Scottish Wheelchair Curling Assoc. AGM

Report from Arthur J A Bell CBE FIDM FRSA, Chairman of the Scottish Wheelchair Curling Association, to its AGM at Hamilton Ice Rink on Tuesday 30th March 2010

Wheelchair Curling in Scotland is full of brave, skilled and resilient folk who enjoy a thrilling sport. Many different illnesses, accidents or other causes have meant we cannot use our legs to compete, but the refusal to bow down to our afflictions means we are all strong-willed. We have some outstanding sportsmen and women. Sadly, despite an extraordinary dedication to the sport this year's Paralympic team didn't manage to come back with medals, but we salute their bravery and their commitment.

We all also have our own brains. It is curious that disabled drivers, as exemplified by 'Mobilise' their organisation, have the ability and intellect to run their own affairs, yet somehow, wheelchair curlers do not. The preamble to the 'Mobilise' charter reads: “Mobilise is a charity run for people with disabilities by people with disabilities”. Quite. Until wheelchair curling is a sport for wheelchair curlers, run by wheelchair curlers, it will neither grow nor flourish to the extent it deserves.

I believe there are (at least) hundreds more wheelchair users who do not participate, yet the majority of rinks have no clubs. And the SWCA at present makes little progress in extending its opportunities. I am glad to report that a club is in process of development at Stirling. However Kilmarnock seems to have vanished from the radar, and Borders withdrew this year from SWCA, as they were dissatisfied with perceived SWCA lack of interest in their far-flung members.

Membership of the organisation is, at best, eight clubs, although some of these barely qualify under RCCC definition of the word “Club”, having less than eight members. And we have a voting system where today a handful decide whether to make progress, or continue to regress. I can only speak for South Lanarkshire where a large and growing membership shows what can be done in an area of high population. Yet we have no club in Edinburgh or Lothians, not in Dundee or Perth, not in Ayrshire or Dumfries, although Lockerbie continues to cover for that much larger town. Neither is there a club in Fife, although the people behind a campaign to build a rink at Cupar tell me they want to establish wheelchair curling there.

The organisation has run its competitions, organised by the Vice Chairman Judy Mackenzie and Secretary Margaret Cathcart. I thank them for their considerable energy and efforts; and Margaret for providing such a fine secretarial service too. Judy will report on these although I might be permitted a few observations. The National Pairs and the British Open were outstanding competitions, while the Scottish Championship could have been better timed. I have had a number of complaints that the GB squad were competing as members felt the championship should be open or for member clubs. The GB squad unsurprisingly won, but Aberdeen gave them a good run for their money in the Final.

I personally had to miss the Friendship Trophy as I had to attend an important family occasion. I am glad I missed it, as several curlers complained to me that it took them two days to clean up their chairs, due to the thick mud in the Greenacres car park. I haven't visited the rink so did not know it was basically in a farm yard, and there is a slope up hill to enter. If I may take you back a few words to a sport which might be: “run for wheelchair curlers BY wheelchair curlers”. An able bodied curler might not observe, unless they were a full-time carer, that this was not a site suitable for people in wheelchairs without helpers. It is this kind of, well meant but misguided, decision that makes it sensible to have a sport run by people (who in a few weeks will vote for the government of the country),who know these things, and who would not take such decisions. I understand that one of the toilets for the wheelchair users was outside, down the ramp, and the door would not shut with a wheelchair user inside. No, we in SWCA got it badly wrong. In future years such errors should not occur.

Now our finances with the hard working Bill Masterton in charge have shown increasing strength. Bill will explain them in his report. Although it seems 63% of all expenditure was on the “squad”. If it were not for the generous support of Scottish Disability Sport the present finances would be unsustainable. We therefore warmly thank them for their financial help.

However we come to what should not be a contentious business But is! That is the democratization of the sport. Last year our parent club, The Royal Caledonian Curling Club changed its constitution to a “One curler one vote” system. That was the correct decision. Now we, the wheelchair curlers, are the last people in the sport who have no vote as individuals in our own activities. This could be construed as discrimination or “Wheelchair Apartheid”. The outdated, convoluted constitution badly needs reformed, so those who pay their subscriptions get a full vote. After all we vote for European and British Parliaments, and for our local authorities. We may not always get it correct, but it is our right, and we have fought wars to ensure democracy. So why not us? Is it because we are criminals, undischarged bankrupts, or lunatics (The only adult people not allowed normal votes)?

Now this subject comes up under item 13, so I will only make one more point. At the last meeting the representative of Scottish Disability Sport stated his organisation was concerned 'OCOV' would result in smaller clubs being under represented and clubs with a large membership would “have a stronger voice”. But does the same not apply to the RCCC and every other democratic election? It is the duty of governments to govern for ALL the people, not merely their own supporters. He then said SDS might consider withdrawing its funding from SWCA if OCOV went ahead. Does the Minister of Sport believe that democracy denies support? After all, SDS is a part of Sport Scotland, and an arms-length government agency. Is the Scottish Government in favour of wheelchair apartheid? I do not believe that in any respect. It is an insult all wheelchair users that our present situation continues.

I hope you all, like me, will continue to enjoy the many benefits of sport, friendship and social as much as physical, that wheelchair curling brings our (disenfranchised) members. Good luck and good curling.