RCCC – ASC ‘Areas’ Structure Review Group
14/04/15 – JH – Hello folks. Anne asked you to respond via email, but as an experiment with this POST-ing maybe a better way is to allow fellow Members to see each others thought’s is by opening this POST up to COMMENTS. As such I have enabled this facility on this page (see the bottom of the page).
So what’s your own thoughts? And just to keep things simple just log-in as a Lanark Member with the usual log-in info (remember WWII) but add your name to the end of your Comments Posting – thanks 😉
Before the start of the next Season I will allocate your own personal Log-in information which will allow you to participate more easily on the Website.
30/03/15 – AH – Hi! If you scroll down this page you will find a letter from the RCCC inviting comments/views about restructuring areas/provinces. We quite ran out of time at our AGM to discuss this fully so I’m happy to take your email comments, if any, and will collate and forward to RCCC on your behalf.
Thank you. Anne 🙂
Being a newb’y (so-to-speak) with just under 20 years of curling under my slider I never really understood what consisted of a Province and an Area (it didn’t really effect me – did it?). It wasn’t till I had to start compiling the new Website that I came to appreciate the different structures and I must say it is a bit confusing.
It appears that the club benefits from being within two RCCC Provinces – Bigger District & Upper Ward and the Lanarkshire Province (and Area 3 of the RCCC) 🙄 – though basically all the clubs within these two Provinces are within the old Lanarkshire County area? (though not all clubs are members of the RCCC and as such how the RCCC is structured doesn’t really effect them?). This legacy is unique to certain clubs (even more confusion 😯 ), and as a consequence in our case allows us to play in RCCC and other competitions within these two Provinces.
The term Province intrigues me. Sounds dated? So where did the term come from?
I suspect that in the early days of curling there was a strong Masonic influence?, and as such clubs played other clubs locally within their Masonic Province. (remember in these early days the logistics of moving stones and other accoutrements around were pretty daunting)
So do we really need such a complicated structure nowadays. I don’t think so – but there is a lot of history & traditions attached to these old entities and of course the competitions that we play in today – so it’s not really that simple a question to answer!
So what might be a better structure?
To do away with Areas and Provinces and simplify to a single tier format such as; use the existing unitary authorities boundaries, or use old county boundaries, or split Scotland into specific geographic areas – S (Kelso, Lockerbie, Dumfries), West South (Stranraer, Ayr, Ardrossan), West North (Kilmarnock, Greenacres, Waterfront) Central West (Braehead, East Kilbride, Hamilton), Central East (Stirling, Murrayfield, Kirkcaldy) North South (Kinross, Perth, Dundee), North East (Forfar, Aberdeen), North (Elgin, Inverness) – with the make-up of these areas based around an even distribution of the Area’s curling rinks – where possible. The Areas in turn would have their RCCC Representative (who handles general RCCC business, competitions, development along with the Rink(s) Development Officer).
These are just my ‘rough’ thoughts with my limited understanding of the RCCC’s involvement within our sport. And as I said it’s not that simple a question to answer. I suppose the ‘gist’ of the Review Group’s question is whether the existing structure is really fit-for-purpose as our sport continues to evolve?, or do we just leave things as they are?? What’s your own thoughts?
Jack 🙂
I think the current area structure does not reflect the number of current clubs now remaining. As Lanark is a member of Biggar & Upperward Province there are now only 6 clubs remaining in this Province – approx half of what it used to be. As a result we only have 2 KO competitions and a bonspiel left – it is onerous on clubs to remain involved and enthusiastic. We compete in Lanarkshire Province Leagues therefore can we not restructure our Province boundaries to reflect this? We should encompass an area where the ice rink is situation and which clubs use – whether you call it Lanarkshire; Stirlingshire etc or North, West, etc is best left to the committee but it should reflect the area the ice rink serves. Drop the term ‘province’.
Anne