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Upper Hutt Roller Skating Club Newsletter

September 2006

Congratulations to Our World Champion

Upper Hutt Roller Skating Club Member, Sam Wright (pictured left) returned as World Champion, recently from World Speed Skating Championships in Anyang, Korea. He won a gold medal with team mates DJ Nation and Peter Michael (both Palmerston North) in the Junior Men’s 5km relay. This is believed to be the Upper Hutt Club’s first ever World Speed Gold medal.  Well done Sam – we are all proud of you. Both Sam and fellow club member Antony Hazelwood (pictured with Sam) performed well. Competing at world level for the first time, Antony skated some new personal bests and achieved his goal to learn as much as he could from the experience to help him in his future international events.

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OCEANIA 2007 ARTISTIC TEAM: Nine club members have been selected to represent New Zealand at the 2007 Artistic Oceania Championships in Australia. Congratulations to Emma Patrick (Figures), Emma Hazelwood (Figures, Freeskating, Solo Dance), Tessa Halcrow-Webb (Freeskating), Nika Thomson (Freeskating),  Tanya McCarthy (Solo Dance), Kelsi Linney (Solo Dance), Paula Boulcott (Figures, Solo Dance), Roger Boulcott (Figures) and Basil Jones (Figures, Solo Dance). There are spaces available in the team in some events and further selections may be made after National Championships.  

 

AREAS COMPETITORS: We have a huge team of 39 skaters travelling to Central Area Championships in Palmerston North next month to compete at Area Championships. This is an important event on the skating calendar as skaters need to do well at this competition to qualify for National Championships!!! Good luck everyone.  Special wishes to those competing at an Area Championship for the first time – Angela and Sarah Pratt, Chantelle McCarthy, Vanessa, Nicola and Jacinta Bowden, Martina Steiner, Alana Doyle, Tanja deWilde, Duncan Elgar, Michelle Koot and Joanna Neeson. It is exciting to have so many new skaters coming through.

 

SUNDAY RINK USE CHANGE FOR OCTOBER: To help members have maximum practice time before Areas, the committee has organised a swap with the RIHC for the first Sunday in October. Our club will now have the day session (till 5.30pm) on Sunday October 1 so members can practice. Hockey will have the following week’s day session (Sunday 8 until 5.00pm).

 

NEW PRACTISE SYSTEM:  To help all skaters get the most from their coaching and their private practice time, the committee has decided to trial a new practice system for those on part and full cards until 17 November 2006.  In a nut shell – there are now set times when there is no priority for music use and floor space for those being coached. It enables all skaters wanting to practice to have equal rights.  Coaches don't have priority with the music or their skaters with the floor/figure circles.  No-one has priority over anyone else (in the way it is when a coach isn't there - everyone takes turns). Club members on a full card (or a part card who have nominated Saturday or Sunday as their day to skate), will be able to practice on Saturdays from 1.00pm – 3.00pm and Sundays 1.30 – 5.30pm (except the first Sunday of the month when RIHC has the rink) without having to give way to coaches.

If you have any feedback/questions please contact the Club Secretary, Debs McCarthy, debs.mccarthy@xtra.co.nz or 526 2261 or Chris Hazelwood, 529 7551.

 

SPRING STARLIGHT SKATE: Don’t forget our Spring Starlight Skate on Saturday night October 14 from 7.30pm till 10pm. Great skating to superb music under the party lights.  There will be games and spot prizes. Our mid-winter disco was full to capacity and we expect this will be too so tell all your friends and get along for a great night. It will be our last night skate of the year so don’t miss it. Proceeds will go to our international support fund to help skaters going to Oceania’s next year. Club members, upon showing their membership card, will pay only $5 entry.

 

CHOCOLATE FUNDRAISER: Thanks to everyone who has already taken a box of Cadbury Dairy Milk or Caramello Chocolate to sell. This is a superb fundraiser for the club as we make $16 for every box we sell. If you haven’t already got a carry pack, or would like some more, please see Mary-Anne Thomson or Chris Hazelwood as soon as possible. The money raised from this will help skaters going to National Championships in January 2007.

 

COACHES BLACKBOARD: As part of the new practise system a blackboard has been put in place so coaches can note changes to their regular practice times. We hope this will mean better use of floor space during coaching times and times when there are no coaches at the rink.

Coaches have a recognised weekly time slot – a list has been placed on the rink notice board so that if you are coming to practise and don’t want to compete for floor space with skaters who are being coached you can check the list and come at an alternate time.

Coaches, must now make a note on the coaches blackboard - as early as possible - when they are not going to be at the rink for a regular time slot – and when they are going to be coaching at a time which is not their regular slot. The board covers the current week and one week ahead.

This will help others to factor in coaching when planning practice times. Hopefully this will make better use of floor time for all concerned. Coaches are also asked to phone the Club Captain, Chris Hazelwood and inform her of any changes to coaching times – this includes coming at extra times as well as not coming in regular time slots. Chris is happy to post messages on the coaches’ blackboard on behalf of any coach.

 

ROOF LEAKS: Skaters should be noticing a considerable improvement in the roof leaking over the past month. The committee has been liaising with the building owner who has made a good effort to have the leaks attended to. If you do notice any leaks please let a committee member know so we can pass the information on.

 

NATIONALS REGISTRATION AND ENTRY FEES: Once again the club will be supporting members who qualify for Nationals by paying their $50 registration fee. This is only possible through the efforts of members fundraising through chocolate sales etc. Skaters hoping to qualify for Nationals should be receiving their paperwork any day now. This will need to be checked and returned to club treasurer, David Linney with your event fees by the end of Areas. (The club will pay the registration fee so there is no need to include this amount). No late entries will be accepted.

 

DANCE YOUR SOCKS OFF: Thanks to Laura McKenzie, Emma Patrick, Tessa Halcrow-Webb, Nika Thomson, Kelsi Linney, Tanya McCarthy, Stefanie McCallum, Oliver Ewert, Steve Phillips, Kieran Phillips, Stephanie Challis and Michelle Koot who were involved in demonstrating our sport to a huge crowd at Kilbirnie Recreation Centre recently as part of the Dance Your Socks Off programme. This was a great way to show the general public artistic, speed and precision skating. We hired our club skates to the Rec Centre for the night and would really like to thank Bunnings Warehouse, Naenae for donating plastic bags which helped us in transporting the skates.

 

SCHOOL HOLIDAY SKATING: September/October school holidays are nearly here and as has become tradition, we are running our public holiday sessions, Monday – Friday, 1:00 – 3:30 pm for both weeks.

Don’t forget members paying rink fees can attend these sessions at no charge so come along and enjoy (don’t forget your membership card).

Because we don’t have any paid workers (everything is done by volunteers so we can keep your fees as low as possible) we need help running these sessions along with some private bookings in the mornings.

Thanks to those of you who have already put your names down to help. We still need more “manpower” on some days, so please put your name down on the roster on the club notice board – it’s a fun way to do your bit for the club. If you can’t get to the board but would be happy to volunteer please e-mail Debs McCarthy on debs.mccarthy@xtra.co.nz, or phone 5262261Thanks a lot.

Don’t forget if you are coming to practice in the holidays to check the private bookings board as we do have quite a few bookings in the mornings.

 

MEMBERSHIP CARDS: Our new membership cards are now in operation. If you have paid your membership and haven’t received your card, please see Club secretary Debs McCarthy. The cards will be required as identity cards for free /$2 entry at public sessions. Free entry is available (On presentation of your membership card) for those members paying rink fees (patch card, part card or full card). Non rink fee paying members (mostly speed members) get a discounted entry ($2).

Public session helpers have been told no card – no free/discounted entry. Please don’t be offended if you are refused free entry if you can’t produce the card our club is quite large now and we do need to be able to introduce some new systems.

 

SPEED OCEANIAS 2007 NEW DATE: An incorrect date was supplied to us and printed in last month’s newsletter for Speed Oceania’s 2007.  Speed will be in Brisbane from July 8-13. Artistic dates remain the same – July 6-11 in the Gold Coast. We will let you know more information when we receive it

 

OUR MONSTER RAFFLE IS A MIDGET!!!!: Last month we asked for every family to contribute one item so we could run a monster raffle to support our team travelling to Nationals. Sadly only three people have responded!!!!

CAN EVERY FAMILY HELP please? You don’t need to donate the item/s yourself – ask someone you know or work for.

We are still aiming to run a monster raffle before Christmas as a fundraiser to help support our team travelling to Nationals in 2007.  We are expecting this may be our largest team ever and as they are representing our club it is great to be able to help subsidise the great personal expense they go to, to represent us.

We would like to have a first prize of a Barbecue pack and other prizes of a Pamper pack, Kids Pack and a Chocoholics Pack. This is a good time to hit up those contacts you have in business or social circles that may be able to donate a suitable prize. We are happy to acknowledge prize donations in the newsletter and for large anchor donations (such as a barbecue) on the tickets themselves.

For the barbecue pack - we really would like a barbecue, along with things like meat vouchers, plastic dinnerware, plastic glassware, a hamper, non-perishable food items, suitable for a barbecue for instance sauces, chutneys, chippies etc.

For the pamper pack we’d love an anchor prize of a day spa, a nights free accommodation somewhere or something to that effect (does anyone know anyone who could help us), a nice hamper or other useful container to hold the items, vouchers for manicure/pedicure/ facial etc, nice body products like bath products, moisturisers etc, other cosmetic and toiletry items.

The Chocoholics Pack is pretty self explanatory – everything and anything with a chocolate theme – plus of course a hamper or something suitable to put other items in.

The Kids Pack again is pretty self explanatory – any new items for kids like books, toys, food vouchers, leisure vouchers (movies, swimming pool etc etc).

Thanks for your help. Items will be collected from now till September 10 so we know what we have to get tickets printed. You can hand your items to Bruce Crosby, Ken Wright, Chris Hazelwood, David Linney, Debs McCarthy, Mary-Anne Thomson, Chris Picard, Fiona Patrick, Janeen Jones and Fiona Bowden.

 

CENTRAL DISTRICTS LEAGUE COMPETITION IN UPPER HUTT: Central Area League Competition IS A GREAT COMPEITION FOR THOSE NEW TO COMPETATIVE SKATING. It has a first time on the floor section (requires only patch 1 or 2 level ability) as well as other novice and beginner categories through to international level grades. The next league will be held at our rink on November 4. All Upper Hutt skaters should consider entering. More information can be obtained from your coach or Chris Hazelwood if you don’t have a coach and are interested in preparing for it. The club will consider teaching freeskating routines during patch class if there is enough interest. An entry form should be on the notice board soon.

 

SKATE NZ WEBSITE: A new look Skate NZ Website will be launched as of 1st October 2006. Check it out. www.skatenz.org.nz  You’ll find news flashes, team announcements, calendar and technical information.

 

UPPER HUTT CLUB BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION/REUNION.FEBRUARY 2007. BE THERE: The committee is planning a dinner and social skate at the rink on the evening of February 3, 2007 starting @ 5pm to mark the club’s 25th birthday.

All current and former members are invited to attend. If you know any former club members who are no longer associated with a skating club, but may be interested in attending our birthday celebration/reunion, please pass this information on to them and ask them to register with Debs debs.mccarthy@xtra.co.nz so they receive information direct. Thanks.

 

BIRTHDAY DINNER MEMORABILA DISPLAYS: Next February will be here before we know it so we need to get organised now. We are also planning on having a display of photos, programmes and other items of interest from over the past 25 years. If you have anything you would be prepared to loan for this display, please also contact Debs ASAP.

 

PATCH PASSES: Congratulations to the following people who have passed patches in the past month:- Nikeita Emmerson-Goodwin, Siabhaon Emmerson-Goodwin (patch 1), Brianna James, Maia Broughton-Edwards, Hayley Paten, Monique Makavalu, Russell Johnstone (patch 2), Holly Rausch, Rosie Carter, Brittany Philips (patch 3), Charlotte Hamilton, Laura Hamilton, Holly Rausch (patch 4).

 

SKATER/COACH OF THE MONTH: Both Charlotte and Laura Hamilton  have been skating so well, working hard and passed patch 4 as a result, during the last month so the Skater of the Month Award for August was jointly awarded to these two skaters. Congratulations girls. Emma Patrick is a very valuable member of our Patch Class coaching team and was awarded Coach of the Month for August. Thanks a lot for all you do Emma.

 

NEW MEMBERS: Welcome back to members rejoining us after time away – Imelda Coleman and Morgan Precey. Welcome also to new members joining us recently: - Quityn, Jahdina, Josh Matagi and Tyler Matagi; Ayden Ah-Ken; Alex, Rosie, Kelly and Russell Carter. 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Happy Birthday to Antony Hazelwood, Jahdina Matagi, Quityn Matagi, Rebecca Molloy, Emma Patrick, Jack Patrick, Shantanlia Robinson, Jake Subritzky, Kyra Thomson, Ashleigh Zammit,  Janeen Jones, Gordon Chamley, Peter Nalder and Nicky Boulcott who all turned another year older during September.

 

NEWSLETTER BY E_MAIL: If you are not receiving the newsletter by e-mail and would like to do so, please let Bruce Crosby know by phoning 9388718 or e-mailing bing.c@paradise.net.nz and he will arrange for you to be placed on the list.

 

 

UPCOMING COMPETITIONS:

o         October 6-8, Central Area Championships, Pascal Street Stadium, Palmerston North (Entry now closed.)

o         November 4, Central Districts League, Upper Hutt Club rink. Excellent for those new to competitive skating. Entry from on the notice board any day.

o         December 10, Upper Hutt Club Champs, Upper Hutt Club rink. For all Upper Hutt Club members.

o         Jan 6 2007 – Jan 13 2007, NZFRS National Championships, Wanganui.

o         July 6-11 2007, Artistic Oceanias, Gold Coast Australia.

o         July 8-13 2007, Speed Oceania’s, Brisbane, Australia.

o          

Please Note: Dates/Venues maybe subject to alteration. Please check with event management

 

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