Spring 2022 meeting update and Larry Pieper Award recipient

The end of the year meeting was held on Championship Saturday, April 16th.  Full minutes will be posted under the Board minutes section, but we also want to highlight the service and recognition of some of our many volunteers:

Board of Directors

Congratulations to the newest members of the St. Paul Curling Club Board of Directors:  Andy Hovland, Rachel Orvik, and Colin Simpson.  They will serve a 3-year term, replacing outgoing members Chuck Donkers, Don Pitlik, and Julie Smith.

2022 Larry Pieper Service Award Winner (speech given by President Erik Ordway at the meeting)

The Larry Pieper Service Award is one of the most treasured awards given out at the St. Paul Curling Club.  Larry was quite a guy.  He had a great mechanical mind and spent countless hours volunteering at the club at a time when major renovations were necessary.  Since his passing in 1998, the club has selected one member annually to receive an award in Larry’s name who best exemplifies the volunteer spirit at our club. 

I've had the personal privilege of working closely with tonight’s winner over the last couple years as we’ve battled the COVID crisis.   As you can probably imagine, we had countless meetings on that subject at both the board level and the committee level…dozens and dozens of meetings.   This individual never missed a single one.

There was often debate in these meetings, but tonight’s honoree always maintained a level head and provided constructive, strategic insight throughout.    Many of the policies that got us safely through the last two years can be credited to this individual.

I talked to a few of her friends and would like share some of the comments I received:

One person said, “She is incredibly organized and is always involved.   Always the first person to arrive at every meeting.   She made wonderful contributions to the Pandemic Guidance Committee.   She spoke her opinion and always supported the end decision even if she disagreed with it.”

Another added, “She helps out at countless bonspiels.  Whether it’s making and serving food, providing elbow grease, or coordinating registration, she is a hell of a volunteer.”

And last but not least, “It wasn’t until I got to know her and she became a leader that I really began to feel connected.   She is warm and inclusive and does a wonderful job keeping people involved.   She is just a marvelous person to be around and really just wants everyone to participate.”

And what impresses me the most about this individual, is that she made all of these contributions, during COVID, while also serving as the president of Cairn Lassies.

Tonight’s Larry Pieper Service Award winner, is Barb Klussendorf.