As incoming Chairman I would like to start by thanking the outgoing Chairman, Simon Leavy, for all his hard work over the last two years. He has been very hands-on and made some noticeable improvements to the Club during his tenure. I would also like to thank the rest of the Committee for their efforts and I am very grateful that they have all agreed to stay on for another year at least.
I am delighted to announce that, thanks to everyone's efforts and the very efficient way that the Club's finances are organised, we can again freeze membership rates for another year. Hopefully members will see this as a benefit of a mutual organisation run by its members for the benefit of its members.
However, to continue to keep membership rates low requires members to continue to be involved with the Club on a regular basis. Having been a member for nearly 40 years (yes, I really am that old) I can look back (hopefully not through too rose-tinted spectacles) to a time when working parties attracted dozens of volunteers all weekend and social functions were attended by most members. We had a lot lower membership back then, in case you wondered how we all fitted in the clubhouse! I know times change and people have busier lives nowadays, with spare time at a premium, but it was a bit disappointing that so few members attended our recent A.G.M. (It only lasted half an hour!)
Previous Committees have tried to maintain involvement by offering a lower membership rate to volunteers (or a higher rate to those who choose not to, depending on your point of view). We are very grateful to the helpers who, for example, spend a considerable time getting a league team together, who step into the kitchen when it is short staffed or who spot a job needs doing and just get on and do it. However, I was concerned to learn that a small number who pay the helper rate are not doing their required minimum 9 hours’ help. If you are asked to fulfil a helper duty, please respond quickly to a text/e-mail and if you later find you cannot make it, please arrange a future date to help with the relevant Committee member at that point. Do not wait to be contacted again - the onus is on you to ensure that you do your hours. If helper members fail to do their 9 hours’ help then, in future, they will be required to make up the hours in the next year or pay the non-helper membership rate. I’m sure all those who do their full hours will agree with the fairness of this.
So, please continue to do as much as you can if you are a helper member, consider whether you could be a future Committee member (speak to me if you are interested), try to attend at least one social event a year (any profit made helps us keep membership rates low) and please consider attending next year’s A.G.M. Finally, congratulations to Hassan who won Coach of the Year at the recent Oadby and Wigston sports awards and to George who was Highly Commended in the Volunteer category.
I hope to see as many of you as possible at our Tinsel Tennis event on Sunday 15th December which is open to all categories of club members and their families.
John Braint
SECRETARY’S NOTES from Sue Lester
Down the Line Tennis Leicestershire’s magazine is now only available as a download. The recent edition has a lot of local tennis information in addition to reports from the clubs. Oadby’s item is towards the end but the e-magazine also includes pictures of 3 of our junior league winners, Matt Howse and Phil Marsh if you look closely enough ! http://www.lta.org.uk/download.aspx?MapPath=%2fInYourArea%2fLeicestershire%2fResources%2fCounty+e-publications%2f2013+November+Down+the+Line+Magazine.pdf&FileName=2013
British Tennis If you have recently joined the club and have not yet signed up with British Tennis, could we ask that you do so as soon as possible. It’s free and can be done at https://www.lta.org.uk/members/join/ The box to click is on the far left. Please add Oadby Granville as your club. If you need a code it’s LEI 045. You will get a British Tennis Number which will then get you LTA newsletters, special advanced booking for some tennis events etc. It is also important as it increases the number of Wimbledon tickets allocated to Oadby, so even if you wouldn’t want to go, please do it for others who might want to go !
2014 Committee Please find a list of contact numbers for the 2014 Committee at the end of this newsletter. A list is also on display in the foyer. If you need to raise a concern, please contact the appropriate committee member or e-mail info@oadbytennis.co.uk and it will be forwarded to them.
MEMBERSHIP from Alex Brown
I’m pleased to report that we have the highest membership total for 5 years – 357. We hope that everyone will want to renew for another year, taking advantage of the price freeze, mentioned by John. As always, joining in January means you qualify for a discount. All details for fees, payment arrangements, family discounts etc are on the attached/enclosed forms -
http://www.oadbytennis.co.uk/e12/forms/NewMembershipApplicationForm%202014.pdf
If you choose to pay by bank transfer, please ensure that you e-mail me so I can check payment has been received. My contact details are on the membership form. We can’t offer an online membership form for renewals due to discount complexities !
Helper duties are, as in past years – Committee member, Team Captain, Social (Louise Mehmet), Bar (Sally Radford) or Grounds (Tim Greenwood). Committee members and team captains were elected at the recent AGM. For those new to the club and wanting to become a helper, please ask any committee member for information about what is involved. If you do want to take up the helper option then please make sure you are able to commit to it over the year. If you owe hours from 2013, please contact the relevant committee member to discuss whether a carry forward can be arranged.
TENNIS NOTES from Katie England
Competitive tennis is now over for 2013. A BIG thank you to all our captains for their time and effort in organising us and making sure we all get to where we’re supposed to be on time. The club can lay claim to winning three of the nine Division One titles this year. We are now proud owners of the Mixed, Men’s Vets and Men’s Winter league titles !! Trophies will be presented at the Tennis Leicestershire Awards Night in February – to which all those from the winning teams are invited.
GROUNDS
As members will be aware, the leylandi behind courts 5/6 have been cut down recently. This was done on advice from a tree surgeon and as a result of root damage being caused at the rear of the courts. Loping the trees was not an option. A replacement hedge will be planted behind the courts but one which will not cause any court damage in future. It will be sited further back from the fence. If you are interested in having some of the logs, please e-mail Sue and she will let you know what the arrangements for collection are.
Courts in winter As in past years, can we please remind members that we do not advise playing when the courts are frosty/icy. If there is snow, we request that the courts are left to clear naturally to avoid damage and/or removal of sand.
SOCIAL UPDATE from Louise Mehmet
Thanks to Mr and Mrs Pollard for running the recent quiz – once again a good turn out from members and friends. Due to popularity of these nights it is proposed that we will hold another Quiz in Feb 2014 - full details to follow in the New Year.
Don’t forget Tinsel Tennis - Sunday 15th December American Style festive tennis starts at 10.am, play until 12/12.30 pm. Please sign up in Club house - partners will be allocated on the day- friends and family are welcome to. The kitchen will be open from 10.00am serving tea, coffee, mince pies, bacon and sausage rolls. This will replace the usual Sunday morning social mix in with 5 courts in use. Not playing – then please pop in from 12 noon to enjoy a festive drink/nibbles.
Also, a reminder that when renewing your memberships don’t forget to sign up for social duties
JUNIOR UPDATE from George Milne
I would like to start by congratulating Hassan for being selected as Coach of the Year at the recent Oadby and Wigston Sports Awards evening. This is a great achievement in the face of strong competition from coaches in high participation sports such as football, cricket, rugby and swimming. Cold weather has arrived so it is really good to see so many Junior players attending the various coaching sessions run by Hassan and his team of coaches.
Congratulations go to Kevin Meeks who has obtained the LTA Level 1 Coaching qualification. The County Junior Winter League matches are progressing well.
The 14&U girls have completed their three matches, winning two of them. Both of our 14&U boys’ teams have each played and won four of their five matches. The first Mini-Orange, age 9 and under, matches will be on Saturday 4th January, indoors at the Dan Maskell Centre.
2014 Committee Contact Details
| Chairman | John Braint | 0116 2714701 | 07952414753 |
| Ex Officio | Simon Leavy | 07986121935 | |
| Treasurer | Paul Handford | 0116 2404377 | 07710673904 |
| Secretary | Sue Lester | 0116 2718891 | 07708883147 |
| Tennis | Katie England | 0116 2714655 | 07932632201 |
| Juniors | George Milne | 0116 2883815 | 07872348421 |
| Bar | Sally Radford | 0116 2928740 | 07952231522 |
| Social | Louise Mehmet | 07711736038 | |
| Grounds | Tim Greenwood | 0116 2128618 | 07746655196 |
| Premises | Dave Cooper | 0116 2848210 | 07812186271 |
| Membership | Alex Brown | 0116 2418101 | 07920406206 |
| Other contacts | |||
| Clubhouse Hire | Angela Bewick | 0116 2704606 | 07969672524 |
| Newsletter | Sue Lester | As above | As above |
| 100 Club | Julie Houlichan | 07813000241 |
