For a rural area with a relatively low population, the South Cariboo has a lot going on.
A quick flip through the Active Living Guide and you’re drowning in options for clubs and programs to join.
What’s even better is that after a relaxing summer break, many of them are resuming in September.
Here is just a small taste of what you can get involved in.
Eclectica
The community choir is reformulating this season after Marilyn Buyar stepped down as its director. Margot Shaw, the chair of the choir’s management team, said they are trying for a “team approach.” Four conductors - Barbara Hooper, Wally Hargrave, Melissa Hermiston and Dennis Tupman - have stepped up to direct the choir through select pieces.
“We’re really lucky we have just so many incredibly talented people in the choir,” said Shaw.
The choir’s fall season runs from September to December and includes two performances: Remembrance Day and Christmas.
“If people are just looking to dip their toes in, there are only two performances they have to commit to,” she said, adding, “Some people don’t make the performances but still come and sing with us every week and that’s okay, too. We’re a very accommodating bunch.”
Registrations for the fall season will be held on Sept. 12, 19 and 26, from 6:30 to 7 p.m. at the 100 Mile United Church, right before practice begins. Practice is every Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m., beginning Sept. 12. The choir accepts everybody wishing to join and the cost is $25 per person.
“I recommend it to everybody,” said Shaw, “even if you don’t think you can sing, you should because it’s a feeling that you can’t get anywhere else.”
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Curling
The curling club is a very social club, according to its president Gordon Smith. After a game, he said everyone goes upstairs to party. After ladies or mixed games, they’ll sometimes even dance.
“It’s a very social club and it’s open to all ages. We have curlers from probably eight to 80 almost.”
Curling resumes the week after Thanksgiving in 100 Mile House, but registration will be at the curling rink from 4 to 7 p.m. on Sept. 27. There are a number of leagues to choose from: men’s, ladies’, mixed, junior and drop-in.
“This year we’re hoping to start a mixed doubles league,” said Smith.
The fee to join will depend on which league you are interested in.
The club will be presenting three bonspiels this season, a Mixed Bonspiel, the Blind Curling Provincial Championships and the Zone 5/6 Senior Mens and Ladies Playdowns.
They will host the Optimist Jr. Curling Camp, a camp for new or first-time curlers from 10- to 12-years-old.
“So we have a number of things going on this year.”
Smith said five different school groups also came to the club for a physical education class last year.
“We hope to do that again this year. We’re always looking for new ways to get people curling.”
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Rhythmic Gymnastics
South Cariboo Rhythmic Gymnastics offers recreational, performance and competitive levels of teams to accommodate gymnasts aged four to 99 from any expertise.
Head coach Sang-Hee Robinson said everybody is welcome to join.
“Come in and give it a go,” she said, adding, “the only thing that we ask is to have an open mind, be ready to learn.”
One of the teams encourages mothers to join their children, which made some fathers a bit jealous so Robinson said they will try something fun for dads and “see how it goes.”
Registration for the 2018/2019 season will be from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 6 and 7 in the gymnasium of the Hillside Community Church. The cost varies depending on the team.
Robinson said she is hoping to see an increase in registration numbers, “because that kind of shows me that they’re having fun.”
But most of all, she said she’s looking forward to returning to “great attitudes and great smiles.”
Stamps
The 100 Mile House & District Stamp Club resumes on Wednesday, Sept. 26, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in a reserved room in the library in 100 Mile House.
The club will continue meeting regularly on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month from 1 to 2:30 p.m. until the end of May.
“We’re pretty lax,” and meetings aren’t particularly formal, said club president Glenna Metchette.
“We go through everything. Everybody collects something different, usually. I always encourage people to bring something to sort of show and tell, so we kind of all learn from each other.”
Metchette said the club has a few experts and they welcome beginners or anybody seeking help or information about a stamp or collection.
Since most stamp collectors don’t do anything with their stamps over the summer, she said she’s looking forward to seeing everybody again and getting back into the groove of things.
“There’s no fees, nothing. We’re just a small, friendly group.”
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Genealogy
Shelly Tegart, the secretary/treasurer and researcher of the South Cariboo Genealogy Group, has been helping people make their family trees for over 40 years.
“We’re a merry band of people,” she said.
The group meets in the library in 100 Mile House on the third Tuesday of every month from September to June. Weekly drop-ins are also welcomed during these months, on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., beginning Sept. 20.
One computer is reserved exclusively for the group to help people research their family history. Tegart said they also have books and materials and forms to help people fill out their ancestry.
“There’s billions of records available and we basically have access to all of that information online,” she said.
The group puts on seminars in the fall and spring. Tegart is currently seeking ideas for what people would be interested in learning about.
The group also throws a Christmas party in December and goes on a field trip in June.
Registration is $10 per person for the year.
Quilting
The Cariboo Calico Quilters Guild will open the doors of its room in the basement of the Creekside Seniors Activity Centre the first week of September.
The guild will operate Monday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and Tuesday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Guild president Gayle Christianson said members also meet one Friday every month for a kind of “quilt til you wilt” night.
“People start in the afternoon and then pizza’s ordered and then people can stay until they want to.”
It costs $50 to join the guild for the year, and Christianson said that gets you use of the facility plus over 600 years of quilting experience to take advantage of.
“This group is a really amazing group for sharing knowledge.”
Thanks to material donations, the guild has also accumulated some fabric storage, not huge, but Christianson said it’s enough to help someone who may want to quilt but who doesn’t know what they want to do.
The Dancing Quilts store on Birch Avenue is also holding a membership drive day on Sept. 8. Both the CCQG and the Log Cabin Quilters will have a booth and Christianson said anyone who pays for a membership will be entered in a draw for free membership.
“Basically I have never met one miserable quilter,” she said, adding that she’s looking forward to meeting new and even younger members.
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Weaving, Spinning and Fibre Art
The South Cariboo Weavers, Spinner and Fibre Artists Guild resumes operation at 11 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 7, at the Parkside Art Gallery, in 100 Mile House. Meetings continue on the first Friday of the month until June.
Guild secretary Linda Peterson said it’s both a social and educational club and “everybody’s quite willing to share.”
Membership to the guild is $20 for the year and allows you to come to meetings, functions, get free lessons and rent equipment like looms, spinning wheels and carters.
Peterson said all ages are welcome to join and that they always participate in community festivals, such as the Summer Festival.
“Wherever anything’s happening, we try to be there.”
The guild also holds a get-together every other Wednesday evening from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. “for people that would like to learn to spin or weave or do fibre arts or just want some like-minded souls to talk to,” said Peterson.
To find out where the next get together is, you may phone Peterson at 250-791-5286.
108 Mile Ranch Community Association
Activities are resuming full throttle at the 108 Mile Ranch Community Association in September. Among some of the activities at the community hall are pilates, tai chi, zumba, AA meetings and BINGO. The 108 Mile Lions Club also holds meetings within the association. Chairperson Ingrid Meyer said the association is in the midst of updating its website but that all of its activities will be listed at 108ranch.com.
Lone Butte, Horse Lake Community Association
The active little community of Lone Butte will become even more active in September when events resume in its Community Hall.
Ladies volleyball resumes at 10 a.m. on Mondays. OUT, the Other Useful Talent ladies group resumes on Tuesday, Sept. 25, at 10 a.m. Bellydancing starts back up on Wednesday, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. Yoga resumes on Thursday, Sept. 13 at 10 a.m. The Lone Butte 4-H club will hold a registration at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 6, for its January season. The Lone Butte Fish & Wildlife Association resumes meetings on Thursday, Sept. 20, at 7 p.m. The South Cariboo Equine Association resumes meetings on Thursday, Sept. 27, at 6:30 p.m.
The association’s president Natalie Sass said there is also a new Kids’ Craft Club starting on Sept 10 from 2:30 to 5 p.m.
beth.audet@100milefreepress.net
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