Boulesheet 75 - capitalpetanque.com

Sun 24th Apr, 2016
Issue: 75
Club
42 on the piste!
Corporate gigs are us!;
If someone had said to me even 4 months ago, "Ivo, you are going to have 42 people
playing petanque on the piste at Weston Park", I would have answered, "Sure, and
pigs fly". OK, let me be more precise about this figure, we had 35 playing the game
and 7 telling them how to play it. Sellicks Engineering commissioned the CPC to run a
afternoon of Petanque for their office staff. "Yes, no problem", I said and "How many
will be playing?", the answer to that was a staggering "35!". "Holy crap!", was my
initial reaction closely followed with, "Where the hell are we going to get the boules for
35 people?". Luckily the CPC had a few weeks to come to terms with this and by
stripping the shelves clean of boules at 'Toyworld' in Fyshwick plus some members
boules to top up numbers we reached 35 sets of 3 boules per person, just!. With that
problem solved the next question was a format. Luckily for us the Alexanders picked
up in their travels around Australia last year a very user friendly format. This format
was tried and tested in our successful 'Come-n-try' event and also at a social
competition previously. With boules and format in order it was then a question of
organising the troops to manage all this. But that was the easy bit. The thing is folks
we are really very good at running big events especially with some practice in the
weeks leading up to this corporate gig. Finally the big day arrived, Friday 15th April,
starting at 3:00pm. Sellicks Engineering turned up in mass, pumped up and primed
for an afternoon of this thing called "What?". "So how do you play this thing called
Pee-in-the tank?" was collectively written on their faces. Mark Stewart kick started
proceedings with a 5 minute crash course and then it was 'suck it and see' time. The
good people of Sellick Engineering took to the thing with vigour and passion and
fortified with a steady flow of beverages to oil the collective spirit they jumped into the
fray with gusto. 35 players and 7 CPC guides had the place rocking and rolling in no
time. Extreme highs and extreme lows were experienced followed with bouts of blood
sweat and tears plus wailing and gnashing of teeth (the usual stuff). After the first
game was over and having picked up the basics, confidence picked up for the second
and third games and the competitive spirit kicked in. I have to say, these Engineers
are quick learners, one participant was overheard to say "Petanque is the big winner
today" and no truer words were spoken that afternoon. 100% total success. A fully
loaded piste with a crowd who know how to have fun is about as good as it gets I
reckon. The benefits gained; money in our coffers will surely help and some useful
experience gained in crowd management, just two plusses. But you can add to this a
collective load of good fun experienced by both players and instructors alike. Thanks
to Sellick's and the CPC dream team of Catherine, Robyn, Kim, Annette, Jim, Peter,
Bruce, Mark S, Mark C, and Ivo who made it look so easy, almost professional in
handling such things and to think this was our first time!.
Mark Stewart at right giving the drill.
Winner!
1st prize, for a couple, a night at the
zoo, 'Jamali wildlife Lodge', valued
at over $1000...Wow, not bad!
Comrades, mission accomplished, work done!
If one image can sum up the whole afternoon it has to be this classic
taken by Mark Stewart. Our Annette bonding with a Sellick trooper!. Good
on you Annette for showing the true CPC spirit of good fun, your special
brand of good humour is very much part of our clubs success story!
Mark Stewart took about 70 - 80 images of this
event and they are well worth looking at. A copy
will be sent to Sellicks and a copy will be available
for CPC viewing. Great images Mark and thanks
for doing this coverage of our successful event.
Water bubbler
By now I am hoping you will have filled out the questionnaire sent to you
for the allocation of a water bubbler at Weston Park, possibly next to, or
very near to our Boulodrome. This was suggested to us by a TAMS official
who gave us the nudge, nudge, wink, wink, fill this in guys as this is a good
time to do so whisper! This would go a long way to make life a lot easier
around the piste especially in summer or during competitions where access
to water is desirable. I think we have a strong case. Please fill in and send
in the questionnaire and we will see what happens!
1
I do believe there is a more up to date version of the standard TAMS
bubbler but this is a nice image of a freeloader magpie!
Storage up and running;
3with others and others using our table
All our CPC gear is now safely stored at Weston Park. No more having to share space
and chairs etc. We have key access and this has gone a long way to fixing all ours storage needs for now and the long term.
Our piste sweeping gear, mobile cabinet, gazebo, trolley, table, lights, batteries, chairs, and spare boule sets are now a mere
50m away from where we play.
Signage happening soon;
Breaking News; Signage done, see images below (Thu. 28th Apr.)
I have signed off on the final draft of the free standing signage panel explaining our game, history and rules, plus the finger
sign that will be next to the road pointing to where we play with a single word PETANQUE + arrow. Some government funding
was found for this and has to be spent so I think it is safe to say it will happen before the end of the financial year!
Something out of the ordinary;
2
Rusted on CPC member Jennifer should be highly commended for doing something special. To cut a long story short she
basically told a new player to go and see a doctor about a sore hip. As it turns out this player did go to the doctor upon
Jennifer's advice and was diagnosed with a broken hip which subsequently required a hip replacement. It goes without saying
that the new player was grateful for Jennifer's good advice. Next time I have any aches or pains I am off to see Jennifer first!.
Good on you Jennifer, as far as I am concerned you are a legend and a very good petanque player to boot!!
4
CPC Diplomatic immunity;
Club member Patrick, who also happens to be the High
Commissioner of Mauritius to Australia but who also loves to
play Petanque with us, kindly invited us all to join him at
the Mauritius High Commission, Deakin on Sunday 10th of
April. We had drinks followed by a light lunch and then we
moved to Weston Park for our Sunday afternoon games. All
those who attended had a very pleasant time and we
collectively wish to express our thanks to Patrick for inviting
us to his home and High Commission. You are a true
gentleman Patrick and we are fortunate to have you in our
ranks.
CPC players at the Mauritius High Commission, enjoying drinks
and lunch. All of us sporting Mauritius caps, a gift from Patrick.
Tuggeranong decline and end......
The CPC committee has decided to officially cease operations at Tuggeranong after a period of 2 - 3 years. I know
this will upset some (including myself) but declining numbers leaves no other alternative. Despite CPC club membership
growing (36 in March/April) and with steadily increasing numbers playing at Weston Park we just cannot seem to attract folks
to play regularly at Tuggeranong anymore. Some Saturdays at Tuggeranong we are down to 3 - 4 players but lately as little
as 1 - 2 or none does not constitute social club play anymore and yet on the following day, Sunday, at Weston Park we have
anything from 15 - 25 people playing. It is obvious to the committee that people have voted with their feet preferring to play
Image
byto
C.location
Alexander
on Sundays only and at Weston Park. At the end of the day it boils
down
with Weston Park as the preferred venue
as it is the centre of the wheel with all spokes leading to the hub, I bow to the reality of that. No doubt games will continue to
be played at Tuggeranong on a casual basis, I certainly hope so, and I for one will be doing so but on a reduced basis and
with no intention of maintaining a continuous weekly presence there. It became noticeable to me and others that numbers
were declining rapidly with the opening of the Weston Park site in November 2015. I thought the transition from Yarralumla
basketball courts to Weston Park would take some time for people to adjust to but not so it seems. Even Tuesday and
Thursday afternoon play, which was designed for the keener players in our club to maintain match fitness achieving increased
numbers as high as 8 - 12 regularly. There is no doubt that the Weston Park success story has come at the expense of the
Tuggeranong site, and that is regrettable, but at the end of the day people decide what is best for themselves and with
increasing membership, increased attendances on Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, I am not one to argue
with that. We progress, we develop, we adapt and we move on. Se la vie!
6
7
Treasurer to modest for thanks;
Recently our Treasurer became aware of some discrepancies in our Tax obligations. I am no expert but GST and BAS are
often mentioned when our Treasurer explains the intricacies and woes of dealing with that 'beloved' institution called the
ATO!. Anyway, long story short our Treasurer is dealing with it and is very much on top of it all. I just want everyone to
recognise that Mark is doing a fantastic job and I believe no other person could do it better in our club. It's a thankless task at
best, but for what it is worth Mark you have my thanks and I am sure that also goes for the rest of the committee as well. I
must admit, I tend to lose the will to live when someone mentions the words, "Tax office portal!"
WEBSITE up and running again!
Breaking news; Now up and running Fri 29th Apr.
New CPC member Graham and our President have been very busy lately giving our website a makeover. Originally set up by
Ivo many years ago it was fast becoming out of date, almost irrelevant and very clunky. Refreshed and very much updated
with current information, pictures, Google links, Boulesheet links etc. this worldwide CPC portal or 'neon sign' will advertise us
for many years to come. With 'Facebook' and our new website up and running it is safe to say we have ticked all the CPC
access portals. Thanks very much Graham and Jim for a job well done. Thanks also to my son Rowan in Melbourne for helping
to facilitate the process. It's good to have a few 'IT tech heads' onboard. check it out on - www.capitalpetanque.com
The CPC American connection;
Could it be possible that one day a closely linked
petanque club will be activated in Yorba Linda
USA?. No folks I have not lost my marbles, it is
true!. Let me explain more, some of you may
recall our American friends Diane and Tom who
stumbled across us at Weston Park and played
with us for some weeks during their brief stay in
Canberra recently. They fell in love with the game
and very much enjoyed our company, to the
extent that a suggestion was made by Diane and
Tom, that upon their return to the US they would
buy their own boules and gear and look into the
possibilities of starting their own petanque club.
Yorba Linda, is a 'suburb' (city) in Los Angeles
USA very close to Anaheim (Disneyland). Diane
and Tom are in contact with us by email and have
sent these images of the first moves made in
establishing Petanque in their neighbourhood . All
power to Diane and Tom and it will be interesting
to see if this new venture takes off. Reading
between the lines and taking into account Diane
and Tom's determination I expect good things to
happen. Both have agreed to keep us posted on
developments and no doubt we will see our
American friends again 'downunder' someday. Is it
feasible that one day CPC players and Yorba Linda
Petanque players will meet at each other's clubs
for some friendly games?. Anything is possible
these days!
The new terrain
Tom talking to a local resident
New gear
The 4th 'Alexanders' mixed Doubles Competition
Held on Sunday the 24th April, at Weston Park on a beautiful and very warm sunny afternoon. With helicopters flying above
and the mini railway train chuffing past, add to this a WIN TV film crew on site, plus people stopping to see the action,
beautiful birdlife flying overhead and kangaroos sheltering in the shady trees just some of the attractions that afternoon. Oh,
did I forget to mention 8 couples playing Petanque in idyllic conditions?. Does it get any better than this?, of course not, are we
playing in paradise?, oh yes we are!
The Alexanders mixed doubles competition designed by Catherine and Jim for the couples in our club and strictly for members
only has to be the No. 1 signature CPC event. Its hard to believe that this is the 4th year it has been run and it just gets better
each time. This year 8 couples played in a relaxed, social atmosphere of friendly competition and good fun. Expertly run as
always by Catherine and Jim who opt not to play so as to make sure it runs smoothly. With a draw picked up in WA that
addresses all the good points of competitive social play and with plenty of food and drinks on hand it was definitely the place to
be. 4 games later it was all done and dusted bar the shouting.
The inaugural 'Whooshka' award; for those of you who don't know what 'Whooshka' means, it was first heard some years ago
when a luckless player did a terrible shot that went completely of track, someone yelled out, "Whooshka", as the lost ball flew
past, and so it came to be part of the CPC vocabulary! This year the 'Whooshka' award was presented to Jillian M. and Mark
S. more as an encouragement award rather than anything else. We all suffer Whooshka's but as the famous drinking song
lyrics go, "I get knocked down, but I get up again", is the underlying meaning to this award. Never give up!
Runners up this year were Annette and Sebastian who held the perpetual trophy and who took it off the Ostyn's the year
before. Winners this year were Donna and Ivo who re took the trophy back after a full year of suffering the indignity and
torment of a shameful and disgraceful defeat. Fuelled to the eyeballs with sport enhancing drugs and after a full year of
midnight training sessions, in the nude, revenge was complete for Donna and Ivo!!!!
Autumn paradise!
G’day members:
A lot of really good things have happened since the last Boulesheet. These include the 'Come n
try' day, the Sellicks corporate event, taking possession of a storage shed, the erection of new
signs for our piste in Weston Park, an update of our website, and some local TV coverage. These
things do not happen without a lot of work, and I would like to thank everyone who has been
involved. New member Graham Smith has assisted with an upgrade to our website, and while he
was at it he requested Google to include the location of our piste in Weston Park on their maps.
When you do a search in Google maps for the Capital Pétanque Club, a map with our location in
Weston Park should now come up. Thanks Graham. For those who do Facebook, there is now a link
to our club's Facebook page on our website. Some pictures of the Sellick event were put on our
Facebook page, and we got about 200 likes. For those who understand this better than me, this
apparently has resulted in a lot of publicity for our club. We have extended into cultural pursuits
with eight members participating in a recent cruise from the Yacht Club to Government House, and
a guided walk through the gardens. One issue that the committee has had to deal with has been
the low numbers of members turning up to play at Tuggeranong. We have drawn attention to this
problem in earlier Boulesheets, and we have discussed the situation at committee meetings for
several months. Our most recent committee meeting has reluctantly taken the decision to suspend
activities at Tuggeranong, and we will review the situation when enough members indicate their
interest in playing there. When our American friends Tom and Diane were here, some of you would
have met Jan Murrell who played a couple of games with us. Jan lives in Canberra, and is Diane's
sister. Jan has had a bad fall, and had to have a hip replacement. She is currently in rehabilitation.
Although Jan is not a member of our club, several of our club members have been visiting Jan
while she has been in hospital. It is nice that we not only like to play Pétanque, but that we can
also reach out to those who are having a bit of a rough time. Thanks to those who have taken the
time to visit Jan.
Cheers for now and I look forward to seeing you on the piste,
Jim
Great to be back after wonderful month in Europe. Superb spring weather, allowing terrific walking around the hills in Liguria
and around the Italian Riviera, near Genova where my brother lives.
An undoubted highlight however, was playing petanque in the Jardin de Luxembourg in Paris. We stayed for a week in the City
of Light. I ended up playing four times. The club there has around 140 members, each paying only around 25 Euros per year
for membership. The club is entitled to play on the petanque area every day, after 3pm. Before this, the piste is open to the
public. This is a bit like our licence arrangements over Weston Park. They have a neat little lockable booth with little slots
where members keep their boules – similar to the slots in Ivo’s trolley. Their club has about 8 office holders, including a
sporting director who manages the competitions. Most play is social. The standard of play was generally higher than CPC,
though not by a mile. But there are obviously people who have played most days for 50 years. People were terrific – most
inviting and even prepared to speak a little English. I just threw my (new) boules for about 10 mins and when a game was
finished, I was invited to play in the next.
It was on my third visit to the piste when they invited me to hang my coat up on their rack. A magic moment. I won most of
my games, sometimes teaming up with shooters who rarely missed. The piste itself is comprised of little pebbles, with several
subtle undulations. Weston Park is much smoother but their surface is much better than Bexley or Wollongong.
One of their senior members told me that the game has real issues between those who want to play for money those
interested more in social play. This is a matter we have noted here in Australia too as the sport develops. The same guy told
me that it was common practice among competitors to doctor their boules, injecting mercury into the central cavity to create a
magnetic attraction capable of creating ‘homing’ balls – the shooter’s friend! For me, the key difference was not in the piste or
even the skill levels. It was the level of tactical awareness and planning that players put into the game. Like good snooker
players, they were thinking beyond this shot to the next and the next. CPC needs to consider how we can build this kind of
nous. If you get the chance to go to Paris, worthwhile considering dropping in to the Luxembourg Gardens for a game.
Seb and a few mates on the piste, Jardin de
Luxembourg, Paris. Love the little picket fence.
A much visited corner of the Jardin where many
CPC players have played over the years.
Piste sweepers wanted;
Mark C. is on the lookout to recruit some more members to do some
piste sweeping duties for the rest of this year. This is a once a week
obligation (you pick the time and day) over a 1 month period. The
sweeping gear is in the storeroom and you will be given a key for the
month. Talk to Mark Cooper if you are interested. A swept piste always
looks immaculate, and refreshes the surface for further use.
'Kim's got them!'
them little beauties......
Shirts on show;
A recent conversation with our President, Jim, had us talking about our beautiful club shirts. He felt it may be a good idea to
wear them on Sunday play at WP as it makes for a good impression. I tend to agree with him and I personally will make the
effort to wear my shirt more often. No rules on this, strictly a personal choice, but if you agree then don the 'blue and white'
and let's look the picture on Sundays. I know that some, Bill, Lynne and Phil in particular tend to wear club shirts already. Good
for them for showing us the way, and I will join them shortly.
Expensive Armani sunnies found;
A 'Sellick' player lost his very expensive 'Armani sunglasses' supposedly at our function in the park. This fellow was distressed
and rang me to let us know and ask for our help to look for them. We did our bit by checking around but no show. Fortunately
they have been found and all is well. One of his mates found them. Next time, maybe we should make it clear that visitors are
responsible for their own property on site. Fortunately this episode had a happy ending.
Sniper, take the shot!
CPC 'Boulebelle' Catherine won this month's (April 2016) shooting competition with a score off 54
points, followed by Donna on 42 points and then Jennifer on 36 points. Congratulations snipers!. This
is good practice and puts our ladies under competitive pressure and hones up their accuracy skill sets.
Useful things to have for any future competitions or even social play. We all agree that shooting is
never easy to do especially in a competitive environment, and yet, if it is done properly it can be a
decisive moment in a game and put you and your team in a winning position. However a missed shot
is often a total loss, a spent force that can help your opponents chances considerably. It is always a
tricky decision to make in any game, a double edged sword, to shoot or not to shoot, but always a
useful option to have and to use carefully when needed.
Arty farty
Signage installed
Sarah took this artistic image of the boys backlit looking
for their dropped balls. Our first evening under lights (Thu.
28th Apr.) From L to R Mark C, Seb, Mark S, Jim and Ivo.
Nicely done Sarah, a clever composition!