A Scimitar tribute to a Legend from the North

This last week was a sad one for me….we bade farewell to a Northerns legend and stalwart…..
Sala Robert Foster (affectionately known as Bob)

My story and history with Bob goes back a little further than just Benoni Northerns….it actually begins in 1970, when I met him as a scoutmaster for our troop, 9th Benoni…. you can imagine, being 11, Scouters were larger than life, they taught us many lessons on Friday nights and over weekends, when they gave of their personal time in order to do so….

Bob worked in Johannesburg (most of the fathers in our area worked locally), so he was a little different already… and he worked for a gold mining company…..immediately, myself and my mates were a little more than just a little impressed, he was different to all our fathers… not only did he have inside information about gold mines, he came from Rhodesia (which held it’s own aura of mystique)…and he seemed to have endless knowledge on how to make my life as a scout easier (apart from the intriguing stories relayed at the campfire or while we were readying for sleep on a camping weekend away)….we learned how to pitch and storm lash a tent, endless additional knots were taught and learned, planning of camps and their sites, different ways to cook and prepare food, how to cater for and guestimate quantities …I could continue to make lists of his advice….but I will leave the rest for your imagination to complete…. In practical situations, Bob taught me how to abseil down a cliff face(one of the most exhilarating, but initially scariest experiences of my scouting life….as I kicked out over the edge into the unknown 50 metres below, held up with only a rope that I had complete control of, but of course there were safety ropes and harnesses attached to me too that I had forgotten of and was terrified…but Bob was there to reassure and guide me through the process) and once that was complete, how to climb some treacherous cliffs and passes safely in the Magaliesberg where we were camping at the time… needless to say, I must have completed that ascent and descent 5 odd times that day…it was amazing and has never been forgotten….he taught us how to sleep warm on a hike in the middle of winter, that newspaper was great for warmth and insulation (better and lighter than blankets)…and you could use the newspaper as kindling for your fire if there was lots of rain around….how to cook a chicken overnight, under the ground while we were sleeping…. Again, a list that could go on forever…

One of Bob’s greatest attributes to me, as a teenager by then….was how approachable and practical he was….he was my friend….and I was fortunate enough to be able to maintain that relationship with him throughout his life…

As time inexorably moved on…I left the scouts and the next time I encountered Bob was on the hockey field….he played for a Boksburg side called Navab, but used to umpire more frequently than play….and it didn’t take long for Bob to leave Navab, to find his new home at the North….I went on a few memorable hockey tours with the East Rand Junior Board side where Bob managed the side and also doubled up as an umpire….

Bob then progressed from umpiring and playing and installed himself as permanent fixture in the Happy Hangovers side as their manager…..a position he held with pride and distinction…. In the mid 80’s I went to Cape Town on a holiday, with some legendary Northerns friends….Bogroll, Bushman and Klonkie and we ran into the Foster’s in their newly acquired Kombi…needless to say many a new Northerns hangout was found almost daily, where plenty of eating and drinking was enjoyed by us all….

I also served with Bob on various committee’s as he became in integral part of the Northerns setup….he served as our licencee at the club, ran the bar in the 80’s…. he was always a practical being, so he ended up doing all sorts of handy work at the club….drawing up of plans and getting approval for these at the Council….he fixed bar stools and assisted with a myriad of odd jobs at the Club….. By 1993 the powers that be, recognised Bob’s concerted efforts and rewarded him by being granted Life Membership of Benoni Northerns, an honour that Bob took in his stride and seem to urge him on to do more than he had done in the past…..Bob was the ideal example of the old saying….how do you get a job done? Give to the busiest person….In the mid 90’s Bob started the Northerns cycling sub section and the it seemed the natural progression to being the Social section chairman for a number of years…. When I returned to Benoni in 2009, my old friend Bogroll (yes the same one from the Cape Town holiday) convinced me to assist him in coaching under 8 cricket at the Club, one of that number being Bob’s grandson… so my interaction with Bob now included his family more than ever…. As time progressed Bob retired from work, but his efforts in assisting the club never faltered…..so much so, that he was awarded BNSC Clubman of the year in 2018…. A position that Bob was most proud of…..I remember us rekindling our friendship in a different manner when I joined as Manager….with Bob offering his services to erect shelves and do various tasks and drawings to make life for me at the North easier and more fulfilling…. Bob was always available for a chat and with his solid and sound advice, became a most useful cog in making Northerns the vibrant and cohesive Club it is today… Bob was always involved in the social activities, being an active Member of the “10 to 1er’s” and Chapel (which he used to frequent right up to 2 weeks ago)

Almost every day in my life, I am reminded of a story that his wife Erica shared with us on our Cape Town trip and this brings a smile to my face…. We were chatting one evening about the slowness of Cape Town traffic….and Erica (Bob’s wife) went on to say that the non-use of indicators by the locals, frustrated the heck out of Bob….she exclaimed…”one day, he is going to jump out of his car and run up to the offender of not using their indicator, reach inside and break off the relevant indicator stalk on the steering column and shout….’that’s as much use as it is to you’….and storm back to his car”…..as the driving in our country has deteriorated over time….this practice seems to have escalated into a pandemic….so I am sure that Bob’s frustration had not improved…..and each time I experience this practice, I could in my mind’s eye, Bob urging me to do what his wife had suggested….and I have a quite little chuckle….

Bob is going to leave a massive hole at the North…his calm demeanour and wealth of experience and advice will be sorely missed.
My thanks to the fellows at Chapel, who have created a wonderful remembrance corner for Bob, he will be chuffed with the gesture….

My heartfelt condolences to Erica and the family….thank you for all the time you allowed Bob to be shared with us (and me particularly in my younger years)….

In closing I share with you some of the lyrics of a song that has always made me think me of Bob….
(from Heal the World)

Heal the world
Make it a better place
For you and for me and the entire human race

For me that is what Bob tried and achieved more often than not during his whole life…

Sleep peacefully my friend, till we meet again….

The Scimitar 18 Aug 2023

Hi there to all….

I’m a happy fellow, the weather has progressed from freezing to windy… which means August winds readying Nature for the rains of summer… and with that, we are entering the time of the year I enjoy most… summer!!!

To recap on our sports… Senior rugby along with Junior Hockey have completed their fixtures already and the others are fast coming to the end of their season too….

We have had mixed results from all our sports, with soccer in mid table, but with the remainder of their fixtures against the sides below them, should see an improved position by the end of their year… Rugby’s battles with Meyerton, meant that they could just not finish on top of their league, but on the hockey front our girls and boys have performed admirably in their respective leagues…
I am afraid I was a bit ahead of myself in announcing the start of the TAG rugby… with the TAG world Cup, there has been some inactivity and a lack of infrastructure to support our aspirations to start so early… Our local representative is now going for training in the Western Cape… so all beginnings have been put on hold until she returns… please keep an eye on our local social media platforms and this newsletter for more information on this sport…

The “off the wall” soccer is almost complete and the expected date of launch is the weekend of August 26th… again I will have more information on this in the next newsletter… please remember that the main club is running the bar at this new venue… so expect to see the usual familiar happy faces to serve you across the way…

Senior hockey is hosting the “One Cup” tournament this weekend, with matches on Saturday and Sunday at the Easterns and Benoni High Astroturf… we have some raiders arriving from other provinces, so expect to have bunches of crazy hockey players running around the club on the weekend….

Our night market makes its spring return on September 1, so please join us in welcoming them back… they will be in their usual position next to Home Ground…

Our new Members draw competition was launched successfully recently… and the first two draws have come and gone….but an elusive winner have not yet been found… the first week it was Phil Hill who’s name was drawn, while Caleb Rorich was the second weeks winning name… with there being no winners, this week the draw has climbed up to R6,000… you have to be present at the draw to claim your winnings, so join us here at the North, for a relaxing way to start your weekend…

There are still two legs of the Junior Rugby merry-go-round to be hosted at Northerns, these will be on August 26th and September 2nd… Please come and follow the fortunes of our young future springboks of the future… there is always massive excitement and enthusiasm with this sports… sometimes it is the antics of the spectators and parents who display more of these traits than their offspring!!

The senior soccer has progressed into their cup round… and in a twist of fate, our draw has meant that we will have another derby encounter…. We unfortunately have to travel to the club down the road… but that will not deter our local vociferous support in following their team on the 2 kilometre journey… let’s bring the win back boys, that we can progress to the semi-finals… The reserve side is playing Balderstone in Befordview… so all the best to them too…

Cricket have held their junior trials… practices should be starting shortly… with the East Rand Veterans league commencing shortly… our boys enjoyed a most successful start in the inaugural season last year… we can expect that these fellows will be giving their all to win it this year…

We still haven’t been able to get the Council to rubber stamp our various building proposals… so nothing, as yet, to report on these projects…

I am sure that everyone have seen how “Clean Projects” (a local Benoni NPO) is busy cleaning up at intersections and pavements… well this weekend they have chosen to clean up the area in and around our beloved North…they have asked for any assistance from any and everyone… so we are requesting that all members to come along and support this wonderful initiative… They have suggested that we bring a spade/fork/set of gloves or some sort of paint brush to assist them in making the area look wonderful again… we have seen the steady decline in the surrounds of Benoni over the last few years….and it will be amazing to see it being returned to its former glory…. If you do have some spare time this weekend, please support this satisfying project…
That’s all I have for this week… see you at the North soon

Cheers Rod

The Scimitar 10 Feb 2023

Hi there everyone….

Hope that you are all well…. A hectic last little while…crazy loadshedding… a water crisis….massive lightning strike… some great results, mixed with some not so happy on the sports front…. and with the joker being found last week, we have a new competition this week, with an added twist….

So let me begin with our sports results….

Our cricketers are enjoying a very successful start to 2023…with almost all their sides being unbeaten thus far…there has been a wonderful new development on the cricket front….all home games are being streamed…it has been marvellous to be able to catch up with our premier sides even if we aren’t in the Benoni area for the day….there is long link to all the matches, I have included this at the end of the letter….catch up there if you are able….

The Johnson Crane marathon was recently held in Benoni and most of our runners take past in this to gain their qualification to the Comrades early in the year….well done to all those who achieved their goals… special mentipon must be made of our own Bright Mikolongwe, who ended on the podium in the half marathon in third place….well done Bright…we are all most proud of you….

Our soccer boys started their pre-season with an away game against Alberton in the top 8 competition….our boys came home with a 4-2 loss….but the new management, were happy with the progress and form shown by our boys…our new coach Les Grobler is excited about the future…we are at home this weekend against Impala…please pop along an join us across the road at the C field on Saturday afternoon….next week should be a cracker with us popping down to the club down the road at Currin park….put that into your diary for a pre-season derby!!

Our juniors, in the form of cricket and baseball….have been having a blast in their respective leagues….if you enjoy their adrenalin and excitement, please get down to the North to experience some of their breath taking enthusiasm….

We had a massive storm a week or so ago, which caused absolute havoc, with us having a direct lightning strike at the Club….this resulted in damage to various of our electronic equipment….most of this has already been repaired or replaced….but it did take its toll on our resources for a while….

On the local water supply front, we have experienced poor water service on the traditional pipelines supplied from the Council…. We had already had the alternate back up of a Jojo tank and have filled this up from our borehole…enabling Members to shower, wash hands and keep the toilets flushing…. without it we could have had disastrous results….but thank you to the staff on the superhuman effort in overcoming the odds…and keep the water flowing at the Club….

Off the Wall soccer courts are coming along very nicely and we should be having the opening very soon…

Loadshedding has also become a really uncomfortable reality in 2023…we have also had various systems in place to try to keep life as normal as possible….but we are currently looking at more innovative and different alternative to overcome this crazy situation in which we find ourselves….

We had a lovely night market last Friday…but the little rain never seemed to worry anyone…and the evening was a great success…the next one will be on the 3rd of March…
Another date for your diary will be 11th March….the DJ rally will once again be ending at our Club…last year was a fantastic day….I am sure that this year will be another treat….

Our Joker draw has been won….it took a visitor from Cape Town, Sean Collins to show us where the Jester had been hiding….taking home over R21k to cover his weekend costs quire easily….
The Joker draw will continue this week…starting with a R10 000 jackpot….we are keeping all the rules as before with one addition….when your ticket is drawn, a pair of dice will presented for you to roll….if you are able to get a double six….you will be able to draw a second card…. So more opportunities for everyone to make themselves a winner… tickets will be on sale from about 16h00 on

Friday afternoon with the draw taking place at 19h30…. Remember that you have to be present to win it….so don’t run off home and expect to get a call that you have won…

That’s all for today….See you at the North soon….

Cheers
Rod

Here is the link for the cricket streaming:

https://www.youtube.com/@benoninorthernscricketclub2679

The Scimitar 27 Jan 2023

A very warm 2023 welcome to you all

After an hiatus I am back, to bug you weekly with the News from the North.

At the outset, I would like to wish everyone a prosperous and fulfilling year ahead…. Already to me, it feels like the year has been going on forever, with our Government enforced load shedding, making every day seem to take longer than before…I am sure we are all hoping that we will be able to quickly overcome this massive hurdle that has been placed in our way for going forwards.

At the Club we have some exciting sports events that all our sub-sections will be hosting and participating in over the course of the year, interspersed with some live shows and other entertainment and also other exciting developments… You will be kept up to date with all the attractions that we will be creating and hosting…as well as recapping on the important sports results that we have achieved and played in recently…

On the sports front, Cricket and Baseball leagues and practices are currently happening, with some excellent results being achieved already, hopefully these will even improve as the season progresses…. Pre season practices in our winter sports (rugby and soccer) have already commenced and I also see that hockey are having some wonderful preseason tournaments that will hone your skills to be at their peak by the beginning of season (please contact the respective chairmen for more details on your sport of choice and you would like to participate in)

Our athletes are also hard at work, with their goal of Comrades being held a little earlier this year….plenty of our runners are participating in the Johnson Crane marathon this weekend in order to qualify for the big race….at the Club our time trials on a Tuesday are proving to be very popular and with our Club runs on a Wednesday evening, also on Tuesdays and Fridays in the morning, there is no excuse for all our runners not to be in top form… Our annual Marathon has been moved forward this year due to the earlier running of the Comrades… and will take place from the Club on the 5th of March…. All our members that day will be on the road marshalling or making sure that everything at the marathon runs smoothly…

Hockey and soccer registrations for juniors will be at the end of February/ beginning of March, whilst the rugby juniors will commence practices in May, registrations being held toward the end of April….

Moving away from sports….our joker draw is still running and after 24 weeks our jackpot has moved up to R20759….please come along and buy a ticket in the Hall from about 16h30 on Friday, the draw will take place at 19h30…..the beer and meat voucher raffle will be drawn at 19h25, just prior to the Joker…

This week we welcome music back at the club…Andrew Lawrence will be in the limelight this week….note the new time slot, from 16h00 to 20h00… pop down and join us…grab a bite to eat (there is a variety of choices on offer) and enjoy a cool refreshment in the beer garden or the Scimitar bar….

I am sure that everyone will have seen the activity at the Tennis club over the last little while….where has been building operation, laying of grass over the old surface, new side boards and nets being erected… Our “Off the Wall Soccer” set up is coming along very well….they are hoping to get everything finished soon, so that we can then offer this exciting brand of soccer….extremely quick and fast moving, this will definitely be a spectacle to behold…. I am sure that all the followers of “indoor type” soccer, will love the addition of this sport at the North….

Be on the lookout for next week newsletter….. with results, action pictures and a whole lot more…

Hope to you all soon at the North…

Till then, cheers…
Rod

The Scimitar 30 Sep 2022

Hello to everyone out there……

What a lovely week we have just had….. warm weather and plenty of celebration……

Here is a quick recap….Thursday the 22nd was the actual day of our anniversary and was a day for celebration….an endless happy hour with half price drinks proved to be most popular….I am sure that there were a fair share of sore heads the following day, to greet in the weekend….

Friday night saw a glittering gala dinner, celebrating the sports person of the year, both junior and senior, Clubman of the year….and ending off with Ted Jarvis relating some of memories…. the Clubman this year was awarded to Logan Green, for his marvellous edition of the jubilee magazine….

Madison Landsman edged out her fellow competitors in the junior sports person of the year category….she has made huge inroads in cricket, culminating in national U19 ladies colours, a truly talented young lady…

In the Senior category, there was fierce competition, but in the end Shane McGregor for his efforts in attaining a sub 7 hour Comrades, proved to be sufficient for the judges to judge him a worthy winner….. well done to all the winners, and best of luck to all the nominees… may you all continue to grow and excel in your sports and make our Northerns faithful proud!! The evening ended off with Ted running us through a quick resume of the Clubs history…from the humble beginnings, to growing into the massive and respected club it is today…. we have truly stood the test of time and will continue to do so…..a massive thank you to all the Members, past and present, for all the efforts in making this marvellous Club the we are all an integral part of….

Saturday saw another busy day at the North….a junior hockey tournament was sprung on us unexpectedly, which was handled in our stride…our Legends cricketers took on the Titans in a 50 over encounter, the result of which is a closely guarded secret, but both sides have said it was a super warm up for the forthcoming season for our boys….and a necessary build up for the tournament that the Titans are participating shortly…..our Rugby boys held a most successful 10’s tournament, well done to our committee and the organisers…..and then in our last football game of the season, there was a goal fest….with our boys ending up on the wrong side of the final result….we did put up a great effort throughout the season with an unbeaten extending to over 15 games….a really super season from our lads….well done to you all, players, coaches and the committee, we are very proud of you…go and have a well-deserved rest….before you start off your pre-season fitness programmes in anticipation of the new year that awaits….

Last Thursday we also held our Joker draw, but Sean Lees who was selected, drew the 7 of hearts….his misfortune means that our jackpot now edges up to R15033 for this week….please join us to try your luck at finding the Joker…

This Saturday we have the Glimlag Fees on at the North…..

Please note that the Club is NOT closed…but the organisers have asked that to limit access to the festival, that they close our parking lot…..so parking will be across the road…and Members will need to show their Club Membership cards to gain access to the Club…. There is going to be fencing around the Club, again to limit access to the festival… if our Members are wanting to join the Festival. They will receive a 66% discount, only paying R50 for a ticket….the proceeds of the ticket will go directly to the Smile Foundation….which has always been a very deserving charity…

Artists will be performing all day and the event should end at about 11pm….there are plenty of food and craft stalls available and also a massive children’s entertainment area available….and of course a massive beer tent!!

Thank you for all your support and understanding .

Sport will be back in full swing next week again.
See you all soon
Rod

The Scimitar 19 Aug 2022

And here we are….finally the beeeeg day is only two days away….

Super Saturday is going to be a massive day here at the North…. With both sides of our hallowed fields being full of top notch sport….Junior rugby on the JBH side all day and the Derby and reunion on the Main Club side in the afternoon till late…. More information below….

Athletics

Our Athletics section are taking it easy at the moment, with Comrades only 10 days away…but they will adding to the festivities…with a brekkie on Sunday in a send-off to the all the runners that will be participating in one of the greatest human challenges in the world…the Comrades Marathon…Good luck to everyone taking part, whether you are participation, assisting with a table or on the road or a family member supporting on the big day…good luck…

Baseball

Baseball are busy with their season and on the social front, they have commenced with their renovations…which promise to be amazing…. The plans are most ambitious, but it is a wish-list and they have a plan of how the pieces of the puzzle will fall into place…All the best to you with your plans….

Hockey

The hockey guys are nearing the end of their seasons…but the competitiveness remains….there is still a fight left for those not wanting to end up holding the wooden spoon….whilst on the other side of the leagues table, the top spot is also being hotly contested….hope that everyone gets the results that they desire…

Rugby

This Saturday is a culmination of years of work for the Rugger boys….since them joining us at the North, this section have been wanting to create and develop a junior section…and host their Junior tournament…which they will do this weekend….my personal thanks to Lourens and his hard working committee for attaining your goal…finally we will showcase the talent we possess and our prowess at hosting a wonderful tournament…. Good luck to all our youngsters and to the committee for a great day…..please join us across the road on the rugby fields for a wonderful day…..we start off early by around 8 and finish off when the sun goes down….

Football

On the football front…our first side have been playing some amazing ball…and with a win in our catch up game against Bedfordview last weekend, we are now punching with the top sides and leaders in the league…..this weekend we host our noisy neighbours (from down the road)…the derby will definitely add to the flavour of the day, the losers of the clash facing an uphill battle to fight their way back into contention…the winners will have a slightly easier run in, but is there ever an “easy run in”? I am sure both sides will be at their best…and with Bens having the advantage of winning the first meeting, the North have everything to prove…. Give it horns boys…

To make sure that our boys are given everything to assist and support on the day…the footballers have made this an official reunion of the all the old boys to celebrate our 50th anniversary….so there will be a very partisan crown to cheer on our boys….another invitation to you all to pop in and come along to support….it should be an amazing day of celebration….

Joker Draw

Our Joker draw remains climbing…this week Nick Murray had his chance….but his choice landed up being the nine of clubs….and that pushes up our jackpot to R12117….only 4 weeks gone….but the interest is gaining momentum…..if you feel lucky this week, come along to join us…if you don’t feel lucky, come along anyway….always good fun on a Friday at the North…

Upcoming events

Here is a quick run-down of activities at the North in the next couple of weeks:-

• August 20th Football derby day, fun activities and food stalls available…. Junior Rugby tournament…with a beer tent
• August 21st Comrade breakfast and send off
• August 27th “Big Day Out” music festival (tickets through the Green. Live on Facebook)
• August 28th Comrades Marathon
• September 2nd First night Market of summer
• September 3rd Hockey tournament

See you all soon….

Have a great week
Cheers
Rod

The Scimitar 11 Aug 2022

Wow…..at the North we are having an amazing return from COVID!!

The stage is set for the next few months to get back into the groove and put the last two years behind us…. It is marvellous to have all our sports back in full swing and with their governing bodies allowing spectators again, means that there is always some sort of activity at the North….we are also experiencing a resurgence of events being hosted at our beloved grounds…..and with all the anniversary events coming up, there is plenty to do and watch over the next while…I will list the dates a little further down, to remind everyone to diarise their favourites….

Firstly let us have a look at football….our Juniors have been super busy, some sides faring a little better than others, but marvellous the see and to feel the excitement and see all the enthusiasm gendered by the little players is really something to experience…this spirit has been contagious and moved up to our top sides and they are now also enjoying a golden run….after having beaten the top sides in the last few weeks and some results also going our way….mean that we are within three points of being on the crest of the Super League….we travel to Befordview this week, to play a “catch up” game…and with a favourable result, we will go into the “derby match” next weekend….near the top of the league standings… as a special day, the “derby” will be a football extravaganza and a super reunion, with past players that have represented the North being invited to see how Football and the Club has grown since they pulled on a jersey competitively…. It should be a fantastic day of celebration and I am sure there will be plenty of reminiscing and many friendships will be re-ignited on the day…Join us for what promises to be a memorable “jol”!!

Our rugby boys have endured a tough season, being moved up a couple of leagues, into the top Valke league….but many lessons have been learned and we were unfortunate during more than one only one match to only lose by a couple of points…so well done to our boys on showing plenty of commitment…we are very proud of you… our Rugby juniors have been hard at work and have been practicing really well and are now rewarded next weekend with the hosting of their home tournament….busy day, with the derby on the Main Club side…the junior Rugby tournament will be on our rugby fields on the JBH side of the grounds…

Cricket as also getting into swing, with Junior trials commencing this weekend…and senior trials being held next weekend (yes!! You read correctly!!) As if we don’t have enough on the 20th….we also have the senior trials….please get ready for all our sports getting together to show off their talents….

Hockey is busy winding down…after a stop-start last two years, their leagues are now slowing down and the league winners and wooden spoonists being resolved in the next week or two…Juniors have also experienced some changes in the practicing and playing format…there have also been lessons learned with these changes….and our Junior committee have proposed that we start fearing ourselves up for next year already…and will have a “meet-and-greet” for all the players to get together with the committee, coaches and players for next year….the date set for this day of exploration has been set for…yes, you guessed it….the 20th!! It will continue again the following Saturday 27th, but the energy of the 20th now includes hockey….

Our athletes had their Comrades get together on Wednesday the 17th….and are now ready for Sunday the 28th which is their day of reckoning….good luck to you all, I am sure you will achieve your goals…..

Our new Joker draw now has three cards turned over….and the current Jackpot stands at R11715….join is this Friday for a relaxing evening….enjoy a refreshment with a friend…or meet some new ones….hope to see you there….

Just a quick run down on dates to diarise….

• August 13th Junior Cricket trials
• August 20th Football derby day, fun activities and food stalls available…. Junior Rugby tournament…with a beer tent Senior Cricket trials Junior Hockey “meet-and-greet”
• August 27th “Big Day Out” music festival (tickets through the Green. Live on Facebook)
• August 28th Comrades Marathon
• September 3rd Hockey tournament
• September 23rd 50th anniversary dinner
• October 1st Glimlag Fees (Smile Foundation) music festival (tickets through TicketPro) – there will be substantial discounts for Northerns members

I hope that you will be able to join us at some of these fantastic events….
The North will be “cooking”!!
Have a great week
Cheers
Rod

The Scimitar 27 May 2022

Warm greetings to all of you out there….

The trees and grass are changing colour and the rain seems to have finally abated…the mornings are quite a bit cooler…and in the late afternoon it is time to don that warm jersey or jacket to ward off the freshness in the air…which means that summer is officially over….we are in the throes of autumn and winter is right here on our doorstep… but that said, I think we had more days of cool winter days in the last six months, than I can ever remember….hopefully summer and winter have reached an agreement and we will have some stinking hot days in the next three months!!

After some waterlogged fields experiences in April, our soccer, rugby, baseball and hockey players are now getting through their season without any major weather disruptions…

Soccer will this weekend be at the North again… after a couple of solid performances, both sides are now on a double roll, overcoming Edenvale and Sporting at home…. we would like this performance to be continued this weekend as we host Olympia…this has been one of our bogie sides in the past, so let us come and support our boys into a winning position this weekend……

The rugby men are back in action and are playing our old foe, Brakpan this weekend, also at home…good luck chaps, this is a massive match for us….it is many a year that we are playing in the old Derby….let us make this weekend a successful…. please come down to support them if Rugger is your game….

Baseball are up and running with their leagues again on Sunday…so all the best to them for all their encounters….

All the hockey players will be in action again this weekend….good luck to all of our sides in their matches…I see that there are quite a few of our sides that are showing off their new kit….I have included some pictures of the Fossils in their new kit….

Our Joker draw hunt continues….we are now through 32 weeks and still no winner…..Les Archibald, showed us that the luck of the draw is still in place around the main bar counter, as he had his name drawn last Friday…and although he was unable to find the Joker he indicated the hiding place of the ten of Clubs ….this week we are ready to pay the lucky person who reveals the joker the very tidy sum of R28734…. your R5 ticket could be reason to having almost R29k in your bank account by early next week…. Remember also that if you have a bar slip of over R100, please hand it in at the joker sales desk and receive an additional ticket for the draw….so come down of Friday night, have a beer with some mates….listen to the music of the very popular Ryno and Freedom Unfound, he has promised some exciting stuff, with a surprise guest appearance and they has been hard at work practicing some new material….

The year 2022 is our 50th anniversary…and the committee is hard at work getting a commemorative year book together…..they are currently selling off advertising for this amazing magazine, that will be a collectors item, please contact the office if you would like to advertise in this unique edition…the magazine will be filled with plenty of articles, photographs and memories from the last 50 years…Logan Green is our liaison person, if there are any contributions or further information you may require in this regard.

Please join us for another great weekend of fun and laughter at the North….
See you there
Rod

The Scimitar 10 Mar 2022

A very good morning to you all….

I am looking forward to an amazing weekend….we had to postpone the night market last Friday, as quite a number of exhibitors pulled out due to the pending weather forecast…and of course once we agreed to postpone….the rain never arrived….so this Friday we are having a Night Market at the club…please join us for a great evening of fun…there will also be the joker draw…which is now up to R21422….we have gone through 20 weeks now….so the chances are improving to find the elusive Jester….33 cards to search from….and remember that Members have a double chance at winning…..if the Member does not find the Joker….but matches the card on display (this week it is the 5 of diamonds)…they will receive 10% (R2142-20) of the jackpot onto their Membership card…. a wonderful double incentive for Members to buy their chance into win a tidy little sum on the Jackpot draw…..we have a bonus added to our Friday night…Coyote (Billy and Martin) will make a welcome return to performing at the North again… please pop in…get something to eat…look at the wares on show…buy some joker draw tickets….listen to the music…enjoy a refreshment or two…(if your receipt is more than R100, present that ticket to the sales desk of the joker tickets, to get an additional ticket for the draw)…listen to some music and have a super evening at the North….

On Saturday we have a really special day….we are hosting being the finishing post for the DJ Veteran Motor Cycle race from Durban to Joburg….this will be the 109th presentation of this event…..it promises to be a fantastic day out…with one massive drawcard…..we have a father and his two sons competing in the event…..and now to disclose their surname, may make many a heart flutter….. Binder!!!….YES!! Brad and Darryn and their father Trevor, will be finishing at the Club on Saturday on their Veteran Motor Cycles….and will be hanging around to meet and greet people…. The finishing line will be on the hockey field and then proceeding to a bike park or display area….where you can look t these beautiful machines….there will be an outside pub behind the flagpoles….so that you can “wet your whistle” while you watch the contestants complete the race…. We expect the first contestants to be at the finishing line starting at about 13h00…..if you want to watch them on the road…..they are coming from Carnival City / Mall and then down Rangeview (Snake) road….until the Tom Jones turnoff and then proceeding through town (Bunyan / Great North) and eventually turning at the SuperSpar (Webb Street intersection) and up to the Club, past the Covenant Church, Benoni High and the Swimming pool….right into Brodigan, right into the Club….down the Oak avenue past the tennis Club and then onto the hockey field….. I personally can’t wait…I think this is going to lots of fun….

Please diarise the “TAG fun run/walk”…set for March 21st….from the Club…as this is a fund-raiser, the donation for the entrance fee will made to TAG…in the past this has been a very well attended and successful day…the pandemic has caused this event to be postponed for two years….so I’m sure there will be plenty of people who would live to join us in this great initiative… please check on our and Athletics FaceBook pages for more information…. hopefully we will see you all there…

We have held Junior registrations over the last two weekends….and the Soccer committee are very happy with their response….while hockey were a little more guarded as to the success…I am sure that this will be another successful year for our juniors again…

The 50th Anniversary celebration committee met last week and I am very excited about the proposals of events, functions and activities that are being planned….our actual date of founding, was in late September….so expect some massive parties at that time….it will be epic…there are some super branded beer glasses, that you may purchase at R30 each from the bar…and I see that there are coasters and stickers celebrating the occasion too….please ask at the bar for more details….

COVID seems to have taken a bit of a back seat with the strife in Eastern Europe…but please still remain vigilant….it is still lurking… don’t let down you guard….

Our sports are still definitely on the go too…. cricket is ending their season by the end of the month…junior baseball is finishing up soon too and will be holding their prize giving shortly…. Our soccer boys are holding practices and started their league last week with a draw to Kempton…our management were quite satisfied with the result…as the opposition Castle League side did not have a match on Saturday…which resulted in their first team being selected from an extremely strong squad….this week we host Bedfordview…with the match being held on the “C” field…. as cricket are still busy with their fixtures on the main fields….good luck guys, give your best, enjoy the match and above all have fun… Rugby are hard at practice…in expectation of a great season after only playing in one official match in the last two years….rugby junior registration should be done in April, with practices and matches beginning in June…On the Athletics front, with the Comrades being a little later this month…there is a bit more time for our athletes to get their big mileage in, to build up the fitness and mental capacity to take on the huge ultra-distance of90km challenge of Comrades…the time trials, for the quick fellows, are going well on Tuesdays at the dam… there have been some really great times posted already….hockey fixtures are going to be starting on the weekend of March 27 (a great day!!)…so start expecting to see a lot more “hockey-bokkies” on Saturday in the pubs….whilst the boys also will be seen making the “lapa’s” in the beer garden their home on Sunday….it has been super to see the Bridge Players back again….I hope that they have enjoyed their return to the club…being able to interact with people…rather than seeing them on-line!!!..

Hopefully you have all noticed that despite all the rain creating additional growth to the grasses and bushes…and that our fields are looking amazing…Brian and his team have taken responsibility for the cutting and maintaining of our fields in the last three weeks…. The rain has meant that everything is green…and the efforts of the ground staff need to be applauded, as the edges are trimmed and large areas that haven’t seen cutting in a very long time now, are tidy!!…. Well done guys, I am very proud if you all….
Have a super weekend….join us and it will be better..

Cheers Rod

The Scimitar 22 Jan 2022

Good morning and happy “two’s day” to you all…..

A unique day that will never be repeated in our lifetime…..or ever in fact….that it is readable from the front to back (and vice versa) and upside down too…..okay, okay, only on an antiquated calculator screen!!…I thought that was pretty natty too….

We have been having good news on the Corona front, with the relaxation of the regulations, the cancelling of the curfew being a great positive…and while for some reason the State of Disaster hasn’t been abolished yet, I am sure that this will not be renewed in the foreseeable future…That is fantastic news for all our sports….as it appears that the playing of our sports and with the addition of spectators, it will not be restrictive as we have experienced over the past two years…

As we near the end of summer, we are moving inexorably to our busiest time of the year….not my favourite weather time….but busy in that all of our winter sports are going to start being played….soccer has already got up and brushed themselves off and have been busy with the Top 8 competition….and will embark on their League fixtures at the beginning of March….all the best to them…..rugby has also gained momentum, after playing only one league match in the last two COVID shut down years….and are readying themselves for another busy season….hockey 5’s are currently being played, which will make way for traditional field hockey shortly…I am sure that all the hockey people are champing at the bit to get back on the fields… Baseball also are starting their practices so that they are ready for the winter season….Our road running kings are also prepping themselves up for their goal…which has been moved a little later in the year, Comrades has been moved to August….so their whole schedule has moved along….even our own marathon is being hosted in early July to still be one of the last qualifiers for the big race….Interestingly, I have also seen that the social section is in practice to ready themselves up for a busy winter of armchair critics lying ahead….I have made the necessary arrangements for more stock of their favourite brew to be ordered…..we have also had some positive news, that our bridge section will be starting to use the hall for their weekly matches from the first week in March….I am sure that they are only too happy to be breaking the shackles of the internet and now meeting face to face once again….a huge welcome back to everyone…..it will be marvellous to see you all and to have you back here at your home away from home…

Our winter junior sports will also be starting up shortly, with junior soccer registration being held at the Club, this Saturday 26 February between 08h00 and 14h00 in the Ladies bar. Next Saturday, 5 March, the process will be repeated….we are hoping for a massive response, as the last two years have been frustrating….with sports being played behind “closed doors” with the ruling bodies not allowing spectators…..Junior Hockey are also having their registrations soon, these will be held in the beer garden next Saturday, 5 March, from 08h00 to about 12h00……Junior rugby has not scheduled a date for their start up, but with matches and tournaments expected to start in May, I am sure that the process will begin in April 2022. Please keep an eye on our Facebook page, website, or watch this space for more information.We are currently still busy with our cricket season, the rain being the biggest problem with trying to complete the league commitments… and as if the rain isn’t enough of an obstacle for our league and practice schedules, our grounds staff have also had to assume responsibility of cutting and also maintaining our fields as well…. a massive thank you to Brian and his staff, for manfully taking on the additional task with ease and conducting them with aplomb. The fields are looking fantastic, better to me than they have in many a year….Softball and Junior Baseball are enjoying a busy season too….and have hosted a few weekends of baseball at our grounds…well done to Shaun and his team for all the effort put in to make a success of these weekend fixtures….

Over the last two months, we have been a couple of postponements of our night market, but despite these we have already hosted two this year, where we confused the weather gods by moving the dates to the second Friday of the month…

Music has also returned to the North on Friday nights…last weekend we had the popular husband and wife team, Plus2….they got everyone they could onto the dance floor with some great numbers to jive to….while the break has ensured that they worked on some classic numbers and they definitely had us tapping our feet for the whole evening….this week I organised a “newbie”….I met and listened to him when I was down in Mozambique over the New Year….and he knocked my socks off….playing some old classics with his inimitable style….and included some ready good new music….he calls himself Born2Fire and I recommend that you come through see him…hopefully we will see you there..

Our joker draw is still running and the joker remains elusive….with the jackpot now standing at R20114… 19weeks of activity means that the chances of the Jester being found are improving each week….please come along and join us in our normal Friday fun evenings…. It is wonderful having the junior cricketers along at practice and the shouts of “Howzat” or the clip of the leather on willow is always lovely to listen to….

Last week we hosted a new school that didn’t have adequate grounds to host their athletics….they brought it across to the North….my gracious thanks to Sonia from our junior Athletics for the hard graft in the measurements and marking of the track….it is a welcome addition for the junior athletes that they can practice around a track now….
We are hosting a wine tasting evening on Thursday 24 February in the Ladies Bar…. this promises to be a great evening, with the wines on offer coming from the Ken Forrester stable (is that the right word? Probably not…. maybe vineyard is better) but please join us for the evening…..the cost involved is to cover the snacks provided….all the wines are sponsored….so come along for a great evening of tasting and some invaluable information about how those little grapes progress from the vine to the bottle to our table….
The Night market will continue next Friday 4 March…..keep the date open…it promises another super evening….
Easterns hockey are holding a fun day held at the Astro on 12 March…which promises to be a great day…the bar will be the Coach and manned by our staff…. Please diarise this….
Do not forget that this is our anniversary year…we are celebrating our 50th year of existence….I can remember like yesterday playing cricket on the main field in 1975…I still battle to say it was 47 years ago……we have some really great beer glasses on sale…please ask at the Scimitar for more details….there are limited stocks….so please get them while they are available….there will be some exciting events planned to celebrate…please keep an eye on our social media platforms for more information….
Cheers for now…. have a great week and see you soon at the North….

Rod

The Scimitar 14 Jan 2022

A special greeting from the management and staff at the North to all our readers…..

Best wishes for 2022 to you all, may this year be most prosperous and your best ever….
Finally, with the government’s scrapping of the curfew, we can move around more freely and this peace of mind I hope is able to promote a more positive vibe and a bit of normality returning to our country….

I watched this week all the joy of kids at school… some returning to a higher grade, some entering junior school for the first time, some taking the major leap into high school… other young adults started their final year of school… all of these encompass exciting prospects for them, new challenges and adjusted goals….all with the hope of being a better and smarter individual by the end of the year….judging from the number of parents and loved ones at the first day of school, each one will experience major success…. I sincerely hope that every single one use these kids example and treat this year as a new challenge, setting new goals with the object of being a better person by the end of this year….It feels like the last two years have been spent “running in the spot” and we need to move forwards…I sincerely hope we are able to do this.

With the start of the new year, it is wonderful to see the hive of activity at the North…staff working with a passion at the tasks allocated to them… our Members too are back, practicing to hone their skills in anticipation of the target that they have set themselves….

Athletics

Our Athletes have already had their first Wednesday Club run… time trials started on Tuesday… morning runs during the week and weekend… the dates have provisionally set for our Marathon this year… more exciting times await…

Football

The Soccer boys have also kicked off training, with the Top 8 competition already set for February…. Practices are conducted Tuesdays and Thursdays in anticipation, the coaches are wanting to have a bumper year!!

Rugby

The rugger buggers have also commenced their training too….also on Tuesdays and Thursdays….they are wanting to have a fantastic and successful year, after being in hibernation for the last two because of the restrictions.

Baseball and Softball

Baseball juniors and Softball have also begun their training sessions and will be starting their competitive matches soon too…

Cricket

Cricket have also resumed…practices started this week and matches will already be played this weekend… join us to hear the click of leather on willow…hopefully the weather plays the game and all games are not disrupted….

Our grounds are looking superb, after all the rain in December we have experienced some rapid growth, but thanks to Brian and Lungi, our main fields are in immaculate condition… the council also returned to work this week and are trying frantically to get all the fields across the road back into tip top condition too…

Joker Draw

This week sees the resumption of the Joker draw on Friday…just to remind everyone the Jackpot has climbed to R17004 and we are 12 weeks down the road on this draw…. We also see the resumption in music this week and I am pleased to announce that the 5 piece favourite, Omega will be lighting up our lives with their version of some really great hits from the past….

Events

There are also some exciting events planned for the near future….

• The night market resumes on February 4
• As mentioned the Football Top 8 competition commences in February….with both first and reserves sides in action….
• The Friday night Food Fiesta will continue from February 11
• There is a wine tasting evening planned for February 24

These are the current February events planned, but we are awaiting the confirmation with dates of some other functions, I will let you know as soon as they are confirmed.
2022 is an exciting year in the life of Benoni Northern Sports Club…and our Golden festival committee are busy planning and organising some exceptional fun things throughout the year… again, I will be letting you know once we have specific dates and times….keep an eye on our Facebook pages if you want to be the first to know of any changes and announcements….

That’s all for this week….take Care and stay safe…

Rod

The Scimitar 19 Nov 2021

A sunny good day to everyone out there….

My favourite time of the year is definitely producing my sort of weather….some sweltering heat, splattered with thunder showers….which means swimming and cold beer weather are on the menu on an ongoing basis….I’m sure I heard a few “hear-hear’s” from the Members… We should be on the annual slow down (or is it quicken up) before the holiday season….but with all the to-do about the pandemic, it still doesn’t feel like a normal year for me….that said, the ToyRun will not be held in the normal form again this year….with the limit of numbers of people able to attend, the organising committee have decided to only have a drive through again, so no entertainment, limited stalls, half of the mass arrival….it is a little disappointing , but in the light of the pandemic and the restraint placed on activities, I fully understand the dilemma faced by Peter and his team….

On the positive side….the idea to have a Friday Food Tuck Fiesta is starting this week….the trucks will be parked on the avenue of Oaks lining the road to the Tennis Club….please join us from about 16h00…there will be a variety of cuisine available…..we will have chairs and tables available near the jungle gym….some more available in the beer garden….and if there is rain affecting the evening…we will have these tables and chairs in the hall and on the patio under the tent…..we will also have music entertainment every Friday again…this week we kick off with karaoke….so all the aspirant and budding Idols participants can come along and test their talent at the North…. There is still our usual fare of Joker draw and weekly raffle available too….and the junior cricketers will also be practicing on Friday afternoon, so we can expect a very jolly and happy bunch to celebrate the start of the weekend with us. Load shedding will not affect operations as we have a generator, which will fire into life when Eskom fail us

Next Saturday we are also playing host to the Green and their Gin and Beer Fest…this will be held across the road, on the corner of Hanekam and Brodigan Streets….and promises to be another amazing day out…..please follow the links on our Facebook page and other social media platforms for ticket purchases and more information…. Remember the date November 27, 2021….
With soccer and rugby now being in recess, the only active winter sports are junior baseball and Hockey 5’s….the fives is in full swing on the weekend…please contact Shaun Tayler for more details…the junior baseballers are practicing and playing over the weekends….I have seen quite a lot of activity during the week from the schools too….it is lovely seeing that the kids are not all locked up and are able to get out and play some sport in the open air again….

Athletics –

Athletics have again been active with their time trials and Club runs…..and as we approach the end of the year, there are all sorts of fun functions and runs planned…and then the annual prize giving to look forward to as well….contact the athletics office for more details, if you are wanting participate or join….

Cricket –

Unfortunately our cricketers were taught a comprehensive lesson by Bedfordview on Sunday….losing by 95 runs…Bedfordview won the toss and elected to bat, scoring 255/8 in their allotted overs….their number 8, Leander Lubbe notching up an impressive 57 in 28 balls adding to our misery…..in our reply, we stuttered along with 5 guys getting into the 20’s….but no mainstay, meaning that we were rolled over 160 with just over 4 overs remaining….this week we travel to Kempton Park to play Avion Park…let us hope that we overturn last weeks result and bring home all the points….

Social –

Please don’t forget the social sections golf day on December 5th….to be held at the Police Golf Course in Hospital Road….an early start (05h30) followed by the prize giving at the Club at 13h00

Joker draw –

Still elusive…after 7 weeks we now have R14316 in the jackpot, waiting for someone to choose his hiding place… pop along this week…it could be your chance to be drawn….

Upcoming events

A quick breakdown of the events planned over the next little while

• November 24 – Baseball Golf Day, Benoni Country Club
• November 27 – Gin and beer Fest
• December 3 – Night Market
• December 4 – Athletic Prize giving (to be confirmed)
• December 5 – Social Golf Day, prize giving commencing at 13h00 in the Hall

That’s it for this week…hopefully I’ll catch you at the Club before my next newsletter…..

Take care and stay safe
Rod

The Scimitar 11 Nov 2021

Good morning to you all

Rain…rain…rain….lovely rain….after a very hot and dry start to the season we are definitely in the growing season….and everything is a wonderful green and growing profusely….which means that when it isn’t raining, we can hear the sounds of tractors and mowers, weed whackers and generators….(I know the generators shouldn’t be a summer sound….but Eskom has made it an everyday sound these days..) please remember that we do have a generator at the Club, so all the local and international sport is still on all our TV’s in the Scimitar…these is plenty of cold beer and ice awaiting your arrival at the North…..if you are driving past and see all the local robots are off but see that the two small floodlights outside the main entrance are on….We are open and ready to welcome you and your mates, who could already be inside….We have already got phase one of the emergency lighting installed and will commence with phase 2 shortly, which will include the other bars, hall, passage and patio…

In short I would like to summarise what the most important people (our Members) have been doing in the last while

Soccer –

The soccer boys have been very committed in the quest to be the best amateur soccer side in the Gauteng region….and despite some hiccoughs, they ended up coming fourth in the super league….a superb result from our young side….there are two results of which I am most proud of them for…and that was the beating of Randburg (a side that we have battled to do for many a season) and then of course, the double against the boys from down the road…..I am sure that the coaches will say there many more highlights, but these were my stand out moments of the season and made me particularly chuffed….to the all coaches and teams thank you for being here week after week…it has been a trying season (squeezed into two because of COVID)….hopefully we will be able to resume normal operations very soon….vets league is in full flow at the moment, so if there are any players looking for a mid week game, please chat to the committee for more details….

Rugby –

A most frustrating season for our rugger-buggers…. after lots of back room work in attaining new kit and sponsors for the new season…the provincial and national administrators called time on Rugby and postponed all matches until 2022…extremely disappointing for Lourens and his committee…while Coach Herman and his charges were left high and dry following their hard work on the practice fields and only one match in the season completed…. All the best for the new year boys…

Hockey –

A severely disrupted COVID season was completed well into October for both the ladies and gents sections….our Ladies performed most admirably, with the Ya-ya’s winning the Premier, whilst the Fossils annexed the reserve leagued title….. the Men will have to pull up their socks to match up to the accolades of their female counterparts…I know that I will get a lot of flak if I don’t mention that the men did provide plenty of “spirit” in the beer garden while actively following both the girls matches and after their respective games too…. Hockey fives is back in action on the Astro….pop along on the weekend to watch this action packed and high speed version of the sport….

Baseball –

Also a year of fits and starts for our baseballers….featuring plenty of postponements and cancellations following the Pandemic affecting sides participating…the junior Baseballers are hoping to have more success in the next few months…and I see that there are always plenty of matches being hosted over the weekends, while practices also appear to be well attended….well done guys….

Athletics –

Athletics has been one of the sports on offer that has still been able to continue operating, with less restriction being placed on road running than was the norm on team sports…. our Club runs on Wednesday evenings, Tuesday, Friday and weekend mornings, with time trials on a Tuesday evening, have all been well attended. I have noticed that the athletes are supporting the new coffee shop at the Club, and together with the cyclists have made this a popular meeting spot after the completion of their exercise….

Cricket –

Cricket have had to share their fields with senior soccer due to COVID over runs, with the red ball league and event fixtures being moved around to accommodate everyone….and our cricketers were able to host their first full set of matches at the North over the weekend….with positive results for the Premier side…..who played against Boksburg….which ended up with a resounding win for the North….our Len Killeen was Boksburg batting destroyer in chief with figures 3 for 21….which assisted in the opposition being skittled for 98 in just over 24 overs….. Our batsmen finished off the chase in 20 overs….Vaughn Humphries contributing a solid 50….. we passed their total for the loss of three wickets…. Leaving us with a full set of points for the start of the season….keep it up boys….our junior boys are also practicing like crazy and also playing their matches over the weekend….we are allowed spectators again, so please pop along and enjoy the fun, excitement and pleasure with the all the boys….

Social –

This is the sub section that is most affected by the “Lockdown Legislation”….but are fairly resilient, as when the bars are re-opened, their fixtures and gatherings can commence immediately….subject to the necessary COVID protocols naturally….they are gearing up for their annual fund raiser, which is set for December 5th….at the Police Golf course in Northmead….please put your names on the list provided in the Main Bar….it is on a “first-come, first served” basis…..and the slots will fill up quickly…. Please hurry and get your four-ball booked now!!

General –

We now have fibre wifi at the club and although we have had some teething problems, all should be up and running as normal within the next couple of days..
Just a quick reminder of the events that are expected over the next few weeks:-

November 11 – Ladies Night in the Hall
November 24 – Baseball Golf Day, Benoni Country Club
November 27 – Gin Fest
November 28 – Toy Run (provisionally booked – awaiting confirmation)
December 3 – Night Market
December 5 – Athletic Prize giving (to be confirmed)
December 5 – Social Golf Day, prize giving commencing at 13h00 in the Hall

We are in the process of starting a new Friday night attraction to start on November 19…..I am hoping to have 5 food trucks available for a variety of foods for all the delectable palates at the North….more details of the “Friday Night Food Fiesta” will be contained in my newsletter next week….We will also offer music on these evenings, to add to the fun of Friday nights…which will include our Joker draw and raffle as normal….

The Joker draw is up and running again and after six weeks, the Jackpot has climbed at R13600…. come and join us…remembering that all Scimitar bar slips issued between 16h00 and 19h00 for over R100, qualify for an extra joker draw ticket….

There is also Springbok rugby also over the weekend….discounts being offered on all alcohol purchased at the bar for the duration of the game….Saturday afternoon we play Scotland 15h00…..hope you are able to support the Boks with us….

I would like to thank everyone for their support over the last few months…. your presence has made everything feel almost back to normal…..and a special thank you to my staff, who continue to surprise me with their ability to take everything in their stride and handle whatever obstacles with ease and aplomb….

A massive thank you Glenda, Shepherd, Themba and your teams….. I am very proud of you!!

That’s it for this week….chat soon….Rod

The Scimitar 23 Sep 2021

A great good day to all

From our far more relaxed headquarters at the North…..the sun is out, the world is bathed in a new coat of green as spring starts to take hold of the world, although that nagging a blustery wind has made its presence felt, there is a more positive feel about with the improved weather conditions….

Sport

With the move by the government to level two of lockdown and the easing of regulations, there have been some bold and positive moves made by the Football authorities, allowing spectators to officially watch their matches again, which is a sentiment which will hopefully be mirrored by all the other national sporting bodies in the not, too distant future.

Of course, I am moving into my favourite time of the year…..for those whom have taken any time to read my ramblings over the last few years….will know that winter and I are not the best of friends….and as the years have flashed by, I prefer the warmer to the cooler times….so roll on summer!!

Heritage Day Braai

At the club, things are starting to move along, we are at our happiest when there is sport being played and events being offered…..we were planning to have a day market on Heritage day, but the support from exhibitors for this event was not as solid as for our night market, so the market was unfortunately put on hold for another day…the Club will still be open and will have braai fires available to for Members and their guests to pop in and fulfil their “braai day” at the North….

Next Friday, the 1st, is the first Friday of the month and on our normal fare of Nights markets will resume….please pop along and join us in what is always a festive evening….

Joker Draw

As Heritage day is a Public Holiday on Friday, our practice of moving the Joker draw to a Thursday will continue….the Jackpot is up at R49311 and with only 14 cards left, the chances of someone finding the Joker are greatly improved…. additionally, as a Member, you still get two bites of the proverbial cherry…. If a Member’s name is drawn and they do not find the Joker in the pack…. and the card that they select happens to match the card on display above the cabinet…. 10% of the Jackpot available will be paid as a bonus onto their Club card immediately for them to use at any time….a huge incentive for our Members to enjoy our Joker draw evenings at the Club with us… The draw still takes place at 19h30, last ticket sales at 19h20….. if you arrive early enough, you can also take some tickets in our beer raffle, where you stand a chance to win a case of beer or the Matts Meat Market voucher…remember this week it is Thursday, but from next week we are back to Fridays with the draws….

Benoni Northerns Cricket Bash

Another fun day (or should I say weekend) is planned soon, as cricket will have a fun festival over the weekend of 2nd/3rd October….more on this next week….but keep an eye on our other social media platforms for news on this exciting event…

Soccer is back

Our soccer players will be back in action at the North this weekend….so please join us in officially welcoming them back with a bumper crowd to spur them on….the boys were having a really good run, which suffered a little hiccough about three weeks ago….but I have been assured that this has been put behind them and we will be striving to end the season with a bang of positive results….The first team kicks off at 15h30, with the reserves preceding them at 13h45….

Hockey continues

Ladies and mens hockey will also continue this weekend and although the long weekend has altered some of the schedules, there will still be plenty of talent on show….all these hockey warriors also usually pop into the beer garden after the conclusion of their match to add to the festivities of the day….
Our runners are all still practicing hard for the various different events on their calendar…Tuesday and Friday mornings, Wednesday evenings, and weekend Club runs are on offer at the Club with a time trial at the dam on a Tuesday….please join them if you would like to join up.

Coffee shop

The coffee shop is up and running…I see it is well supported by the running community early in the morning…. please pop in soon….it is open before most get to work 07h00 starting time….so no excuses…

Pizza kitchen is open

The popular pizza kitchen is also open for your convenience….order a pizza and have a beer or two while you wait for your order….

A quick edition for today, to keep everyone up to speed with what is happening at the North….I hope to see you at the Club soon….

Have fun, take care and stay safe…
Rod

The Scimitar 13 Sep 2021

Hi there to everyone…..

I took a quiet sabbatical from the newsletter during the pandemic, we had enough bad news to deal with….but with things starting to return to normal, I thought I would subject you to my weekly sprinkling of news and thoughts.

Over the last two weeks, I have found that the North is feeling some sense of normality….it was wonderful to see the junior soccer players and hear their shouts of joy and glee as they scored a goal, or dismay as things possibly didn’t go their way….the young cricketers were also around as their trials were held…..there was a junior hockey tournament up at the Astro….our main soccer fields had all of our sides playing at home for a change… the hockey players made their presence felt after the conclusion of their matches….the music was blaring forth from the Karaoke speakers….all the bars were busy with people requiring refreshments…it was marvellous to see….it started to feel almost normal and more like home again…

Uncle Cyril announced relaxed regulations during our family meeting last night and the extended trading hours are most welcome at the Club…..to give everyone a quick rundown of our news and to keep you all up to speed with what is happening at the Club….here goes….

CLUB

The Joker draw still has not been won and now stands at R48 208…we are 38 weeks into this draw and currently have 15 cards left….each week the chances of a member taking home some cash increases, as every paid up member has two chances to win….if they draw the joker, obviously they will take home the jackpot, but if they don’t find it and their selection matches the playing card displayed above the cabinet…they will receive 10% of the jackpot immediately transferred onto their membership card to spend at their leisure at the bar!! ….. that alone is reason enough for Members to join us on a Friday….please come down this week, we have missed you all….

The craft / cocktail bar is open on Saturdays and Sundays for some fine fare to enjoy, whilst on Fridays their cocktail selection will be available from the mobile bar….the Scimitar bar will be open every day from 3-8 and on Fridays it will be open from 12pm-8pm…..Saturdays and Sundays see the operating times alter to 10am-8pm……our main bar will only open on Friday nights and Saturday as demand requires….

Everyone will have notice the well-appointed grey container near the flag poles that houses our coffee shop that is now open….a most welcome addition….please support this awesome venture…it is open from pretty early every day apart from Mondays…and they offer delicious cappuccino and different hot (and cold) drink choices and amazing home-made sweet treats to make your mornings more fun….our pizza kitchen is still open and making their delicious tasty wares…their hours being very similar to the Scimitar bar…..so while you wait for your order to be made up, have a beer or two to pass the time….

The public holiday that is coming up, we are planning to have a braai day, in conjunction with a day market….keep an eye on our social media for more details…I will also divulge the more info through this medium as well….I think this will be a fantastic day to get out and join us…

With the COVID reduction of our trading hours…we have decided to move our music and karaoke offerings to a Saturday afternoon on home soccer days from 16h00 until further notice…so come along and have singalong fun with us….

COVID protocols and regulations are still enforced…please wear a mask when entering, ordering at the bar or using the restrooms and please keep it with you at all times…wash your hands regularly and maintain the relevant social distancing….

SPORT

Our soccer leagues and teams are really busy with the premier league still in action for another 7 or so weeks…the next three Saturdays we have home matches…and although there are no spectators allowed, please come along and enjoy some light refreshments, while you “aren’t watching”….

Hockey also has a good few weeks still to complete their season, so we are chock’n’block with the Ladies from their leagues on Saturdays and Men on Sundays. All Rugby leagues and matches were called off for this year, so sadly these will only resume in the new year.

Baseball is continuing and the junior leagues will begin in early October…as mentioned earlier we had junior cricket trails recently, followed by the senior trials… so the click of leather on willow will resume soon as practices get into full swing….

The runners have started their time trials and of course have their club runs too….keep an eye out for all our sports people who are continuing in their quest of fitness and improvement.

That’s it for this week… Stay safe and COVID free…. See you soon….

Rod

The Scimitar 28 Apr 2021

A very good day to you all

We are being treated by Mother Nature at the moment a kaleidoscope of colours…..there is still some green hue around on the grasses and in the trees….bit the vivid autumn colours are prevalent…. Aged yellow, fading to orange, ravishing reds, burnished brown…and the dull beige (“vaal”) of the dry vegetation…..It is a brilliant time of the year for colour, but the temperatures are dropping….dry skin and chapped lips are the norm….bring back summer…I miss it already….

On a positive note….the kids are on school holidays….so the Club has been a little quiet since Friday….with everyone travelling to their holiday destinations…whether it be at the sea, in the mountains, in the bush…or just the favourite spot that we are able to relax and unwind after a really difficult last twelve months…

On Friday we had the return of someone from the legal eagle corner….as Brad Knight had his name chosen from the beeeg black box…..and he confidently pointed out his selection….which when turned, revealed the six of diamonds…everyone in the bar breathed a sigh of relief and it meant that everyone was alive to possibly be a winner for another week…the jackpot has moved up to marginally below the R34k level and settled in at R33991…. We are approaching the half way stage this draw and have had 22 cards revealed already…which means it is more difficult for the joker to remain in hiding…. Please come down the to the Club this week and try your luck at choosing the Joker…perhaps you are the lucky one to be in front of the Joker cabinet at 19h30 on Friday….

With it being a long weekend…. hockey had a general bye, whilst Soccer and Baseball and Soccer had fixtures in their league…. I saw that the baseball boys were busy at Northerns with centralised fixtures…I have not had any feedback on our results…hopefully I will get these for reporting back next week.

Our soccer club welcomed Randburg to the North on Saturday afternoon…..and unfortunately we did not have achieve the set of results we wanted….the reserves started off with a 1-0 loss that was possibly a fair reflection of the game…as we had chances that we were unable to convert….but the young side is gathering valuable lessons which will stand them in good stead… our injury list has been growing every week and both the reserves and first side have been affected by this problem…. That said, we are still second in the league, four points behind Robertsham….with Luso breathing down our necks a point adrift….. in the late game, the first side found themselves 3-0, before they showed some fight to claw back two goals ….but that was not enough to get a share of the points on the day….injuries and unavailability have been the thorn in the side of this team…. And we have been playing with players out of position to make up numbers…. the loss means we slide back to 5th on the league table….one point behind last week victors and two points behind Luso….hopefully this week will improve….and we need to work hard at training and remain positive, as this week we move down the road to play Old Bens…..reserves kick off at 13h45, whilst the first side kick proceedings off at 15h30… please follow the fortunes of our sides at the Club down the road on the weekend….

This week we have a full house pf our side competing in soccer, hockey and baseball….and with rugby soon to be returning to the playing park, we can look forward to chock’n’block festivities weekly at the North….. we should have a good turnout of players and locals alike this weekend…if you are at a loose end, join us at the Club…. we would love to welcome you…

I leave you with an honest request…..this horrid disease that has changed our whole lifestyle in the last year….is silently there…waiting to pounce…. Please do not be complacent….wash or sanitise your hands regularly….wear your mask and maintain adequate social distance of people… if you have any changes in your health…raised temperature or fever, sore throat, tiredness, loss of taste of smell, cough….and the new one, a runny tummy…please be responsible and self -isolate and / get yourself checked up by a trained medical physician….

Take care and stay safe….
Rod

The Scimitar 16 Apr 2021

Good day to everyone

We appear to still be in the grip of summer in the last few days….we played hockey just after midday on Sunday and it felt like we were back in summer….as you all well know by now, I love summer weather, so I am an extremely happy fellow at present….long may it continue…

As I requested last week, we had an epic and bumper weekend at the North, with the weather to match….and starting off on Friday, the Night Market was a great success….with plenty of visitors and lots of new faces at our Joker draw which was great to see…my wife had the good fortune of being the one drawn to see if she could find the Joker…..but luck was definitely not on her side….as she drew the Ace of Hearts….which happened to be the back-up Members card….if she was a Member of the Club she would have instantly had 10% of the jackpot proceeds on her membership card (which was over R3000 on Friday night)…so no luck for her…but she has vowed to now become a social member!!.. this means that with the Joker still in hiding as the Jackpot rises up to R32323 for this week….interest is now starting to build up again and the numbers on Friday nights are beginning to grow….so please come through this week and try your luck…tickets still only cost R5 and are sold in the hall until about 19h20….with the draw taking place at 19h30….

The night market was very popular again and on the few occasions that I walked through, there were always people browsing and milling around….thanks for all the support…the next market will be on May 7, with the same operating times 17h00 to 22h00….the night market will then have a short winter break and reappear on the first Friday of September….

Saturday saw the official return of team sports to the North…with senior and junior soccer and senior hockey also making a welcome return….and although there was a late moving of hockey fixtures, as the Astro was declared unplayable, it was noted that on their return to the North, the Hockey Ladies appeared to enjoy the new cocktails on offer in the Craft bar, whilst their fines and antics were most amusing…. the Men were back in top form on Sunday, looking as fresh as fresh as daisies from their massive break because of COVID….

The soccer boys made their return to the North on Saturday…..and they must have been most chuffed to see that there were lots of people who had turned up to not watch (we are still not allowed spectators for soccer matches)….. and the reserves (who admittedly were a few key players short on the day with injury) seemed to freeze a little and did not play to their true potential….going down three two to the league leaders Robertsham….we remain in second place on the log….three points behind the side who beat them on Saturday….the first side had no such problems, playing quality football….and despite playing majority of the second stanza with only 10 players (one of our boys being sent off for two yellow card offences) we were able to achieve a feat that hasn’t been done too often in recent history….beating the mighty Robertsham…..scoring a brace of goals and keeping a clean sheet in return….very well done to the lads…. A super result…. keep on going…. we are now top of the league table, swopping league positions with Robertsham…..this week we are off to the Italian Club in Bedfordview to take on Olympia…. All the best chaps…

There was a final round of action for Junior cricket, with a mini tournament being played over the weekend on the B field…..that is now the end of the season for the cricketers until spring.

Our rugby players have had the go-ahead to play league matches again soon, so are hard at work at practices. We have not as yet had exact dates for the resumption of Juniors…but the moment we are told, I will let you know…also keep an eye on our social media platforms for up to the minute news….

Have a fantastic rest of the week…and I hope to see you all soon at the Club….if you are free on Friday afternoon, join me in the Scimitar….an old musician friend of ours is going to have a bit of an unplugged session…literally!!

*STOP PRESS*I do not have the final results of the Special General Meeting which was held last night….but it looked as if the Members were happy with the items that were proposed, namely the sports shop, a coffee shop and the action sports arena….I will have the final results of the voting next week…

Take care and stay safe…
Cheers Rod

The Scimitar 16 Mar 2021

A warm and hearty hello to everyone out there…

“Beware the Ides of March” it was said to Julius Caesar more than 2050 years ago…..and most of us were reminded at school of this fact by William Shakespeare in his setwork book about the ruler….but for us this year the “dreaded date” have brought relatively good news…. The lockdown has been extended for a month…. with no major changes on the horizon and Ides of March definitely didn’t present any major obstacles for us…..

It is wonderful to see the North starting to get back to normal….people coming in and out of the front gates….the sounds of excited laughter on the cricket fields…..screams of “howzat!” and the click of leather on willow…. I love hearing the chirps and shouts of “pass the ball” or “shoot! Shoot!”….followed by the groans of disappointment at the miss….or the shrieks of delight at the successful conversion….I personally stay very close to the Club…..and I am overjoyed to be granted the privilege to be able to listen to these sounds from my yard….sometimes early in the morning….other times after dark…..but it still fills me with great joy to once again be able to hear these sounds, that the last year has stolen from us all…. long may it continue…

To everyone that has taken the time out to come and join us at the Club for sporting ventures or to sneak in a quick one or two….possibly even a more extended stay….I thank you….it has been marvellous to see you all and spend some time with you…. To those that are still considering it….please come along….it will be fantastic to have you join us….

As I have mentioned….soccer is in full swing with vets and ladies football being played on Monday, Wednesday and Friday….follow our Facebook page to get up to the minute reports on upcoming fixtures….In addition, our first and second sides are raring to go and have played friendlies over the last two weekends in expectation of the resumption of the league that was so cruelly postponed by COVID in March 2020…..we have a hugely talented and exciting young side that will do us extremely proud over the season, which is resuming this Thursday and will be played at the North “C” field against Alberton…. the reserve side playing at 18h30….followed by the first side at 20h00….I can’t say come and watch….as in terms of the ruling body of soccer, there are strictly no spectators allowed…..but if you have watched the innovative hockey parents….you will know exactly how to sort that out….please do not get out of your cars, as there will be officials from the Local Authority, who will happily fine the Club for being in contravention of the COVID Protocols that they issue…..

Cricket is also still in full swing with our very enthusiastic committee organising a T20 competition between the top local sides hosted at the North….. being played on Sundays on our A, B and C fields….it has been marvellous to watch (oops did I say that??? I was in the beer garden and?….) there is a pile of talent on show, but we aren’t allowed to really watch….this weekend are all the knock out games, so there should be some exciting stuff to hear about (hee-hee)

Rugby and baseball are also set to start….with practices about to commence….please keep an eye on our Facebook page for developments on events, practices and training….

The athletic sub section have been really busy…. whilst we were in both full lockdown and now under the new relaxed regulations have been most innovative….so please make sure that you join us this Wednesday…. It is St Patricks day…. with a bit of a twist, as the Club run has given way for a “beer run”….. for a modest entry fee….you can run miles or walk whatever distance you believe appropriate, between the four pubs that we have available at the North on the night…Baseball, Rugby, the Coach and the Main Club which will be refreshment stops along the way….where you can “whet your whistle” and have some fun…. Please wear something green to enter into the spirit of the day and show your support for the function….festivities will commence at 17h45….and entries will be limited in terms of the COVID numbers allowed for outside activities….all contestants are requested to be aware of the COVID protocols that need to be adhered to and will be applied….more details are contained on our Facebook page…

Hockey is also gearing up to commence just after the Easter weekend….so please dust off your boots and sticks and I will see you on the Astro….

Our Joker draw is still in full swing….we are already up to week 17 already and this week the jackpot has risen to R26724…..pop along on Friday to try your luck….this week it could be your chance to be drawn and try your luck at finding the Joker….

It will also be a god time to visit the new craft bar that is on offer….. have a pink gin and tonic on tap….. or try one of the super cocktails on offer or test one of the variety of craft beer available…..it is quite refreshing place to visit…

That is all for this week…..thank you all for the efforts that everyone of you have put in….joining us in the pubs and on the fields….it meant that I definitely did not have to pay heed to the warning of “beware the Ides of March”

Take care and stay safe….Rod

The Scimitar 3 Feb 2021

A fine good day to everyone from a very up-beat me today….

As I am sure you have all heard, Uncle Cyril has lifted the restrictions that pertain to the curfew times and most importantly, the resumption of alcohol sales….Whoopee!!!

This means that we are back in business and are able to offer the superb service to our Members that they are accustomed to…. this does not mean that the dreaded COVID has disappeared….we will still need to adhere to the strict protocols of hand sanitising, social distancing and the wearing of masks….but we have our life-blood of the Club available again. We will still ask that all patrons wear masks when ordering at the Bar….and we will ensure that our staff also wear their masks, to indicate our mutual respect that we will do our best to contain the spread of this disease….

We are cleaning and sanitising all areas and surfaces on a regular basis…in an attempt to ensure that we are being responsible in the attempt to minimise the risk…..

The hours of operation are published on our social media platforms, but these will be subject to change, based on regulations and/or operational issues….the opening of the Scimitar bar, does not mean that the Club is once again the flourishing enterprise it was before the onset of this disaster, but that we are able to firstly offer a service to our Members and secondly to generate the much needed income to pay our expenses and more importantly to be able to pay our loyal staff…..this has been the most difficult and trying period in the Clubs history at being able to “keep the doors open”….and I would request the Members to bear cognisance of the Committee’s decision to only open one bar and beer garden to try to minimise operational expenses. The rest of the areas of the Club will remain open and clean, so the Main Bar, hall, deck, ladies bar and tented area and Members are welcome to use these areas to sit and socialise in, in order for people to spread out to maintain adequate social distancing protocols…..

We are still in crisis management mode and will continue to be offering curtailed operations until normal trading circumstances return….in the interim, please continue supporting us in our endeavours at producing and income, whether it be by just visiting the bar on a regular basis, paying your subs, or with any fund raising efforts that are initiated….thank you to all the Members that have supported my call last week to pay their subs, it is greatly appreciated….keep your Subs rolling in….

We are also immediately starting the Joker draw off on Friday….and it will continue where it finished off just before Christmas….so this week there will be a Jackpot available of R21144….the same terms and conditions as always will apply….ticket sales will commence this Friday afternoon in the Hall and will close at about 19h20….with the draw taking place at 19h30…..we will also be offering our ever popular beer raffle….so keep a lookout for Jamela selling these tickets, which will be drawn five minutes before the Joker draw at 19h25…remember that for the Joker draw you have to be present to participate, whilst with the beer raffle, we will contact you if you are a winner….(remember to leave your contact number on the raffle sheet in case you know you won’t be present at the draw…)

Hockey 5’s and the cricket academy are the only team sports on offer at the Club at present, but there is still the “no spectator” policy in force….. I am pretty certain the spectators and players alike will take the opportunity to maintain their bodies and soul with some cool refreshments from the pub. Our runners will be having their club run on Wednesday…..albeit also with staggered starting times to ensure the protocols of large gatherings being adhered to…..hopefully we will see them all tonight to revitalise their tired legs….

A short little note this week, to just let everyone know that “WE ARE BACK’

Hope to see you all soon.
Warm regards, stay safe
Rod

The Scimitar 18 Dec 2020

Hi there to everyone…..

As this dreadful year draws to an end, I feel as if we were never allowed or given the opportunity to really get us into the swing of things and fulfilling the full potential that 2020 should have enjoyed….I believe that all the sportsmen have a horrible empty feeling inside at not being able to have had their “fix” this year…..businessmen look back at frustrating year of feeling “hand-cuffed” in most regards without being charged or guilty of any crime…. In general we all look back at a “year lost”… and as I write this, there are rumours rife that we face some serious challenges in the coming weeks, as the Minister of Health advises that we have a “second wave” upon us….and that this time it appears that our youth are more susceptible to COVID…all we can ask is that everyone be responsible and take care to stay safe…..

At the Club we have faced extraordinary challenges over the last nine months…and albeit we have not come out unscathed on the other side….we have at least emerged on the other side….we are all a lot wiser, not necessarily better off but we have our health….please still be aware to still take as many precautions that you are able, ensuring that you keep as healthy as possible.

At the Club we are definitely not hoping for a resurgent second wave in the new year, in fact I am hoping for exactly the opposite….and looking forward to the relaxing of regulations that would allow our sports people back on the fields….to participate in the pastime and hobby they live for and enjoy….

Dependent on the regulations that are still to be announced, we will make sure that we are within the boundaries of the law and all the COVID protocols….. please keep an eye on our social media, Facebook and website….we will keep you abreast of all happenings at the Club over the next month….I will send another message as an additional mode of communication if necessary, to let everyone know the how’s, when’s and where’s of how and when the Club will be operation….
The only real changes that we are to experience for the Festive break, is that we need to wear a face mask on entry and keep it handy at all times…..with the curfew not moving to 23h00….we will call last round at 21h30 and will close the Club at 22h00, to ensure that all Members and Staff have adequate time to get out and home by the start of curfew…..please do not try to convince the staff to work outside these parameters, or fail to wear you mask, sanitise or not to maintain an adequate social distance protocol….if there are any inspectors around…we have the possibility of having our licence revoked….which will be tantamount to financial suicide for us….please work with us in these trying times to ensure the continued success of the North….

At present, we are planning to open the Scimitar bar every day between 10h00 and 22h00…..and only closing for the public holidays of Christmas day (25th) Day of Goodwill (26th) and New Years day (1st)….otherwise it will be business as usual….

We had a fantastic weekend over the 4th to 6th of December ….and even though the weather did not exactly play the game with us, with a little rain….we had a super Night market on the Friday night…thank you to everyone for the support….this resulted in heightened interest at the Joker draw….and lo and behold….in a replay of two weeks previously…the first name drawn out of the beeeeg black box not arriving at the cabinet…resulting in a second ticket being selected…. in a complete turn up for the books…. Eric Hutchinson had his name called out on both these occasions…..the first week he missed the joker and the bonus card…and unfortunately for him, his luck did not improve at all in his second attempt, as his guess produced the ten of Clubs …..all the Northerns faithful are all very chuffed at Eric’s misfortune that the Joker is still alive for them….and with a pot of R19850 this week, we were expecting a good turnout of punters for their opportunity to “have a go” at finding the Joker…. And at the last.. very last draw of 2020, Cheryl Bartle had her name pulled from the mysterious beeeg black box….and while she pondered for a lot longer than Eric….she suffered the same fate as he and didn’t draw the Joker or the bonus card….but settled with the nine of hearts and R500 loaded onto her membership card….the Joker draw will only resume in the new year, the date of the new draw being January 8, 2021 with a prize of R21144 available…….so please come along to celebrate the first draw of the year….

The Saturday of previous weekend, we hosted the Athletics prize giving where all the achievers and stars of the year were honoured….well done to all the prize and trophy winners….we are very proud of you all….whilst Sunday appeared to be the day of celebration….with everyone having a marvellous day out…thank you to all for the support….I can do with those sort of party weekends all the time..

This Sunday the Social section closed off the year with a wonderful golf day which was played at the Police Mashee course in Northmead…. With a really early start, 05h30 for most (a lot later for others, who overslept/turned off their phone/had a hangover) it was a laugh a minute….and I must say that even though one of our fourball did not make it through to the 18th, due to a mysterious “lurgi” that he suffered at the start of our 15th …(no names mentioned, as we are afraid of being “maced”)…..we all experienced massively overworked tummy muscles at all the chirps, some dreadful and hilarious golf shots and their outcomes and other antics of the day….I am sure that most if not all of the players on the day experienced the same fate, sunburnt, too much beer and sore jaw muscles from giggling the day away…. The winners on the day were Struan King and his happy crew of hackers, who were able to overcome the odds of mis-directed flying golf balls, constant calls of “fore” and successfully evading the “Silver Dream Machine” who supplied a never-ending flow of beverages for the morning….thank you to all who participated in this fantastic annual event….special mention must be made of Mark Hardman and Lockey Brown for controlling the masses and ensuring that starters orders were adhered to and keeping all the parched throats lubricated….Hector King for marshalling a rowdy crowd with his MC’ing skills at the prize giving….Adele Steyn and Glenda for setting up all the prizes and venue for all the weary bones to relax after the gruelling day….

In closing, on behalf of the Executive committee and Staff at the North….may we wish you a fantastic festive season….filled with love, happiness and goodwill….for all our Christian Members, a very merry Christmas, let our hearts be filled with the true joy and reason for the celebrations…. and for everyone a prosperous new year…. 2021 has a simple act to follow, we are expecting a bumper year to follow this really crappy one….

If you are travelling, please have a safe journey and a pleasant and enjoyable holiday….but if you’re staying at home, I will see you at the North…..

Take care and stay safe…..
Rod

The Scimitar 25 Nov 2020

Good day to everyone….

It has been marvellous to be at the Club over the last few weeks and see that sporting action is starting to return after an hiatus that was just far too long….I think that the last time there was no sport on these fields, I was still a kid and the fields were not covered in grass, but mielies…..but now with the return….we have cricket players on the field with the click of leather against willow…..some frantic energy on the astro with hockey 5’s….some vets and ladies soccer on Wednesdays and Fridays…..and Baseball practices have also begun…. whilst our runners are getting out there to get themselves fit on what seems to be almost every day of the week….

I would like to personally thank each and every Member for their continued support over this really tough and unique year…..that we have been able to “weather the storm” to now has been an amazing feat…but with from the assistance of our regulars coming to have a “tipple’ and some unique and audacious fund raising efforts and events to assist with fund raising…it has really made me even more proud of the ethos and dedication of the Northerns faithful….I really do get a lump in my throat, when I see how committed our Members are to ensuring that our staff are well catered for…. Once again…thank you from the bottom of our hearts from myself the executive committee and all the staff….

This weekend would normally be a crazy weekend of work and fun….masses of bikers converging on the North from all over Gauteng and even some neighbouring provinces….as the annual Toy Run would be held….gathering toys for the needy and having a fun day in the sun….well this year is a little different….as has been the rest of 2020 too…. There will be a toy run….but it is to be held over two days and will merely be a drop off….no party…no music….no stalls….

But at the North this weekend… to coincide with the Toy Run, we have decided to try to make the trip for the bikers worth-while…. And offer some music from the deck and have refreshments available from the caravan….so if you are in the area…please pop in….we will be abiding by strict COVID protocols and limiting access and numbers that are able to attend….but please come along and enjoy the time with us….we are sure it will be most memorable….

Our Joker draw has been gently “bubbling” along….we still do not have a winner yet….but we have had a higher percentage of Members to Guests being drawn from the beeeeg black box….and while the ability of the lucky ticket holder has not improved…we have now been going for 7 weeks and the Jackpot has already swelled to R16969….which will be available for someone this Friday, if they can find the Joker….remember that Members have two opportunities to win at the Joker draw…if they don’t win by drawing the Joker….they will have a second chance, if they are able to match the card displayed above the joker cabinet….and will have 10% of the jackpot immediately credited to their membership card….to be enjoyed whenever they are at the Club….so don’t forget to join us on Friday…tickets are sold every day in the Scimitar or on Fridays from about 16h00….with the last sales being at about 19h20…..the draw will be held at 19h30…..we have also commenced with the popular raffle again….this draw is 5 minutes before the Joker draw….so hope to see you all this Friday…

As I mentioned earlier…..sport appears to be reaching a point of normality….
Our Cricketers have started a a friendly league amongst the club sides….and of course competition is stiff to prove who is the best….whilst our Juniors had their trials and their first scheduled day to be back at practice was rained out….hopefully this week the weather gods will play along….most of our soccer is on hold until the new year, but our two vets sides and ladies side play every Wednesday (men) and Fridays (ladies)….our ladies played in their postponed cup final….and only lost by the odd goal in 5 to a very strong and experienced Latins team…but according to reliable sources, the future looks very bright for this young and enterprising side….hockey 5’s continues on Saturday and Sunday on the Astro and it doesn’t look as though the break had any adverse effect on the players, as te games are of high standards and are fiercely competitive….the baseballers are enjoying their run back on the diamonds and are practicing for their return to competitive sport in the new year…. Please take note that in terms of the COVID protocols, none of the matches or practices may have any spectators….it is a crying shame, but the ruling is final and we have to live with it and “toe the line”….

Hopefully I will see you over the weekend…either at the joker draw or celebrating the dropping off of toys….come and introduce yourself if I don’t know you….I would love to meet you….

Regards….take care and stay safe….
Rod

Happy Halloween

The Scimitar 9 Oct 2020

A very good day to everyone out there….

Wow!! What a week it has been….firstly we found a winner for our Joker Jackpot….then we were captivated by the massively competitive London Marathon, which enjoyed some great support at the North and was shown on the big screen….and then we had our Main Club executive thinking out the box and proposing some far reaching innovations to our Joker draw….I will deal with each of these events separately to offer an overview of our week…..

I have had the pleasure of knowing the gentleman whose name was drawn for the Joker draw….having played sport with and against Bruce “Buffel” Nortje from a young age…..and have known him as talented and fiercely competitive…. One of my lasting memories of Bruce will be the lonely Good Friday that we sat together at a very quiet North, contemplating why we weren’t on a hockey tour with the rest of our mates….Bruce being home unexpectedly with some Army leave…and I have been granted the weekend off, after thinking that I was to work the entire Easter….when we looked at each other and said….Let us get in the car and drive to Strathvaal and join the Hangovers on their tour there….which we promptly did….to enjoy an epic and memorable tour!! I will refuse to elaborate further and will take the “fifth”….and exempt myself from having to implicate anybody in the resultant shenanigans…..

That now being revealed…when Bruce had his name drawn from the beeeeg black box, he quietly made his way to the Joker cabinet in the Main Bar, looked ar me and asked, “Where is it”….followed by my standard answer “in the box somewhere”….so amidst the cheers, jeers and shouts of encouragement from the crowd….he calmly pointed to the second card in the third row down….pinned by a yellow drawing pin….and stood back to await Glenda’s reveal of which card he had drawn….and as the Joker card was turned…I watched Bruce’s face reflect shock and joy in the same instant…..and I think the fact that he had won never really hit him until the next morning….when he sent me the details of his bank account….and he possibly only really realised the full extent of his good fortune, when the amount of R66876 reflected in his bank account on Tuesday morning…..well done Buffel….I am really chuffed that the draw was won by a Club member….and that he is one of my mates, is an absolute bonus….enjoy using the winnings Buffel….mine is Hansa….but I am sure you know that already, I did mention it often enough on Friday…..#shygrin#…

Now onto the London Marathon….the Athletics Club had asked that we show this clash of the Titans as there has been a frenzy of interest with some (if not all) of the quickest marathon runners on the planet competing…..and with the Kenyan Kipchoge being unbeaten since 2013…it was going to be up to the pretenders to his crown to beat him at his own game…..the Marathon was altered to a multi-lap format due to the COVID pandemic….and there being a limited field and with no spectators…it was definitely going to present some challenges for all the competitors….and with the day dawning in true English style, overcast and wet…it was going to take some grim determination from all to produce the quick time that was promised….I watched with interest as it appeared that Kipchoge was not at his best and there was a group of runners led by Kitata and Kipchumba that were definitely pushing him to his limits….it was revealed after the race that the kingpin Kipchoge had suffered from cramps and an ear infection, resulting in him finishing in eighth position in one of his slowest times in many a year….the leading group had separated from Kipchoge by the last lap and the pace started to quicken significantly, building the pressure and suddenly the pack began to diminish….from five…to four…down to three and finally two mentioned earlier….and the sprint kick from Kitata was enough for him to be crowned as the 2020 London Marathon Champion….not the quickest time which was promised and expected….but a truly memorable and enthralling race…there were also plenty of smiles of appreciation of our followers at the Club too, as they realise the conditions under which marathon runners compete….thanks to all those who came through to watch at the Club….it was really a fantastic day out…..

Finally, I get to the new Joker draw….the COVID disaster has affected everybody in some way or another….and the Benoni Northern Sports Club has been no exception….the pandemic has caused us to dip into our reserves to ensure that Club has remained financially sound and has also been able to the ensure that our employees have not been stranded during the crisis……with the Joker draw now being won, the Executive Committee has had to think laterally to come up with ways to continue to keep the Joker draw as an incentive and drawcard to the Club and its Members….so the draw this week will start again this Friday October 9….with a Jackpot of R10000….and everyone will gasp and say, why the lower amount? The Exec has thought that is better to err on the conservative side of the scale, rather than the opposite and have to try to perform financial gymnastics if the plan goes awry….that said, there are some creative improvements that are being implemented in this draw…

1. We are reverting back to the popular price of R5 a ticket again
2. The person who’s name is drawn from the beeeeg black box weekly, if they do NOT draw the Joker, will be granted a drinks voucher to the value of R250 (when the person happens to be a Member, the amount will double) and will be loaded onto their Membership card immediately on the night (please ensure that you have your card with you…)
3. The split of the winnings and the Club portion has been altered, from the current 60:40 basis….to a more generous 75:25 allocation…this will ensure that the available Jackpot will climb quicker in the future….
4. And now for another twist in the tail….each week, a card will be drawn from a separate pack and be on display above the Joker cabinet….if the person drawn is a Member and is not lucky enough to draw the Joker….but happens to match the card on display….they will be awarded 10% of the available Joker Jackpot for their good fortune….

All the altered terms and conditions relating to the new joker draw will be on display at the Club, please feel free to read through and familiarise and acquaint yourself with them….if there are any questions that you may have regarding the changes, please feel free to come and ask me….I will attempt to clear up any confusion or query….

On that positive note…I am going to sign off….

Have a super reminder of the week and an even better weekend….

Take care and stay safe….
Rod

The Scimitar 1 Oct 2020

Warm greetings from the North to you all

As we approach the end of the month of September, I am left with the thought that even Mother Nature has been confused in 2020….after a damp start to our official Spring month…we have not seen another drop of rain since and the earth is crying out for some relief….the sprinkling of green that appeared….has since faded and waned a little….but there is a promise by the weather forecasters that the start to the new month will bring some relief from the oppressive heat and lack of rain….this is one summer that even the cricketers are not complaining about the possibility of rain…..the sports people, of course, have plenty of reason not to be happy….in that their beloved sports have been withheld, pending the decisions of the COVID steering committee that has been appointed…..making them miss their weekly fix of exercise and camaraderie…. As the sands of time inexorably pass though the hour glass (hmmmmm, where have I heard that before), we are getting closer to the allowing of sports at an amateur level again…..

I still get a weird sensation on the weekends when I drive to and past the North….and there are not masses of cars around and people in matching clothing running frantically around the fields….the shrieks of laughter associated with the scheduled sport…. the happy smiling faces of competitors, whether they have won or lost their encounter… the constant gurgle of conversation around the beer garden…and the clinking of glasses with some spontaneous singing of songs and giggles of laughter….hopefully they will allow sport to return soon, that we can have our “home” back….

This has definitely been a very strange year and one that I definitely do not want repeated…..

Since we have been allowed back at the North, we have started the Joker draw again each Friday since resumption….and whilst Enrique couldn’t believe his luck at being drawn two weeks out of three…..his ability at finding the joker was no better than anyone else….so this week sees our draw up at R66876….this draw has now gone through 13 weeks and thus have 40 cards still available to choose from ….tickets are on sale until 19h15 on Fridays in the Hall…..with the draw taking place at 19h30….I would like to thank our loyal Friday regulars for their support…..but there is always more place for our friends to join us to celebrate the start of the weekend…..legislation has been altered regarding numbers that can be accommodated at the Club….so please join us on Friday and let us welcome the weekend in….

On Sunday we will be having the London Marathon on the big screen in the hall (and on most televisions in the bar areas too)…..this promises to be an epic challenge between some of the quickest runners in the world…and I am sure that it will be a memorable day….so come along and join us as we have a bring and braai to celebrate this fantastic event…..
I need to pass on my sincere appreciation to everyone who has participated in the Staff challenge….this has raised almost R80 thousand and is being distributed to our staff as grocery vouchers every two weeks and will continue into the new year….thank you so much to make the lives of these fantastic humans a little easier in these trying times….also, my thanks and gratitude to Brett Kree for the smart foot sanitiser now being used at the entrance of the Club….and to Squire for his generous cleaning donation too….

Please remember to keep checking our social media platforms for any changes in Club operating hours in line with new government legislation…

As we move into the easing of regulations….we still need to be aware that the virus has not disappeared as yet….and we still need to be responsible and effective at social distancing, sanitisation and the wearing of masks…. For the first year in many years, I did not experience a cold or flu this year, so the inconvenience of washing hands and the mask have held an advantage for me in this regard…

Hopefully I will get to see you all soon….

Take care and stay safe
Rod

The Scimitar 27 Aug 2020

Hi there to you all…..

My view outside is not of the North, but that of my front garden…as it has not been critically necessary to go in all day, every day…with the changes, I have been going in to ensure that everything is ready and expectantly waiting for our Members to enjoy the benefits and services offered by our pubs… so I watch as spring begins to show its colours, with the promise of warmer weather and “greener” and more lush surroundings….

Whilst we still get everything up on track…I ask for your patience….our suppliers have also not yet got up to speed with the demands of their customers….and we have had inconsistent deliveries….either not fully supplied, late, or sometimes not even arriving at all…. we have been trying manfully to control the circumstances and keep supplying the quality service that we are renowned for….within the next two weeks I am sure that all little hiccoughs will be sorted out…so please just bear with us in the interim….

The committee have also decided to try to get everyone back to normal…..so it gives me great pleasure in announcing that……..

OUR JOKER DRAW IS BACK!! YAY!!!

We are running from this Friday (28 August 2020) and what has been decided is that we are going to be raising the price of tickets from this weekend up to R10 a ticket….I am sure that this will not scare anyone away….but please be aware, that a lot of thought has gone into this strategic move…our research has shown that everyone takes more than just one R5 ticket anyway, so it is not going to alter the chances of you winning….but it is going to allow for streamlined administration from an accounting point of view….Nothing else will alter….last ticket sales at 19h20….draw at 19h30….and after the completion of the draw….the jackpot for the next draw will be announced….. Please join us back this week….it is going to be a blast….Live music will not be started as yet….but we will hopefully have that back soon too….

If there are any queries that occur regarding the draw, or what is happening at the Club, please do not hesitate to contact me….. I will try to resolve any qualms you may have….

My staff and I are just too happy to be able to welcome you all back to the North and be able to get some normality in our lives…..

Our sport, is however a casualty…..whilst our Athletic section is not able to participate in organised or “formal” club runs….they have been able to come to the Club on a Wednesday and get together with some of their mates…and have a quick “social” run…..I was at the Club last night….and it was most heart-warming to see plenty of runners taking up this opportunity to have their weekly club “fix”…

Our other team sports fall under the jurisdiction of their controlling bodies….and whilst I have seen a little reprieve from the cricket boys, nothing has been forthcoming from their local association yet, SAFA still is not allowing any soccer at all and while Hockey, Rugby and Baseball are moving forwards to getting us back on the fields, there is nothing concrete that we can base any hope on….it is all a case of “wait and see”….

That is all from me for this week…. Please join us back at the North for something scrumptious to eat (the Pizza kitchen is available every day)…and Marge’s kitchen will be open of Wednesday evening and on the weekends for any rumbling tummies….. or a drink in the beer garden or the bars….hopefully I get to see you all soon…

Take care…..stay safe….
Rod

The Scimitar 21 Aug 2020

A warm good day to everyone…..

I have given everyone a long enough hiatus from my weekly dose of ramblings….. now I am back to tickle your conscience in case you have forgotten that the North is still in operation….and I will be troubling your email inbox more regularly now on again…..

This crisis has ensured that we trim what we could of our expenses to in order to maintain the continuity of the club on an ongoing basis… the combination of no sport being played at the North and the arrival of winter has slowed the growth of the grass on the fields….allowing us to keep control over the fields with a skeleton in situ staff in the interim.

I am sure that most of our Members have driven past the Club over the last few months….and for me it has been a sorry sight….an extremely quiet car park….. no one playing on the fields….no shrieks of joy from children…. no screams of delight or the sounds of laughter from the bars or the shouts of encouragement from the parents and spectators…….sadly for our loyal staff….it has been heart breaking….their livelihood has been pulled from under them, through no fault of their own…..

As a club we have maintained payments to all the staff during the Lockdown period….and with assistance from the Members we have created a little “kitty” for that “rainy day” that we knew would eventually arrive, with the Club Funds starting to “dry up”….. I would like to offer my gracious thanks to all those that gave so willingly….. It is greatly appreciated by the committee and this fund has been set aside exclusively for the use on the staff.

And now I arrive at the enjoyable part….something that I have wished I could say for almost 150 days…

WE ARE FINALLY OPEN!!!

Yes…..with the easing of regulations on the lock down, we are officially able to say our doors to the pub at the Club are open…..there are some new rules that will apply…the “buzz words” that have been created over the last few months…. be responsible…..wear a mask….wash your hands regularly… maintain adequate social distancing…. But with all of that means that we can join our mates for a pot….or a chat….sit in the sun in the beer garden…..watch the kids on the Jungle Gym…. And whilst our fields are officially closed to any organised sport, our children may gladly run around on the fields….while we keep a “ beady eye” over their antics from the comfort of our chairs sipping a cool drink….we are facing some challenges with deliveries and supplies….but hopefully we can sort these out pretty quickly….

The hours of operation will be advertised on all of our social media platforms, so please keep a look out for any important messages….regarding what and how our services will be amended to conform to the letter of the law….

This was just a short note to get us all back into the swing of things….hopefully I will see you all soon…..and things will return to what we remember as normal…..

In the meantime, keep well….but above all….stay safe….and hopefully I will see you all soon….

Regards
Rod

The Scimitar 1 Apr 2020

Good day to everyone out there….. Usually my view is of the North from my window as I pen this message to you….today I am within three hundred metres of that window as the crow flies….but I am not at work….I am, as most of the rest of our responsible nation….at home, in isolation or under “house arrest”….as we all face this common enemy that we cannot see or hear….the dreaded COVID19….. Read more “The Scimitar 1 Apr 2020” →