This came as a shock to most members who attended the meeting however Curtis had valid reasons and points to make which led to his decision.

In particular with a number of new members joining the committee last year and settling well into their new roles, Curtis felt this was a good time to hand over the reins now to assist in a smooth transition of the role.

Curtis has been president for 18 years in total, a stint in the 1990s broken by a return to the role of treasurer he held before being elected president.

As a life member Curtis has put countless hours and effort into ensuring the club runs effectively and smoothly and his efforts will be missed by all.

He retains a position on the committee as trophy co-ordinator. 

With Curtis standing down this left all committee positions vacant and the first position to be filled was that of the new president.

The club congratulated Matt Taylor on taking on the role and the committee is 100 per cent confident Taylor will go above and beyond ensuring the club is run smoothly.

Congratulations were also extended to Troy Northey who takes on the role of vice president previously held for a number of years by Robert Blacker.

Blacker has stepped down from all the roles and Curtis thanked him for his support over the years.

Unfortunately the positions of publicity officer and secretary remain vacant. 

These are both integral roles and should be filled shortly.

In the meantime Janelle Curtis as assistant secretary and Chris Halligan and Frank Scott, both past publicity officers, have agreed to assist until someone else steps up to take on these roles.

Meanwhile, four of the club’s members have taken to the road to compete at Bathurst. 

Jane Thelan, Baden Edwards, Sheep Thatcher and Kirsti Fristad all represented the Bega club well. 

All four players were able to pick up a runner-up prize in the Masters tournament.