WCF October 2015 Newsletter
The newsletter provides a summary for WCF Members of what the Management Committee has been doing recently and what is on the agenda in the near future. Your comments are always very welcome. It is also made available to all on the WCF web-site and via the Nottingham list and other croquet bulletin boards.
Council debates and decisions
Version 4.7 of the Event Regulations came into effect on 9 October 2015.
What has happened in October?
The 2016 GC World Team Championship Response Date passed on 18 October with confirmations of participation from all eight Tier 1 teams and nine expressions of interest in Tier 2. Consideration is being given to the possibility of holding a four team Tier 3 event.
The 2016 ACWC Closing Date passed on 25 October with 26 out of 30 requested Membership Places being taken up.
The MC elections nomination period closed on 31 October. There are two candidates for the post of WCF President (Ian Burridge (Wales) and Amir Ramsis (Egypt)) and four candidates for three MC places (Luis de Gortazar (Spain), Mike Orgill (USA), Samir Patel (England) and Amir Ramsis (Egypt). Full and Associate Members will have until 6 December 2015 to cast their votes and the successful candidates will begin their four-year terms of office on 1 January 2016.
Forthcoming WCF championships
2016 Association Croquet World Championship
This will be held at the National Croquet Centre, West Palm Beach, Florida from Saturday, 16 April to Sunday, 24 April 2016. The Qualifying Tournament will be held from Monday, 11 April to Thursday, 14 April 2016 and entry details will be posted on the WCF website in due course. The current entry list is available now on the WCF website under World Championships.
2016 Golf Croquet World Team Championship
Tier 1 will be held at the Surbiton Croquet Club in south-west London from Sunday, 15 May to Saturday, 21 May 2016. The competing teams are Egypt (holders), England, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, Wales and USA.
Tier 2 will be shared between the Bath Croquet Club and the Camerton & Peasdown Croquet Club from Sunday, 15 May to Friday, 20 May 2016 with the intention that players from teams in both tiers can meet for a combined championship celebration on Friday, 20 May 2016. The competing teams are Australia, Belgium, Czech-Moravian Republic, Germany, Latvia, Scotland, Spain and Switzerland.
2017 Golf Croquet World Championship and Under 21 GC World Championship
Both events will be held at the Victorian Croquet Association headquarters at Cairnlea, in the western suburbs of Melbourne. The Under 21 will run from Saturday 18 to Wednesday 22 February 2017 and the Qualifying Tournament from Monday 20 to Wednesday 22 February 2017. The main event will begin on Saturday 25 February 2017 and end on Sunday 5 March 2017. The Invitation Date is expected to be in April 2016.
2017 Association Croquet World Team Championship
Tier 1, the MacRobertson Shield, will be held at Mission Hills Country Club, Palm Springs, California from 18 April 2017 to 4 May 2017. Tiers 2.1, Tiers 2.2 and 3 will be held at Sussex County Croquet Club in England from 17 to 22 July 2017. The Invitation Date for the lower tiers is expected to be in October 2016.
Membership enquiries
The MC has received enquiries from Georgia, Greece and Pakistan. Roberts Stafeckis, a MC member from Latvia, visited Georgia in late October to provide initial coaching and assess the situation. His report to the MC is positive and an application for Observer Membership is expected.
MC Topics recently completed or closed
None
Topics open, pending or under administration on 31 October 2015
MC 291: Appointment of GC Ranking Officer and Assistant Ranking Officers
MC 295: 2016 Association Croquet World Championship, April 2016
MC 313: 2016 GC World Team Championship, May 2016
MC 318: 2017 GCWC and Under 21 GCWC, February 2017
MC 320: WCF Equipment Regulations
MC 324: 2017 AC World Team Championship, April 2017
MC 326: WCF Event Income
MC 327: Membership enquiry from Georgia
MC 328: Membership status of France
MC 329: Management Committee elections
MC 330: WCF GC Rules Committee
MC 331: International Laws Committee
MC 332: International Croquet Academy, May 2016
Outlook for November
Activities will focus on the last quarter communications with Members, namely the accounts, the Management Committee report and the Business Plan. There will also be a submission of minor amendments to the WCF Equipment Regulations to the WCF Council under the “dot release” procedure. The Presidential and MC elections will close early in December.
Stephen Mulliner
Secretary-General 3 November 2015