MEMBERS NEWSLETTER – OCTOBER 2019 Official Newsletter of Donvale Bowls Club Inc

PO Box 1312, Doncaster East 3109

website: www.donvalebowls.com.au Editor: Ewan Simpson

Email your article to: ewan.simpson377@gmail.com Visit our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/DonvaleBowls

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

Jeff Grant Chairman Donvale Bowls Club

New Season 2019/2020

Congratulations, and a big thank you, to Mal Shield and his team for running a very successful and enjoyable Opening of the Greens day on Sunday 29 Sept. Those present had a great day of bowling followed by the usual delicious afternoon tea. They also received an update on progress of our new kitchen and covered outdoor area, and our ambitious plans for the future.

Ten-year memberships were presented to Elizabeth Bill, Alan Clark, Peter Gillett, John Gow, Peter Hanslow, Maureen Hooper, Peter Rive, James Whitfield and Leanne Whiticker; twenty-year membership to Ray Halliday and thirty years to Geoff Smith. Congratulations to you all.

We now look forward to the 2019/20 pennant season. Please support our new coach and selectors and I am sure we can have a successful season. Go Donvale!

Twilight Bowls

The much-anticipated return of Twilight Bowls begins on Wednesday 16 October. Thanks again to Lindsay Ridgwell, Julie and Barry Wilkins and Peter Hanslow for running this very important (and much enjoyed) component of our bowling program.

I hope everyone enjoys their bowls in 2019/20.

New Members Day

Rob Fairweather and Bill Duggan have worked tirelessly to set up our New Members Day on Sunday 13 October.

With support from our many volunteers I expect this will be a very successful day. I look forward to seeing many of our members on the day, thus highlighting what a great and friendly club we are.

New Members

Seven membership applications were approved at the last Inc meeting. A big welcome to Colin Thorn, Joan Cormick, Elizabeth Miller, Pamela Sharpe, John Blake, Graeme Stevens and Donald McKelvie. We also welcome back Teresa Bowden after a few years at Doncaster. I am sure you all will enjoy the bowls and friendships at Donvale.

Jeff Grant

PENNANT & CHAMPIONSHIP - REPORT

REPORT

David Bill President P & C - Committee

We are nearly into our pennant season for 2019/2020. During September our focus has been on the practice games arranged with other clubs by our new team of selectors headed up by Ray Bridger. It is a new experience for the selectors as for the first time in the club’s history the selectors are now meeting on a Wednesday to select both Saturday and Midweek pennant teams.

We have enjoyed some success with our practice games and hopefully this will be carried forward into the pennant season. The one big change for this season has been the appointment of a new coach with Richard Gale taking on the role. By the reports I have received Richard appears to have got off to a good start paying particular attention to bowling technique which he believes is essential to the development of our pennant success at all levels.

We got off to a very good start to the season with our first sausage sizzle which was attended by nearly eighty members, the best ever in my time. Richard had two opportunities to speak to us with many impressed by his enthusiasm for the role and for bowls generally.

Let’s trust that this enthusiasm spills over into our weekly games as well as in the practice sessions. Richard has made himself available at the club from 10.30am to 6.00pm every Thursday in addition to a two-hour session commencing at 9.30am on a Saturday. If you have any issues with your bowling Richard would like you to ask him for help on such issues at any time.

Richard Gale – Head Coach

Night pennant does not commence until November. We have entered one team of twelve players for the season and Graham Wynn has accepted the role of team manager. The team of some ten emergency players will no doubt be called upon by Graham to make up the numbers on occasions.

The Pennant and Championship Committee has met twice since the AGM and are enthusiastically looking forward to a rewarding season ahead. Rob Fairweather is already under way with this season’s recruitment drive with his great team of flyer distributors. John Poulton and his committee

are already organizing this-seasons club championships. Ian Bramstedt has taken on the role of looking after the club raffles, and Marilyn Grant has assumed responsibility for purchasing the hot food and nibbles for Saturday pennant.

Due to increased costs it has been necessary to increase the cost of three hot food items to $3.00, being the first increase in some years.

We are very thankful to have an enthusiastic P&C Committee together with our very committed team of volunteers.

David Bill

GREENS REPORT

Grass Green

The grass is now starting to grow due to the onset of the warmer weather. Shane is cutting and rolling to suit. Some rinks are better than others and we encourage members who are practicing, to use common sense in selecting the rink for practice.

The black cat markers are used to mark a rink considered unsuitable, so please observe these markers and select another rink.

There has been some criticism of the bald patches around the Tee areas, which become slippery when wet. My observation of other rinks at other clubs is that it is common to all. I encourage members to be patient.

Artificial Green

We have arranged deep grooming and rolling on Monday October the 7th. Bernie has been informed of this in case there may be a disruption to training on that day.

I have observed a difference in the drainage since the application of the algacide and like to think it has improved. I am definitely observing a different pattern to the drainage.

Gary Brady Greens Director

New Members Day Sunday 13th October 2019

11am – 5pm

Rob (Stormy)

Fairweather

Many thanks and our appreciation to those who have generously volunteered their time and services for our pending New Members Day.

If you are able to arrive around 10.30am – 11.00am wearing some identifiable club clothing, cap, top, or jacket that would be most appreciated.

The numbers should ensure all have a break or not committed for the entire day.

NOTE: All arrivals and departures of members and visitors will be via the main entrance on the day.

Greens Your role with our potential new members is such a vital one. For most visitors, this is their first exposure to our club and bowling, so let’s ensure they have fun and enjoy the experience.

Richard Gale

John Poulton

Geoff Smith

Tari Mallia

Neil Dusting (2)

Ian Heap

Garry Brady

Terry Cooper

Brian Dunn

Ian Bramstedt

Dennis Johnson

Graeme Morrison

Ray Bridger

John Cobain

Bill Duggan

Ron Pretto

Peter Gillett

A few incentives you can cover for New Members joining on the day:

$50 Membership…..Key Club…..Free Coaching…..Free set of Bowls New Members Dinner…..Access to the green all year…..Social & Pennant Bowling

Meeting & Greeting Jeff Grant

Administration Anna Brady Ron Gibbs Jeff Grant

Balloons (Club & Roadside) Bill Duggan

Rinks (Set Up) Richard Gale Ron Pretto

Barbecue Kelvin McMahon Rito Bettiol

Bar Lindsay Ridgwell Des Powell

Kitchen Marilyn Grant & Co

A warm welcome to any of our members who may wish to assist or just join us for a free sausage.

Stormy

Non-Pennant & Social Events

Mal Shield President NP& SE

We had the opening of the greens on the 29th September with 62 people in attendance. There was a ditch to ditch competition and a spider as well. We had nibbles and drinks pre-game and then a fours game. Afternoon tea followed with the opening speeches and prizes given.

Thank you to all attendees, where as usual, brought plenty of great food and adding that to the nibbles and drinks provided we had a feast.

Thank you to everyone who pitched in and made the workload much easier for the organisers, and my terrific committee who as usual were there to help. It made for a very enjoyable friendly day.

Melbourne Cup Day

Melbourne Cup Day will be the next function our committee is organising. Please put the event in your diary and there will be more information later and a sign-up book in a couple of weeks. Look out for the Newsflashes later in the month.

Knife Sharpening

A reminder of the knife/scissors/tool sharpening service provided by David Mattiazzo 9842 5436 for a very reasonable cost. David kindly donates the proceeds to support our raffle.

Trading Table

The trading table is again up and running with great organizing from Barb Drew 9848 1976 and Norma Juchno 0417 558 237. If you have something to put on the trading table, please contact Barb or Norma.

Christmas Hampers Raffle

It may be only the start of October, but we are starting to plan for this year’s Christmas Hamper Raffle. Commencing now, we are seeking donations of items for the hampers (food, wine/boutique beer or cash) would be appreciated.

Also, we could use any suitable baskets (e.g. cane, wire etc), ribbons (especially wired ribbons) or cellophane that you might no longer have any use for.

Tickets will be available for sale from the beginning of November and the raffle draw will coincide with the last day of Saturday pennant on the 21st December.

Last year due to your kind generosity, we were able to raffle 28 hampers plus Joy’s Christmas Cake and Jan Shield’s Gingerbread House.

With your support we hope to match or exceed this number this year.

Any enquiries contact: Anna Brady 0417 580 842 or Mal Shield 0409 100 243.

Opening of the Greens

Ask the Umpire – October 2019

It was a beautiful day on the first Tuesday of the pennant season. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and there were happy smiles on pennant bowlers’ faces. The biggest smile was on the face of Dopey Dora as she laid the mat ready to deliver the jack.

Dopey Dora was Helpful Herbert’s lead and he stood at the other end ready to centre the jack. The jack was duly placed on a chalk line and Dopey Dora delivered the first bowl. Joy of Joys! A resting toucher! Nasty Norm stood beside Helpful Herbert and he had a big smile on his face too.

He had noticed that Dopey Dora had laid the mat on an old chalk line and Helpful Herbert had placed the jack on the corresponding line at the other end.

Barry Wilkins

Coach & Umpire

Nasty Norm told Helpful Herbert that both the jack and the mat had to be shifted to the correct lines. Helpful Herbert disagreed. The umpire was called.

The umpire was very new but had studied his law book assiduously. With an air of utter superiority (uncommon in umpires) he told the skips that the jack had to stay where it was, but the mat had to be moved to the centre line.

Nasty Norm instructed each of his team to “have a look” at Dopey Dora’s bowl while

Helpful Herbert’s team built up a very handy number of shots, which they held at the completion of the end because every bowl from Nasty Norm’s team missed!

Was the umpire right?

Umpire Barry says he was.

Law 9.7 says that after the first player has delivered the first bowl no one has the right to challenge the legality of the original position of the jack.

Opening of the Greens Photos & Commentary James Bonthorne

A shot of dinks and nibbles before the roll up. Is the person who had to roll the first jack for the season “fuelling up” in anticipation.

Out on the green before the “first roll ups”, and perhaps those involved are working out what to do??

Just prior to the first Jack roll for the season, as can be seen this takes some mental preparation. You are a champion, David Bill - President of the Pennant and Championship Committee.

And this is it – the first Jack roll. It carefully does not show the final result.

Now the first roll of a bowl by our President of the Non-Pennant Bowls and Social Section, Mal Shield.

Now it is on for real.

A couple of the skips trying to decide what to do.

Well that is the first 12 bowls down for this end, let’s see what we have achieved.

Is that really what we did?

Which is my team? They all have Donvale circles on them??

Do you realise what our score really was?

Now is the time to refuel after all that effort. Boy what a spread.

A shot of the room as best I could do. But it helps to be able to sit during the refuelling process after a hard afternoon’s work. James, thank you for the great photos & comments.

What a great day that was

enjoyed by all

MEMBERS