APRIL 2024

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BOWLS QUEENSLAND EVENT CHANGES/updates

Champion of Club Champion State Finals

Bowls Queensland wishes to advise of a change to the 2024 BQ Event Calendar due to Bowls Australia changing the dates of “The Nationals” held from 9 – 24 October 2024 (at Club Tweed and Broadbeach).

Due to this change, the Bowls Queensland Champion of Club Champion State Finals has been moved back a week and will now be held on the following dates at the Bargara Bowls Club:

Saturday 26 to Thursday 31 October 2024

• Fours: Saturday 26 & Sunday 27

• Pairs: Monday 28 & Tuesday 29

• Singles: Wednesday 30 & Thursday 31

At the Bowls Queensland Council meeting last month, a Club was discussed regarding a club starting the Champion of Club Champions earlier than the 1st of November as is stated in the Conditions of Play.

The 1st of November is the designated commencement date to ensure that the State Finals are completed, and no player would be disadvantaged by their club starting before the due date.

Should a club wish to commence their Championships before that date; authority must be given by Bowls Queensland. To do so the clubs request will require a very good reason for permission to be allowed.

North vs South Challenge

The Bowls Queensland North vs South Challenge has also been affected and will now be held on:

Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 November 2024 at a venue TBA.

See the revised calendar on the Bowls Queensland website: https://www.bowlsqld.org/wp-content/uploads/ sites/15/2024/03/2024-BQ-Calendar-of-Events-rev-March-18.

pdf

State Pennant

At the Bowls Queensland Council Meeting held on 20 March 2024, it was resolved: “that Division 1 Ladies Pennant from Club level through to State level be 2 teams of fours (8 players)”.

This will take effect from the 2024 Pennant season starting at Club/District through to Zone & State play offs.

See updated Bowls Queensland State Pennant Finals Conditions of Play at this link:

https://www.bowlsqld.org/wp-content/uploads/ sites/15/2024/03/2024-Pennant-CoP-rev-March-2024.pdf

From the President with BQ’s Peter Williamson

Bowls Queensland’s AGM has seen all incumbent directors who stood for reelection defeated by three newcomers and a person who had served on the board on a previous occasion.

I wish to thank all those defeated for the time and effort they have put towards the betterment of bowls in our State.

The incoming directors will be tasked with a very challenging year ahead. The Director of Finance, Greg Flynn, has left the company in a very sound position financially.

Bowls Australia intend to place a levy of $350 per person, including juniors, who compete in the BA Nationals this year. This is seen by the BQ Board as an unfair imposition, particularly for single parents with more than one junior.

The staff and members of the Match Committee are working towards ensuring that all will be in place for the upcoming District Sides and State Championships.

The Selection Committee will be holding State Representative Trials in April at a venue in the Brisbane metropolitan area. The selectors from all reports will have an extremely talented pool of players to select from to make the State Representative sides.

Peter Williamson

with BQ’s Brett Wilkie CEO REPORT

BQ Board and AGM

The Bowls QLD AGM and Council Meeting was held on Wednesday, 20 March. Congratulations to the following who have been elected to the Board of Bowls Queensland for a two-year term:

• Vice President - Brian Marshall

• Director of Finance - Graham Lewis

• Director - Joan Brotherton, OAM

• Director - Alan Thorp

Brian returns to the Board after previously being a director, it is the first time on the BQ Board for Graham, Joan and Alan.

Thank you to outgoing Directors Kerry Green, Greg Flynn, Colleen Ryan and Carmel Gibb for their many years of service to Bowls Queensland.

Changes to 2024 Ladies Division 1 Pennant in QLD

At the Bowls Queensland Council Meeting, it was resolved “that Division 1 Ladies Pennant from Club level through to State level be two teams of fours (8 players)”. This will take effect from the 2024 Pennant season, starting at Club/District through to Zone & State play offs.

Clubs QLD Awards

Congratulations to Club Pine Rivers for being awarded the Best Bowls Club for the third year in a row, The Waves Club Caloundra for being awarded Club of the Year (Small) and Kirwin Sports Club (Thuringowa Bowls Club) for being awarded Club of the Year (Medium). Well done to Club Helensvale General Manager, Wayne Moffatt, for being recognised with a Services to Industry Award and to all bowls clubs that were finalists in various awards.

QLD Junior Camp

The QLD Under 18 Squad of eight girls and eight boys have been invited to attend a QLD junior camp at Hamilton Bowls Club in Brisbane, on April 8-9.

ANZAC Test

Capalaba Sports Club will host this series, which involves a BQ President’s XII playing the Australian

Defence Force Bowls Team in a three test Series on Friday, 19 (one test at night) and Saturday, 20 April (two tests).

QLD Representative Trial

The QLD Selectors have invited 36 women and 36 men to attend a trial at Chermside Bowls Club on Sunday, April 21. Players invited will be vying for QLD selection in the Open, Under 25 and 40-59 and Over 60 QLD teams.

Thank you to Hamilton Bowls Club, Capalaba Sports Club and Chermside Bowls Club for their support of the three events above.

2024 State District Sides and State Championships

State District Sides will be played on the Gold Coast from Wednesday to Saturday, May 8-11 at Musgrave Hill, Broadbeach, Club Helensvale and Paradise Point Bowls Clubs. Twenty women’s and 20 men’s teams will do battle in this annual series.

The State Championships will run from Monday to Sunday, May 13-26 with all finals at Club Musgrave. Thank you to Experience Gold Coast and Club Musgrave for their support of this event.

Bowls QLD Event Hosting

Thank you to all clubs who showed expressions of interest to host Bowls QLD events. Successful clubs for 2024 are:

• Champion of Club Champions, October 26-31 Bargara Bowls Club

• State Pennant Finals, November 2-3 Club Tweed

• State 8 A-Side, November 9-10

Capalaba Sports Club

• State District Mixed Pairs, November 16-17

South Suburban, Mackay

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CLUB TWEED AND BROADBEACH TO HOST 2023 NATIONALS

Club Tweed and Broadbeach Bowls Club have been confirmed as the joint hosts of this year’s edition of bowls’ showpiece ‘state versus state/territory’ national competition, The Nationals.

The 2024 Nationals, which is now set to be staged from October 9-24, features six national events inclusive of all ages and abilities, spanning junior, open-age, senior, para and able-bodied competitions.

Club Tweed will host the lion’s share of the Nationals, inclusive of four of the six events, being the Australian Champion of Champions, Australian Under-18 Championships, Australian Senior Sides Championships and Australian Sides Championships events, across October 9-20.

Broadbeach Bowls Club will also play an integral role, as host venue of the Para Nationals and Australian Championships events, with the Para Nationals held across October 9-12 and the Australian Championships staged from October 21-24.

By Aidan Davis, Bowls Australia

KANE’S SUMMERLAND VICTORY

Held over three days earlier this year, this Ballina event saw last year’s runner-up, young gun Kane Nelson, walk away with the prestigious Summerland Singles title. Boasting a total of $25,600 in prize money, and with 414 Austrailian ranking points on offer, this event is a highlight on the bowls calendar.

Experienced Jackaroo Ben Twist took on Kane Nelson in the quarter-final, which was a nail-biter of a match with Kane winning on the last end.

The semi-final was a battle of the Nelsons, with brothers Kane and Jacob playing against each other. “I had to play against my brother in the semi-final, which is always tough,” Kane said. “We both had a very enjoyable game with plenty of fun.,” he said. “We are very close as brothers, so neither of us really wanted to win against each which made it weird. It felt more like we were having a fun training session!”

First to 21, with dead ends replayed, the final match between local Luke Jones from Ballina and Kane Nelson from Capalaba was a spectator’s dream, with plenty of action and oh-so-close shots. “Luke is a top player and a great person,” Kane said. “We’ve known each other for many years and have had some great battles,” he said. “It could have gone either way as it was neckand-neck all game but, thankfully, I just fell over the line.”

Kane has competed in the event a few times. “Ballina singles is one of the most prestigious singles events in Australia and something I’ve always wanted to win,” he said. “The field is very strong with multiple State and Australian players all competing.“

“I came runner up in 2023 and I was disappointed with how I played in that final, so to come back and win it was fantastic.”

Kane’s winning streak continued and he went on to win the Paradise Point Open Fours Classic with his brother Jacob, Mitchell Cameron and Jayden Cottell. With such a start to the year, one can only wait to see what else Kane achieves!

Paradise Point Open Fours Classic winners

L-R: Mitchell Cameron, Jacob Nelson, Jayden Cottell & Kane Nelson

L-R: Runner-up Luke Jones & Kane Nelson

AUSTRALIAN SPORTS COMMISSION MEDIA AWARDS

Bowls Australia (BA) has been recognised as an industry leader this year being awarded for Best Coverage of Sport with a disability at the 2023 Australian Sports Commission (ASC) Media Awards. BA has dedicated itself to promoting diversity and inclusion, with para bowls being a major focal point of the organisation’s media landscape.

Most notably, the increased hours of live streaming across both national and international tournaments including every para final from the 2023 World Bowls Championships on the Gold Coast in 2023 contributed to bowls’ widespread coverage. Viewers could witness history as the Right at Home Jackaroos dominated the para component of the event, winning two gold medals and a bronze in three disciplines. In addition, the organisation’s official podcast ‘The Right Line’ brings in depth interviews with bowlers with a disability from across the nation.

Congratulations to the Bowls Australia talented media team: Aidan Davis, Val Febbo and Lachlan Williams on the outstanding achievement.

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UPCOMING STATE EVENTS

ANZAC TEST SERIES

April 19-20, 2024 at Capalaba Sports Club

The ANZAC Test Series commenced in 2014 to mark the centenary of the ANZAC legend. It commemorates the efforts of our soldiers over the past 100 years, since World War 1 started in 1914, with the centenary of ANZAC honoured in 2018. Due to the success of this series it has continued each year and will be held again in 2024.

STATE DISTRICT SIDES

May 8-11, 2024 in Gold Coast District

The 2024 State District Sides Championships will be held in the Gold Coast District. Men will play at Broadbeach and Musgrave Hill and women at Helensvale and Paradise Point.

The District Sides Championships is the marquee event on Queensland’s bowling calendar, with districts going head-to-head in separate men’s and women’s competitions. These teams battle it out, not only for bragging rights, but also for the chance to be crowned Queensland’s top bowling district.

The competition is held over four days, with approximately 550 players and team officials attending each year.

Upon the conclusion of the District Sides, players have the opportunity to stay at the host district to compete in Queensland’s State Championships.

2023 WINNERS

Val Woodward Perpetual Shield (Women)

Cunningham

Harry Wright Memorial Shield (Men)

Gold Coast Tweed

2023 Men’s Division 1 winners: Gold Coast Tweed

2023 Bowls Queensland Presidents XII & Australian Defence Force Lawn Bowls Association teams

STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

May 13-26, 2024 in the Gold Coast District

The $50,000 2024 State Championships will be played at clubs in the Gold Coast area with finals to be held at Club Musgrave. Queensland’s State Championships are open to all Bowls Queensland affiliated bowlers. These championships enable players to compete for State titles in Singles, Pairs, Over-60 Pairs, Mixed Pairs, Triples and Fours.

Winners of the 2024 Singles, Pairs, Triples, Fours and Mixed Pairs advance to the Australian Championships to be played in October at Broadbeach Bowls Club.

Schedule:

• Mixed Pairs – May 13, 14 & 15

• Men’s Triples & Women’s Triples – May 16 & 17

• Men’s Fours & Women’s Fours – May 18, 19 & 20

• Men’s Pairs & Women’s Pairs – May 21, 22 & 23

• Men’s Over 60 Pairs & Women’s Over 60 Pairs –

May 21, 22 & 23

• Men’s Singles & Women’s Singles – May 24, 25 & 26

2023 WINNERS

Mixed Pairs

Jane Bush & Scott DeJongh-Fitzpatrick

Women’s Singles

Katelyn Inch

Women’s Pairs

Claire Turley & Lynsey Clarke

Women’s Over 60 Pairs

Denice McLean & Lynda Brownen

Women’s Triples

Lauren Schultz, Gail Crompton, Wendy Wilson

Women’s Fours

Cheryl Heaps, Karen Goldsworthy, Julie Keegan, Bolivia Millerick

2023 State Singles gold medal winners

Katelyn Inch & Kurt Brown

Men’s Singles

Kurt Brown

Men’s Pairs

Tyler Pettigrew & Jake Rynne

Men’s Over 60 Pairs

Alan Pritchard & Graeme Hooper

Men’s Triples

Roger Stevens, Dean Drummond, Peter Brown

Men’s Fours

Tom Blaszczyk, Steve Hayden, Jacob Nelson, Kane Nelson

#BPL19 TITLE GOES TO MELBOURNE PULSE

Congratulations to Queensland’s Moreton Bay Pirates for claiming second place in BPL19.

Some spectacular bowls saw the decider come down to the last bowl.

Congratulations to Melbourne Pulse on the win, which was particularly sweet for them after having endured a tough BPL18 at Club Pine Rivers.

The Melbourne Pulse became just the fourth franchise to notch up three BPL titles, following in the footsteps of the Sydney Lions, Tweed Heads Ospreys and Moama Steamers.

The Bowls Premier League (BPL) is the Twenty20 of bowls – it’s fast, it’s loud, it attracts the world’s best bowlers, and it appeals to non-bowlers.

The showpiece event is held biannually, at Queensland’s Club Pine Rivers in November and New South Wales/Victoria border club Moama in February. The players have embraced the BPL format, making sure it is a pleasure to watch.

BPL19 was hosted by Club Moama over five days, February 19-23, and saw 10 teams compete in the race for the title. BPL19 also saw the highest and lowest scoring matches in event history, breaking records that had not been eclipsed for 16 or more editions of the tournament.

It was also the first time since BPL15 where the reigning team, on this occasion the Tweed Head Ospreys, would not feature in the top five.

BPL19 Winners Melbourne Pulse L-R: Andrew Breeden-Walton (stand-in coach), Barrie Lester, Gary Kelly & Ellen Fife (née Ryan)

BPL19 Runners-up Moreton Bay Pirates (below) had strong support throughout the event

Day 3, the halfway point, proved to be ‘moving day’, with plenty of action. The Tweed Ospreys, who sat at last place on the first night, were now top of the table after a perfect day.

On the flip side, the Pirates who sat atop the ladder all the way through to midpoint, lost all three games on Day 3, so Day 4 needed to be a turning point for them.

By the end of Day 4, Moreton Bay Pirates were turning their fate around, with their squad of Alex Marshall, Ryan Burnett, Dawn Hayman and Ellen Falkner (coach).

As the commentators reported on the live stream, “When Alex Marshall gets the trot going and raises his hands before the bowl has stopped, you know it’s good!”. They went on to secure their place in the final after defeating the Adelaide Pioneers and then the Sydney Lions.

In the final, the Pirates were to meet Melbourne Pulse squad Gary Kelly, Barrie Lester, Ellen Fife (née Ryan) and Andrew Breedon-Walton (stand-in coach), who had also defeated Sydney Lions.

The Pirates took off as the stronger team, winning the first set 10-1. However, Pulse made their move in the second set and after picking up 4 shots in a powerplay, evened the score.

It was a thrilling final, with Gary Kelly getting the crowd excited with some perfect shots to edge the Pulse into first place to become champions for a third time after previously winning the BPL15 and BPL16. The Pulse were able to win without coach Jeremy Henry, who had to return home for personal reasons on the Thursday, with Dandenong Club CEO Andrew Breeden-Walton stepping in. Henry also missed finals night at BPL15, when Scott De Jongh stepped in to coach.

During BPL19, two Queensland bowlers moved into the 300 club as Aron Sherriff and Ryan Bester reached this momentous milestone.

Sherriff was the first to pass the post in his 88th match for the Steamers after 149 games for the Lions and 63 for the Hawks.

Bester, at his destructive best, followed suit in the final round of the event, becoming the first player in BPL history to participate in 300 contests for one franchise.

Aron Sherriff (above left ) & Ryan Bester (above right) both notched 300 BPL games during BPL19, with Bester becoming the first player in BPL history to participate in 300 contests for one franchise

Recognition is also due for Brett Wilkie who notched up 100 games for his franchise during the event. One of the highlights of BPL19 would have to be when ‘Wizz’ pulled off a centimetre perfect drawing to the ditch, eliciting a raised cap from teammate ‘Lurch’ (Nathan Rice).

Note: The Bowls Premier League continues to grow, with another sidearm of the event taking place, namely the Inaugural Junior BPL Challenge for U18 players.

Two qualifying events were held at the Moama Bowling Club and Club Sunbury, with players vying to compete at the inaugural Junior BPL Challenge final between Sunbury Extreme and Moama Steamers, which was played at Moama on February 23, parallel to BPL19 action.

Brett Wilkie’s centimetre perfect drawing to ditch

Anton-Brown_Magazine-Ad_Quarter-Page-FINAL.pdf 5 29/08/2023 3:06:50 PM

Q7s-Qld started its life as an offshoot of Premier League in 2009. Fifteen years later, it’s still going strong.

The competition is now a standalone entity, with 7s-Qld Inc as its managing body responsible for the competition. It has a management committee, audited accounts and pays out more than $90,000 each year in prize money.

The Q7s Competition allows clubs of all sizes (and bowlers of all levels) to compete and be competitive.

Men and women can compete with, and against, each other in the same competition.

2023 Division 1 Winners - Carina

2023 Division 2 Winners - Club Pine Rivers

Clubs have the opportunity to play against different clubs they may not otherwise have the opportunity to visit and play against.

The finals of the Q7s-Qld for Season 2024 will be held at Club Pine Rivers on the weekends of April, 6-7 & 13-14.

Clubs from north and south of the Brisbane River, the Gold Coast, Darling Downs and Sunshine Coast will all have teams participating in the finals in varying divisions. This makes for a very inclusive final.

No elimination final was required this year, giving clubs the weekend following the last round free to catch up on events such as championships. The next weekend (Easter) was also free.

This year, Q7s-Qld is trialling a new format for the Open Division and Division 3. As these divisions have only two sections, a McIntyre System will be used – similar to the NRL. How this will apply in practice is set out more fully in BowlsLink under the respective divisions.

Come and enjoy the hospitality and facilities of Club Pine Rivers during the finals held April 6-7 and 13-14 while supporting your teams. You will be treated to some excellent bowls and can even come up and say “hello” to the people of Q7s-Qld in our distinctive uniform.

Contributed by Bob Proctor

2023 Division 3 Winners - Aspley

2023 Division 6 Winners - McKenzie Park 2023 Division 5 Winners - Broadbeach

2023 Division 4 Winners - Dayboro

Factors to consider when a business carries out redundancies

Redundancy – an unfortunate yet (sometimes) necessary action. Simply put, redundancy is when a business no longer needs an employee’s role to be done by anyone.

Despite how common the process is, businesses aren’t always aware of their obligations under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (FW Act). Failure to comply gives rise to significant legal risks and opens the door to unfair dismissal and general protections claims or claims for breach of an award or enterprise agreement.

To ensure you’re aware of your rights and obligations, we have compiled the below ‘tips and tricks’ to keep in mind in 2024.

Genuine Redundancy

As a starting point, businesses must satisfy the genuine redundancy test set out in the FW Act – which includes establishing the employee’s role is no longer required to be performed by anyone in the organisation due to changes in operational requirements.

While seemingly simple, this obligation becomes significantly more nuanced when the restructure requires roles/duties to merge or transfer to another employee(s).

Employers are also required to comply with obligations imposed by an applicable modern award or enterprise agreement to consult about the redundancy.

Whilst employers are technically not required to consult with ‘award/ agreement free’ employees, we suggest this takes place as a matter of best practice.

Consultation Obligations

Employees cannot be made redundant summarily. Accordingly, employers should engage in a consultation process in accordance with an applicable modern award or enterprise agreement, which includes:

• information about the organisational restructure;

• the likely impact on the employee(s);

• the measures the employer has taken to avoid or reduce the adverse effects on the employee(s); and

• the employee’s feedback and/or response to the above.

Consultation should:

• be meaningful and not predetermined; and

• include written correspondence which explains the nature of the issue, sets out alternative employment options and confirms the business is considering input from affected employees.

Discharging consultation obligations is a key aspect of the redundancy process, as it mitigates legal risks in relation to unfair dismissal and general protection claims. Clear procedures, letters and file notes can greatly assist in ensuring the correct process is followed and all parties are afforded the opportunity to respond.

Redeployment Considerations

An employee’s termination will not be a case of genuine redundancy if it would have been reasonable, in all of the circumstances, for the employee to be redeployed within the organisation (this also includes assessing redeployment opportunities within the employer’s associated entities). Whether redeployment is/was reasonable will depend on the circumstances that existed at the time of dismissal.

In determining whether redeployment was reasonable, the Fair Work Commission (Commission) will have regard to a number of factors. The general indica considered by the Commission is vast, and an assessment of your specific situation is recommended.

Redundancy And Termination Entitlements

It is critical to correctly calculate the employee’s redundancy and termination entitlements. Failure to provide the correct entitlements gives rise to significant legal risks, particularly in regard to underpayment claims.

Employers should have regard to an employee’s accrued entitlements arising from this process, including notice of termination, redundancy pay, annual leave and long service leave.

How We Can Help

The genuine redundancy process is fluid and often gives rise to a number of discrete questions.

Engaging legal representation early is critical in understanding your rights and obligations when commencing (or being subject to) a genuine redundancy process.

For questions or more information, please contact Sam McIvor on 07 3224 0323.

This article was written by Sam McIvor and Bronte Jackson of Mullins Lawyers.

Development with Micheal Sorrensen

Lawn Bowls Uniting Veterans in the Community

Invictus Australia’s Family Fun Day

In February, with the assistance of the North Ipswich Bowls Club and Jubilee Bowls Club in Townsville, Invictus Australia and Bowls Australia continued their partnership in holding Family Fun Days showcasing our great sport.

Lawn bowls proves to be a beacon of positivity for the veteran community. The game provides a relaxed and inclusive environment where veterans can connect with fellow servicemen and women, fostering a sense of belonging and camaraderie. Lawn bowls’ gentle pace also makes it accessible to individuals of all ages and physical abilities, allowing veterans to participate regardless of any mobility challenges they may face.

On February 3, Jubilee Bowls Club in Townsville became a social hub as veterans and their families gathered for a relaxed Friday night lawn bowls event. There was an unmistakable sense of community on the green, with stories being shared and memories created with everyone enjoying some friendly competition and social connection. The Jubilee Bowls Club provided a sausage sizzle, cold drinks, raffles plus additional games, all of which was enjoyed by those who attended.

On the sunny Sunday morning of February 18, the local bowling green came alive at the North Ipswich Bowls Club as veterans and their families gathered for a fun-filled bowls event. Again, lawn bowls served as more than just a sport for veterans and their families; it’s a cherished social activity that fosters connection and camaraderie.

A wonderful group of over 50 eager participants of all ages enjoyed the relaxed pace and welcoming atmosphere at the club with the bowling green transformed into a hub of laughter and shared experiences. This event would not have been possible without the hospitality of the North Ipswich Bowls Club and the support of their volunteers. Everyone had a great time!

This proves again that lawn bowls brings all people together no matter what age, what back ground or even disability. From this, Jubilee are looking to run more events like this with Gr8for Brains and Mate for Mates programs. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact myself or David Barnes.

Contact your CSMs David Barnes at 0429 442 818 and dbarnes@bowls.com.au or Micheal Sorrensen at 0447 507 040 or msorrensen@bowls.com.au

GAMBLING COMMUNITY BENEFIT FUND

The QLD Gambling Community Benefit Fund - Round 121 (the $100,000 30th Anniversary super round) is now open and will close at midnight on 30 April 2024.

Please find more information including guidelines and how to apply at the following link: https://www. justice.qld.gov.au/initiatives/community-grants

The Gambling Community Benefit Fund (GCBF) is Queensland’s largest one-off community grants program and distributes approximately $60 million each year to not-for-profit community groups. The GCBF funding helps these groups to provide services, leisure activities and opportunities for Queensland communities.

The GCBF will have 3 funding rounds in 2024:

Round 120—$35,000 standard grant round—closes 29 February Round 121—$100,000 30th Anniversary super round—closes 30 April Round 122—$35,000 standard grant round—closes 30 November.

To check eligibility requirements and understand your organisation’s responsibilities throughout all stages of the grant funding process, read the guidelines for GCBF applicants and instructions for applying for the GCBF grant at this link: https://www.justice.qld.gov.au/initiatives/community-grants

Contact the GCBF team on phone 1800 633 619 if you need help.

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Working through the Law Book

As many national measurers and umpires will be due for reaccreditation in the near future, and these exams will be covering the new laws in the Crystal Mark 4th Edition April 2023 and Revised May 2023 law books, I have now brought up to date a paper that I wrote some time ago titled Working through the various indexes in the law book.

At all courses I conduct, I do give a copy of the following; however, I know that many umpires would not have this paper and I hope that the following will be of assistance to all members.

Working through the various indexes in the law book.

As an umpire you need to be familiar with the law book, its contents and its structure. I suggest that when reading the following, you have your law book on hand as you go through the various points.

Most of your work is measuring; however, there will be many times when you will be called upon to answer and interpret various laws both on and off the green. When you are, you need to be able to find the specific law/s quickly and work through the situation with the player/s concerned.

In preparation to umpire a game, always have with you and be familiar with:

• The current law book

• Domestic Regulations

• Conditions of Play

You will need to know the order in which the situation has occurred, and knowing where to find the relevant law/s will help you to give the correct ruling, and the player will have confidence in your explanation.

There are various structures and indexes in the law book that you can refer to, and which one you use is your personal choice, but you will find as you gain more experience that a particular index will suit you and that is the one you will use more frequently.

The laws deal with all facets of the game namely:

(a) The physical arrangements of the surface on which the game is played

(b) The equipment necessary for playing the game

(c) The conditions and format of the game

(d) The rules for the game

The following is all contained in the Laws of the Sport of Bowls Crystal Mark 4th Edition, Revised May 2023. At the beginning of the law book, there is a Table of Contents which goes from pages 2 to 7, which is followed by:

• Forward: page 8 – this section covers the following:

• Introduction: page 8 – this needs to be read as no laws governing a sport can cope with every situation.

• Conventions: page 8 - the important part of the Conventions is the reference to the words ‘MUST’ and ‘WILL’ in which the action is compulsory. ‘CAN’ the action is optional. ‘Between’ when used to describe a range of weights or measurements within these laws mean that the smallest and largest numbers given are included within the range.

• Definitions: pages 8 – 14 – these are in alphabetical order within each Section A, B, C, D.

• A. Control: Controlling Body: the body with immediate control over the Conditions of Play (see law 57.2 – page 89) under which a game is played:

The order is:

• A.l: World Bowls (WB)

• A.2: A National Bowling Authority

• A.3: Divisions within Member National Authorities

• A.4: The Club on who’s green the game is being played

• B. Players: (page 9).

• C. Play: (pages 9 – 13).

• D. Bowls: (page 13).

It is then divided into various numbered Sections 1 to 5 – pages 15 – 90 which lay out the necessary definitions.

• Section 1 - Game basics (pages 15 – 38)

• Section 2 - Game anomalies (pages 39 – 55)

• Section 3 - Duties of players and officials (pages 56 – 63)

• Section 4 - Field of play and equipment (pages 64 – 77)

• Section 5 - Administration (pages 79 -90). This main body of the Law Book that can be divided into two types: basic laws and laws that may require interpretation.

The basic laws are quite factual and unlikely to cause much dispute, whereas the more complex issues contain laws that are open to more extensive interpretations as they deal with matters that may cause disputes.

The next section deals with Appendences – A, B, and C (pages 91 to 106) which covers Conditions of Play especially for competitions run by regional/district/zones and clubs, distance charts and bowl and jack displacement charts.

Good officials will be familiar with the Conditions of Play and the various charts, especially before you begin your officiating duties.

This is followed by Domestic Regulations on pages 107 to 117. These are a set of rules that only apply to Australian Conditions as they have the authority to create DRs if provided. They follow the laws relating to domestic regulations. They are set out similar to the various numbering conventions at the beginning of the law book and have reference numbers relating to those laws. These regulations need to be read carefully as you will most likely receive many questions.

BA Policies are then listed on pages 119 to 124. These are briefly set out but can be downloaded from the BA website and I do encourage you as an umpire or your club to obtain a copy to keep as a reference. Finally, at the back of the law book is another index on pages 125 to 139. These are set out alphabetically with some items repeated as they are listed under specific areas and then again under the alphabet for example: Bowls – all items relating to “Bowls” is listed and then again in the alphabetical subject order in the index.

In closing, I do emphasise that it is important that you study the Law Book and understand its layout and structure. Take time to practice finding the relevant laws in a timely manner as a player will have confidence in your ability to answer the laws correctly. Always take your Law Book with you if having to answer a question relating to a specific law or situation as the reply can be shown to the player/s and again giving them a feeling of confidence in you. Wishing you all the very best when working through the law book.

Copy of the new Law Book

HOW TO GET PUBLISHED IN THE BOWLER

We often get asked how to send in a story to the “What’s your club been doing” section of the Queensland Bowler magazine. We welcome contributions, and, to give your club the best chance of appearing in the Bowler, please follow these guidelines when submitting your article or images:

Images

• Images to be at original size, at least 1MB. Phone photographs are accepted, but only at original size.

• Images of people to be accompanied by names from left to right. Please double check the spelling.

• Images sent to us MUST have the subject’s permission to be published and we need written permission from guardians/parents of minors under the age of 18.

• Images to be original. It is plagiarism to take photos from the internet without permission from the photographer, which includes Facebook, Google images, etc. Please ensure that any photo you send to the Bowler magazine is original.

Tips on taking a photo suitable for publishing

• Try to take photos in natural light. It makes a big difference!

• If you have to take photos inside, consider the background of your photo. Are there cables hanging from a TV? Are there messy bags, food wrappers or untidy tables in the background? Are there people sitting in the background who shouldn’t be in the shot?

• Get closer, take a step forward. The best zoom option is your feet.

• When photographing a group, a wide shot taken from afar never looks good. Arrange people in rows, encourage them to stand close together, so that your shot isn’t too wide.

• Make sure everyone is looking at your camera. Often, other people hijack the shot you’ve lined up and the subjects look at them, leaving you with a photograph of people looking elsewhere.

• Remove sunglasses if possible. Lift the peaks of hats if they are worn in the photo, to avoid shadows on faces.

• Take more than one photo. Usually people relax by the time you’ve taken a few shots and it shows in the photo. Send us the best photo, or send them all and we’ll pick the best for publishing.

• Images should be jpg and png format only.

• Send images separately. Do not embed them in a document, we cannot use them this way. Images should be sent as attachments to an email.

• Clearly label each image.

Words

• Club news articles range from between 200 to 600 words. Bios can be around 600 words, depending on the nature of the story. Quotes from winners, the subject or the president of your club can add some interest to the story.

• Articles should be sent as an attachment in MS Word, or as plain text in the body of the email.

• Attach articles and images to your email. Do not embed images into documents. Images should be sent as separate jpgs with the article, attached to your email.

FAQs

Did you get my email?

Please do not ring us immediately to check if your email has arrived, we will let you know once we have read and processed your story, or if we have any questions. Please allow a few days for us to respond to you first, before following up.

What’s the deadline?

The deadline for contributions is the 15th of each month for the next issue.

Why wasn’t my article published?

We may not be able to get your story in the next issue due to space limitations, but we will try our best. Sometimes, stories get held over to the next issue.

If you get stuck with anything, please email or call us and we can help!

How do I send my article/photos to you?

Email articles and photos to media@bowlsqld.org

HOW TO SET UP A JUNIOR PROGRAM

It’s true, the challenge of getting juniors into our sport of bowls is not new and some of these tips below have been published before. Some clubs may have taken steps towards getting a junior program up and running and other clubs may be thinking about it.

Wherever your club is on this journey, what I urge you to do is to look at the cover of the February 2024 Bowler issue and absorb the smiling, proud faces of the new Junior State Champions and read some of the inspirational stories inside. How can you not want to spread that feeling of participation and achievement across as many juniors as you can?

Sport at a junior level needs to be fun, positive, enjoyable and inclusive. So, what can your club do to ignite the passion for bowls amongst the juniors in your area?

Unlike sports such as soccer and rugby, bowls doesn’t have a feeder club for juniors. It is up to our clubs to play that role.

In practical terms, what you need is:

• A very dedicated person or persons who love to work with children.

• A person or persons who love the sport of bowls and have a passion to develop the sport.

• A person or persons who has the time and qualifications to run weekly training sessions. The next question to ask is: Do we have anyone who meets the above criteria? Once you’ve found these people, work with them to find a time and the space to start a program. Start small and it will build. It’s very important to secure Blue Cards for all people working with children. Ask your district if they have a junior coordinator, maybe there will be some support available from them and some information on other juniors in the area.

Some other points for consideration are:

• Green space and bowls suitable to run sessions for juniors (nine years to 18 years).

• Programs that focus on providing a simple, fun, accessible and affordable introduction to bowls.

• Cooperation between clubs and coordinator of the program and a Duty of Care document for juniors (to protect both children and the club).

• Family bowls initiatives that encourage participation by the whole family in various forms.

Finally, do yourself a favour and Google “You’re Never too Old to Inspire”, and a five-minute You Tube clip will come up. Watch this clip, then come back to this story. Guaranteed you will be inspired!

Wouldn’t it be a wonderful feeling to know you have played a part in kicking off a junior’s bowls journey?

Friendships made and rekindled at the 2024 Junior State Championships

WINS

Bowlers from Australia and New Zealand recently gathered at the Sunshine Coast’s Noosa-Tewantin Bowls Club for the 45th biennial Australian and New Zealand Railways Institutes Intersystem Lawn Bowls Carnival and 10 days of friendship and competition.

In the prestigious test matches played in the afternoons, Queensland again proved their expertise, winning the Commissioner’s Shield and Dennis Cup for the third consecutive year after going through the six rounds undefeated.

The David Paxton Trophy for the undefeated Rink or Skipper with the highest number of rink wins was won by Bruce Archer’s team of Mike Lowe, Brad Smith, David Owen and skip Bruce. They were the only team to win all their games, a very creditable effort.

Western Australia went home with the Kiwi Trophy as runner-up in the test matches, with a close win over New South Wales. The Anderson Trophy for the four players not involved in the four test teams, went home in the hands of New South Wales over Queensland.

In the morning games, the round winners played off for the appropriate trophies on the final’s day with the section winners playing off for the win.

The Howse Cup for the Singles Championship went to NSW’s Barry Cartwright over WA’s Bryan Roper in a nail biting final, the score ending up 31-30. It was an absorbing game that kept everyone interested till the final bowl was bowled. The James Cairns Trophy for Pairs stayed in Queensland in the hands of Ross Phoenix and Gary Gray over the second QLD Team of Owen Raines and Tagen Powell. The ANI Trophy for triples went to WA over QLD’s team of David Hatfield, David Owen and Bruce Archer and the Allan Simpson Perpetual Shield for Fours was won by our QLD team of Lex Goodwin, Shaun Casey, Trevor Triechel and Mick Wilson over NSW.

Unfortunately, our New Zealand friends found our hot, humid weather a battle but put up a valiant effort to give it their best under the trying conditions. Congratulations to them for making the journey and putting their best foot forward without complaint. Victoria’s team was not able to participate this year. We look forward to our next Carnival which is to be held at Mandurah, WA, in 2026.

Photo courtesy Bella May Photography

The Bowls Premier League (BPL) is set to undergo a transformation that will herald a new era for the sport’s premier broadcast product, with a planned expansion to 12 teams, as Bowls Australia call for expressions of interest for the two new licensees.

The BPL will move to a 12-team model effective from its next November 2024 edition.

BA launched the BPL in 2013, to showcase a new and exciting format of the sport of bowls, and to enable opportunities to showcase and raise the profiles of the world’s best bowlers, clubs, organisations, partners and host venues.

Alongside the existing ten licensees, BA is proud of the significant role the BPL has played in showcasing the sport’s greatest attributes and is excited about the future evolution of the product under an expanded 12-team model.

BA invite Clubs, Organsations and Businesses around Australia and internationally to express their interest in joining the BPL as a new licensee from November 2024, for at least a two year / four event period through to February 2026, as the competition expands from ten to 12 teams.

Questions and queries should be directed to Bowls Australia’s Events and Competition Manager Andrew Howie via ahowie@bowls.com.au.

Expressions of interest should be directed to Bowls Australia’s Chief Executive Officer Matthew Kennedy via mkennedy@bowls.com.au by no later than 5pm AEDT Monday, April 8, 2024.

Further information, including the Key Selection Criteria, is contained within the “Bowls Premier League Expression of Interest – New Licensee Availability” document.

Further information, including the Key Selection Criteria, is contained within the “Bowls Premier League Expression of Interest – New Licensee Availability” document.

By Aidan Davis, Bowls Australia

WHAT’S YOUR CLUB BEEN DOING?

Belmont Services’ Keith Gilchrist turns 100!

100 years young, that’s how we describe our evergreen Life member Keith Gilchrist at the Belmont Services Bowls Club (BSBC).

Keith joined BSBC in October 1974 and has been an outstanding member and contributor from the beginning. Keith’s service to our club is exemplified by his record: Club Secretary 74-84, President in 1990 and again in 2003, Club Patron from 2007-2021 and was bestowed with Life Membership 1985.

Keith also excelled on the green, with a club B Singles title in 1978, Triples title 1989, Fours titles in ‘79, ‘81 & ‘85 and was also a Division 1 player.

But Keith cannot be defined by these statistics alone. His dedication and love for the club throughout the years has always seen him front and centre of any push to improve our club. In his later years, after he finally finished his playing career (I think at 96) he could always be seen at any interclub games dressed in full club uniform whilst inspiring Belmont to succeed.

On March 2nd, Keith’s family, friends and bowlers celebrated his birthday (actual birthday 1st March) with a huge party in the BSBC function room where BQ President and long-time friend Peter Williamson presented Keith with a 100-year medallion.

Keith was also given a framed collage of photos of his history at Belmont bowls which was presented by BSBC President Graham Condon.

Keith with his daughter, Beth McIntosh

The celebration was organised by Keith’s daughter Beth who passed onto the party goers some of his early history.

Keith was born in Gympie and was one of five children and spent most of his childhood in Imbil. Keith’s first jobs were in farming and at the Imbil sawmill until in 1943 when he joined the Air Force and was stationed at South Australia and then Oakey to service planes returning from New Guinea. He stayed in the Air Force until after he married in 1950 and settled into family life. Keith retired in 1985.

Best Wishes, Keith, from BSBC.

Keith Gilchrist

L-R: Graham Condon (President), Keith Gilchrist, Trevor Mitchell (Vice President) & Peter Williamson

Friends and family gather at Belmont Services Bowls Club to clebrate Keith’s 100th birthday

Contributed by Trevor Mitchell

Full Greens for Bowen’s Ladies Fours

A great two days of bowling took place at the Ladies’ Fours Annual event.

The event attracted a full green of 16 teams this year. Being based centrally in Bowen meant we had teams from both the North Qld District and Mackay District, and most teams got to play against teams they hadn’t met before.

Helen Jacobsen (organiser) is from Bowen Bowls Club. Thank you to sponsors Precise Plumbing, Industry Fire Services & S&W Crane Hire.

Runners-up L-R: Helen Jacobsen (organiser & sponsor), Kay O’Sullivan, Donna Ware, Wanda Goodwin & Lee Shears

Third L-R: Ladda Purdie, Lee Welsted (Sponsor), Margo Stanley, Betty Whitehorn & Betty Nicolle

Contributed by Helen Jacobsen & Linda Scells

Darra Cementco Master Pairs

Back in 1984, long time Darra member Shafik Torbey had a dream that the club could fill a void in the bowls calendar by running a Master Pairs bowler event. Shafik was extremely proud of the club and the suburb and loved the idea that some of the best bowlers in Queensland would play at Cementco. Since his death in 2018 aged 93, the event has been named the “Shafik Torbey Memorial Master Pairs” in his memory.

A “Master” for this event was any person who had won a championship singles or pairs event, so it was guaranteed to have a good field. Shafik also wanted the event to be a traditional pairs event (21 ends) with dead ends replayed. The event has four preliminary games before the top

four playoff in semifinals, then a final.

A veritable who’s who of bowls have competed in the event with many of Queensland’s and Australia’s best bowlers winning, including Keith Poole, Stan Coomber, Geoff Hawken, Rob Parrella, Steve Glasson, Ray Glasser and Robbie Dobbins. The honour board also lists top bowlers such as Brett Wilkie, Nathan Rice, Sean Baker, Steven Tong, Kane and Jacob Nelson.

The 40th Anniversary running of the event was special with, on paper, a very even ranking of teams. The four preliminary rounds saw six teams go through undefeated, so the final four came down to margins.

The semifinal between Baker/Tong and Bailey/Hobday started with a bang for Baker and Tong when they grabbed six shots on the first end and were never headed.

The Bretherton/Cross team looked to be doing the same to Swanson/Howard but some good pickups at the end closed the gap, though not enough, and Bretherton/Cross came out winners.

That made a final between some very experienced players for this event. Sean Baker has won this event three times, once with Steven Tong and twice with Dean McWhinney and has also been runner up with Tong three times. Michael Bretherton has won the event twice with Jamie Smith.

Cross and Bretherton led the final until the last end when, down 1 on the board, Baker drew 2 shots for a 17-16 win. Thanks to our major sponsor Star Liquor and supporting sponsors Specsavers (Redbank Plains), Torbey Family and Refresh my Airconditioning.

Contributed by Peter Gilbert

Winners L-R: Sean Baker, Steven Tong with Mechelle Jones (Star Liquor) & Anthony Torbey

Runners-up L-R: Anthony Torbey, Mechelle Jones (Star Liquor), Micheal Bretherton & Jay Cross

Pine Rivers’ John turns 100!

John Terence O’Brien, or J.T. as he is known, turned 100 on the 19th of February this year.

He received many congratulatory cards including those from the King and Queen, Governor General, Queensland Governor, Prime Minister, Opposition Leader, Queensland Premier and the local member Nikki Boyd.

He celebrated on the actual day at home, and with family and friends at the club recently.

John was also awarded the 100-year medallion by Bowls Queensland Director, Greg Flynn with President Adrian Holiday, CEO Steve Ratcliffe, and General Manager Craig Lauman in attendance on the Social Men’s Tuesday 27th February.

John joined Pine Rivers in late 1981 when they were using Aspley as their home base, whilst the greens were being constructed at Francis Road.

J.T. was coached by the late Col Hattersley and became an accredited level 1 coach and examiner himself by assisting Col. He also coached the ladies of the Pine Rivers Ladies Bowls Club until they had their own coaches.

John was a member of many winning teams in the club Pennant and club competitions. He also held the position of games director. John had to give up coaching and bowling due to health issues.

John O’Brien with his 100-year medallion

John O’Brien’s 100th birthday celebration at Club Pine Rivers

J.T. was awarded Life Membership of the club in 2023 in recognition of his long service to the club. It’s a family affair with his wife Marian a Life Member, Past President and a Matriarch of the ladies’ club and his son Barry having served on the board for four and a half years. John is very proud of this award which was richly deserved.

When the club moved into the new premises on Francis Road from the previous location in Strathpine, John and the late Doug Stewart volunteered to clean the men’s toilets. John also assisted the late Cyril Dunn when he organised the first Pine Rivers Junior Carnival. John received a Bowls Queensland Medallion, Badge, Pen and Bowls Cloth.

Congratulations on your 100th, John, from your friends at Pine Rivers.

Club Coach Course at Club Musgrave

Recently, a Club Coach Course was conducted at Club Musgrave by P&As Dennis O’Toole and Alan Thorp.

The club was very accommodating and the facilities were first class.

Comments from those on the course were very encouraging and, as BQ P&As, we appreciate the feedback.

We also thank Club Musgrave for making the facilities available. I strongly recommend visiting the club if in the Gold Coast District. “It was a great course, everyone loved it. The guys were fabulous teachers,” club member Patricia White said.

BQ’s Greg Flynn presenting John with his 100-year medallion

Club Coach Course at Club Musgrave

Contributed by Alan Thorp

Coaching with BQ Coaching Committee

Important Courses

By Dennis O’Toole

SELECTION MODULE

Choosing selectors and the process of selecting the best and most compatible teams remains an issue throughout all levels of lawn bowls.

Our State coaches and presenters & assessors suggest that more clubs and districts attend the Selection Module that is available to everyone.

This module makes particular reference to a selection policy outlining the goals of the clubs or districts, the preferable people to become selectors and the method the selectors will use to pick the playing group. There will also be focus on conflict that could arise, and a method of prevention, along with the right to appeal decisions and the correct way to go about it.

Please consider the advantages of this Selection Module as there is a lot to be gained.

COACHES’ WORKSHOP

Another major incentive by the State coaches is the availability of a Coaches’ Workshop. This workshop focuses on the coach’s own skills and collective observations from the whole group.

The focus throughout this program is to:-

1. ensure coaches understand the fundamentals of the sport,

2. know the difference between technique and style,

3. produce effective methods of utilising the constants required and the variable way players are able to develop their own delivery sequence,

4. emphasise communication and the use of teaching with sports methodology,

5. enact specialised training with a purpose to players’ pursuit of perfection,

6. setting of goals to produce higher performance by following a definite scored process.

It is in clubs’ and districts’ interests to attend these two programs.

UPCOMING COURSES

Club Coach Course - Bongaree Bowls Club - 28th/29th April.

Skills/Bowling arm - Bongaree Bowls Club - 30th April

Coach Course - Sunshine Coast District rooms - 4th/5th May

ECKA’S TIP

Keep your feet pointing in the intended aiming line and maintain balance and keep the movement of the delivery arm smooth through the pendulum motion. This will assist to create a consistent result.