Cornwall Croquet Club

Newsletter No. 28 - March 2005

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Introduction

Well, here we are, coming up to the start of our first, full season. John is spending the two weeks after Easter, off and on, getting both lawns into tiptop condition. The Equipment Hut is virtually completely fitted out with only one or two details left. The new Pavilion, courtesy of Howard, is due in about three weeks with all the add-ons and services ready for it. Apart from the foundation, that is, though I am sure that is all in hand.

A dry summer is forecast so the lawns may be hard, bare and fast.

Malcolm has prepared the Competitions programme and most of you will probably have completed your applications, sent in your cheques and even, perhaps, started to wonder what you might be doing about white clothing. Badged white shirts (polo, sweat and T) are available through me (forms in the Hut).
The Summer Season starts officially on 16th April. Wednesdays and Saturdays are Club Afternoons unless there are competitions or matches scheduled. Don't forget that these start at 2 p.m.. If you are not there then, you may find that games have been organised and started without you. If you can, wear whites. If you can't, as near as you can get.

Opening Ceremony

Your Committee has met several times and worried over who and how many to invite to a "Finger buffet" lunch, what the cost will be, how to cater and what to do in wet weather routine (driving rain from the south-west would be our worst nightmare). The proposed programme is being circulated together with application forms and we hope we will get not only most members for lunch but a goodly crowd afterwards for the tape-cutting ceremony and demonstration match.

Members and lunch guests will be provided with name-badges and each committee member will be asked to look after one (or one pair) of the guests.

Please either wear whites or smartish light colours and flat shoes if you will be going on the lawns.

We are intending to provide tea and a slice of cake to anyone after the match who wants it. For this, we will need, say, three volunteers to supervise a collection of mugs (plastic cups?) make and pour the tea, distribute the cake and generally keep a watching brief over what is going on. Also we need everyone, every member, male and female, each to make one cake for the occasion. If I can do it, I am convinced anyone can!

We are proposing to have Lawn 2 set out for the demonstration match and two short lawns set out on Lawn I. The latter will be for anyone who wants to have a go but supervision will definitely be needed. One or two volunteers are needed to help me set the lawns out in the morning.

We are considering whether to buy a marquee. The purchase price of one of a reasonable size (from eBay) is about the same as hiring one three times and there may well be occasions when the pavilion will not hold everyone. It would certainly be useful insurance in case of wet weather.

A.G.M.

The subscriptions for 2005 were agreed at the A.G.M. with no increase from last year assuming a full playing season. Don't forget that all subscriptions have to be paid by the end of April. We do not have financial reserves, must make a substantial payment to Howard Rosevear to cover both rent and the labour and materials and have other bills to pay

B League

The list of matches has been publicised, would-be players have given their names to Nigel so all is in a go situation. But, for those who are not playing, don't forget that there are Home matches when spectators and support will be welcomed. I should though one might be able to scrounge a cuppa! I should also point out that match teas (if we can organise them) will be for players only.

Saturday 16 July vs. Sidmouth Thursday 21 July vs. Plymouth

Put the dates in your diary now - while you remember.

Publicity

Don't forget to get your copy of "Cornwall Today" within the next few days for the article on our club. And photographs too, I suppose, though no-one has seen those yet. Note also that we now have a small corner of our own in the Sports pages of the Cornish Guardian. Rosemary also has a Press afternoon organised for Thursday, 28 April.

Handicaps

The Handicap Committee (lan and I) will be meeting shortly to discuss handicaps for those who started playing last year and completed the coaching course. The general principle is the one starts at 24 and this reduces to 22 at the end of the course. Some by the end of the season will be reduced further.

Keys

Keys to the Equipment Hut can be obtained from me at a cost of £5 of which £2.50 is returnable

when the key is returned. I have been unable to find a way of getting a padlock for the new Pavilion that would take the same key, but we will worry about that one when it is constructed. A combination lock might be an answer.

Coaching

The first Coaching Course for new members is due to start at 10.30 on Wednesday, 27 April and will consist of six 2-hour sessions. Individual advanced(?) sessions are, of course, available for members without charge at mutually convenient times.

Enclosures

Accompanying the printed version of this newsletter are the A.G.M. Minutes, the minutes of the last Committee Meeting (for Committee members only) and a List of Playing Members. With the latter are their supposed handicaps. These obviously are subject to alteration and we will try to keep these up-to-date on the list in the Equipment Hut and on the members section of the website.