PRESIDENT’S PEN

With the end of 1998 rapidly approaching, it is time to look forward to a break over the Christmas Holidays, and to the last year of the 20^th century.

This week, our Club enters the 100^th year since it was first registered, and we are now very much on the count-down to the Centenary celebrations on 12 and 13 November 1999. A sub-Committee has already met several times, and plans are well advanced for a memorable 100^th Jubilee. If you know the names and addresses of any former members, please advise the office.

May I extend "Christmas Greetings" to all members, and Best Wishes for 1999, and beyond.

FROM THE OFFICE

Kristin Aitken, Ramon & Nice Chaw & Rocio Nunez from Peru, Frank Cus, Steve Dunn, Terry Gay, Simon Gordon, Eliana Glover, Andrew Huelin, Emma Hill, Jacob Haughton, Jamie Hearn, Anna Holland (stolen from Lower Hutt TC), Evan Kramer, Jim Kyle (welcome back!), Claire McCormack, Roy Mayson, Cathy Morrish (daughter-in-law of Life member David Morrish), Stace Family - Nigel, Jennifer, Sophie, and Charlotte - Steve Scoones, Michael Scott, Graeme Sumner (B1 ex Akl), Jacqueline Tonks (grand-daughter of Life Member Claire Tonks), Akira & Mihoko Ueno, Jason Whaanga, Graeme Wilson, Matt Wilson, and Paul Wilson.

We trust that you will participate fully in the Club’s activities. 149 new members have joined the Club in 1998

• Stephanie Rountree & Rob Evans who "tied the knot" on 26 September 1998
• Christine & Thomas Larsson - proud parents of Oscar, born 6 Nov, a bouncing 3.9kg
• Victoria Beck, on being nominated by our Club as "Young Sportsperson of the Year" to the JLT
• Anthony Adams on winning the Wairarapa Open singles, and the doubles with Stephen Billing
• Andrew Cosgrove on winning the 16s singles and doubles at the Labour weekend tournament, and Warwick Foy for doing the same in the 14s
• Jill Roberts on reaching the final in the National Masters squash champs, Rob Clay was 3^rd in the semis, Peter Ameye on winning the Plate, and Dennis Siefe for reaching the Div 2 final - all in their respective age groups
• Gareth Williams on gaining 2^nd place in a share-market game contested by 1200 NZ students.
• Gareth on winning the 18s singles in a tournament early in Oct
• Pam & David Binning’s son, Greg, on his marriage to Edwina Castle, on Sat 21 November
• Posties Whistle Khandallah Mens Regional 1 team on leading their comp by 6 points with only one pre-Xmas round to play

• Dennis Siefe, Terri Grimmett, Jo Brown, Russell Holmes, and Dave Hames for organising teams for the inaugural "Fun Teams Skwash" comp.
• Roy Allan for doing a great job in repairing and painting the fence at the street frontage
• Ron Hawker, Rhonda Christensen, Philip Grimmett, Susan Coppersmith, & Gary Aukett, for giving their time to coach squash to 36 students from Raroa School on 5 recent mornings

• Our sympathy to Neville & Dianna Wishart & family on the passing of Neville’s mother

• Alison Mackinnon has been spied hob-knobbing with Prince Andrew
• Senior Tennis Club Days often end after midnight when some of the enthusiasts decide to go out for dinner. Restaurants enjoyed recently include Café Menton in Oriental Bay, Taste of Korea in Willis St Village, Theo’s Greek Taverna off Kent Tce, and the new Jays Café & Bar in Jville

If YOU are connected to the Internet, but received this Newsletter by post, please email your address to me at

Web-sites you may wish to "hit" are -

Khandallah’s "Home Page"- ktsc@oocities.com

New Zealand Tennis - www.tennis.org.nz

Squash New Zealand - www.nzsquash.co.nz

Many thanks again to Thomas Larsson of Ericsson Comms, for installing the Internet and email, & showing me how to use it, and for inserting the Newsletter etc onto our "Home Page"

Instead of the scheduled monthly Social Drinks at 6.30pm on Fri 4 Dec, please join us on Sunday 6 December for the Family Fun Day from 1.30pm. As noted in Heather’s report, there will also be "Club Captain’s Drinks" Fri 18 Dec

New season’s tennis racquets are in stock, including the latest state-of-the-art titanium frames. I keep a close check on prices in other sports shops, and can assure members that our prices are virtually always lower than "downtown" retailers, as we don’t have the same overheads. I can also confirm from personal observation, that our prices are cheaper dollar-wise, than prices in Australia. And very importantly, you can "try before you buy".

I still have tracksuits from $29 (were $112), and for some dearer tracksuits which were up to $199, also selected skirts, tops, shirts etc, I invite you to "make an offer".

New Prince clothing has just arrived, and I have just made contact with a lady who will make skirts to measure. Enquire at the office.

The Committee has reviewed the previous NO SMOKING policy, but unanimously agreed to re-confirm it. Kindly respect it.

Khandallah Post Shop - Sataya Pillay - is offering a Fund-raising opportunity. For members who purchase a mobile phone, Kh Post Shop will pay the Club $30 for the Consumer Plan, and $100 for the Business Plan.

Consumer Plan costs $29.25 per month, & Business Plan $54.95 per month - + GST. Conditions apply. Kh Post Shop will also reward the Club through a successful referral to a non-member. Contact the office for more details.

I have observed various members bringing visitors to the Club, but the $5 Visitors fee is not being paid. It is the member’s responsibility to ensure that the $5 fee is paid. There are envelopes in the front foyer for this purpose. Please pass to the office. "Non-Playing" members are also liable for the fee when having a hit

A maximum field of 8 teams are participating in the inaugural Fun Teams Skwash event which started Mon 2 Nov with teams from Scots College staff, Ernst & Young (2), KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Computerland (2), & Inland Revenue.

The Summer Skwash competition will start on Monday 1 February, and a similar tennis competition will start on the same night.

If YOU would like to form a team of four persons to play in one of these competitions - or are available to be placed in a team of individuals, please let me know. Entry fee is just $5 per night.

Former Junior Tennis administrator Murray McGaughran has re-surfaced as "Victory Sports Promotions", and is programming a series of Quiz Nights over the next few weeks, with heat winners advancing to the Final on Wed 23 December.

Entry Fee per 5 person team is $100, with $1000 1^st prize , Heat Winners win $100, plus Spot prizes. I have offered our Club-rooms as a Quiz Night venue, any Thursday as required

I’m sure there are plenty of members with vast sporting knowledge. If YOU would like to participate, please let me know. Also watch the Notice Boards for details of dates and venues

If your company would like to sponsor a Newsletter, which will reach about 550 households between Karori/Wadestown and Churton Park, please let me know. Cost is $250.

The annual Reid-Bentley Tournament was held on Sunday October 18 on a lovely sunny afternoon. Unfortunately the turnout was a bit disappointing with only 12 entries, but those who did enter had a lot of fun and a good afternoon of Tennis. The winners of the Cup this year are Jeff Mason and Peter Jackson, with Stu Cordue and Heather McLean the runners-up after a very close fought final score of 7-5. It was great to see Jim Bentley who travelled down from Paraparaumu to present the prizes.

Interclub made a shaky start to the season with two of our regional women’s teams being unable to field a team for the first round scheduled for the middle weekend of the school holidays! Thanks to the Wellington Regional Interclub committee ‘bending the rules slightly’ and the good fortune that our opposition could also not field teams, we were given the opportunity to reschedule the matches within the following two weeks.

Then, the following week, the first round of the ASB Wellington Interclub was rained out. This required lots of phone calls between teams to reschedule the matches during ‘The Big Wet’! One team I am aware of had to reschedule three times before finally managing to play the match one evening under lights that kept blowing a fuse and with one team member getting injured and having to default.

However, after these eventful starts to the season, the last few weeks have been pretty good weather-wise with some varied results. It is early in the season yet, but our Regional One Men’s team, Regional 2 Women, and Grade 4 Women’s teams are all winning their grades. Keep up the good work and the rest of you let’s see some better results before Christmas.

Grid Charts showing cumulative points for Senior grades are on the Notice Board opposite the gym.

Sunday Club days have not been utilised, so we are no longer going to have a committee member on duty on Sundays, except for the first Sunday of each month which is scheduled for Family Days. This does not stop those keen players arranging their own combination to go down and have a hit anyway. Remember there is a list of members next to both phones where you can find the numbers of people to arrange games. In the event of a wet Saturday, Sunday will be substituted.

The first Family Day was held on Sunday 1^st November with a disappointing turnout. This is meant to be a Fun Day for parents and kids to come to the club and play together. So, lets see a few more families turn up on Sunday 6^th December from 1:30 for a good afternoon of Tennis. Sausages will be available, but feel free to bring your own salads or any other meat that you would like to cook on the BBQ. As this will be the last Family Day before Christmas, let’s all make the effort and there may even be the odd surprise during the afternoon!

Saturday 12^th December is the last Senior club day before Christmas, at which we are trying to organise a special event! Keep your eyes open for posters around the club. Club days will commence again in the new year on Sat 23^rd January 1999.

Unless notified otherwise, a "Club Captains’ Drinks" night will be held on Friday 18 Dec. The plan is to have a game of tennis or squash from about 5.30pm, then gather at the bar for discounted drinks during the Happy Hour 6.30pm to 7.30pm.

You may have noticed that there is a beautiful Gourmet Christmas Hamper Raffle with tickets selling fast at $2 each, so get in now to have the opportunity to win this fantastic prize worth $150, put together for us by Lee Oliver from Hampers of Blair St Limited. The money raised from this raffle will be used for catering for a function at our Club Champs Finals.

And that brings us on to the 1998/99 Club Championships which are to be held 3-7 March 1999. This is a little later than last year because we have to wait until the Regional Interclub is completed as no ‘interclub free weekend’ has been set aside for clubs to hold their champs. All regional players are expected to enter the champs - including all contracted players - and all other members are encouraged to enter as well. If the entries warrant it, we are prepared to run a ‘B’ grade champs as well, so everyone get your names up and let’s make this season’s champs one to remember.

Matches up to the semi-finals will be best of 17 games and will be played Wednesday through Friday evenings if required. Semi-finals and finals will be best of 3 set matches. Entry lists will be put up in the New Year. This season we are planning to play the singles finals on Saturday 27^th March at 4pm followed by an Awards Cocktail Evening where the prizes for the champs will be presented as well as any interclub prizes/certificates. There will be finger food provided at this function free of charge and the bar will of course be open. So put this date in your diary now and come along and watch the best players in our club compete for the Championship Titles and join in the frivolities that will follow!

Well, it is hard to believe that the festive season is just about on us. It would really be good to see a few more of you down on club days before we race ahead into our Centenary year which will present lots more opportunities to celebrate and enjoy the facilities that we are all so lucky to be a part of.

My best wishes go out to you all for the festive season. Eat, Drink and Be Merry, but don’t drink and drive. Have a safe and joyful Christmas and New Year.

As I type this is it good to know we have managed to complete three rounds of interclub without any weather cancellations or club defaults. Long may it last!!

It is also great fun to note any ladder changes which have occurred when Khandallah teams have played each other…a good way to move up the ladder if you are too lazy to call for a challenge. All the week’s changes are now printed in red. Get out there and put YOUR name in red by moving up the ladder. There are still some of you who have not challenged to get on the ladder or have not won your interclub game. Go ahead and ring a friend you might be able to beat and have a go!

Junior Tennis CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT is to be held this year before Christmas. The forms are at the club NOW. Please sign up to play in this fun tournament to be held over the weekend of December 11,12, and 13. Anna will try to start some of the games Friday night. Because of the high number of juniors who enjoy playing in this event, it will be a knockout tournament with no consolation plates. You win – you keep going for the title. You lose and you can enjoy watching your friends from the balcony. All age groups are welcome and encouraged to play. Breaks will be in 10’s, 12’s. 14’s, 16’s, and 18’s. Birthday cut-off dates are on the entry forms. Please submit your entry form and $5 entry fee by the due date Dec. 7th

.Please return your trophies to the club (polished would be nice!)

On October 30th the Juniors had their second Disco or party. We had a Halloween Theme with the room decorated with black and orange balloons and huge spider’s webs. Unfortunately the night conflicted with several other events and the numbers were a bit down. For those who did attend it was a good time and I believe all enjoyed the music of the Disc jockey for the night. A special mention should be made to some of the great costumes: A couple of terrific witches, Bridget Smith and Olivia Smith; a few fairies, Erinna Dixie, Julia Newby, Vicky Newby and Amy Brown, Joshua McKenzie as Dracula; and Sarah Press and Charlotte Mizzi as vampires. A big thanks to Witch Anna, Barry, Jenny "Morticia" Smith, Maree Roche, and Elizabeth Kennedy who helped the Fat Clown supervise the event.

FUN FAMILY DAY TO BE HELD SUNDAY 6 DECEMBER FROM 1.30PM. Bring your family and have some fun hits with other families. (Non-members of the family are welcome.) If it is a nice day it would be fun to bring your speciality to cook on the grill and a salad to share. (Sausages and bread will be available.)

The last Junior Club Night will be on Fri 4 Dec, with the Club Champs the following Friday. I look forward your continuing attendance.

In spite of many postponements due to wet weather, we are up to date with our scheduled events.

The Handicap Tournament, and both the Singles and Doubles Club Championships, have been successfully completed.

• Kevin Woolcott Trophy / Buttons on Thu 26 Nov at 9.30am.
• End of Interclub Pot Luck Lunch on Mon 30 Nov at 12.30 (wet or fine)
• Christmas Celebrations and Presentations on Thursday 10 December, at 9.30am.

• On Friday, 4 December, we will celebrate Val Jarvis becoming a Life Member of Khandallah Tennis Club with tennis beginning at 10.00am and Lunch following at 12.30pm. Looking forward to seeing you all

Squash has summer interclub going on Tuesday & Wednesday nights where it has 4 mens and 1 womens team competing.

On Monday nights, a Business House league has started that runs till 14 December. There are 8 teams entered, and the idea is that a club member gets together non-members from work (4 to a team - preferably a male/female mix), to enjoy competitive squash, but with the emphasis on fun, fitness and participation.

The squash has been entertaining, but it is good to see the improvement in players that are relatively new to the game.

With the next competition beginning in February 1999, it is hoped other members can encourage new work-mates to form a team

The following women represented Khandallah, in the Champion of Champions tournament - Sandra Gavin (C grade), Heather McLean and Monique Hakiwai (E), and Frances Adams-Schneider and Marie Cochrane (F grade). No men participated

Club Masters - Rob Clay 1^st ; Steve Falla 2^nd

Girls Club Champs - Marie Cochrane 1^st, Frances Adams-Schneider 2^nd, Rachel Carter 3^rd

Boys Club Champs - Stirling Hakiwai

Congratulations to all!

Mon 30 12.30pm Midweek Pot Luck Lunch

Fri 4 12.30pm Midweek Lunch for Val Jarvis

Fri 4 4.30pm Final Junior Club Night

Sun 6 1.30pm Family Tennis Fun Day & BBQ

Thu 10 9.30am Xmas Celebrations & Presentations

11-13 Junior Tennis Club Champs

Sat 12 1.30pm Final Senior Tennis Club Day

Mon 14 Final Night Fun Teams Skwash

Fri 18 6.30pm Club Captains’ Happy Hour

Sat 23 Jan 1.30pmFirst Senior Tennis Club Day

Mon 1 Feb 7.30pmFun Teams Skwash & Tennis start

3 - 7 March Senior Tennis Club Champs

Sat 27 March Senior Tennis Finals and

Mondays 9.30am Midweek Interclub Tennis

Tuesdays 9.30am Midweek Tennis Club Days

7.00pm Mens Interclub Squash

Wednesdays 9.30am Midweek Tennis Club Days

7.00pm Senior Tennis Club Nights

7.00pm Womens Interclub Squash

Thursdays 9.30am Midweek Tennis Club Days

Fridays 4.30 & 6pm Junior Tennis Club Day

Saturdays 8.30am & 1pm Interclub Tennis

1.30pm Senior Tennis Club Days

Sundays 8.30am Interclub Tennis