A very good morning to you all….

I am looking forward to an amazing weekend….we had to postpone the night market last Friday, as quite a number of exhibitors pulled out due to the pending weather forecast…and of course once we agreed to postpone….the rain never arrived….so this Friday we are having a Night Market at the club…please join us for a great evening of fun…there will also be the joker draw…which is now up to R21422….we have gone through 20 weeks now….so the chances are improving to find the elusive Jester….33 cards to search from….and remember that Members have a double chance at winning…..if the Member does not find the Joker….but matches the card on display (this week it is the 5 of diamonds)…they will receive 10% (R2142-20) of the jackpot onto their Membership card…. a wonderful double incentive for Members to buy their chance into win a tidy little sum on the Jackpot draw…..we have a bonus added to our Friday night…Coyote (Billy and Martin) will make a welcome return to performing at the North again… please pop in…get something to eat…look at the wares on show…buy some joker draw tickets….listen to the music…enjoy a refreshment or two…(if your receipt is more than R100, present that ticket to the sales desk of the joker tickets, to get an additional ticket for the draw)…listen to some music and have a super evening at the North….

On Saturday we have a really special day….we are hosting being the finishing post for the DJ Veteran Motor Cycle race from Durban to Joburg….this will be the 109th presentation of this event…..it promises to be a fantastic day out…with one massive drawcard…..we have a father and his two sons competing in the event…..and now to disclose their surname, may make many a heart flutter….. Binder!!!….YES!! Brad and Darryn and their father Trevor, will be finishing at the Club on Saturday on their Veteran Motor Cycles….and will be hanging around to meet and greet people…. The finishing line will be on the hockey field and then proceeding to a bike park or display area….where you can look t these beautiful machines….there will be an outside pub behind the flagpoles….so that you can “wet your whistle” while you watch the contestants complete the race…. We expect the first contestants to be at the finishing line starting at about 13h00…..if you want to watch them on the road…..they are coming from Carnival City / Mall and then down Rangeview (Snake) road….until the Tom Jones turnoff and then proceeding through town (Bunyan / Great North) and eventually turning at the SuperSpar (Webb Street intersection) and up to the Club, past the Covenant Church, Benoni High and the Swimming pool….right into Brodigan, right into the Club….down the Oak avenue past the tennis Club and then onto the hockey field….. I personally can’t wait…I think this is going to lots of fun….

Please diarise the “TAG fun run/walk”…set for March 21st….from the Club…as this is a fund-raiser, the donation for the entrance fee will made to TAG…in the past this has been a very well attended and successful day…the pandemic has caused this event to be postponed for two years….so I’m sure there will be plenty of people who would live to join us in this great initiative… please check on our and Athletics FaceBook pages for more information…. hopefully we will see you all there…

We have held Junior registrations over the last two weekends….and the Soccer committee are very happy with their response….while hockey were a little more guarded as to the success…I am sure that this will be another successful year for our juniors again…

The 50th Anniversary celebration committee met last week and I am very excited about the proposals of events, functions and activities that are being planned….our actual date of founding, was in late September….so expect some massive parties at that time….it will be epic…there are some super branded beer glasses, that you may purchase at R30 each from the bar…and I see that there are coasters and stickers celebrating the occasion too….please ask at the bar for more details….

COVID seems to have taken a bit of a back seat with the strife in Eastern Europe…but please still remain vigilant….it is still lurking… don’t let down you guard….

Our sports are still definitely on the go too…. cricket is ending their season by the end of the month…junior baseball is finishing up soon too and will be holding their prize giving shortly…. Our soccer boys are holding practices and started their league last week with a draw to Kempton…our management were quite satisfied with the result…as the opposition Castle League side did not have a match on Saturday…which resulted in their first team being selected from an extremely strong squad….this week we host Bedfordview…with the match being held on the “C” field…. as cricket are still busy with their fixtures on the main fields….good luck guys, give your best, enjoy the match and above all have fun… Rugby are hard at practice…in expectation of a great season after only playing in one official match in the last two years….rugby junior registration should be done in April, with practices and matches beginning in June…On the Athletics front, with the Comrades being a little later this month…there is a bit more time for our athletes to get their big mileage in, to build up the fitness and mental capacity to take on the huge ultra-distance of90km challenge of Comrades…the time trials, for the quick fellows, are going well on Tuesdays at the dam… there have been some really great times posted already….hockey fixtures are going to be starting on the weekend of March 27 (a great day!!)…so start expecting to see a lot more “hockey-bokkies” on Saturday in the pubs….whilst the boys also will be seen making the “lapa’s” in the beer garden their home on Sunday….it has been super to see the Bridge Players back again….I hope that they have enjoyed their return to the club…being able to interact with people…rather than seeing them on-line!!!..

Hopefully you have all noticed that despite all the rain creating additional growth to the grasses and bushes…and that our fields are looking amazing…Brian and his team have taken responsibility for the cutting and maintaining of our fields in the last three weeks…. The rain has meant that everything is green…and the efforts of the ground staff need to be applauded, as the edges are trimmed and large areas that haven’t seen cutting in a very long time now, are tidy!!…. Well done guys, I am very proud if you all….
Have a super weekend….join us and it will be better..

Cheers Rod