Registration will start next week, but we wanted to share an important update on our membership fees. As we continue to grow and evolve as a club, the Board has made a significant decision regarding our membership fee structure. Every member will now be required to pay a fixed membership fee, followed by a cost per league fee. We want to provide you with the details of this change and the reasons behind it.
New Fee Structure
Here’s a breakdown of the new membership fees:
- Full Membership: $300
- Second Year Member: $250
- First Year Member: $200
- Intermediate Member (18 to 25): $200
- Junior Member (12 to 17): $150
- Cost per League: $75 (capped at $225)
This flexible fee structure allows members to choose the option that best fits their level of participation and experience. It also enables us to continue offering a wide range of programs while ensuring the club remains financially sustainable.
Why the Change?
In response to feedback from our members and after careful consideration over several seasons, the Board has decided to move away from our previous fixed fee structure. This new approach is designed to better accommodate the diverse needs of our members while helping us maintain the quality of our facilities and programs. This decision was made after consulting with other curling organizations that have successfully implemented similar structures, as well as evaluating historical membership data against current financial needs.
What This Means for You
- Current Members: Your base membership category now better reflects your level of play and commitment. Whether you’re a seasoned player or just starting out, there’s an option that suits your needs.
- New Members: We will continue to offer reduced rates for first- and second-year members to encourage new participants to join our community. This will build on the success of our Learn to Curl program and foster growth in our club.
- League Participation: The per-league cost of $75 allows you to pay only for the leagues you wish to join, providing more flexibility and control over your curling experience. You can still participate in as many leagues as you want, with league fees capped at $225.
- Registration: Our registration form has been rebuilt to reflect these changes. Once you complete your registration, you will receive a confirmation email outlining the leagues you selected and your total dues.
- Spares: You can still spare in leagues you’re not registered for, but we ask that you or the team you are sparing for notify the league convenor by email before game time. We will monitor spare usage in each league to determine if any adjustments are needed for next season.
Referral Program
We’re also excited to continue our referral program to encourage more people to join our community. As a reminder, for every new person you get to sign up for the season, you will receive a $50 refund on your membership.
- The first referral will return your volunteer bond of $50.
- Additional referral refunds will be credited against your base membership fee but will not exceed that amount.
- New members must register and pay for a 1st year membership. A new member is anyone who has not curled in St. Marys for the last 2 years.
- If you get someone to join one session of the new Learn to Curl league, you will receive a $25 refund.
- They must identify you by name when registering. NO EXCEPTIONS. This is important because without this, you won’t get the refund. It might be a good idea to do the registration form with them to ensure they list your name.
- Referral discounts will be paid out after the season has started and we have confirmed payment from new curlers. You will still need to pay the full amount when registering yourself.
Looking Ahead
We’re confident that this change will make our club more inclusive and accessible while maintaining the high standards of curling we all value. We will evaluate the results at the end of the season and look to adjust and improve this new program as necessary.
Thank you for being a part of the St. Marys Curling community. We look forward to seeing you on the ice again this season!
FAQ
- Does the Tuesday/Thursday drop in leagues count as 1 or 2 leagues? We are counting these 2 days as 1 league so if you want to play in one or both the fee remains $75 for this league.
- If you are going to be a spare only – what would you pay? If you are just sparing in a league there is no additional cost however we are going to be monitoring how many times people spare to see if it is being abused. For people who are not members who wish to spare, it is just a $15 fee to a maximum of 6 times.
- Can join as may leagues as I want, rather than pay the full membership fee? No, there is a base membership fee that everyone pays and then leagues are on top of that. The $225 cap just means even if you sign up for 5 leagues, you only have to play for 3.