Bills, bills and more bills.
How Barrhead Curling Club would love to sweep them away like so many stones.
Instead, the club says it is working hard to control costs and raise funds through casinos, selling Nevada tickets, raffles and bar sales.
It also wants Barrhead Town and County councils to provide financial support.
At the March 24 Town council meeting, club president Brian MacGillivray said escalating power bills and maintenance costs were proving the biggest hurdles.
“It is a never ending battle,” he said.
MacGillivray said the club had taken steps to reduce costs. For example, it had bought a new motor for $7,036 which had lowered the electricity bill.
Repairs and maintenance costs had also been cut thanks to members who volunteered their time, he said.
In a letter to the council, MacGillivray outlined club activities, which included three bonspiels – men’s, women’s and mixed.
“We have teams from out of town that comes to these bonspiels,” he said.
MacGillivray said membership had increased.
Latest membership figures, he said, are: senior’s league (regular play), 64; senior’s stick league, 44; men’s league, 56; women’s league, 56; rec league, 40; junior league, 40 children and 20 high school students.
Town council also received a copy of the club’s financial statement for the curling season, August 2012-July 2013.
This showed that the club spent $33,918 on utilities, compared to $38,657 the previous year.
Repairs and maintenance expenses also went down from $6,539 to $2,269.
Costs and expenses for 2013 came to $91,585, down from the 2012 total of $107,954.
Receipts totalled $100,260 at the end of July 2013 – including a $10,000 utility subsidy from the Town – leaving a net surplus of $8,675. In 2012 receipts amounted to $117,745, while the net surplus stood at $9,791.
Deputy Mayor Roy Ulmer, who was chairing the meeting, said utility bills affected everyone.
He said a lot of community halls, which had built extensions, were now being hit by higher costs.
Mayor Gerry St. Pierre said he was impressed with cost-cutting measures taken by the club.
“You have done your due diligence,” he said.
He asked MacGillivray whether the club had approached the County.
MacGillivray replied that a letter had been sent to the County, but the club had not yet received a reply.
Coun. Leslie Penny wondered whether the club had considered solar energy. She also asked which utility was the most expensive for the club – electricity, natural gas or water.
“I would say electricity accounts for 90 per cent of the costs,” MacGillivray replied.
Asked by Coun. Don Smith about membership, MacGillivray said numbers at the senior and Little Rock levels were great.
The council agreed to consider the club’s request for financial assistance.
