club operation,” he added. “He is a calm, guiding voice at our meetings.”
Mould said he was appreciative of the award.
“Curling has been one of those things that has taken up a huge part of my life. For 57 years I curled every season in many different location,” he said. “I threw my first curling rock in Fort St James on the 19th of November, two sheets of natural ice, colder than hell, corn brooms. I spent ten years in Fort McMurray, in those ten years I was always going to go to the Brier. We were successful to a point. We would win the club, we would win the district but we never won northern Alberta. I didn’t make to a national but my daughter did.”
He went on to thank his family and the Smithers curling club for nominating him.
The club is still looking for someone to take care of the lounge next season when Mould hangs up his hat.
