Our 2023 reunion has now wrapped up for another year! This year was a great success, having heard so much positive feedback from everyone attending.
Our reunion wouldn’t be the success it is without you, our valued members, making the efforts you make to be here each year.
We also thank your friends and families you bring along who make our fundraising efforts even more successful.
The Bilo Bar Club extends its sincere thanks to the sponsors of our celebrations;
- Management and Staff at Shangri-La Yanuca Island, Fiji, for their generous donations of free venue hire, free Marquee hire , discounted room rates, discounted food costs for specialty events, donations of merchandise and an ongoing free resource by way of our dedicated Bilo Bar Club Coordinator.
- Grants Betting Limited who supply, without charge, their betting services and staff during our Melbourne Cup Day celebrations, for our members to utilise.
- Tappoo Sigatoka for giving out free ice cream to everyone to enjoy on Melbourne Cup Day.
- Rum Co. of Fiji who generously supplied free samples of Vonu and Fiji Rums for us to enjoy at our Fijian Tipples Tasting and Melbourne Cup day celebrations.
Fijian Tipples Tasting Session
With thanks to Rum Co. of Fiji for coming along and allowing us to sample numerous Fiji Rum flavours, Fiji Rum cocktails and Vonu lager! Our members thoroughly enjoyed our bespoke tasting session hosted by the sales team at Rum Co, Fiji.
Special thanks also to the Food and Beverage managers at Shangri-La Yanuca Island Resort, Fiji, for coordinating this session.
Golf Competition
The annual golf competition teed off in its usual fashion with a group of members and resort staff competing Ambrose style for the coveted Golf Competition Coconut trophy.
Longest drive and overall winners were crowned, or should we say ‘coconutted’, at our Under the Stars Gala Dinner. Well Done to those who braved the heat!
Memorial Garden & Plaque Ceremony
This year’s reunion kicked off with a nod to the past by way of unveiling a plaque and tree planting in memory of those Bilo Bar Club members who now enjoy the heavens above the Bilo Bar.
Three trees were planted to help support the shores of the Bilo Bar, in much the same way our foregone members helped shape and nurture The Bilo Bar Club we have today. May all members who are no longer with us Rest in Peace.
Under the Stars Lagoon Dinner
With the sand in our toes, the band playing and the food aplenty, we enjoyed a memorable evening under the stars as we celebrated being together again with our fellow members.
We thank the Food and Beverage team for a great evening of food, drinks and the usual fun-filled Fijian service. During the night nearly 90 of our members danced, sang, and enjoyed a meal served ‘family’ style. We have set the bar high for next year!
Kinder Kids vs Bilo Bar Kids Mini Games
Welcoming the kindergarten kids to the resort is always a great way to start the day and this event didn’t disappoint. Marley coordinated a spirited game of soccer between the Kinder Kids and the Bilo Bar Club Kids, of which we still aren’t sure who came out the victors!
Nonetheless a solid appetite was quashed with a lunch of chicken nuggets, chips, fresh fruits and juice for the Kinder Kids and teachers, all proudly funded by The Bilo Bar Club.
Calcutta Draw & Auction
This year’s Calcutta Draw and Auction saw some new faces selling tickets and overseeing proceedings, with Kevin & Sue Brett unable to travel to Fiji. The new faces learnt very quickly just how much work is involved in coordinating the sales, draw and auction! We thank Kevin, Sue and everyone else who has done so much in the past to make this part of our reunion possible.
This year we raised just over FJD15,000 of funds for The Bilo Bar Club and a number close to that as prize money for the winning bidders. Don’t worry, we will be back next year for all the Calcutta fun we enjoyed this year, and more!
Melbourne Cup Day
Perfect weather graced us on the first Tuesday in November 2023 and a fantastic day was enjoyed by everyone who made their way down to the Bilo Bar.
We kicked off the day with the running of the ‘Fijian Cup’, a three race, multi distance beach sprint by some of the local village’s finest jockeys and thoroughbreds! All up we awarded FJD1,500 in prize money to the lucky jockeys coming in 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each race.
Our Fashions of the Field competition saw our best dressed males, females and kids turn up for the honour of the coveted ‘Best Dressed’ moniker. Judged by Marley, Sureti and Avelina our winners deservedly so celebrated with their bottles of Fijis finest tipple under their arms, whilst each child in the comp went home with FJD10 each to spend on ice creams!
The Yanuca Cup crab race and auctions saw nearly FJD2,000 in funds raised for the club, in addition to the winning crabs prize money being distributed.
Next year we will also hold a ‘Dollar Auction’, to let the little ones amongst us have the chance to bid on their favourite crustacean!
The marquee quickly swelled to capacity as the running of the Melbourne Cup was broadcast live, being cheered on by hundreds of resort guests and members. Calcutta and Sweepstakes victors were quick to claim their well deserved prize monies!
Projects Tour
Bilo Bar Club members braved the humidity and boarded the bus for a tour of some of The Bilo Bar Clubs much loved projects. On this trip we visited Cuvu kindergarten, Naevuevu Kindergarten, Sigatoka Hospital and Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park.
The Bilo Bar Club committee sincerely thanks the teachers for welcoming us into their classrooms, Dr Amos and his team at Sigatoka Hospital as well as Mr. Setoki Tuiteci, Acting Chairman of National Trust of Fiji for their warm hospitality.
Annual General Meeting
This year’s Annual General Meeting was held in Davui Hall where members gathered to formalise the clubs operations and general business.
Of note was the nomination of Mr. Graeme Harvey to be recognised as a life member of The Bilo Bar Club.
This nomination received a resounding vote of yes, to which Mr. Harvey now joins the elite circle of members recognised as life members.
Otherwise the election of 3 new Trustees and the Bilo Bar Clubs 6th ever Imperial Bilo took place. Your new Bilo Bar Club committee consists of your following peers;
- Andrew Neaves as Imperial Bilo,
- Ariane Simon as Trustee,
- Chris Marshall as Trustee,
- David Lennox as Trustee,
- David Neaves as Trustee,
- Francis Lee as Grand Bilo and
- Graeme Harvey as Trustee.
Meet The Team & Induction Ceremony
The weather gods descended some much-needed rain and saw the final MTT and Induction Ceremony moved to our wet-weather option in Davui Hall. This induction ceremony heralded in a new era; which sees the children of our Bilo Bar Club members awarded a Certificate of Recognition (as future members of The Bilo Bar Club) as well as a turtle necklace souvenir.
Our major prize draw was also announced, with our much-loved Bar Tender; Poni, drawing the winning tickets. Congratulations to Pete and Jen on winning the 5-nights accommodation voucher, Peter for wining the F&B voucher and Edna on taking home the Spa voucher!
Stay tuned as we will shortly announce room rates and packages for next year’s Reunion, to be held from Saturday 2nd of November till Sunday 10th of November!
In the meantime, we’ve got all your reunion photos right here for you to check out!
