Five positions are up for grabs in the Stettler Minor Hockey Association board, with nominations and vote to be held at the annual general meeting (AGM) on Thursday, April 24 at 7 p.m.
The position of president, vice president of operations, vice president of development, vice president of programs, and NCMHA registrar are open. Each position is volunteer and lasts for two years.
Jason Hegberg, the current president of the association, said he’s putting his name up again for president but that doesn’t mean other interested parties shouldn’t put themselves forward.
“All positions are volunteer,” he said, “Certain positions are more time filling than others.”
The busiest time of the year is from September until about mid-November, Hegberg noted, before it picks up again around finals time.
As president, Hegberg’s duties mean he has a finger in every pot, overseeing all the different roles and making sure everything comes together and nothing’s lost in the shuffle.
Operations handles registering both players and coaches in the Hockey Canada registry, which ensures that the individuals are eligible to play or to coach in the league in which they’re looking to take part.
Development ensures coaches are properly qualified and trained, helping coaches and players both find development clinics, as well as ensuring the league follows Hockey Canada training guidelines.
Programs handles the paperwork, making sure all the permits and forms are filed to allow players to travel out of town to play away games, tournaments, zone and provincial finals.
Anyone is welcome at the meeting, with each hockey family having a single vote in any voting matters. This extends to people who had kids in the association’s leagues in the past hockey season.
Two teams, the Peewee and Bantam A, won provincial gold this year, with five teams winning zone finals. Stettler didn’t host a provincial final this year, which Hegberg said “was probably a blessing” due to the cold weather and construction at the Stettler Recreation Centre (SRC). Next year, though, he said the association will likely try another bid to host the province’s best teams.