Toronto Croquet Club was delighted with the success of their "Demonstration Day" held on Friday 15th December, 2006 at the Club’s lawns in West Toronto. The Club was proud to be able to host Jacky McDonald (President of Croquet NSW), Geof McDonald (President National Park Croquet Club and NSW Golf Croquet Open Champion), together with John Levick Chris Pont and Max.Wiltshire Max is a two time winner of the Golf Croquet Open singles, Jacky and Bill Cooper (National) Park) are the current NSW Handicap Golf Croquet Doubles champions. Geof and John were runners up in this years Open Golf Croquet Doubles as they were in the Association Open double having been the defending champions. Chris is a past member of the NSW state Association team and has played in Egypt and New Zealand in golf croquet with some success. The purpose of this visit was to enable some 37 members of our Club to receive some guidance and instruction on the art of winning at Golf Croquet. Whilst the weather was a little unkind to start with, having to have demonstrations in the rain, once the playing got underway the weather fined up.
These five players were able to circulate among the Toronto Players during two games, and provide some valuable assistance in stroke play and tactics and a fine time was had by all.
 Our Visitors, John, Max Chris, Jacky & Geof |
 The refining of some skills by Jacky & Geof |
After a very enjoyable lunch, a challenge was issued and Geof and John played two of the Club’s up and coming players, Joy Lavette and Bill Hardie. The challenge was played with great skill and determination and after a steady level pegging game, our visitors came out victors at 7 to 5. Our players were not overshadowed by the excellence of the visitors but it was in the end their experience eventually gave them the lead.
The day was finalized when Club President Bill Newberry made a small presentation to the visitors in appreciation of their time and dedication to the ongoing development of club players.
Additionally the Club members were very pleased to be able to meet with the NSW President and have some time to talk about Croquet developments and the future of the Golf Croquet competitions.
And so ended a very pleasant and rewarding day for our Club.
Bill Newberry
President
Wollongong Croquet Club held their Annual Xmas Party on December 10 this year. As you can see a great day was had by all. The food was great, the raffle and lucky door prizes were great, the weather was great, the service was great and the conversation was great. What more could you ask for? A big thank you to Noeline Berthold and her social committee for all their hard work throughout the year to make this day one to remember. As she said "the social committee never sleeps"...
Creative juices flowed as everyone had to think of a way to adorn a toilet roll cylinder to bring along as a table decoration. The winning entry went to Maxine Shine for her rendition of carol singers under a lamp post, 2nd went to Betty Muller and 3rd place went to Nance Moreing. Fabulous prizes were presented with the winner receiving a pack of 9 Kleenex toilet rolls, 2nd place got 6 rolls and 3rd place received 4! Very practical and relevant prizes indeed!!
Winners are grinners
As well as celebrating Xmas we also celebrated the achievements of some of the members who were successful in club, interclub, state and National tournaments throughout the year.
All members were rewarded with the news that the new lawns are ready for play after being down for a couple of months. A VERY BIG THANK YOU to everyone for their patience and we now move into our summer timetable with a couple of evening sessions added and look forward to being back on the croquet lawns once again.
On Saturday, 9th December, the Mid North Coast Croquet Council Christmas party was hosted by Port Macquarie. Members of the Forster, Gloucester, Taree and Port Macquarie clubs shared in a day of friendship, Association and Golf croquet competition and a barbecue lunch. The District winner’s trophies were presented by Joan Watson, the MNCCC President. For Golf croquet the winners were: President’s singles - Port Macquarie; Doubles - Forster. The Association croquet winners were: Gold division - Sue Moss (Port Macquarie); Silver division - Alan Gray (Port Macquarie); Bronze division - Barbara McTiernan (Forster).
A new trophy for Golf croquet doubles was named the Jan Sage Trophy. It was named in recognition of the outstanding contribution that Jan Sage, from Taree, has made to District croquet at all levels but, in particular, to introducing Golf croquet competition to MNCCC events. The overall winners of the three Friendship Day doubles competitions were: Jan Sage Trophy for Golf croquet doubles - Taree; Rogers Plate for Association croquet doubles - Port Macquarie.
Alan Gray, Susan Klecka, Bridget Earle, Barbara McTiernan, Joan Watson (MNCCC President),
John Coates, Jan Sage, John Talbot, Sue Moss, Lynette Bryant.
John Coates, Jan Sage, John Talbot, Sue Moss, Lynette Bryant.
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The inaugural Schools Championship has been held and was a runaway success by any measure used. The Championship was held in three divisions Primary, Junior Secondary and Senior Secondary with the following schools taking part:
Read all about it... |
Both Jacky and Geof are level 1 coaches and Geof spent some time coaching members of Nowra club in both golf croquet and association croquet skills then all present enjoyed several games of golf croquet.
On Tuesday the Club President, John Deeves and Captain, Margaret Sawers traveled to Milton for the opening of the new Milton-Ulladulla Croquet lawn. Members of Milton-Ulladulla are to be congratulated on this great achievement as a lot of fundraising and hard work was done not only in getting their new lawn to the stage where it was ready to open but also in the organizing of the opening which one hundred people attended,
Thursday twelve members traveled to the Southern Highlands club for a friendly visit. Nowra members were impressed with the two beautiful lawns at Exeter; the Southern highlands club has only sixteen members and two top class lawns.
After morning tea Golf croquet was played, then a delicious lunch provided by the Southern Highlands club and more games of golf croquet until time to come home, all agreed that the day was a most enjoyable experience. The value of these inter-club visits can not be over estimated as the information and ideas exchanged as well as the friends we meet will benefit our clubs in many ways.
Margaret Sawers
Captain
The original eight players has now expanded to around thirty five and the club is thriving. All the fund raising, chook raffles, countless meetings and letters along with a substantial commitment from the Council has finally paid off.. The new clubhouse has been erected, rocks and rubbish removed and the tidying and beautifying of the surrounds is underway.
All this and around eighty people there for the official opening. The Mayor Greg Watson together with a few of the local councillors, Croquet NSW President Jacky McDonald and Patron Josi Young. were in attendance as the official guests.. .Players from afar away as Tamworth, Sydney, Sutherland and Newcastle were also in attendance, as were players from Nowra and Wollongong to help in celebrating the opening day.
Umbrellas, chairs and tables had been set up and an abundance of food was available along with tea coffee and other beverages. Old friendships were renewed, new ones made and tall tales and true about exploits on the game were exchanged. What a great way to spend a day?
The opening speech was made by club President Jan Warburton followed by the Mayor and the Patron. Congratulations given, people thanked and a croquet demonstration by Pete Landrebe and Rosie Graham took place. Then suddenly it was all over. Goodbyes were said with the usual’ see you at the next carnival’ and then guests made their way to their cars for the journey home.
Congratulations to the members for putting on a great day. Hopefully in the not to distant future there will be another day to celebrate the opening of the second lawn?
Geof McDonald
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Margaret Murray
Margaret Murray who, on doctor’s orders has not played a single game of croquet in over 7 years. Yet throughout that time she has always been our biggest champion, has supported everything we have done and has raised thousands of dollars for the club. Without her, not only would we not have been introduced to the joys of croquet but also I doubt we would ever have had the money to develop the way we have. To you Margaret our heartfelt thanks. John Gilhooly Milton-Ulladulla Croquet Club |
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If you were in Jamberoo on Wednesday 11th October, you may have noticed the marked absence of sheep. Wisely, our woolly friends had beaten a hasty retreat as soon as a motley collection of sheep shearers started to gather on the Keith Irvine Oval under a signpost that helpfully located the nearest dunny! On closer inspection, the singlets and scissors, corks and convicts, beards and braces, revealed members of the Jamberoo Croquet Club who were contesting the inaugural "Sheep Station" competition.
This was a fun day, though the four games of Aussie-rules croquet were fiercely contested in very hot conditions. The shearers retreated to the shade for morning tea (Lamingtons and Anzac biscuits) and a barbecue lunch (snags, damper and billy tea, the latter daringly swung at arm's length to provide the perfect woody brew). Jokes were encouraged and certain shearers were notably forthcoming!
This pleasant and successful day concluded with prize giving. Rhonda Johnson, the donator of this new Sheep Station Award, made all the presentations. "Dag of the Day" went to Roger Evans for providing the most mirth, though a special mention (and jar of Vegemite) went to Elizabeth Shaw for her delivery of some heavenly words of wisdom! The prize for "Dacks of the Day" was awarded to Dot Moroney who truly looked the part in long dress, apron and straw hat. Brigit Christensen received her wooden spoon very graciously (well, giggling uncontrollably) for the least points scored but the most noble effort. And the main trophy of the day, the Sheep Station Award, went to Eilis Golightly who scored maximum points. Very well done Eilis.
John Wyeth proposed a vote of thanks to Roger and Brenda Evans and Patrick Moroney for organising a most enjoyable day. As the would-be shearers departed for home, tired and happy, a faint bleat could be heard from the hills!
Jan Sage of the Taree Club was the presiding referee and husband Phil had tagged aong. Phil had offered his services to the Maitland club and spent the day coring a lawn or two.
Jan in the meantime was bringing the rest of us up to date with what would be needed at the Nationals in Sydney.
A couple of hours was spent on revising various Laws and discussing them and then it was time to go out and do a bit of practcal work. Various demonstrations were given and again discussed with all of us getting something out of them.
A very pleasant lunch break was held and then back to the lawn again and then we finished off with a general discussion session. The day seemed to fly and suddenly it was time to pack up and go home.
Thanks Jan for your time and to the Toronto club for hosting the meeting.
Geof McDonald