Laurel Bank Croquet Club holds its first annual meeting

The first annual meeting of the Laurel Bank Croquet Club was held in the Town Hall yesterday afternoon. Mr. J. Hoare, who presided, welcomed the members and hoped that they would have a happy and successful year. The secretary, Miss Goldsworthy, read the minutes of the first meeting, held in connection with the forming of the croquet lawns at Laurel Bank. Mrs. Schmidt moved that the minutes be confirmed, and this was seconded by Mrs. Lyon. The secretary's report was read by Miss Goldsworthy and the balance sheet, which was read by Mrs. Schmidt, showed a credit balance of £22/11/8. Mr. Hoare moved the adoption of the report and balance sheet, which was seconded by Mrs. M. McStay.

The president's report was read by Mrs. Sinclair. The adoption was moved by Mr. Hoare, seconded by Mrs. Schmidt.

The election of office-bearers was as follows: Patroness, Mrs. J. D. Annand; president, Mrs. Malcolm Sinclair; vice-presidents, Mesdames J. Robinson, L. Dunsdon, S. Hopkins; secretary, Mrs. Lyon; treasurer, Miss Rowe; committee, Mesdames J. Platz, M. Priest, A. Childs, and E. Stone. Mrs. Schmidt and Mr. Hoare were appointed in charge of the courts. Apologies were received from the Mayor and Mayoress, Alderman and Mrs. Annand, Sir Littleton and Lady Groom, and the patron of the club, Mr. S. G. Stephens.

Those present were Mesdames Malcolm Sinclair, E. Stone, M. Priest, A. Childs, J. W. Scanlan, C. N. Lyon, H. Schmidt, J. Platz, J. Robinson, M. Frood, M. J Mathews, N. Turnbull, K. Macfarlane: M. McStay, W. Boshammer, A. W. Butters, F. Hopkins, Brodie, L. Dunsdon, A. R. Orr, W. Boyd, Misses Goldsworthy and Rowe and Mr. Hoare.

The following address was read by the president, Mrs. Malcolm Sinclair:—

I wish to thank you one and all for your very loyal support and help during the past year. The first year of development is always a difficult one, as there is so much to do, but since the formation of the club in March, 1934, we have made wonderful headway. Our very sincere thanks is due to the Toowoomba City Council for granting permission for the club to be formed in Laurel Bank Park, and for the extremely generous way we have been treated in the building of the courts. We could not have acquired such a delightful setting or such picturesque surroundings anywhere else in Toowoomba, and we have reason to be grateful, and I think we do fully appreciate all that has been done for us. To Aldermen Platz and Webb, members of the Parks and Baths Committee, we tender sincere thanks for supervising our interests during the formation of the courts. To Mr. Leadbetter and Mr. Dow, who supervised the actual work done, we are extremely grateful. I feel I cannot adequately express to Mr. and Mrs. Marshall the appreciation of the club for their extreme kindness in placing their lawns at the disposal of the club, for loaning their house for parties and for generous coaching of players by Mrs. Marshall. We regret exceedingly the loss of Mrs. Blair, whose kindly acts will long be remembered by many privileged to know her. We convey to Mr. Hoare and the members of the West Toowoomba Progress Association our gratitude for their splendid achievement and success. A small enrolment fee of 1/ per member was made by the club to pay incidental expenses, and members paying such fee are entitled to become foundation members and do not have to pay an entrance fee. The courts were officially opened on Saturday last by Mr. S. G. Stephens, whose magnanimity and generous public spirit made it possible for us to enjoy the croquet courts in Laurel Bank Park. Too much cannot be said of this wonderful gift to the city and we, as a very small portion of the community, intend to enjoy our opportunities to the full. The courts are now open for play, and to the donors of equipment we offer our special thanks. It is the ambition of the club to build a club house of the beautiful blue stone from the Toowoomba quarry, to harmonise with the memorial gates erected by the City Council to commemmorate Mr. Stephens's gift. When this became known Mr. Stephens, with his usual generosity, donated £10/10/ to open the fund. We ask you all to give us ycur support in the coming year, and we trust that many happy and harmonious days will be spent in the companionship of each other and in the enjoyment of a game of croquet in Laurel Bank Park.

Mrs. Malcolm Sinclair, president of the Laurel Bank Croquet Club (Trove, National Library of Australia)

MRS. MALCOLM SINCLAIR.

The article as it was printed in The Toowoomba Chronicle, 22 March 1935. Scan from Trove, National Library of Australia. (Trove, National Library of Australia)