Kensington Marryatville Bowling Club

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Kensi Newsletter 13/01/25

Welcome Back

Happy New Year to you all. I hope that you enjoyed the break generally relaxing and catching up on things that often get put on the back burner while bowling takes front seat. Having said that here we are refreshed and ready to begin the second half of the season after what was a challenging first half for many teams. It was wonderful to see at last a relatively small list of players unavailable for the first week however the downside has been that the selectors have needed to move players to best fill teams. If you have any questions regarding your selection, please speak to one of the selectors for clarification. 

David Freeman is Pennant Bowls Manager and has taken on Chair of Selectors. Team selector are:

  • Wednesday Men – co selectors Alan Lambert and Ryan Wilkins
  • Thursday Women – co selectors Katie Gunning and Robyn Hutton
  • Saturday Divisions 2 and 4 – co selectors Derek Miller and Greg Miller
  • Saturday Divisions 5, 6, 7 – all selectors involved.

VALE Peter Jenkins

Just before the break we were saddened to hear the news that Peter Jenkins had passed away. We will miss his favourite greeting of good day and his direct comments about what should be happening at the club to better inform members. His funeral was held last Friday.

Pennant Results

Wednesday - all matches were away:

  • Division 2 vs Edwardstown. Drew 105 each.
  • Division 3 vs Beaumont. Defeated 90 to 116.
  • Division 4 vs Tranmere. Defeated 44 to 84.

Thursday - all matches were home:

  • Premier vs Hawthorn. Defeated 41 to 71.
  • Division 2 vs Hope Valley. Won 58 to 52.
  • Division 3 vs Hawthorn. Defeated 52 to 66.

Saturday

  • Division 2 vs Edwardstown at Edwardstown. Defeated 76 to 82.
  • Division 4 vs Hawthorn at home. Defeated 62 to 87.
  • Division 5 vs Salisbury at Salisbury. Won 87 to 70.
  • Division 6 vs Prospect Broadview at home. Won 65 to 56.
  • Division 7 vs Trinity Gardens at Trinity Gardens. Defeated 31 to 76.

Please remember: If you will be unavailable for a game, please write your name in the unavailable book. The book is located outside the office window. Contact David Freeman if necessary.

Monday Morning Training

Due to Sate under 18 Championship commitments, Alan will not be available for coaching this Monday. Training will continue by arrangement with Alan Lambert in the following weeks for any new bowler or bowler looking for specific improvement assistance from 10 am for a couple of hours. Please contact him if interested, his number is 0422 606 175. 

Advanced Notice for Mens Country Carnival

We are hosting these events on Feb 3,4,5 with Fours, singles, pairs. Help is sought in running these events. Kitchen roster Liz and Katie are in charge.

  • Menu Peter G with Liz and Katie
  • Bar roster Ken Mason
  • Umpire Alan Lambert
  • Measurers TBA
  • Money Collection TBA
  • BowlsLink entry Ken Watson and Tania Lewis to share
  • Markers for singles Peter G to organise for Tuesday
  • Duty rink before and after each day volunteers needed.

This is a major event for the club any assistance is appreciated.

  • Peter Glazbrook (Event Manager)

Greens Management

As you are all aware, Ulli and Mike are stepping down from active roles in this area at the end of the season. A meeting will be held at the club on Monday Jan 20th at 10am for members who wish to assist in this essential work for the club. Ulli and Mike will outline the tasks involved and possibly demonstrate the work. If you are unable to attend the meeting and wish to assist, please let me know. Seating is limited to 120 people, please be early.

  • Peter Glazbrook (Greens Team)

Expansion of our Schools Program

There has been talk for a few years about encouraging local schools to be involved with lawn bowls. Ken Watson, Alan Lambert and I have spent numerous hours working with students from Norwood International High School and Saints Girls. Ken has written the following outlining where we have been and where we plan to go envisioning the future. I am hoping that other members are as enthusiastic about the proposal as we are.
Imagine our bowling club with several teenagers, and people in their 20’s playing alongside those of us for whom those ages are but distant memories. Surely the future of bowls as a sport and our club depends upon us recruiting people in those younger age brackets, who bring the energy and enthusiasm of youth and a fresh outlook that may invigorate the club. With this lofty goal in mind we have for some years sought to establish links with schools which are keen to include lawn bowls in the activities they encourage through their Health and PE programs.

For a few years now we have been hosting Year 10 P.E. students from Norwood International High School, who have walked down The Parade for a 4-session introduction to bowls. Some of these students are quite interested and show some talent which we would like to encourage. We have talked with their PE staff about forming some teams to compete in the SA Bowls Inter School Challenge, which is a goal for 2025.
Some years ago, Year 11 students from Saints Girls School came to learn bowls, but this has fallen by the wayside recently. We are delighted that we have been able to reestablish links with them for next year, with their Year 10 P.E. students coming to play bowls once a fortnight during Term 1.

The catch is that these programs are only possible with the input of several hours of volunteer time from club members. For Term 1 for example, we are seeking to run sessions with Saints Girls once a fortnight on Mondays 8:50-9:50am, Wednesdays 2:10-3:10pm and Fridays 10:55-11:55am. To do this, we need help from club members who are willing to contribute in this way. Running sessions on Wednesday afternoons means that we need some women bowlers, since most men will be playing pennants at least for the first half of the term.

We will not know until next year what days and times the Norwood students will come, but I expect it will be similar to this year which was in May-June and October-November.

What do we get out of it? At a personal level, it can be a lot of fun interacting with teenagers on the bowling green, and it is certainly very satisfying to play a part in the improvements they show from session to session. From a club point of view, we are forever hopeful that some of these young people will join us on a more permanent basis, and maybe even bring their parents along as well.
We charge a small fee: in 2024, the club received $2,250 from the schools’ program.

What do you need to help with this? It is not essential, but it is certainly preferable to have completed an Introductory Coach course. These are arranged by Bowls SA, and the club will pay the cost of the course for any members who do it. It is also necessary to have a current Working With Children Check (WWCC). As the club’s Child Safety Officer, I can arrange for a WWCC for those who do not already have one and there is no cost when it is necessary for voluntary “work”.

We really need to expand the number of members contributing to the schools’ program, and especially need some willing female members to join Marg Lambert on the panel of school coaches. Please contact me if you can assist.

Friday Happy Hour

There is Happy Hour at the Club this Friday at 5.30pm.  You are encouraged to support the Club by coming along, bringing your friends and neighbors to enjoy this social occasion. If you can, please bring some food to share. Looking forward to seeing you.

Friday Members Draw

As meals are not being served on alternate Fridays currently, the committee was keen to see the continuation of the Members’ Draw. At our December meeting, it was decided to hold the draw on the first Friday of each month.
The first for 2025 will be on February 7 with a raffle and meat tray as first prize.

Next Combined Happy Hour with Tennis Members

The tennis section of the Club are keen to join us again for Happy Hour and have therefore been invited on Friday 14 February. Please come along, contribute something to eat and enjoy social interaction with members of the Club you would normally engage with.

“Day in the Garden” Open Tournament

Make sure you get your teams organised for our "Day in the Garden" Tournament to be held on Monday 17 March 2025 9.30am for 10.00am start. Game format: Open Gender - 3 bowl triples.

Garage Sale

Cecily Griffiths has kindly offered to conduct a Garage Sale at the Club on Saturday 5 April 2025. We suggest you have a New Year clean out of goods that can be sold on that day. Please contact Cecily with any queries, donations of goods and offers of help. 

Social Media

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with all the latest news and updates. We also love seeing your photos from club activities and events, so feel free to share them with us!

Sponsors

When visiting any of our club sponsors, kindly mention that you are from the Kensington Marryatville Bowling Club. This simple gesture lets them know their sponsorship is appreciated and valuable. Our sponsors are crucial to the future of our club, so please show your support whenever possible.

If you have suggestions for potential new sponsors, feel free to approach any committee member. Your ideas can make a big difference!


Lawn Bowls Newsletter 13/01/2025

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