A surprise 80th birthday, a poppy project and new members at Hervey Bay

With a variety of activities, April proved to be a very busy month for the Hervey Bay Croquet Club.

The first major event, held on 1 April, was a surprise 80th birthday party for our club captain, Di Fechner. The look on Di's face when she arrived confirmed that it was a complete surprise. How over 30 club members and husband Ray managed to give not even an inkling is rather unbelievable. Ray and Di also celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary on the same day, and it was a special and very happy occasion for Di and Ray's family and for fellow club members.

Fund raising activities for April included a Bunnings Sausage Sizzle and a Cakeless Cake Stall.

To celebrate the successful completion of a Lest we Forget Poppy Project, the members of the team who had been involved in the project enjoyed a BBQ and an introduction to the game of croquet on 30 April. Keen interest was shown in the game and it is most likely that the club will gain a new member or two.

The Lest we Forget Poppy Project display at Freedom Park, Hervey Bay.

The project involved producing 1443 ceramic poppies, one for each name on the memorials in Freedom Park, Hervey Bay. All money raised, approximately $40,000, will benefit the Mates4Mates organisation.

A visit on 28 April from CAQ personnel David Housden and Willy Silk, organised on a regional basis and hosted by the Hervey Bay Club, was very informative and helpful. It was great to meet with members of the CAQ executive and especially helpful to have David introduce the new Data System and Willy speak about Events management. Willy also gave information concerning the new Association Rules.

Planning is well underway for the Three Code tournament to be held 6-12 August.

The club has recently hosted Come and Play evenings for the Hervey Bay Lions Club and for the Probus Clubs of Hervey Bay. Participation was keen in each case and, as a result of the visit, the club has gained at least one new member.

Club President Jenny Campbell explaining croquet mallets to members of the Probus Clubs of Hervey Bay at their Come and Play visit.

The Operation Plan and the upgrade of the club's Strategic Plan are now complete and will be presented to the General Meeting on 15 June. Thanks go to club members whose previous experience with such matters provided excellent advice and assistance with the preparation of these plans.

By Coral Deeth, Hervey Bay. From the Croquet Newsletter, June 2022, pages 19, 20.