President's Message
Summary of MBA Presidents Meeting:
The meeting was held on Sunday, January 18 at the Brighton Bowling Club. Thank you to Vice President Pat Lee for attending on my behalf.
Conditions of play are reviewed every season. MBA will be seeking feedback on the impact of the trial changes made for this season, on member clubs and their members.
For KMBC, this includes the shorter number of ends played on Saturday in Divisions 6 and 7 and no break for Division 2. On Thursday the latter start and Wednesday the earlier start in January. During the meeting there was discussion surrounding:
- Later start for the Thursday competition.
- Clubs will be asked “do we need replays?”
- How do cancelled games affect player eligibility for finals?
- Would there be consideration of shortening the number of ends in inclement weather?
- Request to expand explanation and guidelines in BSA Lightning policy
To promote our pennant competition further, MBA is continuing to live stream the Premier division Grand Finals for all days on YouTube and the MBA and Bowls SA Facebook pages.
We will again Livestream 5 x Saturday Premier division matches, with Bowls SA assistance, with the emphasis on local derbies, on a Friday evening in the summer. The live stream program resumes on Friday 30th January, with Marion hosting Ascot Park.
Planning for season, 2026-27, Bowls SA have nearly finalized their season program, with major input from their events planning committee. Bowls Australia have scheduled their annual championships back to October (finishing by October 23rd). This will give the opportunity for the MBA to commence the season’s pennant program a little later and still finish all the minor pennant rounds by mid-March.
Pennant Results
Wednesday — all matches away.
- Division 2 vs Para Hills. Won 102 to 92.
- Division 4 II vs Adelaide. Won 78 to 44.
- Division 4 III vs Tranmere. Lost 53 to 69
Thursday — all matches away.
- Division 1 vs Marion. Lost 54 to 63.
- Division 2 vs Clarence Gardens. Lost 38 to 74.
Saturday — matches for Divisions 4, 5, 6 and 7 were cancelled due to extreme heat.
- Division 2 has been rescheduled to be played at Payneham on Friday, January 30.
- Division 2 vs Payneham away.
- Division 4 vs Sturt at home.
- Division 5 vs Beaumont at home.
- Division 6 vs Blackwood at home.
- Division 7 vs Sturt away.
Reminder — if you will be unavailable for a game, please write your name in the unavailable book with the blue cover. The book is located outside the kitchen door next to the blue box. Contact selectors as noted on selections as they are sent out each week.
Rinks of the Week
The club will endeavor to distribute the drink vouchers to the winners asap during the week. Friday night Happy Hour and the Friday Dinners are a great time to use your vouchers. For those vouchers not yet distributed, you will have a good chance on Fridays to collect your vouchers from either Ryan or Pip.
- Wednesday: John Roberts, John Butterworth, Ric Poyner, Chris Aldersey
- Thursday: Margaret Lambert, Katie Gunning, Tania Lewis, Liz Greenfield
Selection Emails for Pennants
There have been a few instances where players have not received notification of team selections. If this occurs, please refer to the club website under Pennant Bowls. Teams are posted here each week.
- Visit our Pennant Information page for more information.
Saints Girls School - Year 10 Bowling
Once again, this year the PE staff from Saints Girls School will be bringing their Year 10 students to our club to learn to play bowls during Term 1. Our experience in the past has been that these girls are polite, friendly and most appreciative of the efforts of those coaching/teaching them, and there are a number who show considerable talent for bowling. We always hope that some of these girls will end up playing bowls at our club.
Programs such as this are only possible with the assistance of club members who are willing to help. Preferably we will have several helpers for each session, and it would be ideal if helpers were able to commit to each of the 4 sessions for a group. The planned program is shown below.
If you are willing and able to assist with this program, please let Ken Watson know by email, phone or text.
- Ken Watson - E: kjacwats@ozemail.com.au / M: 0488 033 945
Mens Country Carnival Update (Feb 3–5)
We have 3 days of Men’s Country Carnival. Thanks to those members who have offered to assist, we still require 7 markers for the singles competition on Tuesday, Feb 3rd. If you are able to assist, please phone Peter Glazbrook or text on 0433 918 592.
- Tuesday Feb 3 singles 12 rinks sectional
- Wednesday Feb 4 pairs 12 rinks sectional
- Thursday Feb 5 fours knockout 8 rinks to start
The areas of kitchen, umpiring, Bowlslink etc are as below:
- Kitchen Tues Wed roster Liz and Katie to organise
- Menus decided for Tuesday and Wednesday
- John Butterworth to organise pies pasties for Thursday
- Umpire/measurer needed each day
- Bowlslink entry likewise
- Bar see Ken Mason
- Markers for singles need 12 per round for 3 rounds.
Please advise Peter G if you can assist. Free lunch if you mark the first 2 rounds.
- Peter Glazbrook (Venue Manager)
Night Owls (Jan 29)
Coopers Brewery will be themed for the evening as a promotion of their new 3.5 cans together with the bucket hat promo. There will be some umbrellas and Cooper Promotion gear around the club. All Coopers ask is that we drink their beer. The night is a normal Night Owls evening.
- Neville Yeates (Sponsorship Manager)
Wine Tasting with Reillys Wines (Feb 6)
Justin Ardill will once again be promoting the Reillys range of wines for us to sample and appreciate. Reillys Wines came onboard our club as a sponsor mid last year and the demand for Reillys wines has been very pleasing.
Supporting our sponsor is vital to our club finances so purchasing wines with Justin will be greatly appreciated. Wines can be ordered on that evening.
Club Championship (Final - Feb 13)
Round 2 is well under way and a lot of games have already been played. All round 2 games must be complete by 2 January 2026. Please remember that some members might be away over the festive season, so games must be arranged to be played before this date.
If a member is away and has not scheduled the game by the required date, the game will be forfeited. To keep the tournament going, this is not negotiable. If you have played your match, please remember to put the results onto the sheet posted on the board. If no result is posted, I will assume that it has not been played and will record the result as 'forfeited'.
Finals Event
The club will host a luncheon for the finals on Friday 13 March 2026. Members (and non-members) are encouraged to come and watch the champions fight it out for the ultimate title of Club Champion 2025/26.
The following games will be played:
- Mens Pairs, Ladies Pairs, Mixed Pairs @1pm Friday, March 13
- Mens Singles, Ladies Singles, Mixed Pairs @3:30pm Friday, March 13
Times may vary slightly if required. Mid-afternoon tea will be served. If you are in more than one final's event, please arrange a date prior to 13 March to complete your games. Please join us for the Friday night dinner after the event.
- Kim Draper:0457 274 923
Beyond the Green Ladies Day (Feb 22 @2pm)
Cost is $25 which includes a welcome drink and canapes. This will be a day of fun, conversation, wellness and fashion. Come and be pampered for the afternoon.
Special Guests:
- Justine Reynolds, Woodleigh Hills;
- Deb Rugari (Naturopath), House of Healing and
- Judi Heazlewood, Visible Effects Mineral Make Up.
There will be a fashion parade and book launch. Please invite your friends and family. The more, the merrier. Bookings can be made by contacting:
Payment required on booking — KGBTC, BSB 105141 ACC 038722540 - REF: Your Name + Ladies Day at Kensi
A Day in the Gardens (Mar 16)
As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, our annual open gender tournament, ‘A Day in the Gardens,’ is on Monday, March 16. We are aiming for 36 teams again this year. We have around 15 teams registered already, so if you are thinking of playing in our tournament, and I do hope Kensi members are, then organize your team and get it registered soon, otherwise you could miss out!
Sounds a bit like sales speak? Yes, it probably does, but it would be a pity to miss out on a really enjoyable and good fun day of bowling and camaraderie. So get organized and register your team on the rego sheet in the clubhouse, or just text me.
- Allan Wilkins (Tournament Director)
KMBC Volunteer of the Year 2025/26
The time has come to start thinking about and nominating who you think is worthy of being recognised as the 2025/26 KMBC Volunteer of the Year. The nominees will be reviewed by a special select committee, with the finalists being recognized, and the winner being announced at the end of season club dinner and presentation night. There are printed versions of the nomination form available in the clubhouse on the noticeboard (between the kitchen and the TV).
Eligibility:
Volunteering is time willingly given for the common good and without financial gain. The KMBC Volunteer of the Year award acknowledges a significant contribution at the local KMBC community level.
- Has made a significant contribution to the Kensington-Marryatville Bowls Club community and organisation that made an improvement to the club and/or for its members.
- Provided ongoing commitment and dedication to volunteering over a length of time.
- No minimum years of service required
- Be a member (Full or Associate) of the KMBC.
Nominations:
Nominations can be made by any paid-up member (Pennant or Associate). Forms can be dropped into the blue box or handed to a Committee member representative.
- Nominations require a descriptive paragraph to highlight why the nominator believes the member is worthy of being nominated.
- The nominator may be required to provide further information as to why they submitted the person’s name for recognition.
Renovation
The builders have returned and installed the cubicles in the toilets; hopefully it will be goodbye to the Portaloos very soon.
- Visit our Club Renovation Works page for more information.
Friday Night Happy Hour and Dinner
Bookings are now essential — get your name on the list in the clubrooms if you would like a meal or alternatively, give Pip a ring and she will add your name. Don't forget to invite your neighbors, family and friends to join us.
- Visit our Fun Feast Fridays at Kensi Club page for the menu.
Happy Hour
Happy Hour is on at the club again this Friday at 5.30pm.
- Visit our Kensi Friday Happy Hour page for more information.
Social Media
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with all the latest news and updates. We also love seeing your photos of 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!
Newsletter Contributions
Got something to share? News, stories, results or updates, your contributions help keep our newsletter interesting and engaging. Please send all contributions to the bowls club section secretary.
Lawn Bowls Newsletter 26/01/2026