THE Halifax, Huddersfield and District Golf Union are looking for an injection of fresh blood to join their executive – preferably sooner rather than later – as they approach the annual meeting next month.

The Union are very much like any other organisation in so far as the administrators are all getting that little bit older, and numbers of volunteers willing to carry out the various duties are beginning to diminish.

There are already one or two vacancies on the executive, and they were struck a further blow at Christmas when Scratch and Handicap League secretary Stuart Donaldson suffered horrific injuries in a freak fall on Boxing Day, when the Lightcliffe man fell 60ft into a ravine while walking near Ripon.

At the annual meeting, Elland’s Peter Thompson is being made a vice-president; retiring (by rota) is Rodney Taylor, while vice-president Brian Taylor is now standing down, as is Stephen Oddy, although on the plus side, two more members, Frank Greaves and Phil Tatlock,are both putting up for re-election as Junior League secretary and Sponsors secretary respectively.

“We had two new faces came on board last year, in the shape of Tony Bower and Paul Hardcastle, who have both done a tremendous job,” said the Union’s honorary secretary John Lawrence.

“As well as the dreadful accident to Stuart, we were without Steve Bricklebank for much of the season, after he suffered an illness, and Tony took over the assistant competition secretary duties, while Paul stepped in for Stuart taking on Scratch, Handicap and Junior League duties which he will continue to do for the foreseeable future.

“I think the emphasis really has to be on the juniors. We desperately need someone to assist Frank (Greaves) who as well as being Junior Team secretary and coach, is also health and safety officer and the child protection officer.

“Ideally we could do with a couple of people to assist him, possible as a coaching secretary or some other role which could take some of the pressure off Frank.

“And I’m sure anyone coming in to assist on the junior front would find it very rewarding, because they will have an input in the juniors’ development and hopefully see them come through and progress to senior level.”

Most junior matches, of course, take place midweek, as do Yorkshire Inter-District League fixtures which anyone coming on board must take into consideration.

But the Union are also needing other assistants as well, particularly for match days and competitions, while they are also planning to appoint an assistant honorary secretary to liaise with the honorary secretary, in order to provide cover and continuity.

And according to Lawrence, anyone coming on board would not find it as big an undertaking from a time point of view as they may think.

“It’s a myth that people have to give up every Sunday, they don’t. It is simply not necessary for people to turn up for every event throughout the season,” he said.

“And the commitment to attend Union meetings has now been reduced, with our in-coming president Steven Wild (he takes over the reins from Allan Woodhead at the annual meeting on March 4, which will now be held at Bradley Park), choosing to have meetings every two months instead of every one.

If anyone is interested in joining the Executive, all that is required is a letter from that person’s club, which must be received at least 14 days before the annual meeting, the closing date being February 18.

Lawrence joined the executive in 1995 and took over as honorary secretary in 1999, and he admits: “It has given me an awful lot of pleasure since I became involved, and I’m sure anyone else would get a lot out of it too.”