Before announcing the winners of the day, I would like to share the background to this event. The Marie Park Memorial – Friendship cup.

Marie Park was a very active member of the club over many years. Even today she is very well known to most Female Members and very much loved.

She was an exceptionally friendly woman who was loved by everyone.

If she spotted someone in the room that she did not recognise she would go up to them, introduce herself and engage in conversation which always made the new members feel welcome.

She had a wonderful sense of humour, would often tell jokes to an audience and would always leave you feeling good inside.

When leaving the club she would always give you a kiss goodbye.

Over the years, the club has had many requests from relatives of members who had passed away asking if they could somehow enshrine their memory at the club.

The various committees did not have a solution and they wanted to avoid the concept of a shrine at the club.

When Marie passed away Bob (her husband) came to see Ron Albany, who was President at the time, with the same request. Ron and the committee developed the concept of the Marie Park Memorial Friendship Cup which is played on a Saturday and open to all members, regardless of their membership category.

For many years, Bob would attend the event and catch-up with old friends. Unfortunately, Bob passed away in the past year.
Bob wasn’t as outgoing as Marie, but through Marie’s connection to the club Bob made many friends. In more recent years, Harold Shepherd, our eldest member, would frequently “break Bob out of the the aged care home” and take Bob to the pub for a pot, a parma and a poke as they called it!

The Park family are gathering next Tuesday to bury Bob’s ashes next to Marie.

The cup itself has two tiers, one tier is for the winners of the event and the other for those members who have passed away. 

The members who passed away in 2021 were:

Jan Allen                                              Margaret Dennis

Les Kays (life member)                    Margaret McMahon

Bob Park                            &             Percy Schlossberger 

 

Unfortunately, Maureen Kennedy is in palliative care in Kyneton. Our thoughts are with John, Maureen and family at this difficult time.

The Womens winner – Jo McPhee (7) 37

The Mens Winner – David Plunkett (21) 40

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