Annual General Meeting Minutes 2022 – Download >>>

Board Members

October 18, 2022|7:00pm | Meeting called to order by Tom Marley

Tom Marley, President | David Allison, Vice President (absent)| Sandra Daga, Treasurer |

Dennis Bockus, OLBA Rep | Carl Trinier, Immediate Past President (absent)| Victoria Robinson, Secretary

Welcome and President’s Message

  • Tom welcomed the members and introduced the board
  • There was a moment of silence for Sharon Cosburn and Diane Carreau, who passed away in 2022.
  • Membership 2022 Season:
    • We have 190 members give or take a few, which represents an increase of almost 50 over last year; this is an indication of a healthy club.
  • Volunteers:
    • We have many volunteers within the club but a special mention goes out to those who have given of their time to make the bowling experience seamless and enjoyable for the rest of us.

 

Weekly Bowling and Tournaments:

  • Elaine MacSween & Dave Smith – Monday Mixed League
  • Ken McAulay – Tuesday Men’s League
  • Andrea Hampton & Rachel Jones – Wednesday Night League
  • Charlene Rathgeb – Thursday Bowling Babes
  • Cyndy & Norm Neilly-Spence – Thursday Skills Development & Social Bowling
  • Alice Iacurci, Anthony Tacoma and Denis Morrice – Friday Aussie Pairs
  • Karen Marley – Coordinator and Draw Master for Jitneys
  • Dennis Bockus – Coordinator and Draw Master for OLBA sanctioned tournaments

 

Fundraising:

  • Jo Bradley & Brenda DiPasquale – Corporate Events (plus thanks to the many who came out to help with these events, making them a fun and enjoyable experience for the participants)
  • Laura & Elia De Batista – Horseshoe Tournament
  • Karen Marley & Brenda DiPasquale – Euchre
  • Susan Dickison & Cathy Moxey – New Horizons funding grant application

 

Additional thanks go to:

  • Anthony Tacoma for securing government funding that paid for two students to work with Will on the greens and surrounds
  • Those who gave their time to work on the greens with Will
  • Marjorie Walsh and her crew for keeping the gardens in such wonderful shape
  • Mary Opper and those who helped in the kitchen to keep us all fed and watered throughout the season

And to everyone who has helped in even the smallest way to make this a successful year, THANK YOU.

I would like to thank our generous and anonymous benefactors who paid for a mural artist to update the mural and club logo on the northeast corner of the upper green.

I would also like to thank Lisa Lamb and the front office staff, Erin, Tanya and Peter for their assistance and support for our section throughout the season.

District, Provincial and National Championships

The club had good representation this season at the district and provincial level competitions.

Our Novice team of Alice Iacurci, Mari-Lynn and Brian Wikant and Marko Thompson won Silver in the District Novice Combo 4’s event.

Elaine MacSween won Gold in the Provincial Singles event and both she and Mary Lou Richardson went on to represent Ontario at the National Championships.

Short Mat Bowling

Short Mat Bowling resumes on Wednesday, October 26 at 6.40 for a 7.00pm start. There is no fee and no commitment required for this weekly event; just show up and have fun!

Euchre

Sunday euchre will start on November 6th at 11.30 for a noon start. Euchre is held monthly in November and January through April. This is a fund raiser for lawn bowling, so come out for some fun and an escape from the cold weather. Euchre is open to all BBC members and guests.

Greens

Thanks to Will for his work on the greens.

The greens were well used this season given the number of players and leagues we have, so they have taken a bit of a beating.

Zander Sod recently core aerated then slit and seeded both greens. Top dressing has been delayed due to an electrical issue with their equipment. They are coming in on the first week of November to root prune and we hope that will make a difference to the greens.

In the Spring they will return and do some soil improvements and lay down new sod in the lower green. Weather willing, this work will be done in April and the lower green will be usable by the May long weekend.

Approval of Minutes

  • 2021 AGM Minutes
    • The minutes were overlooked for approval at the Spring 2022 Meeting
    • Al Quance approved; Mike Healey seconded
  • Spring 2022 Meeting
    • Al Quance approved; Charlene Rathgeb seconded

Treasurer’s Report

Sandra reviewed the Statement of Operations and Treasurer’s Report. The bank balance on September 30 was $41,568. Financial commitments of $19,300 will result in a balance of approximately $22,000 going into the 2023 season. Sandra noted that the BBC provides financial support to lawn bowling for groundskeeping, summer students (when grant funding not available), utilities and maintenance. In 2022 this amounted to approximately $25,000.

During the winter a roster of lawn bowling members will be developed that will include members’ names, email addresses, Novice status, and Senior status (per OLBA definition). You will have the option of opting out of the roster completely or opting not to reveal your Senior status. Once this information is received, the roster will be developed and distributed as a PDF to all members. A more detailed email regarding this will be sent out in November.

OLBA cards for new bowlers are now available and will be distributed when the 2023 season begins. They are only required for OLBA sanctioned events.

Convenors’/Coordinators’ Reports

Tournaments – Dennis Bockus

  • OLBA tournaments historically hosted by BBC LBC were down from six to four due to reduced registrations, post-COVID; this was a situation faced by all Ontario clubs
  • The sponsors of our OLBA tournaments are Joan Beal Real Estate, The Foot Guy (David Allison), Baird MacGregor Insurance, Scott Howe Wealth Management, and Del Manor Wynford
  • Al Quance sponsored the Coach Quance Classic club tournament, initiated in 2021
  • There were two challenges with Kew Beach, the traditional men’s challenge which we lost, and the newly created mixed challenge, which we won
  • BBC hosted two Division qualifiers as well; thanks go to the volunteers on the greens, Mary for food and beverages, Will and his crew for setting up the greens, and Erin for managing the events

Corporate Events – Jo Bradley

  • The club hosted 6 events this summer, ranging from 12 participants to 110, generating revenue of $6,200 and the donation of 3 sets of bowls whose value was $2,100
  • Thank you to the 40 enthusiastic volunteers

Theatricks After School Program – Dayle Snider

  • We continued to provide weekly lawn bowling after school for Kindergarten to Grade 6 children participating in the Theatricks after school Every Tuesday for over a month this spring and fall the students have joined volunteers from the club to learn about the game, have some fun, and build their bowling knowledge and skills. The popularity this fall was unprecedented, with up to 38 children participating from 6 local schools. Many thanks to the volunteers who helped make this a success.
  • Tom expressed his support, noting that it demonstrates our club’s multigenerational access and encourages youth bowling.

Mixed League – Elaine MacSween and David Smith

  • In 2022 there were 84 bowlers (15 new bowlers) on 28 teams playing on 14 As well, there were 20 spares.
  • The winning team was Elaine MacSween, Bonnie Morrice and Sharon Wilson; they were undefeated until the last game.
  • New bowlers were given several coaching sessions with Elaine and Dave to enable them to play in the league.
  • If there are more players/teams next year, we may have to move to morning and afternoon games, which has been managed successfully in the past.
  • League fees of $30.00 per person plus 50/50 draw revenue contributed to the closing banquet, prizes for the season and for the winners of each pool in the season-ending jitney.

Men’s League – Ken McAulay

  • This year there were 53 players on 17 teams playing in a 17-week round robin
  • The team of Mike Healey, Danny Corrie and Ken Grieve won the Wheler Cup.
  • Championship Day and banquet was held on October 4,
    • 16 teams played 3 – 6 end games for prize money
    • 1st Flight winners were Mike Healey, Danny Corrie and Ken Grieve
    • 2nd Flight winners were John Adams, David Allison and Craig Lowry
    • 3rd Flight winners were Tom Marley, Will Woitowich and Glenn Cummings
    • 4th Flight winners – there was a tie between the teams of Denis Morrice and George McConnachie
  • To maintain the round robin format, if the league expands beyond 17 teams we will have to schedule additional games to be played outside the Tuesday afternoon schedule.
  • League fees of $30.00 per person plus 50/50 draw revenue contributed to the closing banquet, Wheler polo shirts for the winning team and Championship Day prize money.
  • The Men’s League is always looking for players and/or spares. Any men interested in playing should contact Ken or sign up in the spring.

Wednesday Night Open League – Andrea Hampton and Rachel Jones

Andrea and Rachel were unable to attend the AGM and provided the following summary to be shared at the meeting:

We had two sessions with no rainouts – a miracle! Both sessions had 18 teams participating.

Session 1 was won by the Mike Healey, Carl Trinier and Dave Allison team. Session 2 was won by the team of Erin Chambers, Robbie Chambers, Bert Harvey and Jamie Reynolds. The champions for the league were Erin, Robbie, Bert and Jamie.

There is no cost to join this league and no draft or team assignment. Individuals put together their own teams and teams have the option to play in one or both sessions.

League players were very good about setting up rinks for play and putting equipment away after play – and remembering to turn out the lights in September!

Thursday Bowling Babes – Charlene Rathgeb

  • 6 teams and many spares participated this year, including 6 new bowlers.
  • The 2022 winning team was Audrey Maxwell, Barb Muirhead and Martha Smith; their names will be engraved on the new league trophy, the Diane Carreau Award.
  • Any woman who wants to bowl is welcome, and shared roles (two people playing one role) allows players with reduced mobility or stamina to participate.
  • The league name will be changing to The 5 Bs next year (Beautiful Balmy Beach Bowling Babes).
  • Thank you to Will and his crew for setting up the greens for us.

Thursday Night Skills Development and Social Bowling — Cyndy and Norm Neilly-Spence

Cyndy and Norm were unable to attend the AGM and provided the following summary to be shared at the meeting:

Thursday Night Skills Development and Social Bowling was a wonderful success this year! We had a tremendous turnout throughout the season of both new bowlers and those looking for a bit of practice, fun and social bowling. Weather was on our side and we didn’t have to cancel one evening! We look forward to leading Thursday evenings in the 2023 season.

Aussie Pairs – Anthony Tacoma, Alice Iacurci and Denis Morrice

  • Approximately 30 bowlers participated each week.
  • Every week teams were randomly selected and paired for play, making it a great opportunity to meet new people.
  • The format of the game allows players to bowl 4 bowls per end and to alternate as Lead and Skip; you pack a lot of bowling into 2 hours, and gain experience in a role you may not play in other leagues.
  • Thank you to Alice, Bonnie, Denis and Al for their assistance.

Grounds Beautification – Marjorie Walsh

The gardens speak for themselves; the flowers come and go as do the weeds which we try to manage. This year we put down some mulch which helped in that regard.

The new addition this year was the dappled willow on the upper green. Thanks to Andrew Moore who assisted with creating the garden and planting. We are hopeful that when it matures it will help to hide the garbage bin.

Thank you to Jo Bradley for helping with the window boxes.

The good news is we get to do it all again next year! Thank you everyone.

Food and Supplies – Mary Opper

  • The job took a lot of time and effort, and thanks go to everyone who helped out.
  • Some of the mysteries of the job are why so many bowlers have a passion for raisin bread, where does the ice go, and how much toilet paper can one small clubhouse use?
  • Vicki Jo Bowden has volunteered to help with tournaments in 2023.

Clinics

  • In 2022 evening clinics were held for bowlers interested in learning more about the roles of Vice and Skip; thanks to Mary Lou for convening them.
  • Mary Lou is arranging with OLBA coaches for two full day Delivery, Line and Weight clinics in early June; over 60 members have expressed interest; it is hoped clinics will be scheduled on a Saturday and a Sunday on separate weekends to maximize access; the cost will be $50.00 per participant.

New Board Members

  • Mark Thompson was acclaimed as Vice President and Jeff Maple as Treasurer, each for a two-year term.

Other Business/Questions

Question: Can we have an online registration for tournaments, similar to Cosburn’s?

Answer: Erin Chambers, who is the District 10 representative at OLBA, advised that OLBA has purchased an annual subscription for Association Manager software which will be used for member registration and payment. They are currently working with the vendor to customize and implement the software to meet OLBA’s needs. It is expected to be ready for the 2023 season. There will be a very small cost to the clubs for use of the system. It will streamline the processing of memberships for both OLBA and clubs. OLBA will also be using it for their event calendars and registration for the Provincials (Singles, Pairs, Fours etc.).

In addition, clubs can pay a nominal annual fee for the Club Manager that would allow clubs to manage their event calendars and registrations for jitneys and tournaments they host.

Question: Will the minutes of the AGM be distributed to the membership in a timely fashion?

Answer: The minutes are prepared as quickly as possible and are posted on the lawn bowling website. An email is sent to the membership when they have been posted and individuals are given the option of requesting a copy via email.

Question: Some of the rakes are in very bad shape. Is there room in the budget to replace them?

Answer: It is agreed that many of the rakes have seen better days. If the New Horizons grant request is approved, some of the funds will be used to upgrade them.

Question: Can we replace the bulbs in the lights around the greens?

Answer: The lights were installed many years ago and improved bulbs may be available. As well, at least one light is obscured by a tree. We will be working on solutions to both problems over the winter.

New Business: Dave Beal announced that he is interested in creating a competitive Men’s League that would compete with other teams from some nearby clubs, perhaps on either Monday or Tuesday evenings. Further details will be provided in the spring.

Fall Clean Up

Leaf raking will be scheduled once the leaves are off the trees, normally late in November. Generally two sessions are scheduled. An email will be sent requesting volunteers.

Adjournment

Al Quance moved to adjourn the meeting. This was seconded by Cheryl Tredgett. The meeting adjourned at 8:20 pm.