Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Local Baseball Association Meets

The Gurdon Baseball Booster Club met Thursday night at the Municipal Building. Although attendance was down, many items were discussed. The members present discussed going into the schools to try to get more kids interested in the summer ball programs. These programs offer the kids a time of exercise, competition, socializing and just all out fun.

The cost for a child to play is only $30. This covers the charter fee, insurance, cap and shirt.

The kids play for about six weeks, so if you think about the cost, it averages to about $5 per week. That's not much for a child's entertainment.

Sign-ups will be March 3 and 10, from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Forms are being sent home with students in the schools, but they can also be obtained by calling Ricky Griffin at 353-6656. If your child has played in a Gurdon league in the past the form should be filled out and sent to Griffin with a check for $30 made payable to the Gurdon Baseball Booster Club.

If the child has not played in Gurdon before he or she will need to go to the Municipal Building on one of the sign-up dates and take his or her birth certificate, the form and $30.

Players must be five years old by Aug. 1 in order to play in the 2001 ball season. This is not a Gurdon Booster Club rule, but a rule found in the official playing regulation rules.

There are many things going on to raise money for the improvements being made to the fields. If you've driven by Cabe Field over the past two weekends, you probably saw many who showed up for workday, painting bleachers and making other improvements.

Another workday is planned for this Saturday, weather permitting. All parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends and kids are asked to help at the ball field. Workday begins at 9:00 a.m. Just wear your working clothes and show up.

The sign campaign is going well. Many local businesses have already ordered their signs. Sherry of Sherry's Art is doing a terrific job on the signs. These signs will be placed around the fences on the ball fields.

If you haven't been contacted and would like to purchase a sign call Teresa Jester at 353-4744. She will also be contacting businesses that already have signs hanging on the field to collect their rental fee of $50.

Local businesses have been wonderful to support the Gurdon Booster Club baseball and softball programs. Last year a membership drive was held.

Local businesses donating items to the drive last year were Thomerson's Drug, Forget Me Knot Shop, K&T Clothing, Sonic, Dillard's Shell, McGee's Grocery, First State Bank, Woolf's Service Center, Calley's Station, Doug's Grocery, Red-E Mart, Thomason's Big Star, Firstar Bank and Pizza Shack.

There were only 11 kids out of the approximately 200 who played ball last year who raised money for the Booster Club. This year there will be another drive with hopes that many more parents, coaches and kids will get involved.

A recipe book is in the works to raise money for field improvements and equipment. If you would like to donate a recipe for the book, you may e-mail your recipe with you name on it to jestert@iocc.com or sunny@iocc.com. You may also mail your recipe to Donna King at 7341 Highway 67 South, Gurdon, AR 71743, or Teresa Jester, P.O. Box 1, Gurdon, AR 71743. Call King at 353-4802 or Jester at 353-4744 for more information.

Griffin, who is club president, is excited about this year's program. He has attended meetings in Arkadelphia and Prescott to see how their programs work. He is also exploring the idea of having a traveling team for the Little League teams.

Parents will be questioned to see if they are interested in their child playing on a traveling team. Whether or not the Booster Club gets involved in this additional program, depends on the interest shown during sign-ups.

If you are a coach or an interested parent, you should attend the booster meetings. These are very important to the success of the programs.

The next booster meeting will be held March 8. Show your support for the Booster Club and programs by being there in person.