A remake of a March 2013 blog about the future of Bowls as seen 10 years ago. Never too late to re-evaluate our sport. The before and after photos.
Blog was updated (and re-dated) as the topic of Club's recruitment of executives and saving your club still is important to our sport.
Blog was updated (and re-dated) as the topic of Club's recruitment of executives and saving your club still is important to our sport.
This blog was written years ago after I left New Brunswick for Quebec to spend time with family.
The mention of rebuilding our club near the end of the blog was what we as seniors tried to do over two or three years. After building the club with a new clubhouse (city loan of a unused Tourist trailor) and storage building; and green improvement, we still were not getting the a lot of new membership. I know the sport (hockey) across the street was talking to the city about how the land of the Lawn Bowling Club would be better used (for Hockey and skating with a new Arena). Today the club is no more.
........................ August 2024 .......................... Photo of Riverside added ................
In Lawn Bowls when we speak of the "Head" it is usually with reference to the location of the Jack and Bowls during a game of play. However, another type of "Head" or topic is worth blogging about and deserves some mention. We must realize that every organization, especially the Lawn Bowls Clubs, needs a administration body as it "Head". The Club executives and committees usual form the Head executives and are usually quite overworked. Yes, our sport is only a half-year sport in most countries; going from early summer to early fall (Mid-May to Mid-September)
Recently I saw two interesting news stories on my regularly visited Twitter bowls site this week (March 2013). One is of the Welsh Bowls Association Secretary Brian Rogers' intervene into the closing of 6 clubs by the Cardiff council as they suggested it as a budget cutting method. (below) The second news story is about an idea to promote Lawn Bowls with the Bowl in One idea (see near bottom of blog)
This news article reads
This will allow in-depth negotiations to take place to find the best possible options for the clubs involved to become self-managed. The Welsh Bowling Association requests Newport council also to postpone its self-imposed deadline to allow similar discussions to take place. We do not recognise its estimate of £19,000 being a true figure for maintaining a green when it actually costs some £7,000. Had the clubs scheduled for closure opted for self-management on October 5, in practice it would have been very difficult for them to complete the process by the end of the month. So please delay the closures for several months and enter into a proper consultation process. (signed by Welsh Bowls Association Secretary)
reads "The game involves rolling a lawn bowl down the green, aiming to sink it into the flagged hole.
"Even those who have never stepped foot on a green can easily pick up the game," Mr Jordan said.
"There were a couple of young guys up here who have never bowled and they jumped in and had a go, and loved it," he said.
Each week, the prize money jackpots until someone sinks the bowl in one roll. It's part of the plan to help the club's finance and to get back on its feet after being placed in a "Hold" administration last year. It is no longer in dire straits but it is eager to attract more patrons to the club. Bowl in One is rolled out on Fridays, from 5pm."
How is it done?. It is possible to place a 1 ft high flag in the far corners of the green as at these corners we have about 1 meter square of green which seldom gets used. Bowling Corner to Corner can allow for some fun choice of the "mat placement distance" rules. ( Example: Paying your $3 to play you can draw a playing card and move the mat up by the distance of that playing card number (1m to 13m). If there were several club members wanting to play, the highest card could be for the whole group. Now what do you win ? Well a string at the bottom of the pole could allow 50/50 win of the cash (a 8 inches) of the flag. And of course where the bar fee is $6 for beer or wine ; a 2nd mark on the cord could be at 18" and allow a winner his choice of drink. Of course touching the flag pole or in the ditch is a "Miss" even if you are so close that it stops and touch the flag.
How may bowls ? Guess 2 if mat card is moved less then 8 meters closer or 2 bowls for anyone drawn card is red. The collected money is held by one player until the end of the game and evening bowling and used to pay the bar tab of winners of drinks and the 50/50 winner. Half of the evening's profit is added to the next weekly pot and the other half given to club executive to be held until the end of the period of finance. If at week's end no one has won the (50/50) which is a building balance; it all goes to the player (s) going on the out-of-town competition. We must support these our club members who respresent us away from home.
When to play. Suggest start with one night a week like Friday. Since we always play even evening at the club at 7:30 the game could also be played between 7pm and 7:30 for a larger pot and for those regular who like a glass after the evening game. A sort of Hole In One" for the pot and even with a close one (18") for double your bet (get your drink). (an idea build on this Australian newpaper) Update end.
Some of the Tweet's as Remarks about the council closing the clubs were ( below right) Greens are closing all over the place. Will your be next ???
Some of the Tweet's as Remarks about the council closing the clubs were ( below right) Greens are closing all over the place. Will your be next ???
This is not new...happening all over the country and in every country which was strong in Lawn Bowls.
The truth is even inb my own area, we just lost a club when the town council decided the land could be better used for something else.
The problems are the same. always the same doing all the work.
The same executives since several years and no new blood getting involved. It is always a "I have paid my dues, and I just want to play" or something like "Someone else can do the executive work!! I'll done my share."
We all must work to develop our club. Become active and join a committee or even get involved in club promotion (coaching,sales, recruitment) or Maintenance. The club closing tomorrow may be your club and the future of our sport is all our responsibility.
Updated August 12, 2024 Springhiler
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