Monthly Memo – Major points from the Committee Meeting 3rd October 2023
GC Spring Pennant –4 teams entered this year. 1 each in Division A and B and 2 teams in Division C. Good luck to all members participating. There will be some impact on lawns for social play. Check the notice board/ calendar in the kitchen or have a look at our on-line calendar on the website.
Maintenance - there are a number of maintenance tasks to be undertaken. We are hopeful that there are enough volunteers to help with these tasks. A list of tasks will be put up on the notice board outside the mallet shed for your perusal and to pick a task that you could complete. We have a finalization date for these tasks to be completed before the Eire Cup in March. But the sooner the better!
Mallets -Still a few for sale $50
MCMF Information Evening –thanks to those who were able to attend and hear from our Sponsor.
Outside Bookings - we have had more school bookings and the students are really embracing our game. We have a local government group coming on Monday afternoon and a couple of further bookings coming up to Christmas.
Seniors Week –we are holding our annual seniors week morning on Monday 16th 10am-12pm
Suggestion -thank you for the suggestion of a dishwasher for the kitchen. Whilst a good suggestion it would not be practical addition to our clubrooms.
Club Polo Tops – watch this space!
Kaye’s Coaching, Tim’s Jumping and Rules – so well attended that there became 3 groups of participants. Well done on improving your croquet.
Women’s Event - This may well become an annual event. Congratulations to Summa for winning and to Ann for being runner up.
Hoop Setting Course – To be run in November/December. It would be great if we could lighten the load on the few members that undertake this task.
Wednesday Twilight – a great fun evening. A bit chilly at present but I’m sure things will warm up soon.
REMINDERS AC Medals are at SBCC 20th -22nd Oct Monday the 16th 10am-12pm is our day for Seniors Week. Please make anyone who comes along feel welcome.
Don’t forget the Committee welcomes suggestions of a substantive nature and queries can be directed to the committee members at any time. We welcome your input and assistance in all club matters.
Monthly Memo – Major points from the Committee Meeting 5th September
Membership Renewals – Thank you to all that have paid so promptly and thanks to those that returned their membership renewal forms for the purpose of updating the database. Membership is now closed at 105!
Welcome New Members – Cathy Lennard, Rosie and Arthur Lathouris and Neil McGlashan
We would normally ask that once new members are elected the 2 supporters of the application for membership show the new member around and teach them the art of croquet but as these newbies have been playing already we don’t need that support in place but do please make them welcome.
Come and Try – If you are asked by a non-member about coming and trying croquet our policy, (now that membership is at capacity) is that you can invite a non-member in to have a single try out with you but let them know that we are not accepting new members and suggest that they look to the other 3 clubs who are still taking members.
Twilight – Once again we are offering you the chance to enjoy a game of croquet of an evening. This year Twilight will commence a little earlier - Wednesday 4th October 5-7pm and will continue every Wednesday evening until the 28th February 2024. It’s a fun evening with BYO everything. We are finishing the season earlier than in the past as the lawns will be closed from 3rd -17th March for the Eire Cup.
Mallets –By now you should have named your mallet (Thanks Leanne for organising). We ask that if you use one of the club mallets you put them back in the spare mallet shed and not in the Members Mallet Shed. Ideally it would be better if everyone owned their own mallet. We may have a few for sale soon.
Outside Bookings – we have had a number of students from local schools trying our game and with support of members teaching them and along with their enthusiasm for the game we may in the future be able to run a schools competition. Watch this space.
Lawns – As always the lawn committee works hard to keep the rabbit runs at a minimum. They would like to remind you that when you pull out the hoops you pull them straight up – do not wiggle the hoops out! If they are too hard to pull straight out then we ask that you use the lifter and also if necessary use the rubber mallet or your feet to tap down the hoop area.
Thank you to Collette for the donation of bright red towels hanging in the shelter sheds and to Ian for painting the seats red and white.
REMINDERS·
GC Spring Pennant: Don’t forget to put your name down by the 15thSeptember. Pennant runs from 10th October for 6 weeks Special event: Women’s Only Club Tournament Saturday 16th and 23rdSeptember Kaye’s coaching & rules session 7th October AC Medals – we are one of the 3 clubs hosting from 20th – 22nd October
Don’t forget the Committee welcomes suggestions of a substantive nature and queries can be directed to the committee members at any time. We welcome your input and assistance in all club matters.
Monthly Memo – Major points from the Committee Meeting 1st August • Membership Renewals – Renewal is due by 31st August.
• AC Hi Lo - is on from 11th-13th August. Lawns will not be available at this time. The House Committee convener, Carol, welcomes any input from you for the smooth running of this event.
• Annual Maintenance Day – PLEASE come and help out on the 19th August from 9.30am (BBQ Lunch and drinks will be supplied). There are still a few empty spots on the allocated jobs list. These tasks can be completed on or before the 19th August. There are usually a few other jobs that aren’t on the list to be done on the day. Sadly no-one adopted a shelter shed • Annual Opening day - this year it is to be August 26th. Members are invited to arrive around 10.30am with the official running of the first hoop of the season at 11am. Followed by morning tea. If possible, could you all please bring a plate of delicious nibbles to grace our table? • Coaching and Rules Session – Kaye is running a coaching session on Saturday 7th October at 10am. Mainly for new members but all are welcome. This will be followed by a rules session at 11am. This will benefit all members. • Sponsorship – In response to the last memo when I suggested that we all look to find sponsors for the Club, Rod Chisholm received a $200 donation from Brock Plaster. Thanks go out not only to Brock Plaster but to Rod for securing these funds. Ask Rod for details of this company.
• Grant Received – Thanks to an initiative of Lyn Chisholm in contacting Elise Archer MP, we are excited to announce that we received funds from the Premiers Discretionary Fund to cover the cost in purchasing new balls which will be used when we are the host Club for the Eire Cup in March 2024. The lawns will be unavailable 3rd - 17th March 2024.
• Bookings – We have several days when School groups are coming to play croquet. 12th Sept 9.30-11am – Hobart College. To be advised for next week Hutchins School And Seniors Week 16th October 10am These sessions are valuable sources of revenue for the Club. We are sorry for the inconvenience but always endeavor to leave 1 lawn available for social play.
• Lawn Barriers – Please make sure you put the barriers back in place and put the metal holder over the pipe. This will not only protect the playing surface but also keep the barriers from having a life of their own!
Recent Events – Congratulations to Bronze Medal winner Ian Murray and runner up Liz Madden. And to Jane Hyland who was runner up in the Gold Medal. Also congratulations to club member Callum Hyland who competed in the WCF AC World Championship held in the UK- 80 competitors – Callum reached the semi-finals of the plate event (came 35th) For those who know Callum you will be amused to know that he managed to bypass the strict Hurlingham "white's only" dress code by donning his favourite pants over his whites, as rain pants when the drizzle started!
Monthly Memo – Major points from the Committee Meeting 4th July
Membership Renewals – will be available late July in the clubrooms. As we have a few potential members on the waiting list it would be appreciated if you are considering not renewing your membership that you let us know as soon as possible so that we can welcome new members to the club.
Congratulations to 4 members of our Club who were selected in the Tasmanian Team to compete in Western Australia in September 2023. Yvonne Shaw, Carol Hanigan, Jane Hyland and Graham Keating.
We wish them all the best for a fantastic competition.
Congratulations also to Kaye Denny who has qualified as a GC Croquet coach. Thanks to those members who came along as Kayes’ students.
Garden working Bee – all members are invited to come and help with garden maintenance and pruning etc. on 15th July from 9.30am, you can do as little or as much as you are capable of. Please bring your own tools clearly marked with your name. We look forward to a good roll up.
Annual Maintenance Day – 19th August from 9.30am with a supplied BBQ Lunch to follow. Each year before Opening Day we attempt all the little jobs that keep the clubrooms looking good. A list of jobs will be on the notice board for you to peruse and write your name beside your chosen job. These tasks can be completed on or before the 19th August.
Adopt a Shelter Shed – we are asking members to consider adopting a shelter shed for the year. This way they will be kept maintained all year. There will be a form on the notice board. First in best dressed!
Annual Opening day - this year it is to be August 26th. Members are invited to arrive around 10.30am with the official running of the first hoop of the season at 11am. Followed by morning tea. If possible, could you all please bring a plate of delicious nibbles to grace our table.
Practice hoops will be set up on the lawn margins in order to save the lawn in front of the hoops. We would appreciate a few more members learning how to set hoops. Please talk to Tony.
Rules Session – Kaye is planning a rules session for early October. This is not just for pennant players but for all members.
Sponsorship – we are constantly looking at sponsorship for the Club, especially as it is becoming harder to run raffles etc. Donations and Bequests to the Club will of course be gratefully received. If you have a lead for a potential sponsor please let me know.
Full Minutes from Committee Meetings and Financial Reports are available for you to read.
Find them in a folder on the President’s Desk
Congratulations to the winners of our 2024 Club Championships held recently.
Association Croquet
Division A Noel Davies
Division B Ben King
Division C Greg Jones
Golf Croquet
Division A John Colquhoun
Division B Rose Jones
Division C Margaret Bishop
NEW COMMITTEE ELECTED
At the Clubs’s Annual General Meeting held on the 20 May, the following members were elected to the Committee for the next twelve months;
President: Geoff Tomlin
Vice President: Ian Smith
Secretary: Rosalie Parton
Treasurer: Roy Ormerod
Committee: Elaine Anderson, Naomi Connor, Noel Davies, Sue Downer and John Hutchison
Congratulations and good luck to those members.
APRIL SBCC COMMITTEE MEMO
Contribute to your club!: We are a club with over 100 members - by far the biggest croquet club in Tasmania. So it should not be hard to find volunteers to assist in the smooth running of the many activities around the club. Yet sometimes it seems that the tasks are all being done by the same members. The lifeblood of our club is the voluntary work put in by you, our members. Your committee is grateful to everyone who gives their time: thanks to those who turned up for our recent weeding working bee. I urge every member to think of just one (more) area in which they could contribute a little more to the club. It need not be a huge task, or very time consuming. Joining one of our subcommittees in an area of interest to you is a great way to get involved more. If each and every member did just a little more, the load would be spread more equitably. I am always happy to discuss ways in which you can contribute.
AGM - The date of our AGM is Saturday 13 May, at 10.30 in the clubhouse. The AGM is followed by a Forum where members can raise issues and ask questions. I will soon issue the Formal Notice of the AGM, and the call for nominations for official positions. You will also be informed of the Committee’s proposal to streamline the membership application process. See you there!
Club Championships in GC are now finished. Congratulations to Ben King who took out the Open from Hugh Denny, Tony van de Vusse in Division 2 from Chris Groves, Anthony Hodge for winning Division 3 from Rod Chisholm, and to Rene Hortle winner Steve Andrewartha from runner up Colette Gallacher. The AC club championships are now being played.
Lawn renovation is now complete and the lawns are looking great. Please look after them by playing your shots with care, and fixing any damage you do. The area outside the equipment shed has been beautifully paved as well.
Friends’ School: Three groups of students will be trying croquet on Monday 22, Tuesday 23 and Friday 26 May, from 11.50 to 12.50 each day. If you are happy to help introduce these students to our great game on one of those occasions, talk to Liz Madden or me. Here’s a simple way to contribute!
Welcome to Liz Cummings, Fiona Officer, Simon Troman and Ian Murray as new members of the club. We now have a waiting list for membership.
Farewell: This is my last Memo, as I am stepping down from the Secretary role at the AGM. I’ll still be involved at the club in many ways, including coaching and refereeing: in fact, I may get time to play a little more croquet as well! Thanks for all your support over the last seven years.
Tim Sprod, Secretary, Sandy Bay Croquet Club
MARCH SBCC COMMITTEE MEMO
Contribute to your club!: The lifeblood of our club is the voluntary work put in by you, our members. Your committee is grateful to everyone who gives their time. However, there is a lot to be done, and here are some other ways you can be involved. Stand for the committee or join one of the sub-committees. Become a qualified referee and/or coach (you don’t have to be a top player to do so). Look at the maintenance list on the noticeboard and take on one of the tasks. Join the weeding or mowing group. Learn how to lay out the lawns and set hoops. Assist at the Croquet Tasmania events we host. Help run hires to outside bodies and schools. If everyone did just a little more, the load would be spread more equitably. Talk to a committee member about how you can contribute.
Club Championships in GC are nearing completion. Congratulations to Anthony Hodge for winning Division 3 from Rod Chisholm in a very high quality final, and to Rene Hortle winner Steve Andrewartha, with runner up Colette Gallacher. Entries for the AC club championships are open - see the games noticeboard.
Congratulations to members Callum Hyland who will represent Australia at World AC Championships in England in July, Yvonne Shaw who won ACA Second Women’s Open GC Eights, Jane Hyland (with Graham Hyland from KCC) who were runners up in CT Open AC Doubles, Carol Hanigan as runner-up in the CT GC Women’s Singles and Graham Keating third in the CT GC Men’s Singles.
Lawn renovation We will be renovating all our lawns from Tuesday 14 March. They will be closed through Monday 20 March inclusive. Our lawns get heavy usage and need this treatment to remain in their usual great condition. The area outside the equipment shed will be paved at the same time.
Membership numbers: We have just about reached our cap on membership numbers, and have decided to suspend new Taste of Croquet packages for the time being. In fairness to those currently on them, we will process their membership applications soon.
Social play We wish to reiterate that all members who attend social play sessions must enter the random draw which takes place about 10 minutes before the start. The only exception is if there is a spare lawn and you are not playing the code scheduled. We are an inclusive club, which means that we all will play with and against whoever the draw indicates (though there is some room for mutually agreed modifications). If you want to play with particular people, then arrange a time outside of the social play sessions.
AGM - The date of our AGM is Saturday 13 May, at 10.30 in the clubhouse. The AGM is followed by a Forum where members can raise issues and ask questions. Please add this to your diary. There will be some committee positions vacant, including Secretary - talk to me if you want to know more.
Bench If you have a garden bench surplus to requirements, please let us know.
Welcome to Lynne Hardie as a new member of the club.
Tim Sprod, Secretary, Sandy Bay Croquet Club
FEBRUARY SBCC COMMITTEE MEMO
New Members Welcome Party: Looking forward to seeing you all on Friday 24 February from 5 pm!
Club Championships Please consider entering the GC Club Championships, to be held in the second half of February, and March. Entries close Friday 10 February. If you have been a member for less that 2 years, you should enter the Rene Hortle event! AC Club Championships will follow later. We will play the Handicap Singles as Advantage croquet, which is a version of GC where a player (or doubles team) with a higher handicap is given a start on hoops, while a lower handicapper may start with negative hoops. Details are on the games noticeboard, and members are invited to try it out, by agreement before play starts.
AGM - The date of our AGM is Saturday 13 May, at 10.30 in the clubhouse. Please add this to your diary. There will be some committee positions vacant. Please think about nominating: this is a great opportunity to contribute to your club.
Pennants: The AC pennants are on now, with our Division A and B teams playing. GC pennants will start on Tuesday 21 March and run for 9 or 10 weeks: Div 3 Tuesdays, Div 1 Wednesdays and Div 2 Thursdays. Keep your eye out for the sign up call.
GC coaching for beginners continues on Saturday mornings at 10. All are welcome, especially if you are fairly new to the game, but even if you need a refresher on the basics. The 18 February session will be followed at around 11 by a session on the Laws of GC - everyone is welcome to attend.
Lawn renovation We will be renovating all our lawns soon, possibly from 7 March. They will need to rest for a week afterwards.
Outside hires - a group from St Aloysius will use C lawn on the Friday mornings of 17 and 24 February. On Saturday 25 February, from 4 pm, we will host an 18th birthday party - the birthday boy learned croquet on a previous school visit. We need a couple of volunteers to run each of these sessions - contact me if you can do it.
Congratulations to Callum Hyland (with Robert Fletcher) who won the Victorian Open Doubles, and Jane Hyland who won the CT AC Open Women’s Singles.
Twilight croquet continues on Wednesday evenings, starting at 5.00 and finishing when the last person locks up. It is open to members and Taste holders, and members’ occasional guest: bring your own food and drinks and play any version of the game you wish.
Drinks If you take a drink out of the fridge, or a bottle of wine, please donate the appropriate amount to the club.
Welcome to Jude Andrewartha, Steve Andrewartha, Lesley Oliver and Caroline Knipe as new members of the club.
Tim Sprod, Secretary, Sandy Bay Croquet Club
DECEMBER SBCC COMMITTEE MEM
Congratulations to Callum Hyland, winner of the NSW AC Open and recently appointed captain (for the seventh time) of the Tasmanian AC team for the Eire Cup, of which Jane Hyland is also a member. Well done, the Hyland family!
Christmas Lunch and raffle Just a week until the Christmas lunch. If you are playing social croquet on Monday morning, please consider staying on for a while to help with setting up for the lunch. And if you have any raffle tickets still, please make sure the money and stubs are at the club by this Friday 9 December.
Twilight croquet - an ever popular evening social play opportunity during daylight saving - will be on from 11 January on Wednesday evenings, starting at 5.00 and finishing when the last person locks up. It is open to members, and their occasional guest: bring your own food and drinks and play any version of the game you wish.
Lawn mowing Tony van de Vusse is drawing up a roster for mowing the perimeter lawns in the new year. Talk to him if you are happy to be included - it would only be a handful of times.
Pennants: GC pennant Division 1 team X factor is in third place, the Division 2 team is on top, as is Division 3 team Potoroos. Good luck, all!
Jumping If you wish to practice jump shots, please do it on the practice lawn by C Lawn. There are ‘jumping boxes’ available for this - thanks, Tony - or you can use the practice balls and half lawn hoops.
Maintenance: A contractor will be paving the area outside the equipment shed soon. The leak in the clubhouse roof has been fixed thanks to Guna and Tony. If anyone can turn down the thermostat on the hot water tank, talk to me. If you are closing the equipment shed door, please do it gently, as it becomes difficult to open if closed too firmly.
GC coaching for beginners will be held from mid January. If you are fairly new to the game - or even if you need a refresher on the basics - keep an eye out for details, which will be circulated soon.
Advantage croquet is a version of GC where a player (or doubles team) with a higher handicap will be given a start on hoops, while a lower handicapper may start with negative hoops. Details will be on the games noticeboard soon, and members are invited to try it out, by agreement before play starts.
CT Treasurer - Croquet Tasmania are looking for someone to take over as Treasurer. If you have the appropriate skills, this is a great opportunity to contribute to croquet in the state.
New members welcome: advance notice of a welcome to those who have joined the club since the last New Members Welcome on Friday 24 February at the clubhouse. Please put the date in that 2023 diary you have just bought!
Welcome to Richard Pringle-Jones as a new member of the club.
Tim Sprod, Secretary, Sandy Bay Croquet Club
NOVEMBER SBCC COMMITTEE MEMO
Congratulations to our own Callum Hyland, who recently reached the Australian Croquet Association AC Open semi-finals, eventually finishing fourth. Excellent croquet, Callum!
Christmas Lunch and raffle Thank you for the donations to the Christmas Raffle hamper. Tickets for the raffle will be available soon for you to sell. We are in the process of getting a quote from the Christmas Lunch caterers, after which we shall be able to tell you the cost. Keep Wednesday 14 December free! Entertainment will be provided by our own Jill Holloway and friends.
AC Divisional Medals Jane Hyland won the Silver Medal, and Ben King the Bronze - congratulations to both! Thanks you to all those who helped out.
Pennants: AC pennant is now completed.GC pennant started today, and runs for five weeks, with the possibility of two more weeks of finals. Good luck to our two Division 1, one Division 2 and two Division 3 teams. The effects on social play are on our online lawn use calendar.
Hoops We still intend to set up three positions for each hoop: two for social play, which can be rotated to prevent deep rabbit runs forming, and one for competitive play only. However, the removable plugs for unused holes are presently unavailable due to difficulties in sourcing materials, so it will be a little linger before this is fully in place.
Outside Users: As Christmas approaches, we will have more groups booking our lawns for social croquet. We try to ensure this impacts social play as little as possible by encouraging bookings after 4pm, but occasionally this isn’t possible. We will be looking for assistance, so do volunteer occasionally to spread the load.
Coaches/referees As you know, our club relies very heavily on members mucking in. Once you have become a reasonably experienced player, you should consider what you can put back into the game. We are always looking for members to become qualified as a coach - to assist newer members to learn the game, or even to coach at a higher level - and/or a referee - we need to be able to supply referees for pennants and competitions. This applies across both AC and GC. The knowledge you gather in becoming a coach and/or referee also has a big impact on your own ability to play croquet well and with enjoyment. If you are interested, talk to me, and look out for opportunities to qualify.
