A Successful Shuffleboard Evening

A Successful Shuffleboard Evening

This was held at St Margaret’s Village Hall on Friday 22^nd November to raise money for Rotary’s End Polio Now Campaign and for local charities.  It combined an American Supper with a shuffleboard tournament and a grand raffle.  Despite there being fewer people attending than last year it was an enjoyable evening of fun and fundraising.

Shuffleboard is a popular board game in many European countries but less well known in the UK. People who have not played before soon pick it up as they are in a team and there are others who tell them what to do.  Everyone who takes part finds that it is fun to play.

Teams of three take part in the tournament, the number of people determining how many boards are needed.  The club has access to about 10 boards and with 55 people seven boards were in constant use, apart from the half-time break, as teams took it in turn to play 4 games over the course of the evening.

Teams were divided into 3 groups A, B and C.  When group A were playing volunteers from the other two groups were needed to score, just one to each board.  Those not playing or scoring could eat, drink, chat or watch.

A game consists of the members of the team taking turn to slide small wooden discs (there are 30) along the 9-foot-long narrow board to get as many of them as they can through apertures into the four numbered compartments (2,3,4,1) at the end of the board to score points. (see photo).  The scorer has to confirm the number of points scored and record that number on the team’s scorecard.  The team with the highest accumulated score over 4 games is the winner.  All teams make up a name for themselves; ironically, this year’s winning team were called ‘Nameless’.

The raffle was generously supported and together with the entrance money helped to raise £800.  Half of this will go to the ‘End Polio Now Campaign’. Rotary has been working to eradicate polio from the world since 1985 when the Global Polio Eradication Initiative was established.  The £400 will enable 4,000 children to receive polio vaccinations.  The rest of the money will go to local charities.

Thanks to all who organised the evening: to Terry Westwater who coordinated the event, to President John Dunkley who did a great job as front of house and manager of the tournament, to Peter West for his efficiency in managing the scoring, a most important role, and to other club members who helped in any way.

Thanks also to all who attended.  It was an enjoyable evening as everyone is involved, has fun and helps to raise money for charity.  It is an evening which is a bit different, so look out for next year’s event.