CLBC in Vancouver

Having an opinion is what Blogging is all about. It is not that we know it all; but more we are openly expressing it.  I don't think any Canadian Lawn Bowler can not be proud of the Canadian Lawn Bowls Championship in Vancouver.
 First, the "Bowls God" was good to the Planners with sunny weather  and great greens and beautiful clubhouse gardens. And with Bowls Canada first attempt to go streaming video this year; 

.we all were able to see the beauties and even  watch great bowls from our living room. This was Canada's First experience  with Streaming Sports and the several commentators did a great job.  Thank You all who contributed. Especially now with these games are  available for download.
   First opinion or Interesting Facts .
In order to complete the roster of 10 teams per game play, some provinces like host province BC  were allowed to put in a second or "B" Team .  Amazing in some cases (BC's Case) the "B" team did better than the Provincial Roll-off Winners.  Ex: BC Men's "B" team did  1st ("Fours") 2nd (Triples n Pairs) with  the "A" Team drawing into a second last position.. Why ? Was the "B" The Runner-up ?

 Second, from my news sources, the meals and transportation were impeccable  however, remember that the  Cost of Transporting to the  CLBC across 5,500 km  is the major expenses to team members.  One must asks just important the getting-there-cost is  to the quality of the team which participated.
  Some Provinces with large funding helped (or paid almost everything) for their teams. While the teams travelling the farest (Maritime Coast) saw several  player foot bills of more than $2000 in transportation.  Taxi or car rental in BC not included.
   Quebec who in the past has been a strong province, placed last in nearly all game structure. I would ask if this Financing had any part to do with it.   I hope a lot of clubs use the Game video to teach and upgrade their quality of club players, and their Provincial Lawn Bowl representatives at the National.  Not that they weren't the best.. They were.. but some provincial teams seems to have gone like the new Canadian National  Singles... Anyone could go if they want to and paid their way.

- Thirdly, the introduction of "Triples" this year at the CLBC seems to be great for BC whom performed well.

And as the Nationals come across Canada toward Nova Scotia (East Coast) in 2016 we will see if the larger Nationals  and Provincial Financial Support develops or destroy our great Sport 
Players from the East return for immediately return to the Atlantic Nationals where NS. PEI and NB will  travel to Quebec for four days of  Triples and Pairs.   Good thing about this travel is that this is within driving distance even if a good 12 to 14 hours.
 The development of Lawn Bowls in Eastern Canada, ( Quebec east) has seen the Atlantic Lawn Bowls Competition (Photo is Atlantic 2012 Moncton N.B.) played every year in one of the 4 Eastern Provinces. (Newfoundland which has a Lawn Bowls club can not participate because of the cost of travel.. Ferry from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland can be over $500 just for the car per trip) Newfoundland, with a Provincial Association has seldom send CLBC  respresentives although they have always had a successful Blind Lawn Bowls athletic at Blind Bowls Nationals.
 

2013 Starts with Trail Ends

Within the hour the 2013 Canadian Lawn Bowl Nationals will start and run until Saturday (24th August) with sunny weather all week.

Nationals 8:45 waiting for Opening Ceremonies (minutes ago)

  Following the Opening Ceremonies the game will start following a "Trail End". (Rolling two bowls each player up and back down the rink you will be playing)

What do you do with your "Trail Ends"?  The Trail end so often seem to be a contest of rolling to the jack and worst of all, I have seen skips indicating the choose of Green and Draw side.

In "Fundamentals of LAWN BOWLS" by Albert Newton written over 50 years ago in Australia, says "Most bowlers are under the impression that the bowl starts to turn about 2/3 of the Distance between the mat and the jack. This is wrong. If a bowl is delivered on an  even keel for a draw, it will start to turn immediately...... depending upon the speed of the Green played upon."  

So "Trail ends" are to know the SPEED of the Greens and the BIAS of your bowl because as Mr. Newton says  "on heavy greens, because of the speed at which the bowl is delivered, the shoulder of the curve is much closer to the jack than on fast greens"

Yes, the Trail ends are for the bowler to know their Speed of Green and Bias caused by such a speed.  So it is an individual thing and the Skip should be reading the information and not dictating how a bowler does his trail end.

A Team should have a plan for the trail end which help to read the Natural distance (blog coming) of the team and opponent and cover the complete length of the Rink (blog coming)  All with the two bowls each direction.

2013 Canadian Nationals

This Blog  and its pages viewed  stats show a lot of interest

 from Australia, India, Russia and other non North American readers.  For this reason sometimes the blog will reference geographic detail which may be boring to us Canadian or American readers. Thank you for your patience.
 Scenario: This week in Vancouver,  British Columbia (Our Western most Province) the 2013 Canadian Nationals.will be played.

West Van Clubhouse (News photo Outlook)

Grouping  the best of our 12 Canadian Provinces lawn bowlers, for the title of Champion in Fours, Pairs and Triples a lot of Air travel leads to the 9am Monday morning (August 19th) start of play.
Over 100 years ago today, in 1906, 8 Rinks of British bowlers, and their wifes, were on a two month tour of Canadian Bowls Clubs. and  had just finished playing at Berlin Bowls Club (near Waterloo) and Arriving on train at Stratford-on-Avon. Compare their travel to those air flights of todays bowlers.
Yes, the Train actually waited while members ran to the hotel to get the sleeping player who had missed his wake up.  What a change in travel today.

"The British Bowlers in Canada, 1906. (From Archive.org) 

"FRIDAY, I7TH AUGUST.1906 
This is a delightful morning. We pay our bills and get packed up and ready for the road again. Some of the boys 
were late last night, being in different hotels and somewhat scattered. Most of us, however, are up in good time and asking after each other's welfare, how each slept last night, tc., etc. At the last moment, and just before getting on the car, it is discovered that one of our party is not accounted for. 
    This calls for a temporary halt, and two of our party are detailed to go on a voyage of discovery. They found the missing one fast asleep and utterly oblivious of the cares and anxieties of travel. His excuse, when awakened, was that he had thought that eleven o'clock was the hour for leaving, instead  of nine. The excuse was accepted with a smile, and helping hands soon had the drowsy one ready for the road. We get a most hearty send oft from the Berliners " Hip, hip, 
hurrahs " ringing in our ears as the train leaves the station, and some of them shaking hands as it begins to gather speed. Our programme for to-day is a rather lengthy one, and very divided, viz. : 

10.0 a.m. Arrive in Stratford, where the Mayor and Council and representatives of Bowling Club will receive party. 
Five rinks will be taken to Windsor, 1 Albion and Queen's Hotels, and three rinks will proceed to Mitchell by special train as guests of the Mitchell Bowling Club ; returning, leave Mitchell at 5.55 p.m., and reach Stratford at 6.20 p.m." 

Over the next week our provincial teams will play one or  two games per day until Saturday August 24 when the finals will decide on the Gold, Silver and Bronze winners. I am told the greens are fast (13 sec or more) as we begin getting our first news.  Vancouver Clubs' Rinks (see North Shore Outlook News)
The history of West Vancouver can be found on ilawnbowl.com.

Update added August 27th after Blog opinions on the results of the Nationals  and like everything that ends, I  close this blog with the Archives of 1906 departure of the  British Lawn Bowl Teams.  What a cost that must have been for them then......

"The British Bowlers in Canada, 1906. (From Archive.org) 

"FRIDAY, 31st AUGUST.1906 

FRIDAY, siST AUGUST

found our party all looking forward to their return home, as one looks at the photo of a friend within easy reach, and with feelings of pleasure ; in fact, we were jubilant, notwithstanding all the kindness that had been shewn us, the many friends we had made and met with, and the uninterrupted
round of pleasures we had enjoyed. Home again !
 What an attraction there is in these two words, even for those who have been absent only for a month or six weeks. You feel it in the very air you breathe, and every beat of the pulse seems to shorten the distance. Such were our feelings as we stepped on board the good ship Virginian, where we renewed
pur acquaintance with the stewards and others, whose unfailing attention added much to our comfort. As the ship moved off from the quay we could hardly repress a little sigh of regret at leaving so many warm-hearted

248

Safe at Home.

friends behind. They crowded the landing stage and cheered us to the echo, while hats, handkerchiefs and hands waved good-bye on either side. Will we ever meet again ? Ah !
who can tell. The game of life is slippery and uncertain, and all get bowled over sooner or later many sooner than they expect.

Slowly at first the good ship works her way out into midstream, then gradually getting up speed we are soon gliding along, every throb of the turbines lessening the distance betwixt us and our homes.

I Love "Bowls" So What?

 Do you have or wear a " I love "Something" " T-shirts ?

 No !  Not surprised.  A lot of us don't commit or express ours feelings anymore.  Well I plan to make a commitment and do something to show my love of Lawn  Bowls.  and my angel will look over my actions and see if it bears fruit.
    Scenario: Over the weekend, I showed a Youtube video to a lawn bowler friend, who told me she would be volunteering for their club's Monday night Blind Bowls. An activity I organized and administered fro that club for over 4 years.


Youtube Internation Blind Bowls Coaching

 I showed  her how a  Blind Bowls Night should be administered.  Showed, how to have Blind individuals enjoy Bowls.as a sport that can be "loved"  I knew the participants and how they had become serious about Bowls. Now a few days later, I ask my friend, how it went with her Blind Bowls Night.  I was told " OH we didn't do those things or like that."  "We just let them roll the bowls"  They are quite sociable so I talked most time with a couple of them" The club president was on the green with four of them.
    My opinion.  Instead of giving them a "center line" to know where the jack is; or using the distance indication markers so they knew how far to throw their bowl;  They were given the opportunity to exercise with Bowls.  They simply Rolled the Bowls to nowhere.
    Yes,  The blind participants were allow to bowl the bowls up the green for their exercise.
   Comment: When I coached and administered that club's Blind Bowls Monday Night, I had two car loads of Blind and from the age of 18 to 74.  That night there were only 5 and only 4 on the green.
Question:   If you believe Bowls is a great Sport and love your time on the Green,  why are you not bubbling over with excitement when you get a chance to show the sport to someone new?.  Why are you not excited to get a new club member?. 
    Commitment:   "I love Bowls" Like I play Billiards (pool) all winter and am amazed with all the effect I can put on a Pool Cue Ball;  I also am amazing how bowls can be so difficult, complex, or even interesting.  This year, this winter, I am blogging ever week on Bowls and My blogs will be short and to the point and a different one every two days. I am approaching 70 and want to thank all those who gave me this joyful sport.
   .