Season Start
We still face some uncertainty with the construction schedule but are planning to have ice in early December. Rather than starting leagues right away, we will wait until after the holidays to begin league play. That will give us 3-4 weeks to acclimate to our new facility as well as curling with COVID restrictions. We will also use this time to train and engage new curlers as noted in small, scheduled training sessions. We plan on plenty of opportunities for open play, likely encouraging curlers planning to join leagues to come to curl on those designated evenings before formal league play begins.
Given the uncertainties of membership (both new and existing member participation), we are planning on the same league structure as in prior years. Our additional space will allow us to easily accept more curlers in those leagues if demand is there. And if there is interest in developing new curling opportunities, there should be plenty of available ice time that we can create those opportunities as we go.
With our new facility, we also can extend the season. Given curling will not be available until December, a bit over a month later than normal, we will plan to extend our season through April 2021.
Dues & other fees
We have historically maintained one of the lowest membership due to rates in the state. Last year's full membership dues were $230. In order to secure financing, we had to present a plan to support debt payments. Our modeling brought us to full membership dues for the upcoming season at $335 to support our costs. While a substantial percent increase, these dues will be roughly in line with Waupaca and well below clubs like Wausau and Madison. All fees for the 2020-21 season are as follows.
|
Full Adult Membership |
$335 |
|
New Curler (first year) |
$280 |
|
University |
$75 |
|
Little Rocks |
$40 |
|
Kids Curl |
$25 |
|
Social |
$40 |
|
Lockers rental |
$30 or $100 for a 5-year rental |
|
The 5-year locker option will help us fund our initial purchase |
|
The 2020-21 Season Challenge
The first season in a new club presents a host of uncertainties in terms of both expected recurring and one-time costs. On top of that, we will be learning to manage debt for the first time and have the extraordinary uncertainty of COVID. COVID will cause some regular members not to curl as well as limit the number of new curlers impacting our revenue. It will also bring new costs to our club to effectively manage COVID. And, significantly it may cause us to lose or limit one of our primary sources of revenue for the club – Bonspiels.
Not an ideal financial environment for our first year. Yet we have done considerable planning and are confident we can manage our way through it. It will not be without challenges, but once we get through this first extraordinary season, we will be well-positioned to thrive in the coming years.
If you should decide that you are not comfortable participating due to COVID this year, we ask you to consider paying membership dues regardless to help us get through this season.
Your board thanks you for your support regardless!
