Taking a swing at croquet (and bad puns...)

Last Saturday, September 8, 2007, the Des Plaines Public Library went where no library has gone before -- or at least no library of which we know -- by hosting our Centennial Croquet Tournament. 2007 is the library's Centennial Anniversary and one of Library Director Sandra Norlin's dreams for our celebration was a croquet tournament. It became quite obvious last Saturday afternoon that libraries and their communities are good at making dreams come true, and, that there's more of a demand for croquet than we could have imagined. The tournament was still taking place and inquiring minds wanted to know when we'd be holding our next one! The Library's Acting Head of Adult Services, Roberta Johnson, did much of the hard work and research necessary to make this event successful, fun and amazingly efficient - so we're not going to start bugging her about hosting another one. Not until her head stops spinning, anyway...

We told you about the tournament in a previous post, but if you couldn't make it, we hope you'll enjoy watching this slideshow of pictures from the day. The weather, iffy all summer, couldn't have been better if we'd been allowed to choose it ourselves. Glorious sunshine, a cool breeze, surprisingly few bees and 'skeeters, and roses of every hue scenting the air and dancing in the daylight. Our croquet opponents were intent on winning but good-natured in losing, and the Kiwanis Club sweetened everyone's day with genuine hand-squeezed lemonade. We want to thank our generous co-sponsors, the Des Plaines Park District, who also sent us the invaluable Josh Cantres, and G.L. Hills Funeral Homes. We thank our Board of Trustees who not only supported the event but also demonstrated their prowess on the playing field. Thanks to the local organizations who provided teams for play and, well, thanks to you, the residents of Des Plaines, for playing croquet, basking in the sunshine, grooving to the barbershop quartet, and making this a memory we'll always treasure. If you came to the tournament, whether as a competitor or spectator, we'd love to hear from you - please use the Comments feature just down below and tell us your feelings about the day. Don't forget to watch the photo montage video up above, or visit our YouTube channel.

Want to learn more about croquet so you can join in the next time there's a tournament or a friendly family game in progress? Check out these library resources (click on the links to find them in our catalog and place a hold).

• Video "Let's Play Croquet" This VHS cassette is a beginner's guide to croquet. Learn also history of the game, equipment specifics, game rules, mallet grips, game strategy, setting up your courts, and professional tips from a tournament player.
  
  
• Book Croquet by Steven Boga. Tips on stance, grip, and swing, plus the official rules of the U.S. Croquet Association.