Manitoba Curling Association President Dale Brooks says the MCA Board will review its current structure in light of challenges being faced by the organization in recruiting volunteer directors under the existing model.

The MCA Board of Directors meeting April 26 in Carman accepted ‘as a starting point for discussions’ a Board of Directors reduction document presented by Winnipeg Regional Directors.

The Board of Directors structure since amalgamation of the Manitoba Curling Association and Manitoba Ladies Curling Association in 2001 has been based on equal male-female representation with a total of 16 directors from Winnipeg; 4 from Westman and Central regions; and two from Norman, Parkland, Eastman and Interlake. There are also two directors appointed by the Manitoba Curling Tour.

A recent Winnipeg region meeting was able to appoint directors to fill only seven of the 16 available directorships for next year. The MCA website also notes vacancies in the past year in Eastman (1 male); Parkland (1 female); Central (1 female) and Winnipeg (3 male).

In addition to the challenge of recruiting volunteer directors, the Association has been unable to elevate a director from the Board to the 10-person Management Committee.

At a previous Board meeting, Rose Neufeld was elected to the position of President for the 2008-2009 season with Jim Strath receiving the nod for Vice-President. Marlene Mori was elected to a five year-term on Management. She had previously served a two-year term, filling out the term of Sharon Shannon of Brandon who had to resign in the middle of her term. There were no male candidates for the five year term to replace outgoing President Dale Brooks on the management committee.

Brooks reports that the Winnipeg Directors proposal to reduce the size of the Board of Directors will be discussed by the incoming Board at an early June planning session, following the May 31 Annual General Meeting at Fort Rouge Curling Club.

Brooks says the Carman meeting was advised the Heather Curling Club will not be hosting a joint Manitoba Target Juniors championship event as had been early included in the MCA Calendar of Events. Scheduling challenges and the costs to operate on January 1st are central reasons for the decision.

Two other decisions of significance were also made at the April Directors meeting. Terms of reference have been accepted for a review of the way clubs affiliate with the Manitoba Curling Association AND a decision has been made to eliminate the coin-toss as a way of determining who has last rock on the opening end of Safeway Championship games. A draw to the button at the end of pre-game practice will be used to determine the hammer.

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The MCA website currently includes an advisory statement that ‘due to extenuating circumstances’, the 2008 summer curling camp has been cancelled. The camp has been replaced by a pair of day camp events to be held at West Kildonan Curling Club in late August.