Dave Baron has announced he is resigning as president and board member for the Yorkton Terriers.
鈥淭his is something I鈥檝e thought long and hard about. It鈥檚 no secret that the club is struggling - financially and on the ice,鈥� he said in a release sent out last week. 鈥淚鈥檝e been involved with this team for a long time, but I think the time is right for me to step aside and let others with fresh ideas come forward to lead changes that need to be made.鈥�
Baron assumed the president鈥檚 chair the fall before the team went to the Royal Bank Cup, winning the national crown is dramatic overtime fashion in 2014.
Since that high point the team has not fared well on the ice, with only one playoff game win since.
鈥淵ou always want to win the big prize,鈥� Baron told Yorkton This Week, but he added winning is not the only thing at the Junior level.
鈥淭he kids I鈥檝e associated with; I鈥檝e met so many good people,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e worked with so many good people.鈥�
But ultimately Baron said he felt it was time for a change for the club.
鈥淚s it the best time? Maybe,鈥� he offered. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think there is ever a good time.鈥�
Still, Baron said he felt others looked on his tenure as part of the overall malaise of the organization.
鈥淭he perception was that I was part of the problem,鈥� he said, adding when he looks back he will take some of the blame. 鈥溾�� Yes, I was part of the problem, but not totally.
鈥淏ut the buck has to stop somewhere.鈥�
Baron said decisions he was a part of were always made with the best of intentions toward making the Terrier organization successful.
鈥淗ave we made some mistakes? Yes. We made decisions and not all of them worked,鈥� he said, adding that even the mistakes were decisions he and the board had hoped would improve things.
While the results were not as desired, and the resignation seeming somewhat forced, Baron said he has no regrets.
鈥淚 have nothing but good things to say about the whole organization,鈥� he said.
Alan Sharp, current Vice-President, will assume the responsibilities of the President until the next Annual General Meeting, planned for June.
鈥淒ave has given hundreds and hundreds of hours of his time to this team over the years. You only do that if you have a great passion for hockey and the Yorkton Terriers. We thank Dave for his commitment and dedication to the club. I recognize that this was a tough decision for him,鈥� said Sharp in the release.
Baron鈥檚 resignation takes place immediately. The board of directors currently has a number of vacant positions. Sharp added that there are individuals who have expressed interest in joining the board.
鈥淥nce the board has had an opportunity to meet and discuss all of our options moving forward, one of the things we will discuss is appointing some new people to the board, until the next Annual General Meeting, to help us decide the steps we need to take to rebuild the Yorkton Terriers Organization,鈥� he said in the release.
Sharp concluded by stating that 鈥渙bviously we鈥檙e disappointed with the performance of our team this year. We鈥檙e also very concerned about the financial situation of the club. We believe this team can and should be a model franchise in the SJHL 鈥� one that the community, fans, billets, players, and sponsors can be proud of. We are committed, as a board, to doing the work we need to do to help this organization reach its potential.鈥澛�
