President’s Messages

30 October 2016

Fellow Mission Hills Croquet Club Enthusiasts:

It’s cold and trying to rain, or even snow, here in Spokane so I’m looking forward to hitting the road next week and heading south through Idaho, Montana, Utah, Arizona and Nevada to get to the nice, warm desert climate of Rancho Mirage. Some thoughts for your information and consideration about the upcoming croquet season follow.

EVENTS CALENDAR

The Club’s Tournament Event Schedule for 2016 – 2017 is posted on our website in the Club House for your planning use. As we go through the season, updates and changes will be provided as necessary when they occur. Because we are hosting the MacRobertson Shield test matches we will not be hosting any national USCA championships this season. The tournaments in the aforementioned Event Schedule are also posted on the Mission Hills Croquet Club website’s Google Calendar along with some additional entries for Croquet Club social events such as Sunday Wine and Wickets, Tuesday Golf Croquet, complementary clinics for (potential) new members and instructional classes for those wishing to improve their croquet playing skills. Be sure to check the Croquet Club’s website calendar periodically so that you have current and accurate event information.

VOLUNTEERISM

As noted many times in our communications to members, a significant portion of the work done for the Mission Hills Croquet Club is done on a volunteer basis by its members. This season we want to expand that involvement. Among other things two key committees will be formed to handle significant areas of activity: (1) an Event Committee to plan, coordinate and execute activities connected with tournaments, clinics and social events, and (2) a Facility Committee to coordinate and oversee activities essential for the usage and maintenance of the MHCC croquet lawns and equipment. Additionally, on an ongoing basis, we need help with regular croquet lawn maintenance and upkeep:

> Resetting hoops on lawns #1-4 on weekly basis
> Resetting hoops on lawns #5-7 on a weekly basis when they are not being used for tennis
> Periodic cleaning of the corner (red, white & blue) pins used to string the lawns
> Equipment shed upkeep

As in past years we are also seeking volunteers who are willing to host some of our social events – generally the potluck dinners that precede our Croquet Club tournaments. The dates and nature of these events are included in the attached Event Schedule.

If you are interested in helping the Croquet Club and serving on a Committee or as a volunteer please contact Jean Engebretson or me.

Tournament Directors (“TD”) and Tournament Managers (“TM”) are needed for each tournament that is held by the Croquet Club. TD’s, and assistants, are essentially responsible for all (playing) activities on the lawns during a tournament and TM’s, and assistants, are essentially responsible for all administrative/off court activities; detailed position descriptions are available for each function for those who are interested. Certain qualifications are necessary for the TD position but it would be great to have some volunteers in the pipeline as assistants.

A great example of volunteer effort is the group that Elaine Kennedy has already put together to lead Wine & Wickets on Sundays:

December Jan Dugger & John Parks
January Steve & Monica Hellman
February Mike & Brenda Corrigan
March Vicki Till

THE MACROBERTSON SHIELD

Next spring (April 18 to May 4, 2017) The Mission Hills Croquet Club will host the MacRobertson Shield test matches. These are the croquet world’s equivalent of the Ryder Cup (golf) or Davis Cup (tennis). Teams from Australia, New Zealand, England and the United States will compete in a series of round robin matches to determine which country will hold the Shield (trophy) until the next series of test matches is held in three or four years. On the local level Leo Nikora has volunteered to guide the Mission Hills Croquet Club’s efforts in hosting this event. He has identified the following areas as those in need of volunteer support during the event:

TEAM LEADER
Food & Beverage Bob Morford
Public Relations Elaine Kennedy
Grounds & Equipment Jim Butts
Website Leo Nikora
Volunteers Pat Apple
Referees Rhys Thomas
Budget Steve Mossbrook
Internet Steve Mossbrook
Ceremonies Susan Stiff

A lot of planning work has already been done, but if you are able to help in any way, even for a small amount of time, before or during the test matches, please contact Pat Apple via phone or e-mail.

NEW MEMBERS

Last season we placed a great deal of emphasis on attracting and retaining new members for the Croquet Club and Mission Hills Country Club. Those efforts will be continued again this year with our Complimentary Clinics on Tuesdays at 1:00 PM so that people who may have played little or no croquet can learn the basic rules, strategy and playing fundamentals of the game. Additionally we will again have the New Players School (December 12 – 16) so that players can learn more and sharpen their existing croquet playing skills. These opportunities are already shown in the Croquet Club’s website calendar. Additional dates and information will be disseminated as we progress through the season. Above all, be sure to invite your fellow MHCC members and others, when appropriate, to these events so they can learn more about croquet.

We’re looking forward to another great season of croquet and the associated social activities.

See you on the courts – may the wickets all be large and friendly.

Nick

6 May 2015

Fellow Mission Hills Croquet Club Members:

Our croquet season is winding down as summer nears so I thought it would be appropriate to pass along some thoughts and information before next year. But first I’ll bore you with a little history and background. I joined Mission Hills Country Club (“MHCC”) at the end of the last century as a golf and tennis member and became interested in croquet when one of my golfing buddies became paranoid about attending the beginning croquet class with only his wife. It was a fun, learning experience – besides my golf and tennis games were rapidly deteriorating – and I found that Wine & Wickets was a great way to learn more about (golf) croquet as well as being a wonderful social experience to look forward to a couple of days each week. Experienced members (too many to name individually) were, and continue to be, extraordinarily generous in passing along their knowledge of how to better play the game, and welcoming new members into the social activities of the Club. Hopefully all of our members will continue to “pay it forward” and assist new members who join the Club in this manner. I dearly value the social activities and casual croquet – particularly Wine & Wickets – that are available.
Since joining the Club I have learned many things that merit your thoughts:

There is a huge amount of unheralded effort that goes on behind the scenes that benefits all of the Mission Hills Croquet Club members:

1. >> Building, over a number of years, and then maintaining the croquet lawns.
2. >> Interfacing with MHCC management to see that the lawns are properly overseeded each year and then properly mowed, aerated, watered and fertilized throughout the year.
3. >> Coordinating the balanced and fair use of the lawns for tennis and croquet.
4. >> Acquiring and maintaining playing and sideline equipment (balls, wickets, strings, clocks, deadness boards, string pegs, chairs, tables, awnings, etc.). There are some real “dog robber” geniuses – a naval term – that operate under the radar and strive mightily to do all these things so that uninterrupted croquet is readily available at all levels.
5. >> Collecting and disbursing money (one of my favorite topics) so that the Croquet Club is a financially viable (not for profit) entity.
6. >> Pulling and resetting wickets several times a week so that lawns can be mowed and rolled (golfers and tennis players don’t have to do this).
7. >> Maintaining a website and preparing and sending information concerning court availability, membership rosters and the Club’s croquet and social events; something as simple as organizing attendance at various Club dinners takes someone’s time and effort.
8. >> Serving on and attending meetings of MHCC Club Committees and oversight groups to promote and protect Mission Hills Croquet Club interests.

The most important thing that contributes to the success of our Club, as noted above, is the voluntary work that a substantial portion of our members put forth. I urge all of you to join in and continue this support – just talk to any one of the Club’s officers or senior members about your talents and interests.

Although many economic factors have improved or stabilized in recent months, demographics and changing social priorities continue to have an impact on us – and substantially all other golf, tennis, social and athletic clubs in the country. The number of new members simply isn’t keeping pace with departing older members. A program to attract and retain new members was initiated last season. MHCC and The Croquet Club plan to build on that program next season with complimentary clinics for existing MHCC members, member mixers for new MHCC members and open house events for non-members of MHCC.

Although I have actually visited very few other croquet venues it is obvious that the Mission Hills Croquet Club is blessed with one of the best facilities in the country. Visitors from all parts of the country, and the world, consistently praise the quality and accessibility of our courts and the friendly support of our members. It’s great to be spoiled.

In summary (at last!!!!) we are looking forward to a new season with a variety of events for all Club members. In addition to our regular clinics, Wine & Wickets gatherings on Sundays, and Golf Croquet (and new player clinics) on Tuesdays, we will be the host for two USCA National Championship tournaments next season. I urge to you to enter them, it’s a great learning experience. If you can’t enter be sure to come by and be a spectator – the skills are great and you can learn a lot.

I look forward to seeing all of you on the courts next season.

Sincerely,

Nick

15 January 2014

1. UPDATE: Earlier this week you received an email from Len Lyon that notified you that an unexpected venue change had occurred for the Smack Down Awards Dinner. All but three people who registered to attend this event did, in fact, attend the event. Attendees were warm (there were plenty of heaters), had hot food and the space was well lighted. Prior to Sunday’s venue change of this event Leo Nikora & I had a meeting scheduled with Garrett Kriske and Maggie Banter, the new head of Fitness/Spa/Croquet. I meet on an approximately monthly basis with Garrett and the Head of Fitness/Spa/Croquet and invite someone from our Leadership Team or Advisory Board to join me.

During the initial part of this meeting, two (2) staff involved in planning/producing Country Club Events were present. Garrett does not support or expect venue changes unless the planner’s (in this case Croquet) consents to it. We looked at the process and have changed the procedure in an effort to reach our mutual goal to prevent this from occurring again. All events have a written document which includes venue and other details. This document MUST be signed by me for future Croquet events, which was not the procedure before. Thus, if staff involved in working the event receive an event order without my signature they will not move forward until I sign it. We are considering one more change in the process. The Country Club is working closely with us to insure that this does not happen again. Mistakes and miscommunication happen; but, good working relationships allow us to move forward with the goal of eliminating the same mis-step in the future.

2. ANNOUNCEMENTS: The Country Club is planning, with the Croquet Club’s Leadership Team’s collaboration, two (2) projects that will benefit Croquet. Both projects have been in the discussion stage for some time but now that some action steps will be taken it is appropriate that I make an announcement to the membership of our club.

a. Court for Use During Re-Seeding: We have discussed a number of potential locations for another court that would be available for our use during reseeding. The Country Club is moving ahead to determine the feasibility of developing said court next to the fitness center by the parking lot. Among things that must be determined before approval for implementation occurs is the cost of the new court and whether grounds maintenance have the resources to maintain said court during their busy re-seeding season. Assuming this court becomes a reality, it is understood that it may be temporary because the Country Club may, in the future, find a different use for this piece of property.

b. Lights for Some Courts: The courts that are candidates for lights are 5 – 7. Courts 1 -4 are not suitable for lighting due to the nearby homes. The Country Club is moving forward to determine, with Croquet’s input, the type of lighting that will provide adequate light for our courts and the cost.

Once a decision has been made on whether these projects will move to implementation stage, I will send the membership an update. Please know that the Country Club and your Croquet Club’s Leadership Team are collaborating to make these projects a reality.

16 December 2012

Exploratory Committees (Announcement Originally Made 11/18/12 at the Season Opener Closing Reception)

Two (2) Exploratory Committees have been formed. The work of both of these committees will culminate in a written report that will be presented to me no later than the end of March. I shall then distribute the reports to the members and, if the committees(s) are recommending the Club take some action, the recommendations will be put to a vote of the membership. The committees and their mission is as follows:
WORLD GOLF CROQUET TOURNAMENT: The mision of this committee is to assess whether the Mission Hill Croquet Club should host a World Croquet Tournament. The Committee Report will address a variety of topics, including, but not necessarily limited to: history of World Croquet Tournaments, croquet games that are played in World Tournaments, how often World Tournaments are held, process followed for being awarded the hosting of a World Tournament, what would be expected of our club (number of courts, housing, cost to host, etc.), time needed to prepare for hosting such an event, and is there a need to form a separate entity if hosting a World Tournament.

The committee members are: Sue Arenson, Elaine Kennedy, Rich Lamm, Leo Nikora, and Mike Orgill.
ELLERY McCLATCHY HONOR: The mission of this committee is to determine if Ellery McClatchy should be honored in some way by our Club. If the Committee recommends that the Club bestow an honor, they have been asked that such honor be something other than naming one of our Club Tournaments after him. The Committee Report will address a variety of topics including: who was Ellery McClatchy, what did he contribute to the Mission Hills Croquet Club, and what did he contribute to the Croquet World beyond our Club.

The committee members are; Rebecca Dant, Bob Kays, Jane McDonnell (Tucker), Jerry Phillips, and Eric Sawyer.

Mary Rodeberg
President

30 August 2012

I am pleased to announce that the following members of the club have agreed to hold leadership positions.

Officers
Vice President: Nick Gray
Secretary: Jean Engebretson
Treasurer/Roster: Kory Teoman

Other Positions
Golf Tuesdays: Brenda Corrigan
Wine & Wickets: Elaine Kennedy
Public Relations: Paul Christy
Scholars’ Festival: Toni Kemp
Webmaster: Leo Nikora
Equipment Manager: Bob Riddle
USCA Liaison: Steve Mossbrook

I look forward to seeing everyone at the Opening Party for the Season Opener Event on November 13th (Details to Follow).

Mary Rodeberg
President

2 May 2012

To All Members of Mission Hills Croquet Club,

The announcement has been made that I accepted the invitation to be President of the Mission Hills Croquet Club; thus, I contact the membership via this email.

As has also been announced, I will communicate to the membership who has agreed to serve with me. I felt it important that I give a time line as to when you could expect to hear from me. It will be no sooner than mid August & quite likely in September. Prior to the August – September time period I have prior commitments and family matters that require my attention.

Thank you for your patience.

Mary Rodeberg

May 1, 2012

The second and final term of my and Genie’s leadership of the Croquet Club has come to an end. And what a two years it has been. During that time we’ve completed 21 tournaments; 4 of them Nationals and 2 Regionals. For the 1st time, all three USCA National tournaments were held at one club – ours! What a way to make history again! Over this same time period, the Croquet Club spent more than $57,000 in food & beverage with the MHCC – they love croquet!

During our 2011/2012 season our club has experienced the passing of nine of our members or close friends & serious illnesses to several others. We had a little bump in the road this season with the Country Club making the decision to re-invent the 55th to a restaurant venue where reservations were recommended versus the old “Cheers style” bar atmosphere we all loved. However, we did manage a couple of get togethers at the 55th and had two Tennis Café parties along with tennis members. Some of them miss the 55th’s atmosphere too!

Our club social activity continued to rock with the Stiff’s opening Fiesta party where we battled a 100-year wind event, the Mallet Master Maker’s Mania at the American Rules Nationals, five straight days of February parties kicking off with the Scholar’s Day “Battle of the Pros” and ending on Mardi Gras Tuesday courtside. Almost like a real Mardi Gras Madness weekend!

The Kraft Nabisco found us all missing Susi & David’s wonderful annual party along the 11th fairway, but we found “Mission Hill” and brought the party there. Of course, the “The Riddler Island” opening party is always great and it even resulted in our first “GAP” party of the season on Good Friday. That spilled over to the 55th outside where 38 croquet members made the night for the Country Club. And, last but not least, was our Gatsby closing season party . Our Social Chairs Marylin Morford and Susan Stiff did a fantastic job!! Sixty five members attended and partied the evening away. All of this is on TOP of Wine & Wickets, Golf Croquet Tuesdays, and Karen’s Pasta nights at the club. How did we make it!!

It has been my experience over the past 5 years with our club, we have had some drama. It seems every year a few folks get things stirred up; their way of having fun. Unfortunately, this year a number of our members were drawn in the game by spreaders of miss information and half truths. For that, I do apologize to all.

We have had, for the past two years, a method of bringing suggestions or complaints to the Croquet Club management. It is called “The Good; The Bad; The Ugly” white box on the shed door by lawn #1, with forms located inside the door. None of the people voicing all the complaints ever filled out a form, or to my knowledge, ever complained to me or one of our Board Members. However, at the end of the season, I think 95% of our membership received the correct information they needed to realize there really isn’t any significant problems with our club. There are just personal differences between some members that should be resolved outside of the Croquet Club. But one has to wonder….why do these folks have to be so mean?

Now to next season….. Genie & I communicated to the Emeritus Leadership Team last June that the 2011/2012 season would be our final one as leaders. They began planning and have selected Mary Rodeberg. Mary has accepted the President position for the 2012/2013 season. Genie & I wanted to make the transition in May versus November so it would give Mary time to name her Leadership Team and get the next season schedule approved and implemented. As a result, effective May 1, 2012, all existing Board members, social committee chairs, Wine & Wickets, Golf Croquet Tuesdays leaders, roster keeper, Vice President & Secretary have been relieved of their duties. The Treasurer will have to stay in place for a month or two until all the final bills are paid and a clean and smooth transition can be made with the new Treasurer.

Mary has told me she will be selecting her team over the next few weeks and will announce them to the Croquet Club over the summer. I know Mary will do a fantastic job, so let’s all support her and continue a tradition of a Croquet Club with 4 USCA Club of the Year awards AND 23 years and counting of being “The Best in the West”.

There are too many people to thank individually, but I do thank everyone who has led a committee or activity, volunteered as a Board member or officer, has helped move & reset hoops every Tuesday & Thursday, has helped in setting up and taking down during tournaments, who have opened their homes for parties & housed visiting players……we COULD NOT have done this without ALL of you!

But I do have to call a couple of names – Ben Rothman – thanks for all the work in front & behind the scenes, Bob Riddell – without you, man, our equipment would not work & how could I have traveled in the summer without your assistance, Bob Morford – great job as Treasurer & probably harder work than being Prez, Leo Nikora – thanks for a beautiful web site & sharing our news continually, and most of all, my wife Genie. You’re the best, Babe!!

My parting comments to all members, old and new, is if you think there is an issue or you have a concern, take it to the Club leadership immediately so it can be appropriately addressed. People NOT in a leadership position can NOT solve the concern. As well, we should all remember the old saying “if you believe nothing you hear and half of what you see, you’ll probably be just fine”!

Have a great summer and be safe in your travels. We’ll see you next November, if not on a lawn somewhere before. Play well and tell folks about our wonderful “Croquet Heaven”.

No longer your Prez,

Ron Hendry

27 March 2012

MEMBERSHIP MEETING – WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012

This meeting came about as the result of Nick Gray being approached by some senior members of the Croquet Club and then volunteering to obtain and review information that could serve as a basis for a meeting with Croquet Club members. Nick read all of the e-mails that have been circulated and agreed that there were some significant topics that should be addressed. He then volunteered to develop a presentation for a membership meeting if the Croquet Club’s leadership agreed – which they did. The Club’s leadership also agreed that they would provide all necessary information to him for review. The Club President and Treasurer also agreed to attend the meeting to answer any questions that he may not be able to because of possible data he missed in garnering information for his presentation.

Ron Hendry, Prez

MISSION HILLS CROQUET CLUB
MEMBERSHIP MEETING
March 28, 2012 at 2:30 PM
Tennis Club- Courtside Café

AGENDA

1. Opening remarks – Meeting Format
2. Brief Club History
3. Membership Concerns
4. Teaching and Mentoring
5. Dues Structure
6. Financial Information
7. Club Structure
8. Committees and Volunteerism
9. Croquet Club Professional
10. Court Availability
11. Croquet Club Local Events
12. Background Data and Information
13. Suggested Solutions
14. Closing Summary

13 March 2012

Mission Hills Croquet Club members…

March has arrived and as the structured croquet season winds down, I have been notified that some of our membership would like to see certain changes in our Club.

It seems there are some members who are unhappy with how our club operates and feel strongly some changes should be made . There has been an email sent to me and some of our members expressing concerns via Len Lyon. In the email, there is a list of changes demanded and a threat to send these demands to the MHCC by a March 15th deadline. In view of the short notice and possible irreparable damage to our Croquet Club I had a meeting with my Club Advisors for their comments. The level of the complainants desire for change rose to proposing a new croquet club which would be more to their liking. Without getting into the details of their demands it seems these members want to move our Club toward a more social type of croquet and away from the present format.

Our Croquet Club leadership team has tried to provide a fun & competitive environment to every level of membership. We realize our club has transformed over the years and we have various levels of interests within our organization. However, it appears there is a group of members who feel their fun, recreational level of play has not been supported. We have always thought of croquet as being a fun & recreational activity with some “serious” tournament play added. This year has definitely been our MOST active season, and there may have been some stress on our court resources by hosting all 3 National tournaments. The MH Croquet Club has been USCA Club of the Year three times and this lends prestige to the Mission Hills Country Club, who has ultimate control of our croquet lawns. This did mean more lawn usage than normal for tournaments and some inconvenience to some of our members.

We hereby offer to meet with those players who want certain stated changes and address those changes in a fashion which does not jeopardize the viability, heritage, and reasonable expectations of the preponderance of the Club Membership. The Mission Hills Croquet Club leadership team is willing to meet with all members or group of members to listen to your suggestions for making our club better. However, if members or groups of members are unwilling to work through difficulties within croquet and prefer to approach the MH Country Club management, that is certainly their right. We will say, though, this has the potential for doing harm to croquet at Mission Hills and could lead to diminished activity and facilities and increased Country Club bureaucracy for everyone.

I and the Croquet Club leadership do hope the individuals who are struggling with having a fun & happy experience will come forward and meet with us so we can develop a program for next season that will be fulfilling for everyone.

For the MH Croquet Club Leadership Team,

Your Prez,

Ron Hendry

30 November 2011

Mission Hills Croquet Club members….

LAWN AVAILABILITY UPDATE

Background
The 2011 USCA Golf Croquet Nationals were scheduled for Pinehurst, NC, in August. Only 12 folks signed up to play, so it was cancelled. In early September, we received a call asking us to host this event in Mission Hills so the event would not have to skip a year. We agreed because we wanted to support the USCA and their golf croquet program. Plus we knew how much our members loved golf croquet. The challenge was: when to schedule it? how to get it planned while we were traveling and Ben was playing in tournaments? Thus began the incredible chain of events.

It took many phone calls between everyone’s busy summer schedules and then we didn’t factor in or anticipate the OVERWHELMING response we would have for this event at Mission Hills. In fact, we are making history again with our 2nd record breaking attendance of 47 players!!

Bottom line
Thus the bottom line is….lawn #1 normally used for member play only will have to be drafted into service this Friday (Dec. 1st), Saturday (Dec. 2nd), and Sunday (Dec. 3rd) in order to get all the games in for both singles and doubles. Finals will be held on Monday, Dec. 5th and will overlap with practice day for the U.S. Open, which begins on December 6th. Ben will have more details on the actual final schedule as the days progress and “who’s playing whom” will be posted on the bulletin board by lawn #1/#2 under the canopy.

We apologize for this inconvenience to our members, but hey, you’ll have 3 top World Golf Croquet competitors right on your turf to watch … Mohammad Kamal, Sherif Abdelwahab, and our own Ben Rothman. Plus Ben is the current Championship plate holder in this event!!!!! Come see his trophy during the finals and watch the amazing skills and talents of these players. Admission is FREE and PRICELESS!

18 November 2011

Mission Hills Croquet Club Members,

The season has kicked off but without the fanfare of a great opening croquet party. With the USCA’s 35th American Rules Nationals tournament scheduled for early November and the Country Club opening party set for November 18th & 19th, there has just not been a window to allow for such activities. And then there is Thanksgiving, the USCA Golf Nationals, and the U.S. Open on the heels of the prior activities and then Christmas and New Years!!!! Man, where is the time going these days?? However, there will be an official Croquet Club Opening Party in January and all paid croquet club members will be invited, so hang in there.

As many of you already know, our Croquet Pro, Ben Rothman, has returned for his third season at Mission Hills and we are very excited about that. What you probably do not know is this is the third different deal Ben has had with the Country Club. Last year Ben was a Country Club employee and there were some employment restrictions that made this a less that desirable situation for him. This year Ben is NOT an employee of the Mission Hills Country Club, which means he does NOT receive a salary. What Ben has done is sign a license agreement with the Country Club for the croquet lawns. This means Ben receives all the income that is generated from croquet activities on the croquet lawns. These activities include: lessons, clinics, classes, one day tournaments, tournament director fees for the larger multi-day tournaments, and any other income generating activity Ben can dream up.

So, what is the bottom line? We as croquet club members can support him by:

1. either taking lessons and/or directing others to take lessons from Ben because every teaching session that is not provided is lost income to Ben;
2. as well, we all can play in more tournaments. Ben receives a small part of every entry as compensation for directing the event. This includes ALL tournaments that will be held at Mission Hills this season.

Social interaction has always been and will always be a part of croquet, but at the end of the day this is a competitive croquet club. It was established that way by Pat Apple, Nancy Deupree, and their friends and it continues to be so today. So please support your club and Ben by entering tournaments, small and large, club or public. Ben holds 4 National titles and is a top-ranked player, so why not learn from the BEST.

Genie and I have been extremely busy with tournament preparation, follow up, and trying to get the information out for the upcoming Pat Apple, President’s Cup, and Smackdown. We have not been able to be out and about socially and apologize for that. We hope to have all of this done shortly after Thanksgiving and look forward to visiting with everyone on the lawns or at the Country Club. Thanks for your membership in the 2010 USCA Croquet Club of the Year. We are off to a grand start of another wonderful season for the Mission Hills Croquet Club , “The Best in the West”.
Your Prez,

Ron Hendry

August 16, 2011

Hello Mission Hills Croquet Club members,

It’s time to send in your 2011/2012 annual dues for the Mission Hills Croquet Club. We are sending this out a little early to give everyone plenty of time to sign up. Deadline is November 1, 2011. Included with this letter are 2 items:

1. Please complete the Dues Form, and mail to our Treasurer Bob Morford;
2. Updated Club Policies included for your review.

We are looking AGAIN to a very busy and fun-filled season which includes:

1. 6 “public” tournaments – 2 Nationals events include USCA American Rules and Association Rules, our Desert Classic, Invitational, U.S. Open, and the USCA Western Regional;
2. 2 croquet schools; and
3. 5 club events.

Our plans include the return of our “Croquet Pro” Ben Rothman. Ben will line up the clinics, ad-hoc events, and of course his specialized, personalized and group lessons. Ben has been busy this summer competing in all types of International tournaments, so let’s make use of his knowledge and many talents. Ben will run all the tournaments on the Mission Hills lawns this year, except for the U.S.Open.

This season we welcome Marylin (Estenson) Morford and Susan Stiff as our Club’s Social Chairs. They are already planning two large social events for us in which ALL paid members will be invited. This year our club tournaments will be limited to players and their paid guests. In this way, we can return to our former practice of hosting club tournament opening parties in a smaller environment.

Don’t forget to sign up for the USCA American Rules Nationals beginning November 6, 2010. The Entry Form can be found in Coming Events. Deadline is October 21, 2011; entry payable to USCA.

Our entire schedule was mailed last month. If you need another copy, see Schedule (2011-12) in the Club House. Thanks again to Leo Nikora for maintaining our web site so perfectly!! We are looking forward to ANOTHER action packed season for the Mission Hills Croquet Club….

The BEST in the West!!
USCA 2010 “Club of the Year”

Ron Hendry, President

9 July 2011

Croquet Club Members,

I met with our new Tennis and Athletics Manager, Dave Sivertson, today. He said due to the high demand for grass tennis courts from the tennis membership and lack of play of croquet on lawns 5,6,& 7, he is going to convert 5,6, & 7 to tennis for the remainder of July and August. Tennis lawns 1 & 2 will be changed to croquet for the same time period, giving croquet 5 lawns.

After overseeding in September and October, lawns 5,6, & 7 will return to croquet usage for the season and tennis lawns 1 & 2 will return to tennis.

Dave cited the inability of the Country Club to fulfill members request for grass tennis courts while croquet lawns were sitting idle due to lack of member usage. He stated he had to take into consideration all members overall satisfaction and appropriate usage of Country Club facilities.

If you have any questions or concerns, you can email Dave at Dave.Sivertson@ourclub.com

Sincerely,

Ron Hendry
MH Croquet Club Prez

26 April 2011

All Mission Hills Croquet Club Members!!

Please Read Immediately!!!!

WE HAVE HAD A “FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE” WITHIN THE CLUB!!

The following are communications heard around the croquet lawns in recent days!!!

1. Wine and Wickets are cancelled for next season!! NOT TRUE!! Wine and wickets will be held as in the past few seasons as of now. If things change over the summer, we will adjust as needed.
2. Golf Croquet Tuesday has been cancelled for next season!! NOT TRUE!! Croquet on Tuesday afternoons will continue as in the past years.
3. Ronald “Trump” Hendry is firing people!! NOT TRUE!! Ron did ask Bill and Kathy to hold up on making plans for Wine and Wickets for next season because he is planning on having a social chair and co-chair to head all non-tournament related social activities. Wine and Wickets and Golf Croquet Tuesdays falls under this category. Ron will be working on the details over the summer and did not want plans to be made now that might have to be changed come November. Bill and Kathy have done a wonderful job running Wine and Wickets and Golf Croquet Tuesdays along with Jerry and Paul. We assume they will continue to do so next year if they so desire.
4. We heard that Mike Orgill is no longer our Treasurer. TRUE!! Ron just changed the club Treasurer from Mike Orgill to Bob Morford. Mike agreed to take on the Treasurer job at the end of last season because we could not find anyone who lived year round in the desert to take the job. This was not the best arrangement because of Mike not being here in the summer and sometimes gone during season. Mike also is President of the Sonoma Croquet Club and certainly did not need more work added to his plate. After discussion with several people, Bob Morford agreed to take the job. Mike was glad to give it up. Ron and the Club thank Mike for doing a great job and helping out during the transition.
5. The Mission Hills Country Club is taking over croquet!! NOT TRUE!! Ron has made comments that the Country Club might, at some time in the future, want to incorporate croquet as a third sport for this facility. This has been said to Ron in meetings with the Country Club management, but at this point, no activity is occurring that indicates they intend to do this soon.
6. Will Ben return as our Croquet Pro next season??? All indications and plans from Mission Hills top management say this is “TRUE”. Ben has become an integral and valuable part of growing our Mission Hills Croquet Club and we certainly couldn’t have the caliber of competitive tournaments and players attracted to Mission Hills without him. He is truly an asset in continuing to make our club the “USCA Club of the Year” and “The Best in the West”.

This covers most of the mis-information that has been circulating. However, if anyone has questions or concerns about our croquet club, the best way to get an answer is to talk to Ron. Call me, catch me on the lawns, or e-mail me. I’ll be happy to help clarify any issue one might have.

Ron’s phone: (760) 567-6236
Ron’s email: croquetca@gmail.com

Thanks,

Your Prez,

Ron

23 February 2011

ANNOUNCING 2010 USCA AWARDS

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Our Mission Hills Croquet Club has been selected as the United States Croquet Association’s (USCA) 2010 “Club of the Year”! Every year since 1980, the USCA has sought to identify and recognize those individuals whose leadership, spirit, drive and dedication to the advancement of the sport of croquet in America, could serve as a model which others might emulate.

Mission Hills Croquet has received previous “Club of the Year” awards in 2005 & 2007.

In addition, honors go to Mission Hills Croquet Club members:
Mike Orgill – Regional District President award
Eric Sawyer – Volunteer of the Year award

These awards will be presented on March 11, 2011, at the 2011 Club Teams Participants’ dinner in West Palm Beach, Florida. Eric and Caren Sawyer will be attending and receiving our award on behalf of the Croquet Club.

CONGRATULATIONS to all and thanks to everyone who contributes in making our Mission Hills Croquet Club “The BEST in the USA”!!!

Way to go!!

Ron Hendry, USCA Western Regional VP

2 February 2011

We have experienced some very disappointing behavior in the past week or so. During our recent Desert Classic Tournament, there was one lawn left open for non-tournament players to use. Several days in a row, these were used by non-tournament players and were left with the string, balls, and clips on the lawns. The tournament crew had to pick these up. There is enough work to be done in a tournament without having to pick up lawns that non-tournament players are using.

Another incident occurred on lawn 7. Some players came out, set the lawns up with strings and balls, played, and left everything out. Len Lyon came later to play and when he was leaving, he noticed nobody was on lawn 7 but all the equipment was out. Karen Comeau was there as well. Len asked Karen if she knew who was playing there. Karen said she had seen people earlier but did not recognize them since we have a lot of new members. Len and Karen picked up the equipment before they left. Thanks to Karen and Len!

This past Sunday at Wine & Wickets a number of club members came out. Everyone left and there were two lawns still with strings and balls out. Plus, the area was left with trash scattered around and on the tables. Thanks to Kathy & Bill for picking & cleaning up!

Everyone needs to understand that the Croquet Club is not run by the Country Club. It is a separate entity at this point in time and all the equipment belongs to the Croquet Club, not the Country Club. As well, the Country Club does not provide clean up service when the Croquet Club makes a mess, the Croquet Club members are supposed to clean up after themselves. I know we have Ben here, but part of his job is not picking up after club members. This should be done by members who take the equipment out or make the mess. It is EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY to take care of our equipment and clean up their mess.

The equipment owned by the Croquet Club is paid for out of member dues. A set of hoops cost about $700.00, a set of balls about $300.00, a set of flags about $60.00, and a string reel with motor, battery, and reel about $100.00. When the string reels are left out, the watering of the lawns ruins the motor. Bob Riddell provides his time free of charge to repair all this. The equipment is now becoming hard to replace and it is not fair to Bob to continue to have to repair because members do not take care of it.

BOTTOM LINE HERE IS IF YOU TAKE EQUIPMENT OUT, PICK IT UP AND PUT IT BACK WHERE YOU GOT IT.

IF YOU BRING FOOD OR DRINK ITEMS AND CONTAINERS OUT TO THE LAWNS, CLEAN IT UP!

Please help keep our lawns beautiful for everyone!

Thanks,

Your Prez,

Ron

3 January 2011

Croquet Balls for All Lawns

Many of our members may not realize that even though we have the same manufacturer for all our croquet balls, they are not all the exact same size. In fact, they vary significantly and this can make a difference when using a particular set. In order to try to assure a close tolerance within a set, Ben Rothman and I spent an afternoon sizing all the balls and placing them into sets. As a result, we need to keep the sets together and not mix set to set.

Please do NOT mix the balls in sets that are in the white tube type holders with the chain handles. These have all been sized and are within an acceptable tolerance for play. The sets that are in the open, wooden ball holders housed in the shed by lawns 1 through 4 could not be sized within an acceptable tolerance. While it is still good not to mix sets, if these get mixed from holder to holder it is not a big deal. I know on golf croquet day and sometimes wine and wickets, multiple sets are thrown out for the peg and hoop shoot. Please use the open wooden sets if this is done. DO NOT use the white tube sets in this manner.

Thanks for your help on this. It is a real pain to size these so we hope we can keep the matched sets together.

Your Prez,

Ron

26 December 2010

Mission Hills Croquet Club Members,

Our croquet pro Ben Rothman has been hired this year by the Country Club. I do not know anything about his level of pay and do not want to know. I do know, however, that the Country Club’s policy is to pay all their pros at a minimal level and the pros receive additional incentive pay by giving lessons, running clinics, and, in Ben’s case, running tournaments. This policy by the Country Club is to encourage their pros to earn more by doing more.

When we have tournaments, Ben receives a part of the entry fees for running them. If we do not have entries, this affects his compensation in a significant way. My purpose for sending this is to encourage you all to sign up for the tournament play and to continue to play in the one day events, take lessons, and pay for entrance into his upcoming clinics. Ben is a great asset to the Country Club and croquet club so we hope he stays and will return next year.

Thanks for your support and have a Happy New Year!!!

Your Prez,

Ron

Mission Hills Croquet Club members,

As you all know by now, Genie and I are taking the presidency for the club from Jim and Phyllis Butts for this year. They have done a great job for the last 7 years and needed a break.

As a result of our replacing Jim and Phyllis, their advisory broad is also being replaced with the following new advisory board members:

Arthur Bagby
David Cartwright
Karen Comeau
Dick Engebretson
Bob Morford
Bob Riddell
Jim Butts as liaison to the USCA and WCF

Of course, as has been the practice in the past, we will continue to involve our emeritus members of Pat Apple, Dick Tucker, and now joining them as well, Jim Butts, in any significant decisions being made by the club leadership.

Another item we would like to communicate is the installation of a collection box on the front door of the croquet shed by lawns 1 through 4. In the past, Jim Bonacci lived across from lawns 5,6, and 7 and he had the collection box at his condo. With Jim moving away, we were left without one. Since we live a distance from the lawns and Mike Orgill rents seasonal and moves around, we thought a location near the lawns would best serve the members.

This collection box can be used in several ways. If you have an entry for a tournament, you can drop it in the box rather than mail it to Mike. If you have helped on an event and have expenses that the club should pay, you can drop these in the box rather than mail as well. The other usage is if you have any suggestions, comments, complaints, etc. that you think the club leadership should address, please complete the form that is inside the shed and drop in the box. This will be the avenue we use to address issues versus e-mails to us or the board members and to separate croquet club issues from country club issues.

We are looking forward to a busy and fun year and hope to see you all out on the lawns.

Ron and Genie Hendry