Opening Day October 1919

WMCC Centenary Celebrations

**Club Members and Guests Toast the Centenary**

One hundred Years and counting

The Wellington Municipal Croquet Club (WMCC) recently celebrated a hundred years of successful social and competitive croquet.

The WMCC opened on 16 October 1919 on the Wellington town belt and still occupies the same renovated pavilion. The Club marked its centenary throughout 2019-20 culminating in a weekend of celebrations over 14-15 March 2020. The Club has an active membership of around 80 members playing both golf and association croquet and this was around the same number of members, past and present, who turned up to the centenary celebrations, with excellent summer weather adding to the occasion.

Over the weekend the activities included a rapid fire golf croquet tournament, cocktail party, a commemorative plaque unveiling, planting of a kowhai tree and casual Sunday lunch. Susan Leuchars, the Club’s President welcomed guests and members, with speeches from others including the Deputy Mayor, Sarah Free and Paul Eagle, one of our patrons and local MP. Paul Skinley, Club Captain and Life member, and a pivotal member of the Club for over 30 years, reminisced on the Club’s colourful history and the personalities who contributed in keeping the Club going over many years.

A centenary brochure was produced for guests highlighting historic events for the Club over the last 100 years. Two new honours boards were struck to record the names of members who had represented New Zealand in both croquet codes over the years, along with members who have been inducted into Croquet New Zealand’s Hall of fame.

The Club also introduced an Association Croquet invitation tournament for under 21 players which was played in January and will become an annual event.

Overall the weekend’s celebrations of the Club’s centenary was a very memorable occasion and enjoyed by all who attended.