WCF September 2016 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
There were none.
What happened in September?
The new draft of the WCF Statutes was finalised by the MC and has just been published to Members as WCF Topic 54 as a consultation with a Closing Date for comments of 6 November. In addition to the deletion of provisions relating to general meetings, the opportunity has been taken to re-organise the Statutes to make them clearer and more accessible. Assuming comments are received, a revised version will be published for formal approval by Council with the intention that Version 12 of the WCF Statutes will take effect on 1 January 2017.
The MC resolved to recommend to Council that the Ramsis Cup be formally adopted as a WCF GC team event. The Ramsis Cup is a trophy which was presented in 2008 for a GC Test Match between Egypt and a Rest of the World team. It has been held twice, in 2008 and 2016, and, on each occasion, the RoW team clinched a narrow 11-10 victory. If adopted by the WCF, the plan would be to hold a Ramsis Cup Test Match immediately before each GCWC and GC WTC. The recommendation has been put to Council as WCF Topic 55 with a Closing Date of 30 October 2016.
The Closing Date for the 2017 GCWC occurred on 25 September 2016. A total of five Membership Places were returned with the result that the entry currently consists of the holders of 40 Ranking Places, two Wild Card Places, 27 Membership Places and five Replacement Ranking Places. The Replacement Ranking List currently has 49 applicants. Details may be found on the WCF website under World Championships.
Forthcoming WCF championships
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.
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 Corfu Club has confirmed its plan to establish a Greek Croquet Association and then apply to join the WCF as an Observer Member.
MC Topics recently completed or closed
There were none.
MC Topics open, pending or under administration on 30 September 2016
MC 291: Appointment of GC Ranking Officer and Assistant Ranking Officers
MC 318: 2017 GCWC and Under 21 GCWC, February 2017
MC 324: 2017 AC World Team Championship, April 2017
MC 331: International Laws Committee
MC 346: WCF Statutes revision project
MC 348: Wimbledon Cup – repairs and flight box
MC 352: 10-year World Championship schedule
MC 354: 2018 Association Croquet World Championship
MC 355: Australian Perpetual (WCF Friends) account
MC 356: Finance Regulation amendments
MC 357: Election of Treasurer
Outlook for October
Work will begin on the regular fourth quarter business of the WCF, such as presenting the 2015 Accounts, the 2016 Budget, the MC Report to Members and 2017 Business Plan. The Formal Invitation for Tiers 2.1, 2.2 and 3 of the 2017 Association Croquet World Team Championship will be published this month.
Stephen Mulliner
Secretary-General
3 October 2016