Using your Head. Think for a minute. What do you pay for the use of Club facilities ? Is it piece-meal or one yearly membership fee? Does your club have member's participant requirements ? What do you think you should get for your fees.? Lets say that you pay $5 for a day of Greens, how many days of lawn bowls does your membership fee actually pay. .
Greens Maintenance If Lawn Bowls Greens are as much maintenance as the putting greens of a Golf course, and the total " Putting Greens" area of a 18 hole course is the same as the 900 square meters of Greens on a typical Lawn Bowls' Club Green. Maybe we should start seeing $1500 Club fees like in Golf Course Membership. Why not ?? Would the total area of putting greens of Augusta National be more than your clubhouse Lawn Bowl Greens ?
In an earlier Blog I approach the fact that "all members of a club must do their part to develop the local club and secure their sport of Lawn Bowls". Your love of the sport and your pride in its future should also be directed toward new members who do not feel welcome in various other sports. A previous experience with a large (hundred or more member) club showed that some clubs maintain their memberships numbers with "Social Memberships" and Social Activities. Don t be surprise when your lease of the club is replaced by local decision to make it a Social club without a bowling green.
Club Insurance - First,in Canada, with the exception of Quebec, the french province, all insurance at the club level is in three parts of responsibilities.. Lawn Bowls participants are protected from club to club and province to province by their membership in the Canadian Lawn Bowls Association, (Bowls Canada Boulingrin).
Secondly, most clubs assets, clubhouse, lawn and maintenance,are administrated by the city or town. Therefore, insurance for the municipal liability and propriety damage is covered by the town or city. For this reason, even in England, we have seen more Lawn Bowls Clubs belly up as municipalities tighten their spending budget.
Finally, many clubs wanting to protect their administrator at the local or provincial levels attempt to advise club members about personal insurance.
These three levels of insurance can be very confusing when an accident appears to have happen. I say, "appears" because today in the insurance industry the trend is to "pass the buck" to blame another insurance coverage as needed or applying to that sort of accident.In Quebec, the Provincial Sport Association define safety for all sports and provide extra (and immediate) accident insurance. (I have seen figures of over $100,000 for such insurance.
Who must pay this insurance?) Does the rates increase as we become less responsible and more accidents occur ? Forgot the monetary value. A lot of older Lawn Bowlers may find the slow healing of a fracture means a lot of pain and even lost of the opportunity to enjoy the sport
As as example, A skip decides to throw a heavy bowl or Drive to break the head. The bowl rebounds and hits a person. First, the club must have decisions on how they educate new members about the game. Rules like "Only mate or skip should be on the green" are avoiding responsibility as a rebound bowl could go to the neighbouring green where players are changing ends or involved in non-head activities. If the bowl hit the backstop and rebound, the condition of the facilities may be questioned by the insurance company. I have seen a bowl hit the backstop (back of the ditch) and rebound over a 1.5 meter wire fence.
Club Coaching In "Coaching" we teaches new member about drives or heavy bowls which might occur during a game. Not expecting any new members to know how to drive but more to understand why a skip decision is such and such. But do we explain the lack of responsibilities that exist and the dangers. NO ??
Communication between the skip and mate during the skip/mate delivery "mat Control" period. If a skip (or mate) is doing a drive the head should be protected and the neighbouring greens protected. It is not difficult to have mates work together in the head and supervise the expected action.
What is your attitude toward Lawn Bowls being developed for individuals with handicaps ? Mental, Physical, Visual or even just simple different age groups..Every club needs more support from members when new groups are included into lawn bowls.
Those other members Bowls Canada on promotion writes "How Can We Grow Our Club
By working together as a club to make people feel welcome. Encourage outside entrance and ask yourself would you feel comfortable if you came in on the street to play Bowls for the first time? In a recent support letter to a club, I suggested that if the club wanted to have the visually impaired lawn bowlers to use the distance (frequently unused green) then they must take responsibility to prepare that green for these special need bowlers. Water hoses, walking path access, or other obstructions have to be removed prior to the usage of that green. Until recently, in Canada, Bowls Canada, the natioal Lawn Bowls organization and BBAC (Blind Bowls Assoc of Canada were not supporting each's efforts. Is there now a BCB involvement in Blind Bowls. The facebook page(above) promote Lawn Bowls.Not just Canadian but all nations.. if you or someone of your country becomes involved... Even a like helps.
Remember, Facebook and Twitter is not user friendly to Visually impaired individuals so it is for you, the visual lawn Bowls lover. Each of us can creat a web page, as I did with Maritime Blind Bowls page in 2012, or maybe just and following another Blind Bowlscompetition, like 2011 Champions. .It all promotes our sport.
This summer, we have a Blind Bowls team going to England; will there be some BCB Head office involvement with Canadian Blind Bowls.(At least it is being promoted on the webpage of Bowls Canada)
This is not a critizism of BCB,, all volunteers do the best they can and this blog mentions BCB in hopes to promote the new (and greatly improved) Canadian Bowls Web page. and point to articles lke attached to the photo showing Niagera first match of the year..
Also at a club level, each "special need" individual should have their own support member and the club should have a "activity supervisor". Each volunteers should each know their responsibilities and how to react to various needs which might arrive..
Get involved. More involvement means more members as this support show not only to those "special need" individuals but also become a dinner table conversation; which speaks well for the sport, the club and the members. Get involved as much as you can
Are you excited to extend your passion for the sport , or recreation, of Lawn Bowls to others, noon participant groups ? What are you planning to do this year.
This year2013, which just finishes now in australia has had a lot of excitement for a 12 year old lawn bowler, who participated in a major competition; and done very well. |
| Does the total Putting Greens of Augusta equal to your Club's Bowling Green's area ? |
In an earlier Blog I approach the fact that "all members of a club must do their part to develop the local club and secure their sport of Lawn Bowls". Your love of the sport and your pride in its future should also be directed toward new members who do not feel welcome in various other sports. A previous experience with a large (hundred or more member) club showed that some clubs maintain their memberships numbers with "Social Memberships" and Social Activities. Don t be surprise when your lease of the club is replaced by local decision to make it a Social club without a bowling green.
Club Insurance - First,in Canada, with the exception of Quebec, the french province, all insurance at the club level is in three parts of responsibilities.. Lawn Bowls participants are protected from club to club and province to province by their membership in the Canadian Lawn Bowls Association, (Bowls Canada Boulingrin).
Secondly, most clubs assets, clubhouse, lawn and maintenance,are administrated by the city or town. Therefore, insurance for the municipal liability and propriety damage is covered by the town or city. For this reason, even in England, we have seen more Lawn Bowls Clubs belly up as municipalities tighten their spending budget.
Finally, many clubs wanting to protect their administrator at the local or provincial levels attempt to advise club members about personal insurance.
These three levels of insurance can be very confusing when an accident appears to have happen. I say, "appears" because today in the insurance industry the trend is to "pass the buck" to blame another insurance coverage as needed or applying to that sort of accident.In Quebec, the Provincial Sport Association define safety for all sports and provide extra (and immediate) accident insurance. (I have seen figures of over $100,000 for such insurance.
 |
| Canadian Blind Lawn Bowls Facebook |
As as example, A skip decides to throw a heavy bowl or Drive to break the head. The bowl rebounds and hits a person. First, the club must have decisions on how they educate new members about the game. Rules like "Only mate or skip should be on the green" are avoiding responsibility as a rebound bowl could go to the neighbouring green where players are changing ends or involved in non-head activities. If the bowl hit the backstop and rebound, the condition of the facilities may be questioned by the insurance company. I have seen a bowl hit the backstop (back of the ditch) and rebound over a 1.5 meter wire fence.
Club Coaching In "Coaching" we teaches new member about drives or heavy bowls which might occur during a game. Not expecting any new members to know how to drive but more to understand why a skip decision is such and such. But do we explain the lack of responsibilities that exist and the dangers. NO ??
Communication between the skip and mate during the skip/mate delivery "mat Control" period. If a skip (or mate) is doing a drive the head should be protected and the neighbouring greens protected. It is not difficult to have mates work together in the head and supervise the expected action.
What is your attitude toward Lawn Bowls being developed for individuals with handicaps ? Mental, Physical, Visual or even just simple different age groups..Every club needs more support from members when new groups are included into lawn bowls.
 |
| Bowls Canada Promotion Blind Lawn Bowls. |
Those other members Bowls Canada on promotion writes "How Can We Grow Our Club
By working together as a club to make people feel welcome. Encourage outside entrance and ask yourself would you feel comfortable if you came in on the street to play Bowls for the first time? In a recent support letter to a club, I suggested that if the club wanted to have the visually impaired lawn bowlers to use the distance (frequently unused green) then they must take responsibility to prepare that green for these special need bowlers. Water hoses, walking path access, or other obstructions have to be removed prior to the usage of that green. Until recently, in Canada, Bowls Canada, the natioal Lawn Bowls organization and BBAC (Blind Bowls Assoc of Canada were not supporting each's efforts. Is there now a BCB involvement in Blind Bowls. The facebook page(above) promote Lawn Bowls.Not just Canadian but all nations.. if you or someone of your country becomes involved... Even a like helps.
Remember, Facebook and Twitter is not user friendly to Visually impaired individuals so it is for you, the visual lawn Bowls lover. Each of us can creat a web page, as I did with Maritime Blind Bowls page in 2012, or maybe just and following another Blind Bowlscompetition, like 2011 Champions. .It all promotes our sport.
This summer, we have a Blind Bowls team going to England; will there be some BCB Head office involvement with Canadian Blind Bowls.(At least it is being promoted on the webpage of Bowls Canada)
This is not a critizism of BCB,, all volunteers do the best they can and this blog mentions BCB in hopes to promote the new (and greatly improved) Canadian Bowls Web page. and point to articles lke attached to the photo showing Niagera first match of the year..
Get involved. More involvement means more members as this support show not only to those "special need" individuals but also become a dinner table conversation; which speaks well for the sport, the club and the members. Get involved as much as you can
Are you excited to extend your passion for the sport , or recreation, of Lawn Bowls to others, noon participant groups ? What are you planning to do this year.
This brings to mind, when in Montreal, a fellow club member who was a member of the Canadian National team; and the clubs best bowler, took time to include a new 2nd year lawn bowler ( a special needs individual) on his provincial team. They went to the national and this unique individual was so appreciated by the national bowlers that, that year, a new award was created for "Most sportive individual at the National" Which of course he won by votes from all national participants. Does the award still exist? You will be surprise how these individuals with change your sport. (and your view of Lawn Bowls and fellow members)
Last, speak up when you hear comments which are clearly signs of exclusion. "We don't want "THOSE" people as members." should find members speaking up. I am sure that the individual who made the comment does not see their comment as discrimination. but it is and very destructive to the life of the club.. Show them their errors.
As I finished a few blogs about 1906 Lawn Bowls( see the blog), I find the "Old guys" club attitude existed even back then but of the 45 bowlers who sailed from United Kingdom to Canada, several brought their wives and daughters. And certainly without the use of the Ladies of Canadian Clubs visited, there would never been such a successful 1906 tour.
As far back as the decree of "Royal Bowls " there were exclusion from the sport certain "those types". In the History of England, we find that King Edward III, and Richard II both played the game of Bowls. But also Lawn Bowls History shows how it was restricted to the wealthy, and even at one point Lawn bowls was forbidden except on the Royal Greens.
Today, Australia, the largest and best developed Lawn Bowls nation, has began in the past few years to have mixed tournaments although still some private clubs have restrictions on women membership or condition of play.In Canada, at one point two different organizations govern the playing of Lawn Bowls. Canadian Lawn Bowling Council (CLBC)and Canadian Ladies Lawn Bowling Council (CLLBC) in 1972. Both were combined into one organization in 1982 as Lawn Bowls Canada and now the Bowls Canada..
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