Blenheim Orphans' Club

BLENHEIM ORPHANS’ CLUBNEWSLETTER AND REMINDER MAY 16TH 2018

Hey! Lots of things to read and remember this time and so please read and inwardlydigest and if you’re in any doubt don’t hesitate to contact me for clarification. I’mattaching with this edition the weekend timetable for our Hokitika visit as supplied to us by our Hoki friends, conference weekend organisers and hosts.

Firstly though let’s talk about what’s next and/or coming up real soon. Next Tuesday is of course, as in your club calendar, our next regular club night which to a very large extent will be a practice for our items for Hoki as well as any other items that you have undoubtedly told Pete about. After that though, our next very important date is Wednesday 30th when we play host to an inward raid from the North Islands Western Group of Taranaki clubs, who are raiding us and then Nelson on their way to Hokitika for the conference weekend. They, all 33 of them, actually arrive in Blenheim the night before so that they can enjoy some of the attractions and places of interest in and around our fair city during the day on Wednesday. We would like as many of you who would like and are able to join us to meet for an informal evening meal at the Redwood Tavern Restaurant no later than 5.30p.m. in order to be all fed and watered well before we have to adjourn to the Whitney Street School Hall for their concertstarting at 7.30p.m. Yes that’s right we don’t want any confusion, because we are not able to get and use our usual hall on that night we have had to shift our evening to the Whitney Street School Hall which should serve our purpose very well. The Schooland hall are obviously on Whitney Street which for those who don’t know is offMaxwell Road on the right just after Stevenson Street as you head for the hills. The School have asked that we not park on the grass please. Head Steward Colin wants me to advise you that the club will be providing savouries and sandwiches but ask if you and your guests could please provide a plate to compliment and assist with supper. Please remember that we have 33 visitors and guests in addition to our own members,wives, partners and other guests. Yes that’s right you’re very welcome to bring guestsalong to enjoy our visitors concert but please ask them just to bring a plate and somemoney for raffles. Since we are not able to get access to the hall until 6 o’clock someof our guys are forgoing a meal to make sure that every thing is set up and ready for us and so when the evening proper is complete please, please, please lend a hand to pack down and clean up the hall. Supper will be at the conclusion of the concert and is our last chance to show our guests just how hospitable and friendly Blenheim people really are. Don’t forget to collect and take home your empty supper plate afterwards. Of course we will be catching up with them all again in Hoki but after supper and a yarn please give a hand to clean up. All too often unfortunately it’s leftto a very willing few.

Now to that all important long weekend! The coach will leave Marlborough TourCompany’s Depot at 9a.m. sharp and head straight for Murchison arriving about11.15 for a comfort stop and early lunch. We will be joined there by a hand full of Nelson Savage Club members and should be back on the road by 12 noon. Hokitika around 3.30pm to check into the Annabelle Motels. Since we are providing Sound Equipment and Piano etc I guess a small team will then go up to the Seaview Hall to set up before returning to the motels in time for a 5o’clock departure to the Hokitika Chartered Clubs for an evening meal ($20 Buffet Roast has been arranged). After we

have all eaten we will head up the hill to the Seaview Hall which is the venue for all of the conference functions for the first night Meet, Greet and Register. If you still have a lanyard then please take it with you to swing your conference name tag from since our Hoki mates have had trouble procuring them. We obviously should have loaned our own John Henry to them for a while. I think he was a procurement officer in a previous life. President Leon has asked me to remind you that club uniforms are required to be worn on both Saturday and Sunday nights but tidy casual i.e. mufti atall other times. Ladies’ I’ve been asked to tell you that since we don’t know whatheating is like at the hall just be prepared. This weekend is all about friendship, fellowship and enjoying everything that is Hokitika. For me and the rest of the Dominion Council there is a couple of morning meetings and of course the Conference proper takes a couple of hours on Saturday afternoon, but that really only involves interested members and everyone else is free all day Saturday to enjoy thedelights or whatever. I’ve heard a number of people making plans to walk the treetops and all sorts of other things. Saturday the coach will leave the motels at or justbefore 5o’clock and head for town and the club again for an evening meal (same arrangements as Friday) before going straight up to the hall for the Host club’sconcert. Sunday morning is free again for most and then Tony will take us all up tothe hall for the midday conference dinner which I’m told is a three course affair and so you probably won’t want or need much for tea before we head back up for the visitor’s concert. This is our chance to showcase who and what we are and since we definitely are the largest club contingent attending by a country mile let’s make surewe do it properly. We’ve not discussed a departure time for home on Monday but since they’ll kick us out of the motels at or before 10am I guess that’s about when we’ll leave, but that’s still up for discussion. Anyway I’m really looking forward to the whole thing. For me it’s the culmination of a very long journey and I’m lookingforward to spending the weekend with you all and having a hell of a lot of fun whilst doing so.

Our Ladies’ Night Dinner arrangements have now been confirmed for Friday 27th July at the dining facility at the Marlborough Community College on the Scott Street/ Francis Street corner just across from Wadsco’s. This is a very nice three course meal with tea and coffee afterwards for just $32.50 with the club paying for our ladies and some fruit juice and lemonade etc. I know it’s a couple of months away but please let President Leon know if you’re able to be there so we can get an accurate idea ofnumbers. We will have the whole place to ourselves and so it should be a great night. We have decided to make it a B.Y.O. night as far as alcoholic drinks are concerned since we no longer have a bar on club nights where we could get rid of leftovers in the past.

Well I think and hope that I’ve remembered everything I was supposed to tell you about and so will wind this up and look forward to seeing you all again this coming Tuesday.

Ken Ham Editor.