While he’s played euchre for many years, it wasn’t until 12 months ago that Brandt Mattiuzzo started playing in a formal club format. He met some friends at Ingleburn RSL Club for dinner and ended up staying to join them for a euchre game. He was soon voted in as Vice-President of the Ingleburn RSL Euchre Club. With big plans to grow the club, Brandt successfully applied for a ClubGRANT of $7600.
More than cards
For many of the members of the Euchre Club, their Tuesday evening meetings are about more than cards.
“We start at 7pm, but many of the members arrive at the Ingleburn RSL Club at 5pm,” says Brandt. “They’ll pull together a few tables and have dinner together at Salute Restaurant. Then they’ll wander over to where we play and have a chat over a beer before the cards start.”
With 34 members in the club, Brandt says they have about 25 players each week, all of different abilities.
“It’s a chance for our members to get out of the house, to go somewhere and be involved in something positive,” he adds. “There’s no judgement or expectations. They can just be who they want to be and be part of something.”
Future growth
In the last year, the Euchre Club has grown with about 10 new members. But Brandt can see so much potential for further growth.
The ClubGRANT will be used to increase the prize money for the competitions and introduce new awards and certificates to recognise playing achievements. Brandt is also hoping to purchase shirts for the club to enhance the sense of belonging among the members.
“We’ll use the money from the ClubGRANT to replenish things like the tablecloths and cards, and also to increase our prize money and awards” says Brandt. “But importantly, we’re also going to use it to attract people to join us. We want people to have a really positive experience when they play euchre with us. Because if they’re excited about it, they’ll keep coming back and maybe even bring their friends.”
“The social aspect of the Ingleburn RSL Club is so important,” says Glenn Cushion, Ingleburn RSL Club CEO. “It’s wonderful to see ClubGRANT funds going back into the community, the heart of our club. There is a real sense of belonging in the Euchre Club. The regulars are so welcoming of new players from our community.”
You can find the Ingleburn RSL Euchre Club in Salute Restaurant every Tuesday night from 7:15pm.
