MELTHAM GOLF CLUB BULLETIN David Utasi Rabbit Captain 2012
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February 2012 Number 244 MELTHAM GOLF CLUB BULLETIN David Utasi Rabbit Captain 2012 Happy New Year to you all. Let me try to remember what I did at the back end of last year. It was my pleasure to be asked to attend the Junior Presentation Evening by junior organiser Dave Campbell. Madam Captain, Julie White presented the prizes in front of a large audience with a good turnout of parents in the lounge, the dining room was full of Thursday night quiz contestants. Dave explained in no uncertain terms the situation to the audience about our current lack of juniors with handicaps, which he intends to improve next season. Most of the prizes were shared between Junior Captain Doug Hill and Junior Captain for 2012 Tom Hunt, well done to you both. The weather in the morning was not too bad when we teed off in the December medal, but it turned against us. We had completed six holes and driven off down the seventh before Mr Hanley and Mr Sykes persuaded me to walk in. Once we were back inside the warmth of the club house and we were sat down eating a bacon and egg sandwich, I knew they had made the right choice. The last Gents` Dinner before the Christmas break was at Dewsbury Golf Club. where the very popular Mr Philip Walton stood in for the Halifax and Huddersfield President. Our Annual Dinner Dance here at Meltham was oversubscribed (how do we do that?) but once again the Social Committee had done a wonderful job in setting out the Dining Room with Tony and Linda. The new Christmas decorations were an added attraction and the Dining Room looked absolutely splendid. Many thanks to the glamorous lady in black Sue Whittaker, for her impressive meeting and greeting of our welcomed guests and their partners. Well done to Captain Elect Adrian Ashworth for getting everyone downstairs and into the dining room in the right order. We had thirteen visiting guests and their partner’s, all who enjoyed some top class food and entertainment. American X Factor contestant Beverly Saverin was superb, extremely professional and her encore included some opera which was stun- ning. Many thanks to Julie White for her patience with the secret Jive lessons, the Captain and Lady Captain`s first dance on the night proved much less nerve racking than the practice sessions! Linda and I attended our first Cappercaillie Dinner and we had a very enjoyable eve- ning with a full Christmas Dinner, Christmas Carols, accompanied by Meltham Mills Brass Band. Thanks to Andy McGrath for the carving of our tables Turkey. I was really looking forward to the children’s Christmas Party; it was always going to be the highlight of my year. We even had some snow on the ground. Father Christmas had to come in through the main entrance as the ground staff were reluctant to take the tractor and trailer up the first fairway. Well done to the Ladies Section who arranged the whole afternoon. My thanks to all the Past Captains who passed on some advice, it was much needed. I managed to play a full 18 holes on New Years Eve day, our course is still in very good condition. The clubhouse was packed for the New Years Eve Bash. My thanks to all who worked so hard that we all might have such an enjoyable evening. Garry Manilow was terrific as was the well scripted “Down Equality Street”. If the seating was a little bit cramped it was down to some late additions. I will be booking early for this year! I would advise you to do the same. Linda and I went away skiing to France in early January which was a nice break. My Captain`s picture has mysteriously appeared behind the bar in the famous “Corti Bar” over there. The owner Jean Luc pretends to polish it whenever we call in. We actually ski over the Megeve Golf Course in the winter, we thought it was cold out there, but our son who lives in Canada told us when we rang it was -15 where he lives “quite mild” he said. He is waiting for the river near him to freeze over so they can go ice skating and the temperature needs to drop down to -25! The Management Review EGM was on Monday night over 125 members were in attendance, I thank all of you who made the effort to attend on a very frosty night and provide a balanced view from the membership. Thanks to Pat and Philip Walton & Brenda and Wally Ellis for officiating. The dinner season continued with a vengeance after the Christmas break. Linda and I were at the Hey Green Hotel for Marsden’s mixed dinner on Friday and then on Saturday at the Cedar Court Hotel at Ainley Top for Longley Park`s dinner which was absolutely packed for such a small club. I managed to follow the wrong lady into dinner and nearly messed up the seating plan! I should pay more attention. Next was the Halifax West End Gent`s dinner on Friday where the guest speaker was New Zealand rugby league player Henry Hunter Paul who arrived without his dinner suit so had to dash home to change. As a forfeit he performed a Hakka in the middle of the dinning room! The singing in-between each course of such diverse songs as Je- rusalem, The Old Bull and Bush, Swing Low Sweet Chariot and the infamous Road to Mandalay was something I had not experienced before it’s a great tradition! Bradley Park`s Burns Night at the Clifton Hotel in Brighouse was another well attended event sup- ported by several Meltham Mem- bers. The M.C. from Bradley Park kindly held up proceedings to allow me to get all our members together for a photograph which was kindly taken by the President of the HHUDGC Mr Richard Kaye. I finally managed to arrange a visit to Russell House where the Forget Me Not Chil- dren’s Hospice is situated. The facilities are fantastic with four bedrooms fully fur- nished and ready to accept children. It was a moving experience for me and certainly puts my life into perspective. The Hospice is now running a weekly prize draw if you require more information please go to, www.forgetmenotchild.co.uk. The Captain Elect will soon be forming the New Structure Implementation Committee. He will be seeking representation from all sections of the club. This should greatly assist in implementing the new structure as smoothly as possible. It is our intention to keep the members fully informed every step of the way" Ian Saxton Captain TROLLEY STORE The trolley store is be discontinued Any member who has a trolley in the store is asked to remove it prior to it being closed at the end of February President's Twopenn'rth A Marketing Lesson..................................... Two beggars are sitting side by side on a street in Rome. One has a cross in front of him, the other one the Star of David. Many people go by, look at both beggars, but only put money into the hat of the beggar sitting behind the cross. A priest comes by, stops and watches throngs of people giving money to the beggar behind the cross, but none to the beggar behind the Star of David. Finally the priest goes over to the beggar behind the Star of David and says, " My poor fellow, don't you understand ? This is a Catholic country, this city is the seat of Catholicism. People aren't going to give you money if you sit there with a Star of David in front of you, especially when you are sitting beside a beggar who has a cross." The beggar with the Star of David listens to the priest, turns to the other beggar and says, " Moishe, look whose telling the Goldstein brothers about marketing. " ....................................and Food for Thought A well known Professor was addressing a large audience at a Medical Conference. " The material we put into our stomachs is enough to have killed most of us sitting here, years ago. Red meat is awful. Soft drinks corrode your stomach lining. Chinese food is full of MSG. High fat diets can be disastrous, and none of us realises the long-term harm caused by the germs in our drinking water. But there is one thing that is most dangerous of all, and we all have or will eat it. Would anyone care to guess what food causes the most grief and suffering years after eating it? " After several seconds of silence, a small 75 year old Jewish man, in the front row, raised his hand and said, " Vedding Cake! " RABBITS NEWS My last Bulletin, time does fly when you’re having fun and this year has been great fun. That’s what Rabbits Golf is about. At a recent meeting someone told us they had looked at the club membership and handicaps – apparently Rabbits make up almost 80% of the club so we should have no problem in getting members to play in Rabbit matches so it would be good to know why we do? The Rabbit AGM is on February 8th at 7.30pm, free pie and peas - all Rabbits welcome. This event is when the Captain changes over and I lose my parking space ! Mr Utasi will take over and Mr Robert Berry has been selected for election to Vice Captain. Also at this event we ask for volunteers to play in the Huddersfield and Halifax District and Yorkshire Rabbit events.