2025 | MPPC website

2025 - That was the Year...that was December 2025 2025 is nearly over, and we can each look back and find many positives in a club that emphasises ‘fun’. Our year comprised of much the same as other years, with more willing volunteers stepping up to help their club prosper to even more dizzy heights. January opened with a ‘working bee on the 18th with fourteen members helping out, with the Championship Day being cancelled due to very hot weather. On Jan 26th we quite rightly celebrated ‘Australia Day’ with a bar-b-q for 22 members at the home piste. It was a sunny, happy day. More celebrations in February, with a club dinner at the Grand Hotel, seventeen attended. February also saw the beginning of official club coaching every Thursday morning. March was a sad month for the club, losing popular member Karl Reich on the 9th, our first memorial plaque will remain permanently at the club piste. Peninsula Pennant started with home and away games versus Mt Martha and Main Ridge respectively. Socially a few members met at ‘Salty’ music, Mt Martha for a fun night out. Another social event was at the Dava with a ‘Faulty Towers slapstick show, 8 members in attendance, a happy evening of laughter. Moving forward to April, a small group attended the ‘Dawn Service’ at Mornington, with coffee and nibbles at Wendy Doyles place afterwards. On the 4th, President Greg Power and Club Treasurer Linda Power, enjoyed a function at Mt Martha Yacht Club and chatted with local business people including Liberal Member for Flinders Zoe McKenzie. This month MPPC held an important General meeting to discuss openly the future of our Club. The 20th saw ‘Easter Sunday’ celebrations with 18 members. Guest Dee Ritchie won the Easter Basket. A social dinner at the Dava on 27th was another great get-together for 15 hungry members. Another wanted working-bee in May, which attracted 20 members, all either sweeping , brushing raking or washing, what a superb turnout, very encouraging. Pennant continued through March and April with the Grand Presentation at Main Ridge on May 1st, with St Andrews Petanque Club taking out the honours. MPPC’s annual AGM was held at the Moorooduc hall on 20th June with a big attendance of 26 members, it provided the club with an interesting mix of volunteers for a ‘new’ committee, Greg Power was re-elected President, with Marie Ritchie our new secretary and Linda as Treasurer for the second year. Other members of the committee are Wendy Doyle, Graham Jones, Stuart Nussey and John VanBeek. Gill Wright had a commanding lead in the Ladies Championship. Earlier in the month we had a successful ‘Bunnings’ sausage sizzle at Mornington, 14 members donated their efforts for the club, which made a tidy $1200 profit, all going towards our Christmas Lunch in November. The committee introduced a new ‘Frog’ perpetual trophy for monthly winners, with the Champion getting to keep the engraved trophy. On the 29th we had another club bar-b-q at the piste with Rod Hall and Jennifer Cuthbert taking on the role of cooks, 13 members in attendance. Another Dava dinner on July 13th attracting 17 members and on the 23rd, a wonderful day-trip from Sorrento via the ferry to Queenscliff for lunch at the croquet club, 19 members in attendance, all organised by our club social events organiser Karin Reich. MPPC annual registration fees were balanced out at $40 for all members, a fair result as we all share the same interest. Our first Club Championship game in August was preceded with a club bar-b-q at the piste in Moorooduc. Committee meetings are now to be hosted by committee member Wendy Doyle. New club name badges were also introduced, free to all associate and full members. New Club polo shirts were ordered for 22 members, in a smart dark blue with light blue piping and an embroidered club badge. Sunday 17th 24 members gathered for a meal at the Tanti in Mornington, lots of fun and laughter that day!. September skill coaching was resumed by Rod Hall on 1st. We also saw ‘Australian Flag Day’ on the 3rd with Fathers Day on the 7th. By now our website is well and truly up and running, and a bumper ‘Bunnings’ sausage sizzle on the 13th with a tidy profit of $2.2K, thanks to a great job by our keen volunteers. With the weather warming up in October, the weeds still had to be controlled, we get them sprayed professionally every 2 or 3 months. Our first junior member was signed up, Hudson Phillips is a first. ‘Morning Melodies’ at the Dava was attended by 12 happy members on the 1st, with a trip to Philip Island by ferry from Stoney Point was enjoyed by 17 members, lunch on the Island and a ferry back made is a bonding day for the club. All those that volunteered for the fantastic sausage sizzle were awarded a ‘Volunteers’ dinner at the Grand in Mornington, this was on the 17th and included a few guests. Of course we also celebrated the Melbourne Cup Carnival by ways of a bar-b-q, a cup sweep, ‘Best Hat' Competitions male and female and a group photo for the records. It was also the first time we had family members win club championship games in the same month, Carol and Sean Kelly. Last but not least in November 23rd, we had a grand attendance of 40 members to our annual Christmas lunch at the Tanti in Mornington, the club subsidy of $15 per person was welcome by all. All in attendance seemed to have enjoyed the fun, singing and dancing afternoon. December rolled around fairly quickly. John Van Beek is putting the last touches to his new coffee bench, to which we are all pretty exited about. A new 2026 Club Championship has started and a bar-b-q social Sunday on 14th sees us all look forward to a happy New Year, cheers Greg