Membership
Our Past
Rouge Valley Curling Club was established in October 2023 to replace the original club name of Honeywell. Over the past 65 years, the club memberships have transitioned from a corporate men's league to a mixed league of individuals seeking a curling game and socializing with like-minded curlers to share great shots and near misses while enjoying the competitive nature of an excellent curling match.
Where it all started!
The HONEYWELL CURLING CLUB was first chartered in 1959 - 60, through the instigation of Dave MacIntosh. At that time, the club consisted of only two teams. These eight charter members met every two or three weeks at the Tam O'Shanter Curling Club located at Kennedy Road and Sheppard Ave. from 5 to 7 P.m. for a friendly game. Every member had an opportunity to play all positions because each team functioned on a rotational basis from game to game.
By the close of this first season,, these charter members had created enough interest in the Club to propose expanding to three levels the following year. These levels would consist of,
"HONEYWELL 1" - Sales at Leaside
"HONEYWELL 2 " - Management at Scarborough
"HONEYWELL 3" - Factory at Scarborough.
When the 1960 - 61 season actually arrived, the Club had recruited sufficient membership to make up six teams. More interest was shown from the Factory employees, and it was also in this year that John King and Gord Lougheed joined from the Management ranks. The Club still played at the Tam O'Shanter, but now the schedule was weekly (Friday nights), and the calibre of play was much more competitive.
In the 1961 - 62 season, the Club really took off. They now had sixteen full teams devoted to Company Curling. This was the first season that the Club started playing on Monday nights at Avonlea Curling Club located on Railside Drive, Scarborough. The structure of the-league took another change this year. The Management and the Factory teams merged and the Sales team from Leaside actually disintegrated. It was also in this season that the "SHEET 8 BUTTONS" were developed. These were black buttons with a white "8" on them and the idea behind it was that any team remaining on sheet 8 for three consecutive games would become the proud owner of these distinguished buttons.
The Honeywell Curling Club has continued to remain strong in employee support over the past nineteen years, making it a very successful Company League. The friendship and competitive nature of the league have always remained on the highest level.
It is interesting to note that of the eight original charter members, we still have three of them actively curling with us today; Dave MacIntosh, Doug Stinson and Peter Clark.
April 3, 1978
W. J. K. Tully
The first crest to be developed was the circular one with the crossed brooms. This was designed in 1960 - 61'by Dave MacIntosh, Peter Clark and Fred Parkin.
The second crest is the white one designed by John King
in 1961 - 62.
The moto inscribed on the bottom says:
"HE CONQUERS WHO CONQUERS HIMSELF".
SPECIAL THANKS
I think that special thanks should be extended to Gil Hale, Doug Stinson, Peter Clark and Fred Parkin, who contributed their time and effort to piece together a few of the events which brought about the creation of the Honeywell Curling Club.
I'm sure there must be other members who remember events relating to the Club's past, or have photographs of Club happenings. If so, please pass them along and share them with all of us.
W. J. K. Tully