Senators are
looking for a few good men
By Irwin Rapoport
Unlike the Canadian Senate where the mandatory retirement age is 75,
The Senators, a branch of the Montreal West Curling Club, are actively seeking
senior members to swell their ranks in a winter sport that Canada is very
much acclaimed for.
With more than
70 members, at least 12 are in their 80’s and one in his 90’s,
the Senators are one of the largest senior mens’ curling groups in the
Montreal area. To join, you have to be 50.
“The
season starts in October and it finishes in April,”
said Jerry Dery, the president of the Senators. “Curling is very good
exercise and we have free lessons.”
Watching these
athletes in action, one was struck by the ease that many demonstrate in aiming
the rock. Curling is said to be ‘a game of inches,’ and the guys
are lean when they miss their targets.
The club is
located at 17 Ainslie, just across the street from Royal West Academy. Dery
says that those interested in curling should drop by to catch a match from
the gallery overlooking the ice.
Now 58, Stan
Chambers started curling three years ago. “There is a game every day,”
he said. The guys make you feel young. The average age of the players is 72.”
Chambers says
would-be players should not feel daunted by the sport.
“It is
not a pushover thing – there are all kinds of ways that you can play,”
he said. “You can play with a stick (instead of a broom) and throwing
the rock much like shuffleboard.”
Nor should
one worry about making mistakes.
“Nobody
takes themselves seriously at this level,” said Chambers. “It’s
a lot of fun. The guys keep playing – there must be something to it.
They might not make all the shots all the time, but they know what they have
to make and a lot of times they are there. It’s kind of in their blood.”
The club holds
an instructional league on Monday nights, but one could always contact the
management to arrange a time to drop by and throw a few rocks.
It costs a
minimum of $225 (plus taxes) to join the curling club, which includes use
of house brooms and sticks.
At 83, Montreal
West’s Dodd Grey has been curling for the last 50 years, and is also
an avid golfer and sports enthusiast.
“You
have to keep yourself busy both mentally and physically,” he said. “Curling
is a fun way to get in some exercise and meet people. I play about three or
four times a week. Doing nothing is the worst thing you can do.”
Grey once played
on a squad representing Quebec at the national senior championships.
Jane Grey,
Dodd’s wife, is also an avid curler who has been playing for about 35
years.
While the Senators
are a men-only group, there are about 40 women who belong to the Day Lady’s
Branch.
“We’re
out there to win,” said Grey, 73. “Some of us are good sports.
You can take a loss, but I’m out there to get the other guy. I’ve
been skipping for a long time. There’s a lot to curling because as the
skip (the leader of the squad, who has the final say on where the rocks are
placed), you have to know what your other shooters are capable of. It’s
a four-man team – everyone has to do their part.”
At 85, Bud
Oldham can no longer curl, but this has done nothing to curb his enthusiasm
to stay active.
Oldham was
introduced to the sport 25 years ago by his wife. “I took a liking to
it. It’s a game of inches. You have to get to know the condition of
the ice. You can read all the books under the sun, but you have to practice
and everyone is willing to help you.”
While unable
to curl, Oldham is active in the club’s carpet bowling group, which
meets every Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30 am to 11:30 am during the curling
season. Membership is $40.
For more information
on the Senators and carpet bowling, contact the Montreal West Curling Club
at 486-5831.
[photo caption]
Left to right: Rod Patterson, 84, Stan Chambers,
58, & Red Martin, 91, are all team mates.
