Heather club boasts oldest history in state

Editor’s note: “Sweeping Palaces” is a new U.S. Curling News feature profiling member clubs across the country. We hope that these profiles will help readers learn more about their fellow curlers and curling clubs in the United States, and that they may also further the sharing of ideas between clubs.

Who: Heather Curling Club

Address: P.O. Box 68, Mapleton, MN  56065

Club contact: Larry Barott, 507-524-4670; Deb Schaefer, 507-524-3025; Dana Krengel, 507-524-4355

Number of sheets of ice:  4

Number of members: 150

What is unique about the club? The club is the oldest established club in Minnesota with three generations on a curling team.

How often can members curl? Seven days a week

Types of programs: Instructional, junior, men’s & women’s

Community involvement: As part of the club’s gambling license, many dollars go back to local organizations, schools and city projects.

Steps to attract new members: The club uses advertising, open houses, open ice nights for the public and solicitations to schools/businesses and organizations to try to attract new members to the club.

Annual events: Open spiel, family ‘spiel, women’s ‘spiel, all-American ‘spiel, Burns ‘spiel, men’s ‘spiel, mixed ‘spiel, teen ‘spiel.

Club history:

Ceud Mile Failte

(A hundred thousand welcomes)

by Gwen McGregor, one of the club’s first women curlers

Mapleton is located in southern Minnesota, the state being in the upper center of the United States. It may not be the largest town you visit, but it has the oldest established curling club in the state. In 1 856, Scottish immigrants settled in this territory. The town was named after the Maple River where the game of curling was introduced. Circular wooden blocks with metal bands were their only curling stones. There are even stories of the men using their wives’ flat irons occasionally. However, 1890 saw the introduction of granite stones.

Curling in Mapleton has always been associated with the January celebration of the birthday of Scottish poet, Robert Burns. As early as 1856, home gatherings were held with programs of Scottish readings and songs and much reminiscing. In 1866, the Burns Club and the Curling Club were formed as a joint group and a Burns Program and Bonspiel were held each year thereafter drawing many participants and guests.

In 1904, an enclosed rink was built with two sheets of natural ice. In 1950, our current rink with four sheets was built. In 1954, artificial ice was installed to the delight of the ladies who had formed their group called the Heatherettes in 1949. They, too, have been very active in curling and promoting the game. There have been many improvements over the past 4 years that have added to the enjoyment of all.

The Heather Curling Club hosts bonspiels and/or playdowns each year for the men, women and junior curlers. Our membership includes many junior curlers who have been introduced to the game through our physical education programs at the local schools. This has been a good way to acquaint the parents as well to our game. In this way, we think we will have curlers here for the next century!

We don’t have a movie theater nor a ski slope, but we do have a curling club and the Scots and everyone else knows curling provides a real “Hoot Mon!”