Saturday
6 April 7-9pm FREE
ONLY 200 TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM THE BAR & Eventfinda
so you will need to get in quick
Entertainment with Going Bananas
Thursday 25 April 1-4pm ANZAC DAY SERVICE
Be prepared to car pool on ANZAC Day
Thursday 25 April
6am Dawn Service
16am Dawn Service 11am Civic Service
I do hope as many of you as possible made submissions to the sub-committee which is looking to define the viable options available for us to select from in an EGM in a few months.
The “future” sub-committee has reported steady progress in efforts to devise a plan to keep your club sustainable for decades to come.
I have made my thoughts on the matter loud and clear over the past months. We must increase membership and turnover to survive and I believe we can only do this by being in a more visible location, attracting more foot traffic and, hence, some profit.That, for me, makes it sell and amalgamate or sell and look for a new location. The most advanced discussions on amalgamation at the moment is with the Orewa Surf Club but there are other options expected to be available as well.
Any sale of our current site would be contingent with us remaining where we are for a few years to give us time to locate the best deal. Most developers in the market would be looking to landbank the property until they are ready to develop, and this suits us all very well.
The committee has endeavoured to keep you right up to date with the long-standing dilemma for some months now. You well know that if we just continue to use our current trading model in the same place and the same way by dipping into reserves to keep us afloat, we are looking at an estimated five to eight years before the tap runs dry.
As it stands now the club is open too many hours, with too few patrons. Our overheads and operating costs are increasing steadily irrespective of the number of clients we have to support them. This year we have sustained increases in costs overall every month, yes every month. And it’s only the beginning of April. It is not just the bar that is being hit with cost increases - services, compliance costs, rates, utilities, insurance and maintenance costs to name a few are through the roof.
During my time as president, and for 14 years before that, it has been year-on-year operating losses, funded recently by the sale of the land adjacent to the club house.
No business can hope to survive operating like this - and make no mistake we are running a
business even if the proceeds are going for member and welfare services.
It all has to be paid for from somewhere; so the net result is we are frittering away our cash reserves to balance the books every year. This money won’t last for ever. And we don’t get any government help or handouts from any other parties.
Yes, we get great support from a number of local businesses and our volunteers, but the bottom line is, this is not enough to keep us afloat.
A recent example of generous support is Bunnings, who ran a Sausage Sizzle, all day on St Patricks Day on 17 March. This money goes straight into Welfare. They have offered to run another Sausage Sizzle on the afternoon of ANZAC Day. Planning for this event is happening now. Bunnings, along with Dulux, have also donated a lot of the paint for the building spruce up.
From the first week of this month members will notice a small increase in the cost of their favourite tipple, most less than 50 cents but a little over a dollar for bigger volumes like carafes and jugs.
I apologise for having to be so direct with you about our issue, but that is the very reason we are having the EGM to make sure your voice is heard.
David Newman President
Due to continuing price increases across all areas of our club, please note that there will be a price rise at the bar as from 3 April.
Please Note that the adverts that appear throughout our Newsletters are for marketing purposes and enable the HBCRSA to raise funds. Please support them.
Got something to say or complain about Vini Rangihaeata-Stockman is Club Manager and looks after all club operations, which includes functions, events and activities, restaurant and bar operations and lots more. 021 0889 6795
Vini is available Monday-Friday 9.30am-5.30pm
Cherie Bennett is a Duty Manager with a special focus on training and mentoring new team members.
For Welfare services offered by the club to its members
Contact Sharon Edwards 022 069 5703
Sharon is available
Monday Tuesday and Thursday 10.30-4.30
Wednesday 9-5pm
Memberships are looked after by:
Liz Dombroski and Sharon Edwards 09 424 9026
Liz is available:
Thursday 9-5pm and Friday 9.30-5pm
Kay Evison looks after club reports, the newsletter and promotions 09 424 9026
Kay is available Monday-Wednesday 9.30-4pm
Cornelius du Plessis looks after administration and accounts 09 424 9026
Please remember - only Vini is a full-time employee. The rest of us are part-timers as are our magnificent bar staffers.
Shuttle bus available for pick-up from 13 March
Our shuttle bus is now available for pick-ups from Wednesday13 March for Members Club Night (Bookings close 5pm Tuesday’s)
Tuesday
Bar opens 12-6.30pm Restaurant 12-2.30pm
Indoor Bowls: 12.45pm Names in by 12.30pm
Bob 027 339 9683 or Merlyn 022 032 1231
Line Dancing: Beginner & Intermediate 5pm
Thursday
Bar opens 12pm Restaurant 12-2.30pm 5-7pm
FLexercise: 9.30-10.30am Jennie 027 280 8165
Indoor Bowls:12.45pm Names in by12.30pm
Bob 027 339 9683 or Merlyn 022 032 1231
Bingo from 7pm with Wendy until Nikki returns
Quiz Night from 5.30pm
Happy Hour: 5-6.30pm
Snooker Club: 7pm John Walding 09 426 3742
Saturday Bar opens 12pm Restaurant 12-2.30 5- 8pm
Pool: Starts 1pm names in by 12.45pm
Bronni 0211347029
Wednesday Bar opens 12pm Restaurant 5-8pm
Bingo: Starts 1pm Kay 09 424 9026
Raffle Draw: 5pm Members Draw: 6-7pm
Darts: Starts 6.30pm
Pool: Starts 7pm (names in by 6.45pm)
Friday Bar opens 3pm Restaurant 5-7.30pm
Happy Hour: 5-6.30pm
Raffles and Fun & Games: from 5.30pm Steak Egg and Chips Night $22
Sunday Bar opens: 3pm Restaurant 4-7pm
Market Day Poppy Fundraiser
Saturday 6 April 2024
We are looking for the following helpers
* 2 x RSA stalls
* 3 x Traffic Wardens
* 8 x Set up/packdown helpers
If you think you can help us out, please contact Reception on 09 424 9026 or speak to someone behind the bar
Womens Section
Beth Kavanagh 09 426 6026 or 027 482 0610
Kay Chilman 021 176 0362
Meets first Tuesday every month 12 noon
Welfare
Do you have mobility issues or have a Gold Card and are needing a little assistance in getting to and from medical appointments on the Peninsula, Orewa, Hatfields, Silverdale or Millwater? We may be able to help you no matter what type of member you are. We offer a driving service to take our members to and from health appointments when members are unable to assist themselves, for any reason. No distance is too small.
Contact Sharon on 424 9026 or 022 069 5703 or email: welfare@hbcrsa.org.nz
Snooker Club
John Walding 09 426 3742
Meets Thursday 6.45pm
8 Ball Club
Bronni 0211347029
Meets Wednesday 6.45pm Saturday 1pm
Indoor Bowling
Bob Hill 027 339 9683 and Merlyn 022 032 1231
Meets Tuesday & Thursday 12.45pm
Golf Club
Art Clarke 027 687 7331
John Perris 021 287 3975
Fishing Club KEV
Mark Harris 027 644 9122
Meets 2nd Tuesday of the month
Frank Townley 09 424 3026
Gloria Marsh 027 386 2339
Meets every 3rd Wednesday of the month
Naval Club
Vince Sturmey 09 428 5222
Meets 3rd Sunday of the month 3pm
Sunday 17 March saw the annual Rum for Fun competition at Whangaparaoa Golf Club between the Hibiscus Coast Community RSA, the Whangaparaoa Golf Club and other invited RSAs. This year the Birkenhead RSA took part meaning there was a field of 50, the most there has been for quite a few years. With it also being St Patrick’s Day, there were a few green shirts, caps and socks being worn but no reports of a leprechaun sitting with a pot of gold. Presumably that was due to it being a gloriously sunny day with not a cloud in sight and no chance of a rainbow.
As seems to be the case every year, the competition was very close. The individual winner was Glenn Read from Birkenhead RSA with 41 points who also managed to grab the bottle of rum for the nearest the pin on the short drop hole. Just behind Glenn was Singa Broughton playing for Hibiscus Coast Community RSA and just missing being awarded the trophy on countback after scoring the same number of points. Closely following them was Bob Davis on 40 points who chose to play for Whangaparaoa Golf Club rather than the RSA. Prizes went down to 12th position with Shayne Webster, Bryce Tippett, David
I’m sure many of us are noticing the seasons changing with mornings darker and temperatures getting cooler, hopefully we will start to see a few of our bowlers who were struggling with the heat return to join us again soon.
Our bowler numbers have continued to remain stable despite some still traveling abroad, cruising or catching up with family etc.
Our indoor Bowls AGM was held on 7 March with no changes to the existing committee.
Game times remain unchanged playing on a Tuesday (except first Tuesday of the month) and a Thursday, names in by 12.30pm ready for 12.45 start. A reminder to any bowler not playing all three games on any day, please make the committee aware before the draw is done.
Bolton and Cookie Galvin from our RSA also taking away something from the day.
The team event was also very closely contested resulting in Whangaparaoa Golf Club winning by one point from Hibiscus Coast Community RSA with Birkenhead RSA only a few points further back.
A big thanks to Dyan Baird and Janet Sharrock for organising this year’s competition. They did such a great job, it looks like they might be volunteered to do the same next year. Also, thanks to Whangaparaoa Golf Club and Golf HQ for all the prizes.
Next month’s tournament for the golf section will be held at South Head Golf Club on Sunday 21 April. Cards to be with the captain by 10am ready for a first tee time at 10.30am. This will be the annual colour day where the golf section celebrates the lives of those members no longer with us. Bright colours are compulsory and anyone wearing our standard golf section shirt will be fined.
Please visit the Hibiscus Coast RSA web page for all the latest news from the club.
https://www.hbcrsa.org.nz/ RSA Golf Committe
Two dates to remember for April - there will be no bowls on either Tuesday 2 April as that is the women’s section meeting day or 25 April which is Anzac Day.
For any further information with regards to the Indoor Bowls please feel free to contact Bob Hill (Club Captain) on 027 339 9683.
Merlyn Jacob SecretaryTwo things I learned from the Easter Bunny, Everyone is entitled to a bad ‘Hare” day. And some parts should be floppy!
Eightball has now moved from a Tuesday night to Wednesday night starting at 7pm, names are to be on the board by 6:45pm.
Saturday eightball starts at 1pm, names are to be on the board by 12:45pm.
If you would like to play 8 Ball, come along, and join in the fun, we have 4 x 7ft tables, we play either Singles or Drawn Pairs depending on numbers and can play up to 8 games per night. If you wish to join the 8 Ball club it is $20 per year, and you need to be an existing HBC Community RSA member. The cost for the afternoon or evening is $5 per person. Anyone from the RSA can participate in the 8 Ball games, however to be eligible to play in the club competitions you need to be an 8 Ball club member and should have played at least twice between tournaments.
Our second tournament for the year was on 9 March 2024, this was for the Denis Taylor Trophy for Open Singles. First place went to Dave Addy, (see the attached photo), and the runner up was Mervyn McNab, it was a hardfought result with some of our top players participating.
On Sunday 16 March, two of our members travelled to Warkworth RSA to play in an invitation tournament for the Gavin Hulme Memorial Trophy. Bill Amosa was runner up in the Plate final and Peter Grimes was a semifinalist in the main event.
The Women’s Section have their next meeting on 2 April after the Easter break. Members are reminded that they will need to purchase a ticket for the birthday meeting which will be on 7 May. Tickets are $30. Our birthday meeting is always an enjoyable afternoon with a nice meal and lots of visitors attending. We will have entertainment, raffles and the sales table.
The RSA are having a market day on Saturday
We are also looking at visiting local clubs, and having the Crows Nest, who have new tables our members are interested in trying out.
If anyone is interested in playing pool, please come along and join us. New members are very welcome.
Angela6 April and the Women’s Section are running a trading table at that. Any items that could be sold on that table would be very welcome. Items can be brought to the meeting on 2 April, or contact Beth Kavanagh 027 482 0610 or Kay Chilman 021 176 0362.
Welcome to our new members in the month of March
Mr Austyn Reading
Mr Gary London
Ms Grace Bower
The Snooker Club is going to the Birkenhead RSA to play snooker on Sunday 7 April.We have sevwen players to represent us and we are hopeful we can arrange a return visit from Birkenhead.
The new starting time of 6.45pm on Thursday club nights is working well and we are able finish about 10pm.
Photo above is of Kayden Chea who was winner of the handicap doubles and also
winner of biggest break in the handicap singles.
The photo above is of the other cup winner, Dale Rowley, runner-up of the handicap singles.
There were two trips in March. The first trip was with “regulars” on 13 February bu with February being slow we were all keen to get back into some action. The skipper said the fishing had continued to be slow and suggested we try closer to the shoreline so headed over to the “noises”. The first spot was not producing much but one shift brought about a better change in fortunes a which resulted in us sharing between four and five fish each was the day was over.
The second trip was on 25 March and with fishing still hard the skipper set off in a northerly direction for over an hour and the “Hen and Chicks” were clearly visible. Initially things were looking up with Colin landing a 6.6Kg Kingfish
We thank you all for the donations to the library, however we are running out of room now, so we are unable to accept any further donations at this time.
followed not long after with Bryan bringing in a very respectable 3.52Kg (7.75lb) Snapper.
Unfortunately, the fishing slowed and even with a shift closer to Kawau by the end of the day there were only three or four fish each to share. We had a couple of members on their first trip and feedback was that they enjoyed the day and the camaraderie.
Fishermen are always optimists, so we are counting on the cooler Autumn months of April and May bringing the Snapper back on the bite as they feed up for the Winter months.
John Perris Club Captain
Saturday 6th April 7-9pm not to be missed
FREE tickets from Bar & Eventfinda
Comedy Hypnosis Show with Haiming Jiang for a great night of Fun and Laughter
2
3
TRY OUT OUR SLUSHY BEVERAGES
TRY THEM ON THEIR OWN OR AS A MIXER
“What’s
