May 2020

MAY 2020

THIS MONTH IN HISTORY

FLASHBACK! DON’T LET IT GET YOU DOWN

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CONTENTS

Cover COVID-19 Don’t let it get you down.

Volume 43 Issue 4

9 – Chermside’s grant spend

17 – BQ’s new webcasts

7

STATE EVENT UPDATES

10 – What are our bowlers up to?

24 – Getting to know BQ

28 HOW MINDFULNESS AFFECTS EVERYDAY LIFE

What’s been cancelled due to COVID-19

Thorpy continues his article on mindfulness in bowls

18 15 THINGS TO DO DURING LOCKDOWN

30 WHAT YOUR RBM CAN DO FOR YOU

Starting them early

Some tips from RBM Micheal on how to prepare for reopening

27 TIME TO REFRESH YOURSELF ON THE RULES

32 flashback

Umpire Joan highlights important rules you need to know

What happened this month in history?

Editor:

Editorial contact:

Jo Grey

E: media@bowlsqld.org

Sales:

Ph: (07) 3354 0777

Tom Sharman Advertising: E: ads@bowlsqld.org Ph: (07) 3354 0777

Subscriptions: To subscribe, send your contact details, together with a cheque for $48 (inc gst) to: Queensland Bowler Subscriptions PO Box 476, Alderley, Qld 4051.

Copyright: All material appearing in this magazine is copyright. Reproduction in whole or part is not permitted without permission from the publishers.

Notice: While every effort has been made to ensure the information in this magazine is accurate, no responsibility is accepted by the publishers for material supplied by an individual, company or organisation or for any typographical errors. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the view of the publisher.

Send an email to media@bowlsqld.org to be added to our email distribution list.

Bowls Queensland Patron: His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC, Governor of Queensland 4 queensland bowler May 2020

BQ’S COVID-19 UPDATE

Bowls Queensland’s thoughts are with our clubs, staff and members during the COVID-19 club closures. Unfortunately, we do not know at this stage when clubs can reopen.

We encourage members to keep in contact with each other regularly by phone, video conferencing, email or social media etc. Many clubs are using this time to catch up on maintenance of their clubs (inside or out) or pushing ahead with planned renovations while no patrons are in the club to hamper these works. Members are encouraged when going to the supermarket etc to drive by their local club to keep an eye on it while closed and outside of when greenkeepers etc are on site.

Club committees should be in regular contact with each other to stay on top of what is happening and to start preparing for when clubs are able to be reopened. This is also a good chance to review constitutions, policies and procedures of clubs etc.

Please let BQ know if you have any alternative contact emails you would like information sent to while clubs are closed.

Bowls QLD have updated our Club/District Admin Guide and can be found at the following link: http://www.bowlsqld. org/club-assist/club-district-manual/ At the time of printing, QLD Sport and Rec are analysing responses from QLD sporting organisations and crosschecking them with other benefits on offer from Federal and State Governments. This is to decide what support they can offer the sport sector including community clubs. They are also advocating for insurance and utilities relief. Sport and Rec are encouraging Queenslanders to keep active both physically and mentally.

In relation to licenced club matters, Clubs QLD are available to assist clubs: https://www.clubsqld.com.au/ Bowls Australia Regional Bowls Managers (RBM’s) are available for clubs/districts to utilise, please contact your local RBM to advise them of your up to date contact details. https://www.bowls.com.au/club-support/regional-bowlsmanagers-rbms/ Bowls QLD Online Database Bowls QLD are looking for more clubs and districts to utilise our online database. This is a perfect time for a club or district representative to learn how to use the online database, it is easy to learn and use.

This website takes the place of a Form 2 each month. BQ do not require a “NIL” return each month. Features of the website database: •

View all the financial members of your club at any time.

•

Add new members to the club.

•

Remove a member (resigned, unfinancial, deceased, etc).

•

Edit a member’s details (eg: address, phone numbers, email)

Please contact Roxanne via email at roxanne@bowlsqld.org for more info.

May 2020 queensland bowler 5

From the President

with BQ’s Peter Williamson

VICTORIA PARK’S JOHNSON’S 4WD REPAIR SHOP MIXED PAIRS

I know it is a very trying time for all, especially those of us who are required to observe recommendations and orders of the government. Hang in there - we will get through as we have done before during other times of crisis.

Bowls Queensland is in constant contact with government agencies and will continue to bring clubs and districts up-to-date information as

Johnson’s playing group at Victoria Park Bowls Club

received on the current situation.

As I write, a series of talks are underway to examine ways clubs may be able to re-open with limited numbers of patrons within the premises.

Playing areas covered by licencing may also have some relaxation with limited numbers, provided distancing and appropriate sanitising is put in place and monitored in a proper manner.

BQ of course had to cancel some events and where possible put on hold others, hoping in the near future we will be able to make an informed decision on playing or not playing these events. A list of cancelled events may be viewed alongside this page, on page 7.

I am unable to advise districts when the BQ AGM will be held. ASIC has informed BQ that all AGMs due at this time may be differed to a time to be advised.

Peter Williamson

By Garry Walker The first of the three mixed events sponsored by Johnson’s 4WD Motor Repairs, was played on the weekend of February, 15-16 at Victoria Park Bowls Club in very humid conditions.

After two days of intense competition, the father/daughter team of Fred Carrington and Marlene Graham defeated the team of Bev Gully and Tony Lowry to be the first names on the new honour board also donated to the club by Johnson’s 4WD Motor Repairs.

Our thanks to Nyree and Nathan Johnson of Johnson’s 4WD Repair Shop as the concept of playing an entire competition on the one weekend was well-received and to get 15 teams in the first year was tremendous. This competition and the prize money on offer for a club mixed pairs competition would be the most money offered by any club in Central Queensland and should remain very well supported.

We still have the Mixed Triples ($300 to the winners) and the Mixed Fours ($400 to the winners) to come later in the year and nominations for both of those events are very good to date. These events are only open to financial members of the Victoria Park Bowls Club.

Semi Finals Results: Bev Gully and Tony Lowry defeated Gail Bellert and Garry Walker, while in the other Semi Final Marlene Graham and Fred Carrington defeated Denise Green and Jimmy Ross.

Many thanks to our caterers for the weekend, Sue Wooler and Colleen Lawrence and all the spectators that turned up on both days. It was a great weekend!

Looking for something to watch?

Check out Bowls Queensland’s YouTube page!

Relive all of the highlights of last year’s State Championships along with other Queensland events. You can access all of the videos by searching “Bowls QLD YouTube” in Google.

6 queensland bowler May 2020

COVID-19 CANCELLED EVENTS Bowls Queensland would like to update you on the State events due to the uncertainty of the future landscape regarding COVID-19.

•

•

State Champion of Club Champions – Due to some districts already cancelling their Champion of Champion events, Singles will be the only event that will continue past district level to Zone and State level in 2020. This is due to Singles progressing to National and World Champion of Champions. Clubs and districts may still play Pairs and Fours, but these events will not progress past district level to Zone/State level. At this stage, revised dates have been set for Singles with a need for Bowls QLD to be advised of zone winners by November 1, 2020 with finals TBA (this is subject to change re the COVID-19 situation and will continue to be monitored.

State District Mixed Pairs – This event will not progress past district level to Zone/State level in 2020. It is at the discretion of each district whether they run this event.

•

Secondary Schools Cup – Cancelled for 2020.

•

State Division 1 Pennant Finals – At this stage, this event will continue as planned with State Finals scheduled for November 7-8, 2020. Zone play off’s need to be completed and BQ notified of the winner

by October 12, 2020. It is at each district’s discretion whether they run their Pennant competition when restrictions are lifted. Bowls QLD will continue to be monitor this event.State Championships – This event has been postponed from May 4-17, 2020 with a new date yet to be determined.

State Multi Disability Championships – A decision has yet to be made regarding this event.

North vs South Challenge – A decision has yet to be made regarding this event.

• •

Events already notified: • • • •

State District Sides – postponed until April 28–May 1, 2021 in the Gateway District.

Australian Indoor Singles QLD Qualifying – cancelled for 2020.

QLD vs NSW Open, U18, U25, 40-59 Test Series – cancelled for 2020.

ANZAC Test Series – postponed, date TBA.

Bowls Australia and World Events affected: • • • •

Australian Open – cancelled for 2020 and rescheduled for June 12-25, 2021 on the Gold Coast.

Australian Sides Championships - cancelled for 2020.

Australian U18 Championships - cancelled for 2020.

Australian Senior Sides Championships - cancelled for 2020.

• Australian Indoor Singles – cancelled for 2020.

• Australian Championships – postponed until further notice.

• Australian Champion of Champion – postponed until further notice.

• •

Multi-Disability Nationals - cancelled for 2020.

World Bowls Championships – postponed until May 25–June 6, 2021 at Broadbeach, Musgrave Hill and Club Helensvale.

CEO REPORT

with BQ’s Brett Wilkie

Summer Comps

Another challenging month has passed for the bowls world with continued club closures due to COVID-19. Bowls Queensland’s thoughts are with our clubs, staff and members during this period.

Along with other sports, we have been liaising with the QLD Sport and Recreation Department in regard to what assistance they can offer sports and clubs. They have been working with Ernst and Young, QSport and QORF to go through feedback from sports and come up with recommendations to the State Government. They are Please reach out by phone, email, video conferencing or social looking at cross checking with other initiatives already on offer to media and support your fellow bowlers during this time, clubs/organisations like Jobkeeper and other stimulus packages. especially those who live alone. Many people have been using They have a three-phase program: Phase 1 - Focus on keeping video conferencing platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Go To Queenslanders physically and mentally active; Phase 2 - Roll out a Meetings, FaceTime, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc to have short-term support for the sport sector including community clubs; regular meetings or catch ups. If you have a smart phone you Phase 3 - Support for the return to play measures. They are also may be able to add another person to your call while connected. advocating for insurance relief and utilities relief.

Try and stay active during this period with regular exercise at home or locally depending on restrictions. Even regular exercise Bowls Australia and Clubs QLD have also been surveying clubs to at home is good to stay active. Remember to follow social assist in advocating with Government etc. distancing and hygiene recommendations.

Bowls QLD Online Database – Bowls QLD are looking for more The Bowls Queensland staff are available to assist where they can clubs and districts to utilise our online database. This is a perfect in their respective areas. We have put out regular information time for a club or district representative to learn how to use the over the past month and will continue to pass on as much online database, it is easy to learn and use. Please contact Roxanne knowledge as we can during this time. We also continue to liaise via email roxanne@bowlsqld.org for more info. with State Government, QSport, Clubs QLD, other State bodies YouTube – We have been uploading many of Bowls Queensland’s and Bowls Australia. RBMs Wade, Micheal and Lesley are available live streamed games from 2019 to our Bowls QLD YouTube page. to assist clubs and districts, please reach out if you need help or Search “Bowls QLD” and then hit subscribe to enjoy watching many ideas. quality games of bowls.

Club Committees should be in regular contact with each other Cancellations - Due to the uncertainty of the future to stay on top of what is happening and to start preparing for landscape regarding COVID-19, we have had to when clubs are able to be reopened. This is also a good chance to cancel many State events. Please see p7 for a full list review constitutions, policies and procedures of clubs, etc. Bowls of the changes.

QLD have updated our Club/District Admin Guide and can be found at the following link: http://www.bowlsqld.org/club-assist/ Stay safe.

Brett Wilkie club-district-manual/

Proudly sponsored by Choice of Champions

8 queensland bowler May 2020

Chermside Bowls Club has installed a ramp, disabled toilets and a lift after benefitting from a council grant

How grants can level up your club Chermside Bowls Club’s grants & sponsorship director, Michael McMahon, says that his club has benefited greatly from the council grants which has given them the capital they needed to install a lift, ramp and disabled toilets at the club for better disability access.

The club attended the Brisbane Council Civic Cabinet meeting at Northgate in 2017, after the meeting Councillor Fiona Hammond introduced members of the club to a grants group who said they would potentially be interested in sponsoring the Multi-Disability State Championships event. The club applied and were allocated funds to cover the green fees and meals of the players and volunteers.

Several months later at the Brisbane Council civic meeting in 2018 at Gaythorne, the Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said he appreciated the club taking the time to thank the Council for sponsoring the event, as many do not.

“Councillor Peter Matic who holds the office of Chair, Community, Arts and Lifestyle Committee came and said thanks for saying thanks, he then asked when did the club need the money for the 2018 event, they then paid for the green fees and meals of the players and volunteers again,” Chermside’s Michael McMahon said.

“A couple of months after the 2018 event, the Council asked for a meeting with the club manager and chairman and when they came, they unveiled a plan of what the Council would like to do, to make the club better for the elderly and disabled people in the community.

“The Council had a lift installed, reworked the drop off point in the carpark, built a specific ramp for wheelchair access onto the green and built a specific disabled toilet and modified the men’s toilet for wheelchairs.

“They also altered the bar and sign in register so that people could sign in and be served and changed the incline of a ramp outside to make it easier for wheelchairs.”

Thanks to the work done, Michael says the club can now better cater for its members with a disability, this also makes the club more attractive to prospective club members.

When was the last time your club applied for a grant?

As a community club you have the ability to apply for a variety of different grants, get in touch with your local RBM to find out what your club may be eligible to apply for.

May 2020 queensland bowler 9

WHAT ARE OUR BOWLERS UP TO?

HOW ARE OUR BOWLERS DEALING WITH the Coronavirus crisis?

We’ve surveyed six bowlers from clubs across Queensland to find out how they are dealing with the Coronavirus crisis, what they are doing to stay fit and find out what tips they have for us to help weather the crisis.

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Chloe Stewart - Tweed Heads Bowls Club

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Peter Tyler - Rockhampton Bowls Club

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Jane Bush - Club Kawana

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Peter Rookas - North Toowoomba Bowls Club

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Trish Spicer - Marlin Coast Bowls Club

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Russell Hubbard - Thursday Island Bowls Club

Q1 - Now that roll ups are restricted, what are you doing to keep up your bowls skills?

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Chloe Stewart - Well, it’s been a very long time since I have been able to have a decent break away from bowls.

So at the moment, my bowls have been put away in the cupboard for a little rest, and I am quite enjoying some downtime.

•

Peter Tyler - Very little unfortunately.

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Jane Bush - Our greens at Club Kawana have closed straight away so there’s no bowling at all. As I can’t physically bowl any longer, I thought I would brush up on my mental strategy. I am reading Shoey’s book again (Bowls Biased +Uncensored).

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Peter Rookas - With tiles throughout my home, it has been hard to survive! Thank goodness I’ve got a decent lawn but it’s a bit slow!

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Trish Spicer - My club, Marlin Coast Bowls Club, is completely closed. Without being able to practise on the green, I practise my bowls in my head. (Skills? What skills?!!) I try to imagine a head and play the shot in my mind.

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Russell Hubbard - Because I live at the club and manage the club as a volunteer, I can still practice on my own.

10 queensland bowler May 2020

Q2 - What exercises are you doing to keep active?

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Chloe Stewart - Currently, I am walking almost every day for about an hour, but I’m keeping my distance from other walkers, of course! I am doing some homebased workouts with the help of the Nike Training Club app which I highly recommend, and it’s free. I have just started getting into some yoga, which I have found out is quite challenging! Hopefully, I can do some headstands by the time we are back to normal.

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Peter Tyler - I’ve been taking regular walks with the wife.

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Jane Bush - Every morning I do small weights and stretching as you get a bit older you need to keep yourself supple. I then go for an 8 km walk with my husband. We are lucky we live on the water and can step out of our gate straight onto lovely walking tracks maintaining social distancing of course!

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Peter Rookas - I’ve been walking a lot and after 35 plus years, got out the pushbike and I headed for a ride through the beautiful parks in Toowoomba. I also do a 30-minute cardio and body-weight program through a virtual exercise class on YouTube hosted by a mad bloke called Joe from England!

Chloe Stewart

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Trish Spicer - For exercise, I do a 4-minute drill four times a day. I also do my own (very) abridged version of Pilates and yoga! I also walk every day.

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Russell Hubbard - I do a 5 km walk around the island which is very pleasant and takes about an hour. Squats and stretches are a daily exercise too, I lean against a wall practising my bowling delivery and try to stay straight and balanced. If you fall against the wall or fall away from the wall it means you are not delivering your bowls consistently and balanced. You cannot correct bowls if you are falling one way or another off the mat.

Q3 - What are you doing to fill the time now you can’t play bowls competitions?

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Chloe Stewart - I have been reading, contacting friends that I have spoken to for a while and practising my putting skills (golf ) in the house.

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Peter Tyler - I have re-discovered the joy of reading a good mystery novel.

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Jane Bush - I am a member of the SCDLBA District Committee and we are still in contact, although there are no bowls we have lots of things to work on. We’ve been buying extra uniforms for newly selected players as well as sorting out the accommodation credits etc. with the District Sides being cancelled. We’ve had virtual meetings to discuss the way forward; it never really stops. I also volunteer at the animal refuge SCARS and this can never stop.

Lots of social distancing put in place there, but the animals still have to be looked after. We are lucky to have a pool at home so while the weather is good we sit outside of an afternoon and catch some rays. Other than that it’s feet up, Netflix and Liquorland!!

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Peter Rookas - My wife (God bless her conniving little heart!) has a list of projects around the house that have to be completed. I allow for one project a day (as I don’t want to rush things, you know).

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Trish Spicer - I walk our two dogs one after the other to the beach whilst keeping a lookout for crocodiles! (The dogs often missed out on walks when I bowled). I am also playing the piano again (after not having one for 20 years).

May 2020 queensland bowler 11

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Russell Hubbard - For me, there is always plenty of work on the Island and around the club that needs to be done, so I’m always busy.

Q4 - Do you have any goals for the time that we’re in this weird lockdown state?

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Chloe Stewart - I have been researching online digital marketing courses as it’s something I like doing in my job at Tweed Heads Bowls Club, but I would love to increase my knowledge and develop my skills in this area.

I’m also working on my cooking skills, I have made a goal of trying one new recipe a week.

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Peter Tyler - I had planned to redevelop our club’s auditorium during this period but this view is not supported by our committee at this time. However, we are having some additional outdoor carpet laid in the BBQ area which will be of great benefit to the members when they return.

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Jane Bush - Yes I’m emptying cupboards and drawers, especially my wardrobe! I’ve cleaned the house within an inch of its life. Someone in the UK has come up with an Facebook crown green site, they are posting all the old crown games from way back. It is fabulous to have the time to sit and watch them and reminisce.

Some of my family and friends who are no longer with us are on them. I’m happy, but also a bit sad to see them. I have re-posted some of them on Facebook and my Aussie mates are really enjoying them.

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Peter Rookas - To learn how to meditate! To do more aqua aerobics in the pool (while it’s still warm in Toowoomba). I’m also wanting to read some of the books I’ve been given or bought over the years, but never had the time to sit down and actually finish. My major goal out of all this crazy state we’re in is to

Peter Rookas

12 queensland bowler May 2020

come out the other end a much more compassionate, caring, patient, understanding person and have a lot more respect for my fellow man (that includes women of course). Also, to have a greater appreciation of hygiene practices and the need to ensure I don’t pass around any germs from colds & flu; I’ll wear a mask all the time if I have to (just so that I can play bowls!).

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Trish Spicer - My goals are to tone up my body, get fitter and keep well.

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Russell Hubbard - Yes, we hope to build a playground with a cover over it in the next month.

Q5 - How are you feeling about the whole pandemic thing? Are you scared, pretty relaxed, a mixture of both or something else?

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Chloe Stewart - It’s definitely surreal, and a bit scary for everyone. For me, I am just trying to stay focused on the positives and doing my best not to tune into the media 24/7.

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Peter Tyler - A little apprehensive. It’s a nasty one if you are unlucky enough to catch it. We should just follow the health guidelines.

Trish Spicer

Well done to everyone from Queensland and New South Wales who played in this riveting showcase of young talent

Peter Tyler

May 2020 queensland bowler 13

Jane Bush

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Jane Bush - I was terrified at first, but as the weeks have gone on I’m quite relaxed. With family in the UK and Spain where things are a lot worse, I think myself lucky to be in Australia.

Thank goodness for social media where we can all stay in touch and check on each other.

My son Scott lives on the Gold Coast and that now feels like miles away. He’s a FIFO emergency services worker at the mines and I worry about him mixing with people but I understand our resources are important and he has to go.

I’ve only just got over worrying about him in the terrible fires as he’s a volunteer firefighter when he’s home.

I’m never home and was worried I would go mad with boredom but I think mentally you change when you know there is no choice. If I was inside while everyone was out it wouldn’t be the same story.

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Peter Rookas - I’m concerned but in no way complacent. This is serious stuff and if we

don’t ALL play our part, this lockdown/isolation thing could be a way of life for much longer than we would like.

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Trish Spicer - I am not scared of the pandemic. I am so lucky that we are in an ideal location where we are a bit isolated and slightly ‘remote’ so I don’t feel at risk at all. I feel sorry for those who live in cities, people who have lost jobs, people who don’t know what the future holds. Things will be different when this is over but maybe we will be better, kinder, nicer, and re-connect with people who we previously hadn’t had time for and if we help each other we will come out the other side and we will be alright.

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Russell Hubbard - At the moment we have no Coronavirus anywhere in the NPA or Torres Strait. We just need to be aware of what we can and can’t do, and do the right thing.

Q6 - What tips would you like to share with bowlers to help them get through this current period of time?

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Chloe Stewart - I think it’s important to see this time as a great opportunity to finally do those things that we have all put off in the past. Whether it be those odd jobs around the house, reconnecting with old friends, learning new skills that will help you in the future or working on your fitness.

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Peter Tyler - A glass or two of good quality chardonnay.

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Jane Bush - Keep fit and work on your mental game. I have read a book I’ve had for ages by John Snell and found the part about grips really interesting. As you all know I have the claw grip (it’s a crown thing). I’ve gone back and sorted out my badges and medals (I usually throw them into a box). I now have them in order and I am going to try to come up with a way of possibly displaying them or looking after them better. I’ve updated my bowls resume. Gosh, it was a mess. It’s good to keep it updated as the old memory fades!

14 queensland bowler May 2020

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Peter Rookas - Maintain a routine. Naturally, it’s going to be a lot different to the normal routine, but have a program for the day and stick to it. See it out. Also, make sure you exercise as much as you can. See the light at the end of the tunnel. It is there and we have to keep focusing on the positive. Call your bowls mates. Make sure they’re OK. Just make a couple of calls a day and take time to have a yarn and listen to what they’ve got to say, for the IT savvy you can even Facetime a friend.

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Trish Spicer - My tips to get through this is to try to do something different every day inside or outside. Even walking the dogs to the beach a different way changes things, it changes your perspective. Exercise differently, cook something unusual, read something new. Just find something you enjoy doing and do it.

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Russell Hubbard - Keep in touch with each other, be aware that some may be doing it a bit tough at the moment and you should reach out to them. As a club we need to have our members’ backs. Everyone can make a difference, just listening can help a lot or a simple ‘how are you doing, do you need anything?’ can be very important during times like this.

Q7 - What are you looking forward to doing with all of this extra free time?

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Chloe Stewart - I have heard so much about the TV show ‘Tiger King’ recently, so that will be the next show on my list to binge-watch. I can highly recommend, ‘The Test’, which is a documentary about the Australian Cricket Team post sandpaper saga. That one is on Amazon Prime Video if anyone is keen to watch it!

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Peter Tyler - Reading and sorting through all my fishing gear and hopefully wetting a line if the opportunity arises.

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Jane Bush - I’m not really looking forward to the extra free time. I hope it passes quickly and we all stay safe. I will have a look at my Goals for this year with what time is left and see if any are still achievable and make new ones.

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Peter Rookas - I don’t know about “looking forward to”? But I will complete all of those jobs the wife has been hounding me to do. I want to exercise more and maybe drop off a few kilos with better eating habits.

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Trish Spicer - My main aim is to achieve a major work over of the garden.

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Russell Hubbard - At clubs, there is always something to do and although we can’t have large working bees, we’ll continue to mow the grass and clean up around the club as best we can with a couple of volunteers at a time.

Russell Hubbard

May 2020 queensland bowler 15

Q8 – Do you have anything else you’d like to say?

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Chloe Stewart - Let’s do everything we can to make the most out of this unusual time. Stay safe everyone and I look forward to hitting the bowling green soon.

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Peter Tyler - This COVID-19 virus is very serious and could have drastic financial consequences for clubs who have not invested in sound financial management. We will all need to pull together to get through this.

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Jane Bush - While the bowls clubs are closed have a think about the older people (and some young) who used to go daily to the club just for the company. Try to get in touch and check on them. A call could make all the difference in the world.

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Peter Rookas - We’re all in this together so knuckle down, do the right thing and we’ll be back on the green before you know it! It’ll be a different world we enter when the pandemic eases and we may have to do things differently, accept that there WILL BE CHANGE and go with it.

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Trish Spicer - Stay positive, be kind, think of others and there will be bowls again one day. A lot of bowlers are in the high-risk age group and we need to look after each other where/if possible. We all now realise that there is a life apart from bowls and we all should be grateful and appreciate what we do have. The bowls community is pretty special and if you need help or a hand with anything don’t be afraid to ask - there will always be someone willing and able.

•

Russell Hubbard - Stay safe and look after your families. Keep in touch with friends and family, stay true to your beliefs and never ever follow false hope. Believe we can get through this and we will.

“Call your bowls mates.

Make sure they’re OK. Just a couple of calls a day and take time to have a yarn and listen to what they’ve got to say.”

16 queensland bowler May 2020

BQ WEBCASTS Bowls Queensland CEO Brett Wilkie, in conjunction with Gold Coast-Tweed District President Brian Marshall, produced two webcasts to keep bowlers and clubs updated during the Coronavirus pandemic. We have outlined key questions answered in the webcast below:

a training run and Queensland was going to supply a team to play against them, but this has now been cancelled. The ANZAC Test Series is also postponed until later in the year, although we are yet to announce the date. As this is an evolving situation, we recommend bowlers keep an eye on Bowls Queensland’s Facebook page and website for further updates on events.

Q - As far as bowling greens are concerned, should we be doing our renovations during the time the clubs are shut?

Q - What can clubs do to cut costs and reduce overheads while they are closed?

•

•

BM - Get in contact with your club’s sales reps to see what they can do, I know for instance that the Castlemain Perkins brewery is taking back the XXXX kegs which will be out of date at the end of April, and they’re giving clubs credit for the keg which can be used at a later date.

•

BW - Clubs should be contacting all of the reps they use regularly like the breweries, councils and insurance companies to find out what they can do to reduce the financial burden. BCiB has said a number of clubs have reduced their money and stock cover as there is no longer money kept on the premises and very little stock in the clubs at the moment, so they can save money that way.

It is important clubs get in contact with people they deal with regularly to find out how they can save themselves extra money.

BM - It wouldn’t be advisable to do it going into winter, most of the clubs have already completed their renovation process to get their surfaces ready for winter. Even though there’s no one using the greens at the moment, it’s not a good time to take the top off of the green going into the winter months, it would be better to wait till the warm months. However, there’s always plenty of other things people can do to improve the club instead.

Q - Can we go to the club and help out with work that needs to be done?

•

BW - People can go to the club to help out fixing the green or the clubhouse, or doing administrative tasks to keep the club going. However, everyone should beware of and implement social distancing and if a person is at a higher risk of being seriously affected by the illness then they should listen to the medical advice and stay at home.

Q - What grants can clubs access at the moment to help support themselves?

•

BW - There are grants at both the state and federal level, people can check out the BQ and BA websites for the latest information. The grants are changing constantly so it’s important to keep up-to-date on what is happening and try to act on them as quickly as possible as some are only open for a limited amount of time. We encourage clubs as well to get in contact with their local councils to find out what is available in terms of support.

Q - What’s happening with the state events?

•

BW - All four of the NSW vs QLD Test Series (U18s, U25s, Open and the new 40 to 59 age group series) planned for this year have been cancelled. We have also decided to postpone the District Sides until next year. We also had Hong Kong originally coming out to the Gold Coast to do

Q - What can we do to help our fellow bowlers?

•

BM - It’s important that we keep interacting with our fellow bowlers at a time when a lot of our members, especially those who are older or who live on their own, may feel isolated. There’s a lot of spouses out there who have lost a partner and use the bowling club as their form of social contact every week. It’s important to stay in contact with them and when the time is eventually right, we will get back out there and enjoy the game we love together again. I’ve already had a few phone conversations with people who are a bit down at the moment, if you can, it would be good to drop some food at their door or maybe even go and have a talk with them from a distance. We need to help as many of our comrades as possible, as there are many out there doing it a bit tough at the moment.

Visit BQ’s Facebook page to watch the webcasts: facebook/bowlsqld

May 2020 queensland bowler 17

15 WayS to get your bowls fix!

The Coronavirus will continue to keep our lives on hold until at least June, this will force most of us to stay home, but we can still go some way towards getting our lawn bowls fix.

We’ve put together a list of 15 things to do to help scratch that bowls itch for the time we’re away from the greens.

1. Roll up virtually - Available on both iPhone and Android operating systems, ‘Virtual Lawn Bowls’ is a free to play video game for your mobile phone. The game allows you to play against a simulated opponent or online against real-life opponents if you think you have the skills to win.

2. Watch bowls films - Mick Molloy’s hit 2002 comedy ‘Crackerjack’ is still good for a few laughs if you’re looking for something to watch. The 2003 film ‘Blackball’ is another bowls based comedy film and stars Paul Kaye, Johnny Vegas and Vince Vaughn, it was never going to receive an Oscar nomination, but if you’re after some cheap laughs it is worth a watch.

3. Come up with some bowls jokes - Why not think of a few bowls based side splitters to share on social media!

4. Watch match replays and highlights - YouTube is a good source for full-length games, Bowls Australia’s website is another place for highlights and matches and is well worth visiting if you are on the hunt for bowls content.

5. Keep engaged on social media - Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are all great to check out how other players are passing the time and keeping fit.

6. Read bowls books - Some great reads are Ian Schuback’s ‘Bowls: Biased + Uncensored’, Barry Salter & John Bliss’s ‘The A to Zen of Lawn Bowls’ and Rolled Gold: The Kelvin Kerkow Story.

7. Create some bowls poetry - Why not try your hand at some witty bowls based poetry to entertain your mates.

8. Listen to some bowls podcasts - There are a couple of great podcasts to listen too, Big Jimmy Anderson’s podcast has had many guests including Rob Parella, Kelsey Cottrell and Shannon Mcilroy and is well worth a

18 queensland bowler May 2020

listen. BA’s Without Bias radio program is available on the Bowls Australia website and has interviewed some of the best bowlers in the country, they share some insights into the sport as well as some fun anecdotes.

9. Watch the bowls show - SBS’s ‘The Bowls Show’ regularly features some of the biggest names in the sport. With regular segments on coaching, development, officiating, high performance, and social bowls all incorporated in the program, it is a must-watch for bowls fanatics.

10. Create your fantasy team - Who would you pick for your ultimate fours team? Draft your fantasy team and compare it to your friends to see who would come out on top in an imaginary bout.

11. Experiment with trick shots - Take part in Bowls Australia’s Trick Shot Challenge, there have been some great shots sent in already, see if you have the creativity and skill to devise the ultimate trick shot! Check out some of the great entries already submitted on BA’s Facebook page.

12. Study the game - Study the laws of the game to become an expert, while we all would like to think we are already experts, brushing up on our knowledge of the game can never hurt.

13. Transform your garden into a green - If you have the space available, you could turn your garden into your own private top tier green.

14. Organise your medals - Do you have trophies and medals lying about in an old box somewhere? Why not rearrange your awards in a trophy cabinet so you can proudly display your achievements!

15. Support your local bowls business - Have you been thinking about getting a new bowls bag, some new shows or getting your bowls tested? Now is the time to do it!

Small businesses will be doing it tough with reduced trade due to the bowls clubs being closed, support your local bowls business and take advantage of some of the great online deals.

JACKAROOS RETAINED FOR 2021 WORLD BOWLS CHAMPIONSHIPS

By Bowls Australia

Bowls Australia (BA) selectors have today confirmed the 10-strong contingent originally selected to represent Australia at this year’s postponed World Bowls Championships will remain the same when the event is staged in 2021.

As a result of the evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic, the World Bowls Championships, which were set to be staged on the Gold Coast, Queensland, from May 26 to June 7, have been moved to May 25 to June 6, 2021.

Additionally, Genevieve Delves and Robert Briglia will also represent Australia (as planned) at the 2021 World Indoor Bowls Championships. The 2020 event, due to be staged this month, has also been postponed.

BCiB Australian Jackaroos Women: Kelsey Cottrell (St Johns Park, NSW) Lynsey Clarke (Club Helensvale, QLD) Ellen Ryan (Cabramatta, NSW) Natasha Scott (Raymond Terrace, NSW) Rebecca Van Asch Invermay, TAS) Singles: Kelsey Cottrell Pairs: Lynsey Clarke, Kelsey Cottrell Triples: Ellen Ryan, Natasha Scott, Rebecca Van Asch Fours: Ellen Ryan, Lynsey Clarke, Rebecca Van Asch, Natasha Scott Men: Aaron Wilson (Cabramatta, NSW) Corey Wedlock (Warilla, NSW) Barrie Lester (Burleigh Heads, QLD) Aaron Teys (Warilla, NSW) Aron Sherriff (Club Helensvale, QLD) Singles: Aaron Wilson Pairs: Corey Wedlock, Aaron Wilson Triples: Barrie Lester, Aaron Teys, Aron Sherriff

Barrie Lester (Burleigh Heads)

Fours: Barrie Lester, Aaron Teys, Corey Wedlock, Aron Sherriff

May 2020 queensland bowler 19

HOW WILL YOU HELP YOUR CLUB GET RUNNING AGAIN? Nearly every club will need some form of assistance in getting back up and running again after the state ends the mandatory lockdown, so we’ve outlined a couple of ways you can help get people into your club so it can start making money again.

Create a Facebook page If your club does not have a club Facebook page, you should create one as it can be one of the best marketing assets for the club and requires no financial investment.

If you already have a club Facebook page, you should ensure it is regularly updated as it can be used as a great tool to keep current members not only informed but engaged with the club which helps promote a healthy club community and this ultimately helps maintain a club’s membership base.

A good social media strategy can have a positive effect on sales as it increases the overall exposure of your club, and it can help you promote your club’s deals and services to a far wider audience.

Because social media is such an efficient way of connecting with people, you can use social media to conduct marketing research.

You can conduct surveys or polls which will enable you to find out what service or deal you should be offering next.

Take a look at what the bigger and more established clubs are doing on social media as this can be helpful when you plan your own strategy.

Create a marketing plan Clubs need to use marketing techniques to attract new members and to engage in ongoing communication with them to ensure they are receiving the services they expect.

With entertainment and unstructured sports gaining popularity at the expense of traditional participation in sports, clubs have had to adapt and become far more proactive in promoting to the next group of members.

Through the development of a marketing plan, a club can segment the market into different groups based on demographics and identify a target market of people they want to attract. An effective marketing campaign can then be created that speaks to the needs of the target group.

Although marketing can be perceived to be expensive with no guarantee of an immediate return in revenue, it is important in the modern day, just as in all business, that clubs set aside some money specifically for marketing.

Targeted marketing and communication can attract new members and retain existing members at your club.

The more people who know about your club, the more opportunities that might come your club’s way. Effective

20 queensland bowler April 2020

communication means both doing more with less, but also ensuring your messages are being seen and heard by the appropriate audiences.

There are a number of ways to deliver these messages, including the club website, event presentations, meetings, noticeboards, newsletters, emails, SMS, media releases, local and community newspapers and radio, flyers (see example alongside) YouTube, Facebook and other community forums.

The key is for communication to be regular, and not just interacting with your members. Engage with prospective members by ensuring your local community is aware of your club and its activities.

Another important consideration is for the club to meet the needs of all their customers (WHO = members, guests and visitors) by understanding WHAT people want to know about, and the WHEN and HOW they want to receive that information.

This is particularly important when needing to deliver messages to customers about events, competitions, facilities or club announcements.

Planning an open day Take some time to start planning your club’s open day. Here are some suggestions: • • •

U E YO HAV T YET? DI TRIE

November is Mapleton Bowls Club’s

COME & TRY MONTH

GET IN THE GAME WITH BOWLS QLD

MAPLETON BOWLS CLUB Wednesday 15th November 2017 5pm Phone: Mapleton Bowls Club (07) 5445 7479 Web: www.bowlsqld.org

#whatareyouwaitingfor #agameforeveryone #wishifounditearlier #getinthegame Start organising and planning for your club’s open day ahead of time.

While you will not be able to set a date just yet, you can still plan out how the day will proceed and you can work out what kind of budget you want to set aside for the day.

Important points to remember •

Encourage your own club members to bring their family, friends or work colleagues down. This will guarantee you participants on the day.

•

Ensure you do not run your open day for too long. This will give you a better chance to gain more volunteers as they won’t be giving up their whole day. a suitable time during the week could be from 4pm- 7pm or a Sunday could be 11am- 2pm.

•

Everyone in attendance is to sign the function sheet. This is how we can communicate to the participants to get them back to the club. Also this can be used for feedback to gather ideas on what we did well and other areas we can improve on.

•

Encourage members to bring their own coloured bowls down for participants to use instead of the 50-year-old sets. This will make it more appealing for the players and at the same time easier to handle the bowls.

•

Make sure all participants don’t go home empty handed. Develop a club brochure to take home.

Other ideas to get them back could include 5% off their next meal at the club, free barefoot bowls, a free drink when next at the club or half-price social membership.

April 2020 queensland bowler 21

Create some eye catching designs for future events Here are two factors to consider when designing a flyer: Flyers are not just placed on your club’s noticeboard, they are often circulated by email and social media, your flyer will be seen on a variety of screen sizes from computers right down to smartphones, so make sure the information is big, bold, easily read and suitable for a small screen.

What should go on the flyer: •

Where is it - This needs to be easy to read, and should include an address. The address is necessary because there may be another club with the same name.

•

When is it - Best to have all the information here, day, date and year just to be sure.

•

The prize pool - Whether it is cash prizes or you are giving seafood trays or hams you need to promote this.

•

Entry fee

•

How to enter - Can we enter online, is an email sufficient, do you want payment up front and who should we call to enter? It may not be your club we have to contact, it could be your games director, secretary or tournament organiser who is taking via their mobile phones.

•

Club contact details - Your club phone number should be on your flyer.

•

Flyer entry section - Consider whether this is necessary. It could force the rest of the flyer to be too crowded and as most people will see the flyer on a smartphone they are more likely to just call to register instead of printing and posting it in any way.

•

Once you have designed your flyer test it to ensure it is compatible with varied devices before release.

Advertising Online: The cheapest and most effective form of advertising is through targeted paid Facebook advertisements, you can

target potentially thousands of people in the local area around your club which will help raise awareness of your event over the space of a week for less than $100.

You can also encourage current members of the club to share the ad on their personal Facebook page for free to help increase the reach of your advert, as well as posting on the club’s own page and on local community group pages.

Word of mouth and letter drops: Another great way to advertise is through word of mouth, members can invite family members and friends to the event to help boost numbers Letter drops around the neighbourhood and canvassing in high traffic areas also help promote the event, when selling the event its important to let them know there will be free food, music and a relaxed atmosphere (as well as beverages available at your club’s bar if your club has one).

TV/Radio stations and Newspapers: Try and see if you can get a small shout out for free on local media outlets about your day, it’s also a good idea to invite them along to the event as they may come down to cover it as a news story which will help provide the club with extra press and exposure. Get to know the right contact person for your local community newspaper and radio station. Any story you can get about your club is free advertising! You may find the more metropolitan news outlets will be less interested in covering your event, but if you can’t sell the story to them as “local club rallying for community support at a time when many clubs are closing” you may find them to be more receptive.

The more compelling and newsworthy your story is the more likely they are to cover the event, phrasing it simply as a “intro to bowls day” will probably result in the outlet not wanting to cover it.

We hope that this has provided some ideas for you to help get your club back on track when the time arises.

22 queensland bowler May 2020

WA’s BELMONT ENSUREs CONNECTION DURING ISOLATION

By Clive Adams – Regional Bowls Manager (WA – North/East)

In these difficult times, clubs are searching for ways to engage their members, keep them involved and, most importantly, make sure that when the current restrictions are lifted, all members are well-equipped to return to our great sport.

Some clubs are very active on social media, keeping members informed of the current situation, or simply entertaining them with some fun posts. Belmont City Bowling Club (Perth, WA) has taken a more traditional approach to communication.

President, Brad Wicks, has been personally calling each and every single member on a weekly basis, simply to check-in and have a chat. Club Secretary, Bob Tait, said it has been a heart-warming exercise in such distressing times.

“It has really been fantastic for everyone involved,” he said.

“Brad is not only President but also our Greenkeeper. In his shed, he has a list of all our members and their contact details, and is calling up to 15 people a day, just to have a chat, check-in, and generally attempt to brighten their day.”

Tait also stressed the importance of this form of communication to those who were already doing it tough prior to the current circumstances, helping to make them feel connected at a time of isolation.

“We know that many of our members are single, widowed, or simply live alone, and if not for this form of communication, some would feel very isolated at home with little engagement with the outside world,” he said.

“Unfortunately, many are not tech-savvy, so the use of Zoom, Skype or even social media platforms are just out of their reach.

“I recently bumped into a couple of our older female members who have both been members of our club for over 20 years but have also lost their husbands. They were thrilled to have received just a simple phone call checking in to see how they are going.”

Clubs play a special role in our members’ lives and while, at the moment, we may not be able to see each other face-to-face, the time taken to touch base and give our members that feeling of belonging is vital. Other clubs have organised meetings via Zoom and Skype etc. to keep their members informed and engaged. Of course, not everyone will be familiar with these services or even have access to them, but everyone has access to some form of communication that fits their technological understanding.

If you’d like some help getting your head around the communicative services available, get in touch with your local Regional Bowls Manager and they can arrange a time to take you through it.

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May 2020 queensland bowler 23

GETTING TO KNOW BQ - INTRODUCING ALAN THORP In last month’s issue, we learned more about BQ’s Match Committee Coordinator Ron Somerville, in this issue we’re shining a bit more light on Alan Thorp who has been Bowls Queensland’s Coaching Committee Coordinator since 2014.

Alan Thorp, or ‘Thorpy’, as he is known to many, fell in love with the sport after he retired from the Army in the mid’90s, originally from Tasmania, Thorpy’s Army career spanned more than 40 years.

He originally joined the Army Medical Corps at the age of 18, he then served as a medic in Vietnam and later became a medic in the aviation regiment before he was retrained as a radiographer for the army and promoted to the rank of captain. Thorpy says his fondness for the sport comes from the camaraderie he enjoys with fellow bowlers and the fact that it is something he can play both socially and competitively.

As the coaching coordinator, Thorpy’s responsibilities include answering questions from around the state about coaching, organising coaching courses as well as speaking with districts to ensure all districts have adequate coaches who are adhering to the latest coaching protocols.

“We make sure we speak with districts to ensure our coaches stay up-to-date on the latest sports methodology to ensure we’re complying with the Bowls Australia and World Bowls standards,” Thorpy said.

“We also write a coaching column for the Bowler every month as well, so we can share the latest techniques and help inform the wider bowls community.”

To stay current on his knowledge base Thorpy dedicates a lot of time to reading sports psychology and medical textbooks, despite all of the hard work Thorpy puts into his role as a volunteer, he says he has no plans to give up the role anytime soon.

“I really enjoyed being a coach for a lot of different sports teams while I was in the army, I really enjoy teaching people and helping them achieve their goals,” he says.

24 queensland bowler May 2020

State Multi-Disability Team

Coach of the Year 2019 winner, Alan Thorp

Thorpy’s main passion when it comes to coaching is the work he does with the multi-disability teams.“When working with multi-disability teams I’ve always said to people ‘to me you aren’t disabled, you’re just a bowler with a disability’ because everyone is different in some way anyway,” he says.

“When it comes to coaching you have to treat everyone as an individual because we all have our own strengths and weaknesses. I really enjoy coaching the multi-dis teams and watching them achieve the goals we set out together.”

Thorpy encourages others to put their hands up for any volunteer roles that come up across the sport from club to national level.

“If you are lucky enough to be fit and healthy, then you should give something back to the sport,” he says.

Outside of his coaching work, Thorpy spends a lot of his time as an independent advocate for veterans who he helps with their claims and paperwork with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, a role which he has been doing since 1989.

Mackay District Coaching for players and emerging talent (Thorpy far left) May 2020 queensland bowler 25

Don’t forget to notify director and committee member resignations

By Matt Bradford Recent amendments to the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (Corporations Act) targeted at improving the accountability of company directors affirm the importance of immediately notifying the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) of a director’s resignation. While these changes are most relevant to Clubs established as companies limited by guarantee under the Corporations Act, it is also a timely opportunity to take a look at the proper processes for officeholder resignations – a topic which is also relevant to Clubs established under the Associations Incorporation Act 1981 (Qld) (AI Act) and regulated by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).

Resignations under the Corporations Act Changes introduced to the Corporations Act will impact when a director’s resignation takes effect. If ASIC is notified of a director’s resignation after the prescribed 28-day period from when the director actually resigned, the resignation will take effect when ASIC is actually notified, rather than the date the outgoing director provided a letter of resignation to the company. This will be the case even if the director’s resignation was otherwise legitimate and made in accordance with your club’s constitution.

In the event of a late notification, the relevant director or the company may apply to ASIC or the Court for it to fix the effective date of the director’s resignation as the day that the director actually resigned from the company, rather than the date that ASIC was actually notified of the director’s resignation.

Resignations under the AI Act The position for incorporated associations covered by the AI Act is slightly different. Similar to the Corporations Act, the secretary and members of the management committee of a club established under the AI Act may only retire from office where permitted to do so by the constitution or rules of your club.

If the positions of president, secretary or treasurer become vacant such as because of a resignation, you will need to: 1.

2.

appoint a new officer to the role, in accordance with your club rules/ constitution.

Usually appointments will be made by the management committee appointing someone to fill the casual vacancy until the next Annual General Meeting; and advise OFT within one month of the position becoming vacant.

Unlike companies formed under the Corporations Act, provided that the resignation is in accordance with the constitution or rules of the club, then the resignation will still take effect from the time the outgoing officeholder provided a letter of resignation. The consequences of failing to report a resignation to the OFT therefore fall primarily on the club itself, not the outgoing officeholder.

Notifications to the OLGR In addition to notifying ASIC or the OFT of a resignation or change of officeholder as above, clubs who hold gaming licences should also give separate notice to OLGR when delivering your annual audit reports, listing all management changes that occurred during the period to which the report relates. This requirement applies regardless of whether your club was formed under the Corporations Act or the AI Act. What should you do?

Whether established under the Corporations Act or the AI Act, clubs should ensure they have reliable processes and systems in place to ensure ASIC or the OFT are immediately notified of relevant changes including the resignation of directors and other officeholders. Typically this will be managed by the club secretary however some organisations often outsource this secretarial function to their accountants or lawyers.

If your club is regulated under the Corporations Act and if ASIC is not notified of a director’s resignation within 28 days of the date the outgoing director provided a letter of resignation to the company,

the director’s resignation will not take effect until the date that ASIC is actually notified. This could expose former directors to personal liability associated with claims against the Board in relation to matters arising after the date of their actual resignation.

Also, whether your club is regulated under the Corporations Act or the AI Act, officeholders may only validly resign if they are permitted to do so by the constitution or rules of your club. If an officeholder attempts to resign but fails to do in accordance with the club constitution or rules then once again, that person may be exposed to personal liability associated with claims against the board or management committee in relation to matters arising after their purported resignation.

In summary, this means that directors or members of your club’s management committee should: 1.

ensure that they follow the processes set out in your club rules or constitution if resigning from office;

2.

for those who are directors of a company limited by guarantee established under the Corporations Act - take a proactive approach to ensure that ASIC is immediately notified of their resignation and in any event, no later than 28 days from their actual resignation;

3.

for those who are president, secretary or treasurer of an incorporated association, ensure that your club notifies OFT within one month of your resignation; and

4.

if your club holds a gaming licence - notify OLGR of changes to your management when delivering your annual audit reports as above.

Contact us

If you would like to discuss the implications of an officeholder’s resignation from your club, or if you require general and ongoing secretarial support for your company or incorporated association, please contact me on 07 3224 0353.

Umpire with Joan Brotherton Time for a refresher - get out your Law Book!

During this challenging time I trust that you are all well and following all the recommendations and measures to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus, as we work together to help keep our communities safe.

As all bowling clubs and events have been either cancelled or postponed, I know many of you will be spending many hours at home and I thought - what could I write this month to give you something to do? So, I have come up with an idea that will give you the opportunity to use your Law Book.

The following questions set out various situations that may occur during a game. I hope that you will check your Law Book and note the law numbers - you will be able to check if you are correct as the answers and correct law numbers will follow at the end.

QUESTION 1: Define what is meant by the terms:(a) Bowl in motion (b) Bowl in course (c) Jack high ANSWER (a) A bowl which is moving during play after it has been at rest as part of the head. (Law C.16) (b) A bowl from its delivery until it comes to rest, no matter how many times (for a bowl) it comes into contact with the jack or other bowls before it comes to rest or becomes dead. (Law C.15) (c) Means that the nearest part of a bowl is in line with and at the same distance from the mat line as the nearest part of the jack. (Law C.26) QUESTION 2: The lead of team A rolls the jack in to the ditch.

The jack is returned to the lead of team B who moves the position of the mat. Lead A objects saying the mat cannot be moved. Who is correct?

ANSWER Lead B. If a player A improperly delivers the jack, the opposing player B must place the mat as described in Law 6.1.1 and re-deliver the jack, making sure that it is centred, but the opposing player B must not play first.

(Law 10.2 and Law 6.1.1) QUESTION 3: In a singles match the jack is rolled and appeared likely to enter the front ditch had it not hit the foot of the marker. The opponent claims the right to roll the jack.

Is the opponent correct?

for the umpire. On measuring the umpire finds that the bowl is 14.1m away from the mat line. What is the position?

ANSWER The bowl is a live bowl as it is not less than 14m from the mat line. (Law 17.1.3) After completing its original course or after being moved as a result of play, it comes to rest at a distance of less than 14m, as measured in a straight line, from the centre of the mat line to the nearest point of the bowl it would have been a dead bowl, however it was 14.1m.

QUESTION 5: The jack is right against the boundary. The last bowl of the end comes to rest on its rink very close to the jack.

Before the thirds start to measure the bowl falls and pushes the jack over the boundary line One third wishes to replace the bowl and jack whilst the opposition calls the end dead.

Umpire is called for a decision.

ANSWER If a bowl falls on its own accord, it must be left in its new position, however the jack is now dead therefore the end is dead and Law 20 will apply as the jack past completely outside a side boundary of the rink of play. If the jack is dead, the end is a dead end and Law 20 will apply.

However, Controlling Bodies can decide not to have the end declared dead. Instead, they can decide to have the jack re-spotted in line with Law 56.5. (Laws 19.1.2; 20 and 19.4) QUESTION 6: A player on rink 3 continually moves into the adjoining rink 4 to watch her bowl after delivering it disrupting and delaying play on rink 4. A player from the adjoining rink called the umpire. What would be the decision?

ANSWER The umpire advised that Law 12.2.1 states that a player must not go into a neighboring rink where play is in progress. If a player does not meet the terms of this Law – Law 13 will apply. (Law 12.2.1 and Law 13) I hope you got all the answers correct and it enabled you to spend time looking up your Law Book. My thoughts are with you all – keep safe and look forward to when we can all meet up again on the bowling greens for social and competitive bowls.

ANSWER No. Displacement of a jack in its original course: If a jack in its original course is displaced by a neutral person or neutral object, it must be re-delivered by the same player.

(Law 38.3.1) Neutral person: a person who is not a player on the rink of play. This includes the marker and the umpire. (Law C.23) QUESTION 4: A player in team A is called on to put in a short blocker. Skip B believes that the bowl is too short and calls

Time to get out your Laws of the Sport of Bowls Book

May 2020 queensland bowler 27

Mindfulness

THE FINAL CHAPTER

By Alan Thorp

Prior to penning this article, the April edition of the bowler invited those Bowlers interested in this topic to familiarise themselves with the two previous articles published in July and September 2019. To assist with assimilation, let’s just recap the meaning of mindfulness.

The simple understanding is: Mindfulness means to deliberately pay attention to whatever you are doing, right now.

With this in mind, we can now appreciate how this can be incorporated into our wonderful game of bowls.

For instance, if we were to look at a performance pie we are best suited by dividing the pie into three equal portions where 33 per cent represents each portion. I then allocate the following to each portion: a. physical/conditioning b. psychological/mental aspects c. technical/skills.

Therefore, when coaching I emphasize that to be performing at the optimum level then a high percentage of all portions must be obtained.

As a player on any given day your technical, physical and fitness may be very high, however, if the psychological/mental aspects associated with the game are well below par, then you will more than likely be defeated. So keep in mind that all portions of the performance pie must be at a high level for you as a player to produce the optimum performance on any given day.

There are a great range of mindfulness activities you can practise to develop mindfulness, and see how you might adapt or refine the techniques to suit your situation. A good way to practise mindfulness in a safe environment is to use it in everyday activities. For example, an activity such as cleaning your teeth or brushing/ combing your hair first thing in the morning is ideal.

No doubt many readers would have already experienced mindfulness activities either with a sports psychologist or as a member of a high performance training program. One of the most common activities is the Body Scan. However it’s a bit long for this edition but I may cover it in a future article. So for now let’s choose a simple everyday activity to get us started. Remember the key to mindfulness is to turn off the busy, distracting chatter going on in our brains so that we can focus on being in the present.

So let’s go!

28 queensland bowler May 2020

Dotty

Gibby

Ecka

Thorpy

Mindfulness the final chapter continued PRACTISING MINDFULNESS WHILE COMBING OR BRUSHING YOUR HAIR Remember if your attention starts to wander, remind yourself of the activity at hand.

•

Stand in front of a mirror, take a deep breath and say to yourself “relax” as you exhale.

•

pick up the brush or comb. As you grasp the handle, start to pay attention to how it feels in your hand. Is it cold, soft, hard, warm, textured or slippery?

•

Run the brush or comb under the tap. As you turn on the tap, notice how the tap feels on your hand and fingers. Is the tap warm, cold, slippery, sticky shiny or dull.

•

As the water starts to run into the basin look at it for a moment. What does it look like? Is it a steady stream? Is it dripping or rushing out, or is it simply gurgling straight down the sink?

•

Place your brush or comb under the water and notice how your hand feels as the water flows over the comb or brush. Is the water warm, cold or hot? Is your hand wet? What sound is the running water making?

•

Run your fingers over your brush or comb, are the bristles of your brush or the teeth of your comb hard and stiff or soft and flexible?

•

Now notice how it feels as you brush or comb your hair. Is there a tingling sensation as you move the comb or brush through your hair? Is the movement easy or difficult and ask yourself, “am I getting the desired shape?”.

•

Run your fingers through your hair and notice how it feels. Does it feel different to the brush or comb?

•

Now again pay attention to your brush or comb, rinse and put it away.

•

Look at yourself in the mirror, take a deep breath, relax and enjoy the feeling that comes from a brain that has just been absorbed in a mindful activity.

Congratulations! You have successfully completed a simple activity in the practice of mindfulness.

As previously mentioned, there are numerous activities that you can practise. To successfully incorporate the neuroscience of mindfulness in your training and then transfer it into a game situation, you will have to practise, practise and practise more for it to be a powerful tool in your bowling arsenal.

ECKA’S TIP If it’s predicted to rain and you are playing on grass, practise long ends to gain confidence delivering the bowl further.

If it is predicted to be a hot and sunny day and you’re playing on a synthetic surface, expect the surface to expand and run slower than usual over the course of the day.

May 2020 queensland bowler 29

COVID-19 Before, during and after

By Micheal Sorrensen

Learning never stops, from this many lessons will be learned, both success and failure will come from these learnings.

In the lead up to the forced closure of our clubs steps should have been taken to minimize losses. Clubs with professional management will have already had these procedures in done and in place, but for our smaller volunteer based clubs, here are some ideas.

Before •

Beer lines emptied and cleaned (if not done, you should do ASAP).

•

Arranged return of unused kegs to breweries or suppliers (if not done I would suggest you enquire as to whether this option is still available).

•

Do a complete inventory count, checking use by dates on stock (if you have stock with short date codes, I suggest you put a feeler out to members and try to sell as much of this stock as you can to minimize wastage).

•

With the licensing laws at the moment you can sell this stock, both perishable and alcohol as take away only, if you have a bistro you may also sell take away meals.

•

Empty and leave gaming machine doors open.

•

Do not keep any excess money on premises (this may also assist in lowering insurance premiums, for the short term).

It is important that members and boards/committees stay in constant contact with each other, continual updates should be published on the happenings at all levels. There is a constant stream of information being published daily and circulated from the government and health organsations. These updates can be found on the Bowls Australia, Bowls Queensland and Clubs Queensland websites.

During •

Most important is to keep contact with your fellow members (appointing someone/committee to do a ring around to check on the wellbeing of members during this isolation period. Particularly the elderly and members living alone).

•

Boards must keep in constant and continual contact. There are many free audio and video aids available to do this. Microsoft Team, Go to Meeting and Zoom are just a couple that can be used with a compatible phone or computer.

30 queensland bowler May 2020

Lesley

•

Monitoring the updates provided and understanding what is available to your clubs. For example stimulus packages e.g. Payroll Tax Relief, Jobkeeper for staff and contractors alike, discount for power to keep gaming machines online.

•

Take the time to do all those little jobs that you have been putting off for when you get time. These jobs might include maintenance, updating or creating contact data bases, checking your compliancy update or producing a strategic plan.

•

Planning for the celebratory relaunch of your club, post COVID-19. The opportunity to reach out to your local community should not be missed, bowls should be secondary to creating a bond with your local communities. Asking for their support and offering them a safe and friendly venue for them and their families to attend.

•

Possible non bowling activities I would recommend, are jumping castles, face painting and a balloon artist for the kids. Live music where permissible or inhouse music if not. A magician or petting zoo could also be an option, you want something to entice the families in.

•

Giving the local Lions or Apex clubs the opportunity to raise money for their clubs by offering them the opportunity to use their food vans (providing food only) during this or these type of events. This will bring a different type of clientele and take the pressure off your clubs to provide food.

•

Using your social media outlets to communicate this within the community, online outlets such as Facebook and websites, if you don’t have either of these, now is the time to develop one.

RBM - NORTH QLD

Lesley Bates 0429 213 207 lbates@bowls.com.au

Wade

Micheal

Now comes the unknown, what is going to happen post COVID-19? How many clubs are we going to lose, how many members will we lose? Hopefully none If all of our clubs are staying proactive during this time.

However, this would be a pipe dream and an unrealistic expectation. It is important that the bowls community stick together, this phrase is overused but we will get through this.

After •

Maintain and update what’s on in your club, both at the club and on your social media platforms.

•

Maintain achieving your goals, set out in your strategic plans.

BA says there is a possibility of returning to the green, with strict restrictions. I suggest that clubs utilize their greens. This could be achieved by having four or five play sessions of 1.5 hrs each using the Jack Attack program style of play. Advertise the play times on your Facebook page, website and have members ring and book a playing time that suits them, similar to golf tee times. Refer to: Bowls Australia’s COVID-19 Advice No.2, 27/04/2020.

If this works I think this could be a way for the future of our sport.

Hopefully, this will provide some help and ideas for learning from this pandemic. We are all learning from the problems being created by this unusual event. I don’t have all the answers and don’t pretend to.

I wish you good health and hopefully a quick return to bowls as normal. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me or your RBM.

RBM - CENTRAL QLD

Wade Mutzelburg 0429 442 818 wmutzelburg@bowls.com.au

RBM - SOUTH EAST QLD

Micheal Sorrensen 0447 507 040 msorrensen@bowls.com.au

May 2020 queensland bowler 31

This month in history With the Coronavirus putting a halt to all events we would normally cover, we’ve taken a look at the archives to find out what was reported on in the month of May in years gone by.

This month 40 years ago Menice Murray becomes a new name in women’s bowls: The QLBA’s Golden Jubilee Classic saw Kingaroy’s Menice Murray establish herself as a major player in the Queensland bowls scene following a scintillating run in the competition.

Menice finished the round-robin series with a total of five straight wins.

All-weather synthetic greens scrutinised: There was conjecture among bowlers about just how popular synthetic surfaces would be in Queensland, the article dives into the latest synthetic green technology at the time and questions just how many clubs will adopt synthetic greens in Queensland.

The article argues that the push to synthetic surfaces may prove too premature.

Innisfail claims Blue Pennant victory: Innisfail records their first win in the Blue Pennant since the formation of the FNQDBA. The Innisfail team of U. Di Marchi, P. Webley, A. Matthews, M. Valente, V. Watson, J. Wilson, D. Turner, C. Stonehouse, R. Law, G. Lagana, D. Dodds, C. Grech, B. How Kee and N. Linde beat Edmonton and Gordonvale in a roundrobin competition to finish as the winners.

DID YOU KNOW? THE BOWLER USED TO COST 50C! 32 queensland bowler May 2020

! k c a b h s a Fl This month 20 years ago Julie-Anne Johnson wins Girls’ State Junior Singles The 15-year-old Julie-Anne Johnson (pictured right) beat Lynsey Clarke, née Armitage, 16 at the time (left), in the final of the Queensland State Junior titles 21-5.

Both players were awarded spots on the Queensland team following the conclusion of the event.

Queensland’s Blind Bowlers celebrate success Queensland’s blind bowlers returned home after one of their most successful national championships.

Each member of the team returned with a medal and the Queensland team came within just one point of beating a seasoned New South Wales team.

Casey & Kiepe called up for Australia Queensland’s Mark Casey (then with South Tweed Heads) and Anthony Kiepe (was at Mermaid Beach) were selected to represent Australia’s U25 team in their tour of England and Scotland.

They were joined by Tasmania’s Mark Strochnetter, John Bezear (ACT), James Cook (NSW) and Victoria’s Shane Fordham.

Samford Bowls Club’s Betty Coleclough collected the trophy for best female performance and most outstanding individual performance for her efforts.

May 2020 queensland bowler 33

This month 10 years ago Queensland wins inaugural State of Origin series Queensland defeated New South Wales two tests to one in the first State of Origin series at Paradise Point Bowls Club.

The event featured eight of Australia’s top bowlers including Steve Glasson who returned to don a maroon shirt for Queensland.

Queensland reigns supreme at Australian Sides Championships There had been some doubt as to Queensland’s performance in the national competition as two of their key players, Mark Casey and Brett Wilkie, were unavailable to play as they had been called up for international duty.

However, Queensland State coach Robbie Dobbins filled the hole left by two of his star players by recalling Alex Murtagh and Mark Thatcher into the fold, the replacements were able to step up to the plate and secure Queensland its hat-trick.

Pine Rivers Prodigy strikes again Pine Rivers Bowls Club’s Carly Griffiths cemented her reputation as one of Queensland’s top junior talents after she secured her third state singles title in as many years.

It had been a good year for Griffiths who had already taken out the Australian Open Girls’ Singles title and had represented Australia at the Junior TransTasman event. Griffiths defeated Elizabeth McKillop, 25-17.

Want to view past editions of the Queensland Bowler magazine?

Head to bowlsqld.org/current-issue/ and click on the bowler archive link at the bottom of the page.

34 queensland bowler May 2020

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