all the news fit for the piste… ͏ ͏
Herein you will find…
* Gift Stealing Night (Wed Dec 17)
* January Beginners Registration is now open
* OSM Tournament (Dec 20)
* KIDSPORT Pizza Fundraiser this weekend!
* CCFC AGM and 2026 Board of Directors
* January (and Beyond) Important Dates
** Gift Stealing Night (and last night of 2025 fencing) is Wednesday
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Wednesday December 17 is GIFT STEALING NIGHT and the last fencing practice for 2025.
Confused? Read on, dear fencer!
What could be more festive than a night of theft, lies and sword fights?
Every year our last night of fencing is a festive gift stealing party.
Every fencer brings one gift and we fence all night while stealing gifts from each other.
All our fencers, including beginners and long lost folks back for holidays, are encouraged to attend.
This year, our last night is WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 17.
Practice starts at 7:30 pm and we finish at 10 pm. You will want to be there the entire evening.
Behold the steps to gift thieving glory:
STEP 1: Acquire TOP SECRET gift
We each bring a SECRET wrapped gift valued less than $10. As always we encourage homemade (baking, sewing, poetry … no nuts please) or lovely (!!!!) found items from home (Uncle Jimmy will never miss that dusty old soap on a rope you gave him in 1985!!). If you spot me buying $8.75 of beef jerky and fisherman’s friends at the Co-op Gas station right before practice please avert your eyes!
STEP 2: Wrap the gift so it is mysterious and enticing
Wrap the gift so it is a mysterious and enticing item. Bring the gift to fencing. DO NOT AT ANY TIME REVEAL THE CONTENTS OF THE GIFT.
(Note: Lying is encouraged so feel free to pretend to share the secret gift contents with unsuspecting frenemies.)
STEP 3: Fence to win the gift you want
Start with your gift in hand. At the start of each bout, place the gift next to the score box. At the end of the bout, the winner selects which gift they leave the piste with, and the loser takes the other. Thus the evening proceeds, gifts swap hands at each bout, until the tolling of the bell (around 9:15/9:20pm) at which point we unwrap gifts one by one.
Step 4: Document
We take some photos.
This event is best enjoyed if you can stay to the very end at 10 pm.
** January Beginners Registration is now open
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Just completed the beginner class and loved it?
Know someone who is looking for a new sport, hobby, or obsession?
Family member just finished the class and you are jealous?
Our next beginner class starts Wednesday January 14, 2026 and registration is now open! Registration is here: https://capcityfencers.ca/fencing-in-victoria/beginners-registration/
Referral from members is our most effective advertising, so please help spread the word!
** CCFC AGM & 2026 Board of Directors Election
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Thanks everyone who came, saw, voted and squeaked the hippo at the 2026 CCFC AGM. We are nothing without our members!
Special thanks to Rob Smith, our founding President for his many, many years of service since starting the club waaaaaaay back at some kind of founding meeting long lost to mists of time (we were first incorporated in December 2003). He is stepping down as president and will remain as a board member at large and general ne’er do well. Plus armorer.
All hail the new president (starting 2026), Chris Hodgson!
Since this is the first transition of Board Presidents I hereby declare we need a new club lore moment.. the El Presidente Transfer of Power Bout!
Not sure what that looks like yet… Send me your ideas. Does anyone play trumpet? Or better yet euphonium (https://events.downtownvictoria.ca/event/holiday-tubas/) ?
Thanks for all your hard work this year, and welcome back to the board: Robert Taylor, Eden Armstrong (now as adulting member at large, rather than youth rep), Anna Smith, Samuel Comeault, Trevor Morrison.
Welcome to the board first time board members Rebecca Shepherd, Chris Eagle, and youth reps Ari Taylor and Lance Hodgson.
Heart felt thanks to outgoing directors Isaac #wrongsport Carter-Hughes and Noelle #worldtraveller Chang Zhelka for their many years of service to the club as coaches, board members, trouble makers, #wrongsporters and volunteers.
** OSM Tournament (Dec 20)
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Don’t miss the final local tournament of 2025
Register and full details are here:
https://www.askfred.net/tournaments/903c419d-5fa8-4e0d-9eae-3140b97c2304
This is a sanctioned tournament, requiring a CFF license. For non-OSM members, Fees for entry are $35.00 for first event, $25.00 for each additional event. Payment options: cash, cheque, e-transfer (visa/debit not accepted at this time)
* For OSM 2025-2026 Circuit #2 which includes:
* Junior Men’s/Women’s Foil: (9:30AM close of check-in)
* Y10 Men’s/Women’s Foil: (1:00PM close of check-in)
* Senior Men’s/Women’s Epee: (1:00PM close of check-in)
* Senior Men’s/Women’s Foil: (3:30PM close of check-in)
* Senior Men’s/Women’s Sabre: (3:30PM close of check-in)
Registration deadline is December 17 — and please register early and let coaches know if you will attend, as CCFC coaching can be usually be arranged with enough notice.
** KidSport Pizza Fundraiser
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CCFC Loves Kidsport for helping keep sport participation affordable! THey have helped many fencers participate with full or partial bursaries over the years, but as costs increase for families, they are trying to meet increasing need.
This weekend, if you were thinking of ordering pizza, consider ordering from Domino’s to support this fundraiser:
Message from Kidsport:
Thanks to Domino’s Pizza, we’ve got a great opportunity for some important year end KidSport Greater Victoria fundraising. With ~$550,000 in season of sport registration fees disbursed from our office to support local kids this year, this timing is good! We’re hoping you can help us raised some much-needed dollars, by getting word out to your memberships.
The basics: from December 12-14, six local Domino’s locations will donate $5 to KidSport for every $13.99 large pizza purchased using code “KID4015”.
https://www.dominos.ca/en/pages/order/#!/locations/search
** IMPORTANT JANUARY DATES
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Ring in the new year with our first night of fencing in 2026: Monday January 5
Practice times continue:
Monday (Chills) 8:30 – 10 pm
Wednesday (Thrills) 7:30 – 10 pm
Saturday (Skills & Drills) 4:30 – 6pm
Also of note
Escrime Sundae: Saturday April 5th (No Skills and Drills that day)
Last day of Spring fencing: Sat Jun 27
There will be no fencing on the following dates (stat holidays and school use):
Feb 16, April 6, May 18, May 27, June 22
I will try to remember to remind people, but this is not foolproof mark your brand new 2026 calendars
Winter season reminder: As we enter the time of possible snowmaggedons, remember that if the city says not to drive, don’t! If the busses aren’t running and the rec centres are closing, you can expect we will not be fencing. I will try to email everyone as soon as we hear the gym is closed, but again, this is not foolproof, so pay attention to safety advisories.
FIN
Loyal reader, you have made it to the very end! And just for that, I will tell you my secret gift Wednesday will NOT be fisherman’s friends. I swear.
And really, if you play euphomium let me know.
Capital City Fencers' Club 