2014
Atlantic Bowls weekend
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| 2014 Atlantic bowls in Charlottetown PEI |
Last weekend, we, the Maritine provinice's Competitive Bowlers; all gathered together with our neighbouring province of Quebec delegates. This Eastern Canada annual competition we should be five four provinces (Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick to welcome Quebec to the 2014 Atlantic
Bowls Championship at the Sherwood LBC in Charlottetown (PEI).
Although the flag of Newfoundland flies with the other provinces on the edge of the Sherwood LB Club's green ( in the above photo), it is been quite a few years since a Newfoundland team has presented or participated. The club of PeterPan LBC in St-John's has an active participant but the transportation of a ferry crossing from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia can be several hundred dollars. Such a crossing done by car has a individual cost of passage and the cost of the car bring the team. For several years when Blind Lawn Bowls was strong in Canada, Newfoundland always had a player or two to respresent them in central Canada or Western Canada. We miss them, but until the province withdraws officially it will have it flag waited upon for their team's participation.
It was the provincial Lawn Bowls Assoc of Prince Edward Island turn this year to hosted the 42th Annual Atlantic Bowls, and everything was perfect. Greens, organization and Weather all as planned. Video of the 2013 games in Montreal is available on youtube. and although I did not see video cameras I hope that something of theses games appears online.
Although the flag of Newfoundland flies with the other provinces on the edge of the Sherwood LB Club's green ( in the above photo), it is been quite a few years since a Newfoundland team has presented or participated. The club of PeterPan LBC in St-John's has an active participant but the transportation of a ferry crossing from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia can be several hundred dollars. Such a crossing done by car has a individual cost of passage and the cost of the car bring the team. For several years when Blind Lawn Bowls was strong in Canada, Newfoundland always had a player or two to respresent them in central Canada or Western Canada. We miss them, but until the province withdraws officially it will have it flag waited upon for their team's participation.
It was the provincial Lawn Bowls Assoc of Prince Edward Island turn this year to hosted the 42th Annual Atlantic Bowls, and everything was perfect. Greens, organization and Weather all as planned. Video of the 2013 games in Montreal is available on youtube. and although I did not see video cameras I hope that something of theses games appears online.
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| Quebec entry into 2013 Atlantic (video Youtube) |
Of the four provinces participating, Quebec is the continual gold medalist and they are often followed by Nova Scotia. These two provinces have multi clubs in their major city (Montreal and Halifax) area and therefore a great interclub system to build strong competitions.
While New Brunswick has four clubs at different levels of skill development with Fredericton the strongest, the remaining two provinces, PEI and Newfoundland has had for years had only one club.(Although I am told the Peter Pan Club in Newfoundland has (or is about to) close. )
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| New Brunswick enters behind Flag Bearer |
While New Brunswick has four clubs at different levels of skill development with Fredericton the strongest, the remaining two provinces, PEI and Newfoundland has had for years had only one club.(Although I am told the Peter Pan Club in Newfoundland has (or is about to) close. )
New Brunswick, my home province has three areas of club development and during the last few years we have seen club
memberships decrease in most clubs. In the Moncton area where until last year there were three clubs it is now down to Centennial with their double green and Riverview which is a small (less than 20 members) club across the Pedicatcodia River.The third club in Shediac lost it greens and clubhouse to the municipality. The other two cities of New Brunswick, Fredericton and Saint John each have their one green clubs.Fredericton has done well with membership and fees while all the other NB clubs are struggling.
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| Our team for this years 2104 Atlantic |
The
province of Nova Scotia has all its clubs except one (Bridgetown) in the Halifax area. This allows for much inter club competition and quality player development.
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| 2011 atlantics in Bridgetown |
The Nova Scotia Town of Bridgetown which hosted the 39th Competition in 2011, has been, for the past years struggling with low membership and high club cost, but still has accepted to again host this competition next year ( 2015).
The province of New Brunswick, gathers about 40 players from their 4 active clubs for their interclub games every second Wednesday. These games.which with the exception of the Trites Team; have always been a pickup team with new players every year. Such weak participation only means that they are not expected to be as strong as Quebec and Nova Scotia, who have five Lawn Bowling Clubs from which to build strong teams..
I have often wanted to skip from the lead position because that way I could better control the jack; however, I think there is a difficulty in the rules. The only responsibility that cannot be delegated is keeping score but the two scorers need to play in the same position according to the Crystal Mark World bowls rules. Is this not so?
ReplyDeleteYes, it is necessary to stay in line with the rules. I skipped from the lead b/c the individual gets too excited and becomes rather destructive as skip. The game is a team sport and the only problem I had skipping from the lead was when as lead I called for an official. I must have called 3 or 4 times and it concerned the moving of the mat with the protective screens. However, in the 2nd game, the opponent skip came to me (when crossing the green to the head) and told me to maybe work with the individual. I explained to my partner that head games were not good sportsmanship and some people think his acting out at the head is doing to his opponent what others often did to him. He quite down and we had a good game. Yes, the lead can only go to the head after bowling the 3rd bowl but I usually waited unless I need time to discuss with my partner. It is team play and what ever way works that is what counts.
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