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October 2015
EDITOR – Kevin Breen
(If you have any Items of Interest please E-mail or
Phone 9772 2824)
What’s (been) on
DON’T FOTGET TO PUT YOUR NAME DOWN FOR THE CHRISTMAS PARTY. See Social Board for details. Let Jeanette BARRETT Know ?
“Did You Know...” there is a folder on the bench at the main Noticeboard which contains details of other Club's events which are open to visitors.
Pennant (Mid week & Saturday) ( Could I have the ladder please for mid –week)
Ladder Positions for Saturday Pennant
Division 1, 9th
Division 2, 8th
Division 4, 2nd
Division 6, 5th
Division 8, 2nd. As at 17th Oct.
Congratulations to John Clarkwinning the Sandbelt Region over 60's singles.
Congratulations Margaret Clark, Heather Redpath, Neil Lewis and Eric Sellars on a fantastic 8 during the first week of Saturday Pennant.
The Movember Foundation is committed to combating prostate cancer and have raised $650 million supporting over 800 men’s health programs.
A great number of Edithvale Bowling club members are either currently experiencing the effects of this insidious disease or have done so in the past - some recently.
EBC Board of Directors fully support the formation of an EBC team of "Mo Bros" who start November clean shaven then grow and groom a moustache to the end of November. Photos will be published the test will be to identify them.
"Mo bros" and "Mo sisters" may participate by giving $20 to this worthy cause. All monies will be presented to EBC Board of Directors who in turn will make the donation on behalf of the club to Movember Foundation. We have some fun, the club gets a tax deduction and possible good public relations, and money is raised to support research into a disease which has so greatly affected our club.
All those who wish to join in the fun and/or assist with Movember please contact Ray Smith.
Mo - ver and out!!!
Now is the time to start growing that MO. Public Relations PHOTO HAS BEEN ORGANISED TO BE TAKEN AT THE CLUB ON Saturday 28th November at 10.30 am Please be in Uniform
New Members
Welcome to all New Members, I hope to have a list for the NEXT ISSUE (Forgot again to ask for the list?)
FROM the BOARD – October 2015
FROM the BOARD – October 2015
Our Irrigation/Sprinkler System: Kingston City Council (KCC) has been assessing our irrigation issues – they have employed a plumber to do the assessment – we’re not sure who will pay (but probably us). The plumber did the assessment on Thursday the 1st October. KCC contacted me and will send a report “next week”. The plumber has consulted Daniel and the two are working together. The question still is whether it is a matter of replacement (KCC responsibility) or repair (EBC responsibility). We shall see...
A Club Member Survey – I know we all hate Surveys – but we haven’t had one for MANY years. The Board and Section Committees are assisting in designing a Club Survey which will hopefully provide some helpful information that can be used to assist planning, gain and keep Members and act as a tool we can use to gauge Member approval, get Member feedback and allow us to compile Member suggestions. Of course a Survey only works if Members respond! Suffer thepain of wracking your brain for 10 or 15 mins to help us help you and the Club. The Survey is intended to be handed out in late November.
Men’s Welfare Officer – a big thanks to Stan Holland for being our Men’s Welfare Officer for the past years. Stan has retired. Doug Rafter has volunteered to take over the role. The Welfare Officers (Rae Gibbs is our Ladies Welfare Officer) have a very important role to play within the Club. We all have our moments of illness, accident, surgery or disability. The Club and its members are genuinely concerned about those situations when there is a need for support or assistance and are eager to assist whenever and however we can – maybe a need for transport, some assistance at home, or maybe some essential shopping. Maybe you just want to let your friends at the Club know “what’s going on” or that you are OK. Or maybe to tell them not to ring or drop in! Please use the Welfare Officers – they promise strict confidentiality when asked. They can deliver messages from you to the Club or to particular persons. They can offer a sympathetic ear if you just want someone to talk to. They can keep you up to date with Club news and gossip. The Welfare Officers will not be intrusive – they will respect your privacy.Welfare Officers: Doug Rafter: Ph: 9774 2997 Rae Gibbs: Ph: 9773 1422
Syllabus Corrections: There are few corrections/amendments which have come to notice. Get out your Syllabus and make the following changes, please:
As above, cross out Stan Holland as Welfare and add Doug Rafter;
Ray Lambert’s land line phone number – cross it out now!! Keep his Mobile number;
Pennant Dates:Mid-WeekDiv 1 Sect 3 - Rounds 9 and 18 are now BYES;
SaturdayDiv 8 Sect 6 – Rounds 2 and 11 are now BYES;
Club Hire and Barefoot Bowls: The Clubrooms have started being booked for Work Xmas functions and the like. Some functions go until dark, others go to Midnight. Each of thesefunctions needs someone to “open/close” the Club, to meet and greet and collect monies, to work behind the Bar, to oversee outside use and, initially, to give some instruction to first time bowlers. In other words, to make these money-raisers successful, we need a list of helpers who are willing to pitch in for at least one function. If you think you can help, please see me and we can discuss dates and details;
Ian Thomas,
Executive Director.
Happy “October” Birthday’s & Anniversaries to:
3/10 Bob Davies
6/10 Pat Gilhooly
10/10 Doug Rafter/Kevin Gilhooly
12/10 Kevin Breen
13/10 Lyn Holland
14/10 Bob Steele
16/10 Graham Unwin
17/10 Peter Pawsey
21/10 Bob Darby
22/10 Jeanette Barrett/Rob Gherardin/Barbara Etheridge
24/10 Eric Viney/Klaus Ulmer
29/10 Alan Cousens
31/10 Barb Sharp
Happy Anniversary to :
2/10 Ted and Jo Elliott
5/10 Max and Janice King
9/10 Bob and Coral Davies
25/10 Kevin and Pauline Breen
Please Note The First Birthday card was created in Egypt a thousand years ago. Do you remember sending it?
Men’s WELFARE: Have we a new conscript, volunteer, member for this important job? (Pay is high and the club doubles it every year. (0*100=0) Thanks Stan for a job well done!!!(Ed.)
YES WE HAVE, NEWS JUST INDoug RAFTER has been appointed our new WELFARE OFFICER.
“ He wishes to thank all those Mo Bros & Sisters who have supported MOvember and now to get MO-ving on growing those MOs. Remember by joining MO vember you never MO alone” Doug’s words
Ladies Welfare Report.
Pleased to report no Ladies sick this month, not that lam aware of, sorry if some Ladies are not well and that l have not contacted you. Please stay fit and healthy and good bowling with pennant.
Cheers
Rae Gibbs.
Saturday Section Ian Wilding PRESIDENT
The pennant season is now underway and my message to all pennant players is “Play to the best of your ability, in a spirit of good sportsmanship and, above all, enjoy your bowls as you represent our club.” After writing this paragraph I had cause to write an open letter to members which has been posted on the Pennant selection board and which is included below.
'Edithvale Bowling Club
8th October 2015
AN OPEN LETTER TO ALL MEMBERS
Dear members,
It has come to my attention that the Saturday Selection Committee is having considerable difficulty in finding enough players to fill our fifth pennant side – in Division 8, Section 6 ( a six player, two rinks, side playing 25 ends of two bowls triples.) This is a new competition designed to help clubs having difficulty in fielding all their sides as full sixteen player sides and to provide an opportunity for bowlers who are not selected in higher divisions or those who would prefer not to play in higher divisions (e.g. 'newish' bowlers seeking to get experience) to play pennant.
Our fifth side is an integral part of our 'Pennant Group'. It is not just a makeshift side. After a good win in Round 1 Edithvale 5 tops the ladder in Division 8/Section 6: it would be great for Edithvale 5 to stay there and bring home the flag. However, that is clearly not going to happen if we have to withdraw because of insufficient interest. Moreover, withdrawal would adversely impact on the other clubs in the Section and cost Edithvale a substantial financial penalty.
Accordingly, I appeal to all players on (or willing to join) our pennant list to support the club by making yourselves available for selection whenever possible and to play wherever selected. The Selection Committee is working hard to try to have our five sides as settled as practicable. It has to be accepted that there are always going to be occasional changes because of fluctuating form of individuals or because of occasions when ill health or family commitments make individuals unavailable.
I do hope that we able to continue to field our five pennant sides and that all pennant players continue to enjoy playing competitive bowls representing our club.
Ian Wilding
President, Saturday Section.'
Our social bowls program is continuing to attract good numbers – particularlyFriday's nominated open triples: in recent weeks there have been more than 30 teams entered, a number of them teams of visitors. Visitors are always welcome and we appreciate their support.
Club championship events are also underway now and I encourage all participants to arrange to play their matches in accordance with the schedules. I do wish to acknowledge with appreciation the work being done by John Bryant and Ted Elliott who are again helping with the organisation of the club championship games.
Ian Wilding
President, Saturday Section.
An Open letter from Bob Steele, please read thoroughly, before making a judgement. (Ed.)
The Future of Edithvale Bowling Club.
I have been a member of Edithvale Bowling Club for 8 years and have served on the management of the club during that time. For some time now I have been, and continue to be, concerned about the long term viability of our club so I was very pleased to hear and see that the EBC Board is proposing a change to the management structure of our club.
I firmly believe that the way our club management is currently structured is one of the main barriers that prevents this club from moving forward and not realising its full potential!
Traditionally, bowling clubs have been managed on a short term basis which was satisfactory when lawn bowls was an extremely popular sport. Indeed there were some clubs, including Edithvale, where prospective members were placed on a waiting list for a membership vacancy before they could join the club of their choice. In that environment, the future of the club seemed positive and ensured and the need to plan strategically for the future was, understandably, not considered necessary by the club’s administrators or members during that era.
That is NOT the case in today’s environment!
The reality is in the twenty first century, such a comfortable and secure environment no longer exists. Bowling clubs in general are in dire need of increased membership just to survive, let alone plan for a successful future. Statistics demonstrate that the participation rate in lawn bowls has declined, and continues to decline. Bowling clubs are now not just competing against their fellow clubs for members, they’re also in competition with many other different sports, pastimes, changing lifestyles and demographics.
In the past, Edithvale Bowling Club has, with the exception of “Barefoot Bowls”, essentially relied on new members strolling unsolicited through the gate and asking to join our club. In times of intense competition for the time and financial commitment of new and younger members, can we realistically continue to rely on members simply coming to us of their own accord, or do we need to actively engage in programmes to increase our membership?
In the various forms of communication produced by Bowls Victoria, we often read about clubs that have folded and clubs that have been on the brink of extinction, mainly because their membership levels have dropped to such a low level that their clubs become financially and administratively unviable.
Then we also read about how some of the few remaining members of these clubs stand up and take the initiative and have the drive and courage to resurrect their club to its former status.
Invariably, the first, and one of the most important steps these club saviours take is to review and restructure the management of their club!
They have realised, albeit almost too late, that the old traditional management structure is no longer suitable for today’s environment and that significant management changesare essential if their club is to be resurrected.
Happily, some of these declining clubs are brought back to life by these enthusiastic, decisive and forward thinking and acting people. Their clubs take on a new lease of life, their membershipincreases, there is a renewed sense of vitality and optimism at their club, and their few remaining members still have their club at which they can enjoy their bowls and have their social life as well.
To accept that there is the need for change, and then to actually implement those significant structural changes to the club management, takes great courage and foresight by the management and the members.
It could well be argued that Edithvale Bowling Club is not at the point of extinction, indeed far from it, and as it stands, that’s an argument hard to refute. However, there is evidence that our membership level is stagnating and possibly declining and that should be of real concern not only to the Board of Directors, but to every EBC member.So, do we just sit back and wait until our membership declines to a level where the viability of the club becomes a real concern and then hope that “someone”, yes, that elusive “someone”, reacts in order to attempt to resurrect our club? Or, should we be proactive and put changes and plans into place now, not only to prevent Edithvale Bowling Club from ever reaching that point of decline, but also to make our club as strong and successful as it can possibly be.
Under the existing management structure, the Board of Directors is involved in so many ”nuts and bolts”, day to day issues that it lacks the time required to attend to the important issues such as strategic planning and business planning. As such, these very important tasks are not being addressed or given the attention needed.
The suggested management structure will allow the Board of Directors to apply their full attention, skills and time to the administration and financial management of the club and to plan and implement projects and programmes that will ensure not just the survival of our club, but to also ensure our club will grow to its full potential and remain at that level into the future.
I’m enough of a realist to know that there will be objections to these proposed management changes, especially from the longer serving and traditionalist members of our club. My plea to those members would be this; accept that this is about providing the management wherewithal for the future members of this club; accept that we need to bring many aspects of this club into the twenty first century: accept that this is about establishing and leaving a legacy that will see this club continue to be successful and prosper into the future.
Change is often difficult to accept, but it is an imperative that we look forward to the future, not just dwell in the past and the present.
I therefore congratulate the EBC Board of Directors for their initiative in undertaking a comprehensive review of the EBC management structure and I strongly urge all members of Edithvale Bowling Club to support the proposed structure as suggested by the EBC Board.
Bob Steele.
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