Victoria Gyro Club Events and Activities
Our Gyro Club is a social club for men. There are three local Gyro Clubs – the Camosun Club, a small start-up club in Sidney, and ours, the Victoria Club. The many activities and events provide opportunities for our members to congregate and enjoy the company of other men. While it is a “men’s only” club, some of the activities include their partners and spouses. (Events where women are welcome are listed as mixed events below.)
The partners and spouses have organized to create some activities of their own. (See below for more information.)
This document is meant to help prospective members who might be wondering what club members do and whether or not they might choose to join. It is not expected that every member will participate in every activity but there are enough activities that there should be something that appeals to every member as well as their partners.
Activities
Dinner Meetings
These bi-monthly meetings are the “backbone” of our club. They are normally held on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the September through June months at the Uplands Golf Club. The bar opens at 6:00 pm followed by dinner at 7:00 pm. There is always a very good dinner, then a brief business meeting, a talk by a guest speaker and a wine draw. Attendance at these dinners, while not compulsory, is important for solidifying friendships, and learning what is going on with other members and their activities. After you have taken a vacation away from Victoria, the next dinner gives an immediate update as to what you missed.
Guess Who
This is a form of “dinner club”. Once a month, a dinner is organized where the hosts provide a main dinner course at their home while the organizers have arranged for two or three other couples to attend and bring the other courses. The twist is that the hosts do not know who their guests will be – thus the term “guess who!” when they show up on your doorstep. These dinners provide an excellent opportunity for members to interact in a very personal setting. This has been a favourite event of many members over many years. The organizers are Steve and Edwina Ingle (phone 250-658-6790).
App & Yapp
This is a monthly wine and appies event where attendees are asked to bring an appetizer and a bottle of wine. It is a more casual event where members can mingle throughout the evening and has proven to be very popular. The organizers find hosts from among the regular attendees. The organizers are Bob and Lois Brown 778-426-0304
Coffee
Every Tuesday morning a group of members meet for coffee at 9:30 at Starbucks Broadmead Shopping Centre This provides members with the opportunity to share expertise, swap stories, tell lies, etc. It is a very casual activity with as many as a dozen men attending. Some people enjoy the cinnamon buns. The organizer is Cliff Wilde (phone 250-655-4551).
Golf
Every Wednesday, a group of members play golf, usually at the Cordova Bay Golf Course. While the players are serious, some of them have given up on their aspirations to join The Tour. There are other golfing opportunities located further down this list. The organizer is Peter Newman (phone 250-478-0777).
Nine & Dine
This activity includes members and spouses and any friends they wish to invite. Participants gather at Cordova Bay Golf Course every Friday in late afternoon, play 9 holes of golf, and then stay for supper. The organizer is Janice Hodgins 250-655-4252
Bridge
A dedicated group plays bridge every two weeks, usually on Tuesdays. The only expectation for level of play is that you enjoy the game. There are no masters points awarded. The organizer is John Young (phone 250-658-3558).
Poker
The game is Texas Holdem. Once a month a group gets together to play poker, usually the 3rd Thursday of the month. Hosting rotates from house to house. Stakes are enough to make it interesting but with a cap on buy-ins. Organizing the games is usually a communal thing but more info is available from Clay Bottrell (phone 250-655-4850).
Cost of Club Membership
Friends who are considering joining our club are understandably interested in the costs associated with being a member. The costs will, of course, depend on which activities a member chooses.
The non-optional dues, split into two payments, are $300 for club membership plus $90 for the installation event. Dinner meetings are charged at $40.00 each. Charges are made in advance two times per year. When members miss two or more consecutive meetings, those meal costs are reimbursed on the next billing period.
Most other events are on a “pay-as-you-go basis”. The organizers of events and activities would be more than happy to provide information on expected costs of activities.
For more information about Joining Gyro please visit the Contact Page
Annual Events
Several events occur just once per year. Most are organized by the club’s Social Committee.
Bocce
This is our large Sunday summer event, usually held at the end of July. It is a mixed event with a barbecue and a bocce tournament. Bocce is like lawn bowling and virtually anyone can play. Attendees are assigned to teams and there is a trophy for the winning team. It may be said that winning the trophy is not really seen as the reason for the event. It is a fun, relaxing, way to spend a summer’s day.
President's Reception
This is the first event where the incoming president gets to host an informal gathering. It is a mixed event, seen as an opportunity for members to bring prospective members to a casual event in the early fall.
Founder's Night Dinner
At one of the regularly scheduled dinner meetings, our club joins with the other local clubs to celebrate over 100 years of Gyro activity in North America and acknowledge the contributions of the original three people who had the vision to begin the club and to see it spread and prosper.
Christmas Dinner
A special mixed dinner is held at Uplands with food and activities that are suited to the Christmas season.
Valentines Dinner
Similar to the above, it is a mixed event with dinner at Uplands and activities suited to Valentine's Day.
President's Installation
This is a two or three day special event organized to celebrate the installation of the incoming president and new executive. Incentives are provided to encourage members from other clubs from Vancouver -Island and the mainland to attend. There is a dinner and dance and sometimes a breakfast for members and partners.
Golf Weekend
Once a year in late May, a group of golfers heads to Washington for a weekend of golf at Sequim, Washington. Transportation and accommodation are all planned in advance. Three games are booked and usually some time is spent at the Casino. Since there have been at least a dozen attendees each year for several years, it is obviously very popular. So far, no arrests have been reported. The organizer of this event is Peter Newman (phone 250-478-0777).
Bowling
This is a five-pin bowling event held at Miracle Lanes in Sidney in April or May. The bowling alley is completely booked for our use and we have had beer/wine, pizza, and snacks to complement the bowling activity. Although this is obviously the only time of the year that many members bowl, it is a fun way to spend a Friday evening.
One-off Activities
As well as the ongoing activities described above, there are many other activities that take place throughout the year. Some are planned by the Social Committee, while club members are encouraged to organize other events on their own. In the past these events have included bowling, ethnic dinners, Robbie Burns Night dinner, movie nights, hockey and baseball games. The possibilities are only limited by the interests and imaginations of members.
Women's Activities
As noted at the beginning, the members’ spouses and partners have taken it upon themselves to organize some activities just for themselves. Currently these activities include bridge, canasta, and a weekly coffee morning. The contact for more information on the women's activities is Judy Randall (phone 250-598-7000).