MINUTES
Balmy Beach Lawn Bowling Club Spring Meeting April 24, 2022|11:00am | Meeting called to order by Tom Marley
Board Members
Tom Marley, President | David Allison, Vice President | Sandra Daga, Treasurer | Dennis Bockus, OLBA Rep | Carl Trinier, Immediate Past President | Victoria Robinson, Secretary
Introduction
• Tom introduced the LBC board members. Sandra was unable to attend and Will Woitowich sat in for her.
• There was a moment of silence for members who have passed in the last year.
• Tom announced the draw for a free membership for which tickets were on sale prior to the start of the meeting.
• 83 current and potential bowlers were in attendance.
Opportunities to Bowl in 2022
Tom outlined all the opportunities available to members to bowl and/or practice during the season:
• Monday 10am & 2pm – Mixed Trebles League (Coordinators – Elaine MacSween and Dave Smith)
• Tuesday 2pm – Men’s Trebles League (Coordinator – Ken McAulay)
• Wednesday 7pm – Wednesday Night Open Trebles (Coordinators Andrea Hampton and Rachel Jones)
• Thursday 1pm – Bowling Babes (Ladies’ Trebles League) (Coordinator Charlene Rathgeb)
• Thursday 7pm – Drop In – Skills Development and Social Bowling (Coordinators Cyndy and Norm Neilly-Spence)
• Friday 2pm – Drop In – Aussie Pairs (Coordinators Anthony Tacoma, Alice Iacurci, and Denis Morrice)
• Jitneys – Mondays of long weekends from Victoria Day to Labour Day, 1pm; in-house tournament with random draw of teams playing 3 six-end games
If the greens are free (no scheduled league or drop-in, greens maintenance, OLBA tournament or corporate event) members can sign out a key from the bar (with BBC ID) and play or practice with friends. You are responsible for putting away what you used (bowls, jacks, mats etc.) and for locking the clubhouse and gate(s) when you are finished.
A discussion regarding the means of knowing in advance if the greens will be available (calendar, LBC website or Facebook page) and the board agreed to attempt to develop a solution.
Bowls Shortage
Due to the large number of bowlers this year, rental bowls are in short supply. It would be difficult to increase our bowls inventory due to lack of storage space. It was requested that anyone who knows of someone with unused bowls that they contact them to find out if they are available for sale or donation.
Novice Status
For the first five seasons of bowling a bowler is in the Novice category. 2021 and 2021 (COVID) do not count toward Novice status as the seasons were incomplete. The OLBA is encouraging clubs to hold Novice tournaments to provide experience and improve retention of new bowlers.
Volunteers
In addition to the league and drop-in coordinators, the following members have stepped up to lead key lawn bowling activities:
• Kitchen and Clubhouse Support – Mary Opper
• Gardens – Marjorie Walsh
• Corporate Events – Brenda DiPasquale and Jo Bradley
• Short Mat Bowling – Carl Trinier
Members who are willing to assist with these functions are urged to contact the leads.
Corporate Events
Corporate events are a great source of funds for lawn bowling. In 2021 over $4,000 was earned through these events. Some recent events were 3 Sunday Euchre Tournaments in 2022 run by Tom Marley, Brenda DiPasquale, and Karen Marley and the Ron Hoskins Horseshoe Tournament held on Good Friday, coordinated by Laura DiBattista and her sister, Elia.
Private groups rent the greens for parties and team building. We have been advised by Lisa Lamb that on Thursdays and Fridays the deck will not be available to these groups after they have bowled. Tom will investigate this restriction. Tom mentioned that it always helps our finances if we are able to get something for nothing. Kevin, the owner of The Mail Slot on Queen St., has printed our score cards for several years. Members are encouraged to support his business if they have printing or faxing needs.
Certified Coaches and Umpires
Elaine MacSween has recently completed her coaching certification and joins Mike Healey and Mary Lou Richards who are also coaches with our club. Erin Chambers and Mary Lou are certified umpires. We appreciate the time and effort these members put into the LBC.
Youth Employment Grant
Anthony Tacoma applied for the grant on behalf of the main club and lawn bowling. We were fortunate to receive funding for 2 students who will assist with greens maintenance.
Financial Report
As Sandra was unable to attend to present the financial report personally, any questions that Tom is unable to address will be forwarded to her.
• Through Donna Halliday, Ray Knight asked why the fees went up.
o The OLBA fee is $35 per member, so the fee retained by the LBC is $90.00
o There has not been a fee increase since 2019, when the fee was $105.00, or $70.00 retained by the club. This represents a 28% increase over 3 years, or 9% per year. BBC lawn bowling fees are the lowest of all the local clubs.
• A member noted that BBC bowlers must also pay the BBC membership fee.
o Erin Chambers, a previous treasurer of lawn bowling and BBC staff member, noted that the BBC transfers over $30,000 to lawn bowling each year, representing 75% of greens maintenance costs plus the cost of water, hydro, gas, and the fees to turn the water on and off in the clubhouse. This amount represents approximately $200 of BBC membership fees per LBC member. Erin will send the information to Sandra.
• A member requested that an annual income and expense statement from the 2021 season and a forecast for the 2022 season be produced and distributed.
• Grants are available from all levels of government but applications must be prepared and submitted
• Currently the sports sections must submit applications to the main board for review 90 days in advance of the section being able to submit them to the grant organization. Tom is working to reduce that time frame.
• OLBA has a COVID Relief Fund that will provide up to $500.00 per green for clubs who can demonstrate a loss of revenue and/or increased costs due to COVID over 2020 and 2021. The LBC board is working on this application.
• The Webster Fund, managed through the BBC, provided the LBC with $2,000.00 this year for greens equipment.
• Susan Dickison volunteered to take on the responsibility of drafting grant applications with assistance from the board. It was noted that Ralph Ellis of the OLBA is a valuable source of assistance in grant preparation.
OLBA Tournaments
BBC is hosting 6 OLBA tournaments this year. They are posted on the lawn bowling website under the Tournaments tab. Dennis recognized the following sponsors:
• Joan Beal Real Estate
• Baird McGregor Insurance
• David Patterson (Cosburn/Balmy tournament)
• Scott Howe Wealth Management
• The Foot Guy (David Allison)
• Delmanor Wynford
Coach Quance Classic
Al Quance is sponsoring the Coach Quance Classic again. This year the focus will be on new bowlers and women from Balmy Beach. Teams of mixed pairs will submit their names to participate, and Dennis Bockus and Cyndy and Norm Neilly-Spence will assign a new bowler to each team. The tournament (three 6-end games) will take place on Saturday June 11 at 1:00pm. Through Lisa Lamb, Al has arranged a liquor license for the clubhouse, hired musicians and acquired a trophy.
Draw Masters Needed
Dennis Bockus spoke about the role that a Draw Master plays in a tournament and is seeking volunteers to act as a draw master for tournaments held at our club. Please advise Dennis if you are interested in learning this interesting and valuable skill, and he will set up a training session.
League Updates
• Monday 10am & 2pm – Mixed Trebles League (Coordinators – Elaine MacSween and Dave Smith)
o There are 80 bowlers registered at this point, and the maximum capacity is 84
o 18 of the registrants are new bowlers (compared to 10 new bowlers last year)
o Due to the number of new bowlers there is a shortage of skips, so be ready to be promoted
o Due to the large number of bowlers and the shortage of rental bowls, the league will have one set of games in the morning and one set in the afternoon; a team will never be scheduled to play twice in one day
o The league starts on May 30
o Prior to league play beginning, Dave and Elaine are setting up training sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons for new bowlers, covering rules, procedures and providing an opportunity to practice; details will be emailed prior to the sessions
• Tuesday 2pm – Men’s Trebles League (Coordinator – Ken McAulay)
o Ken confirmed that the players draft will take place on May 16. Play will begin on May 24 at 2:00 PM (weather permitting).
o The Men’s League fee for this year is $30.00 per player. It covers the Championship Day BBQ, prize money for the flight winners, and monogrammed shirts for the league winners.
• Wednesday 7pm – Wednesday Night Open Trebles (Coordinators Andrea Hampton and Rachel Jones)
o Rachel advised that there is no extra fee for this league.
o The league will have two segments. The first segment will be from June 1 – July 27. The second segment will be from August 3 – September 28. Teams have the option of playing in one or both segments.
o Registrations are due Friday, May 6, 2022, and should be sent to andreahampton05@gmail.com.
• Thursday 1pm – Bowling Babes (Ladies’ Trebles League) (Coordinator Charlene Rathgeb)
o Charlene said that registration has been strong and a random draw of teams will take place on April 29.
o There is no additional fee for this league.
• Thursday 7pm – Drop In – Skills Development and Social Bowling (Coordinators Cyndy and Norm Neilly-Spence)
o Cyndy outlined the drop-in structure – she and Norm focus on one skill per evening for 35 to 40 minutes and then play a game; the games will have different format (eg. pairs, trebles, Aussie Pairs, Crown Bowls etc.) and participants will have the opportunity to play in different positions (lead, vice, skip).
o The evening sessions will begin on Thursday May 26 (weather permitting).
• Friday 2pm – Drop In – Aussie Pairs (Coordinators Anthony Tacoma, Alice Iacurci, and Denis Morrice)
o Aussie Pairs is a game of 2 players per team, 4 bowls per person, and every person ends up bowling as lead, vice and skip.
o Teams are assigned by the coordinators on a random basis each week, and depending on the number of participants, some may be assigned to play trebles or practice their singles game.
Open House
The Open House will take place on May 12 starting at 7:00pm, weather permitting. Snacks and pop will be provided. It will be a great opportunity to socialize and get some time on the greens in advance of the season’s official start.
Name Tags and Lawn Bowling Golf Shirts
Susan Dickison has volunteered to order name tags for those who want them. The name tags are magnetic, so no holes in your clothes, and will be $10.00. An email will be coming out shortly. Jo Bradley, with the help of Paul Babich, will be taking orders for Balmy Beach Lawn Bowling golf shirts. Details will follow via email.
Other Business
Question: How does a member find out who would like to play in a particular tournament?
Answer: You can post your question on the Balmy Beach Lawn Bowling page at https://balmybeachlawnbowling.com/ or use the Balmy Beach Lawn Bowling Club Facebook page.
Question: Can we provide a list of Novice players?
Answer: The board will consider the best way to do this and will advise the membership.
Question: Who is willing to have their contact information made available to other lawn bowling members?
Answer: There is no immediate answer to this question. Suggestions to the board would be appreciated.
Draw for Free Lawn Bowling Membership
Alex Williams was the lucky winner of the free membership but very generously declined it, as he had already paid. Jocelyne Lynch had the next ticket drawn, and was thrilled. Congratulations, Jocelyne.
The meeting adjourned at 1:00pm.