it IS 

 I like a 

 ^n. It 



hard- 

 |to the 



rocks 

 111 rock 

 and 

 lotland 



[lirow- 



■pound 



litchen 



how- 



lort as 



There are many schools of thought on 

 dehsery but most players appear to throw 

 the rock with a long easy gliding motion 

 sliding it across the ice. 



The most spectacular aspect of the 

 game is the activity of the sweepers who 

 brush the ice with the spirit and en- 

 thusiasm of a harassed housewife ex- 

 pecting visitors at any moment. 



Brushing is done just ahead of the 

 stone as it moves across the ice in order 

 to clear the way of all dirt and any min- 

 ute objects which might be in the path 

 of the stone. A small piece of paper. 

 a match, or dirt from the boots of the 

 players can throw a rock off its course 

 and upset the calculation of its speed by 

 the skipper. 



Skillful ploy puis four stones near center 

 of target. Latest move has players spell- 

 bound for a moment. Left to right: Melvin 

 Hagenbuch, Ivan Bunton, and Charles 

 Hagenbuch. 



The sweepers are teammates who stand 

 on either side of the rink watching a 

 third member of the team throw his 

 curling stone. If his delivery is too 

 slow, the skipper calls on the sweepers 

 to "bring it in." At his word, the 

 sweepers spring into action and brush 

 with devilish fanaticism. 



Triumph curlers maintain that a stone 

 can be advanced as much as 15 feet by 

 expert sweeping. 



The skipper occupies a unique place 

 in the game of curling. He holds a 

 position similar to the anchor man in 

 bowling, yet his responsibility is far 

 greater. He stands behind the target 

 advising while his teammates slide their 

 rocks toward him from the hack, or 

 playing position, more than 40 yards 

 away. 



At a glance, he must be able to judge 

 the speed of the stone a few seconds 

 after it has been played by his team- 

 mate so he can tell his sweepers what 

 to do. 



Finally he must play his teams last 

 shots which are generally the most dif- 

 ficult and most important plays of the 



Skipper Ivan Bunton (left) tells his 

 sweeper teammates in background to 

 brush a clear path for approaching stone 

 BO it will reach target at his feet. Op- 

 ponent Graeme Currie (right) watches the 

 play hopefully. 



game since they more often than not 

 decide its outcome. The difficulty of 

 his play is heightened when the rink 

 is cluttered up with the 14 rocks of his 

 opponents and teammates which have 

 already been thrown. 



For competition, the Waitham curlers 

 generally go to Milwaukee, which is 

 the largest curling center nearby. Fach 

 year curlers from our northern states, 

 and Canada congregate in Milwaukee 

 for matches of national curling impor- 

 tance and each year there are generally 

 several representatives in the competi- 

 tion from the Waitham Club. Several 

 have won awards at Milwaukee for 

 their prowess with the curling stone. 



Included in the overwhelming farm 

 membership of the club are a doctor, a 

 lawyer, two bankers and an Illinois Farm 

 Supply Company driver. 



Club officers are: Arthur Jones, presi- 

 dent; Everett Chalus, vice president; ^X'il- 

 lis Wilson, secretary-treasurer, and Di- 

 rectors Graeme Currie and Eldridge 

 Dana. All of the officers are Farm Bu- 

 reau members except Dana, who gave up 

 his membership when he moved to the 

 village. 



Several years ago, the Waitham Curl- 

 ing Club was invited to play at the 

 University of Illinois skating rink dur- 

 ing Farm and Home Week to give other 

 Illinois farmers a chance to see this 

 unique game. 



Because another event had taken 

 place shortly before their arrival at the 

 rink, the ice was not correctly prepared 

 and the exhibition turned out to be a 

 fizzle. The spectators who were on 

 hand to watch the game were greatly 

 disappointed. 



Their disappointment was mild, how- 

 ever, compared to the chagrin of the 

 Waitham curlers, who had looked for- 

 ward to the event for several days. They 

 hope they may again be given the op- 



Form Bureau Director Jimmy Webber 



throws stone. Broom is held in left hand 



for bolonce. Spectators wotch through 



glass partition in background. 



portunity to put on an exhibition of 

 curling for Farm and Home Week, but 

 the next time they will insist that every- 

 thing be done right, including the prep- 

 aration of the ice, so no one will be 

 disappointed. 



Until 1940, most of the curling had 



{Continued on Page 2i) 



Through a portition of glou windows, 

 o handful of Soturday night spectators 



watch curlers on the ice from th* com- 

 fort of stove-heated club room. 



tORD 



MARCH. 1946 



II 



