Sorrento Bowling Club Magazine Issue 89 June 2022

Sorrento Bowling Club’s Quarterly News Magazine No 89 June Quarter 2022

Well done to our 3 Gold Saturday Pennant Team – the only team to play in a Promotion Final! Back Row: Evan Cosh, Reno Mosconi, Glen McCarthy, Murray Newman, Steve Bomford, Gary Bayne, Roger Palmer, Barney Fleiser, Adrian Rose, Paul Doherty, John Godfrey Front Row: Pat Dichiera, Barry Taylor, Roland Hill, Ken Giles and Tony Sabatino

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Contents

From your Editors 4 Around Our Club 7 Members in Action 9 President’s Report 10 Special Thanks to a Club Legend 11 Men’s Captain Report 15 Our "Bowlers of the Year" 16 Women’s Captain’s Report 17 Men's Match Committee Report 18 Women's Match Committee Report 22 Men's Selector's Report 26 Women's Selection Report 27 Bruce Does well in Over 60s State Events 28 But Surely, I can still Criticise?

29 The Slippery Science of Curling and Bowls 29 What a Way to Win 36 Another Men's Great Country Week 36 Vote carefully in the next election 38 Sky’s the Limit as Dashing Dan Makes Dazzling Debut 39 Liz the ultimate quiet achiever 42 Volunteer Report 43 Our Silver Chain Charity Day 45 Community Bowls 2021/22 45 Warmth Flows in a Journey of Hope and Inspiration 46 Junior Bowls at Sorrento 49 Croquet Report 50 Visit to Sorrento by Federal Members 54 A Bowler’s Prayer 56 Some Cartoons from "In the Groove" 57 A Beginner’s Guide to Becoming a Lawn Bowler 59 Australia versus the Rest of the World 60

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From your Editors Welcome Well here we are into the second quarter of 2022. Once again Denise and I hope you will enjoy reading our latest news magazine – Number 89! We need 11 more editions to reach 100! The question to be asked is whether your octogenarian Editors will make the grade!

We were asked recently whether we still need a quarterly news magazine now that the weekly newsletter is providing up to date information.

The consensus seem to be that the quarterly magazine is still required.

We see the main objectives of the quarterly news magazine are to: • Communicate on a regular quarterly basis with our members • Advertise our Sponsor's products and services • Help members get to know other members • Acknowledge the major contributions made by our volunteers • Provide a summary of members' achievements • Pull a few legs!

• Advertise our Club to other clubs and organisations such as Bowls WA and Clubs WA as well as potential members and new Sponsors Once again we would like to thank all our contributors. Your help is really appreciated as this makes our job much easier.

Some more "Did you hear/know?"

Did you hear that the Dalkeith Nedlands Bowling Club is battling to get new members? One of their members said this was because when someone moved to Dalkeith Nedlands they prefer to join the yacht club!

Did you hear about a man who was a volunteer chef for his bowls

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club? Whilst cooking sausages he used a mug to catch the fat from the sausages and the mug caught fire. Concerned that the mug would explode and injure children nearby he reached into the barbeque to grab the mug’s handle and placed it on the ground. In the process, he sustained severe burns to his hand. At trial, his club submitted that he had “caused or contributed to his own injuries by his own negligence”.

The trial judge awarded the volunteer $1.2million, which was reduced by 15% to reflect his contributory negligence.

Did you know that when you are bowling on the narrow hand and the wind is holding your bowl out you are playing the "Wife Hand"?

Why is it called the "Wife Hand" you may ask? Well this is because "Whatever you do is always wrong!"

Did you know that too much information can often be a bad thing? In Ian Schuback's book Bowls: Biased & Uncensored he tells the story of a Skip who was in a fair amount of trouble and asked his Third what shot he should play. The reply was • You can try the same shot again if you like or • You can play with more weight and come underneath the short bowl and draw the shot or • You could either switch to the backhand and draw the shot or • You could reach with a few metres of weight But whatever you do play it with confidence. You could feel the vibes coming from the Skip and who after a deadly silence bellowed down the green "Well any confidence I had I've bloody lost it now!" Too much information can often be a bad thing.

Did you know that a new lawn bowl has hit the market? It has an adjustable bias so it can be used on all surfaces. You simply adjust the small bias by turning it in or out, either making the bias narrower, or wider to suit green conditions. This will eradicate the need for bowlers to own several sets of bowls. ie: In a two day tournament, day one

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is fine, you set your bowls on the bias dial (1-10) to suit a 15 second green. Overnight it rains, you reset your set to suit a 12 second green.

This will save bowlers owning several sets.

Did you see some interesting score cards? Some bowlers are determined to make things difficult for the Match Committee!

Did you know we had a record weekly bar turnover during Men's Country Week? Given the current economic climate where bars are extremely quiet, we have bucked the trend and are doing very well.

Our Club has been so alive and vibrant. We are still hearing great comments from bowlers who play in Country Week as well as at our private functions.

Did you hear that Matt Sharrett, when getting onto the bus and leaving Cockburn Bowling Club, grabbed an identical but wrong bowls bag and embarked on the very long bus journey back to Sorrento. On

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Around Our Club

Kevin Coffey and his son Sean, who was visiting from Melbourne with his new wife.

Father and son had not been able to get together for two years, so there was plenty to catch up on

Three generations of Snows together - Cameron, Jordan and Peter watching MegaBowl!

Shirley Palmer, Carole Ford, Robyn Woodward and June Gregory - one of five Sorrento teams who took part in the Dalkeith/Nedlands Gala Day

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Steve Bomford with his prize for being one of the three Saturday "Men's Pennant Players" of the year

arriving back he realised his error, and due to his keys and phone being left in the bag, had to catch a taxi to Cockburn and back again to swap the bags over. The day ended up costing around $370 because he also paid for a babysitter for the day so he could play the last match. A loss of close to 90 shots topped off a day that should be forgotten but never will.

Did you know that there are four bones in every bowls club? The wish bones that spend all their time wishing someone else would do all the work. The jaw bones who do all the talking and little else. The knuckle bones that knock everything others do and the backbones that do all the work? Which bone are you?

Did you know that • Bruce Eagles got to the semi final of the State Over 60s Mixed Pair • Liz Marshall got to the quarter final of the State Women's Triples • Andy Elmer got to the semi final of the State Men's Triples?

Did you hear about the Pennant team that played against Armadale in October 2006? Well this team had a combined age of 343 years. It consisted of Ian Hay-Hendry (90), Stan Morrison (80), Billy Stevens (86) and Frank Searle (87). I wonder how young Stan felt playing with the ‘oldies’?

“Lawn bowling is a sober game. The ruffianism of football, the effeminacy of tennis, the manliness of cricket and the buoyancy of baseball give way to a stateliness and gracefulness met in no other sport.”

– Bowling Magazine 1908

Did you hear that Spider Webb and Ian Linford arrived to play in the Saturday nominated pairs and then discovered that their names were not on the list? After some investigation it was discovered that they had entered the Veterans Mixed Pairs by mistake!

– Denise and Neville Odell

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Members in Action

Runners up in the Women's Triples: Liz Marshall, Barbara Lorencs and Pauline Marsden

Lee Bunney and Bruce Eagles who reached the semi finals in the State Over 60s Mixed Pairs

Runners up in the Men's Pairs: Greg Taylor and Bruce Eagles

Gerald Hanna, one of our newest volunteers has relocated the plants that Ray Green donated Dan Greig showing his umpiring skills during the Novice Singles

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President’s Report

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he last 12 months have been very demanding having to deal with COVID. Hopefully we are returning to some normality with restrictions easing. On behalf of the Governing Council, I would like to thank all our members for complying with the restrictions especially those that gave up their time to be Marshalls.

The elections are coming with the President’s position vacant and most of the Governing Council members not renominating for a further term. All elected and appointed positions will be open for nominations. To nominate or vote in the upcoming elections you must be a financial full member or recreational member. We really need everyone to take an active interest and consider nominating for one of the positions. Interested people are encouraged to contact me for further information on roles, and the support available, email: vpoperations@sorrentobowlingclub.com.au The new synthetic green is still progressing although there have been a few problems which have prevented the Governing Council signing the agreement for work to start. The main hurdle is the amount the Club needs to contribute to the project. The original contribution amount, advised by the City of Joondalup in December 2020, was $154,600 plus GST. At that time members agreed in principle to proceed. There has however been a 14 month delay from approval to proceed, with tenders only being provided by the City of Joondalup in March 2022. Increases in building materials and labour costs during that period increased the contribution required by our Club to $320,000 plus GST.

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The major cost increase has been the retaining wall. The cost is beyond the Club’s finances and we have been in discussion with the City of Joondalup to try and resolve this impasse, including requesting them to provide additional funding and/or possible scope changes that would reduce the cost. The City of Joondalup is currently looking at the cost saving option of reducing the Green’s East / West length from 40m to 38m, thereby removing a substantial amount of retaining wall required along the eastern boundary.

On a more positive note we have received a Grant from Ian Goodenough to • Replace and widen the existing entry gate • Provide new illuminated signage over the gate • Relay the brick paving.

We are currently reconfirming pricing from the Contractors and hope to start the project in the near future.

I would like to thank the other members of the Governing Council, committee members and especially our volunteers, without their support and commitment the Club would not survive and prosper.

In conclusion, I would like to thank all members for their support.

– Wayne Gray – Acting President

Special Thanks to a Club Legend

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orrento won’t seem the same following the recent resignation of John Abercrombie (Abba) from the position of Club President.

John was serving a record sixth consecutive year in this role.

Sadly, John felt that in the current environment and Club culture, and for family reasons, he was not able to continue in an official capacity.

Abba has made a significant contribution to the success of Sorrento

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since joining in 1998, which includes four years as Men’s Bowls Captain (2002/3 and 2012/13 to 2014/15) and six years Club President (2003/4, 2004/5 and 2016/17 to 2021/22).

Many members may not fully appreciate the complexities of leading a large club like Sorrento. The past three years dealing with Covid is an example, trying to accommodate the ever changing requirements of government regulation while at the same time trying to accommodate the needs and desires of a diverse group of 800 members. The following list may give members a better appreciation of what a President is expected to deal with: Regulation and compliance • Incorporations Act, Club Constitution and By Laws • Occupational Safety and Health laws and regulations • Equal Opportunity Acts and regulations • Leases and contracts • Liquor Licensing requirements • Racing and Wagering Requirements • Industrial Laws and regulations and human resources laws • Financial regulation, taxation and audit compliance • Association Rules (Bowls Australia, Bowls WA plus sporting associations) Operations • Planning for the future, meeting local, State and Federal government objectives • Meeting the diverse needs of 800 members • Running bowls, croquet and dart competitions throughout the year (scheduling games and venues, selecting people, managing teams, umpiring and officiating, member's safety etc.)

• Maintaining and improving a clubhouse, five greens, the croquet

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courts and our beautiful surrounds Operating a fully licensed bar with two cool rooms and appliances, large stock inventory Providing meals and entertainment Managing a $950,000 a year business that is largely cash-based, employs staff, manages over 100 volunteers, pays taxes, and is accountable to members and stakeholders

Systems • Point of sale • Membership Management • Scheduling and Resulting • Marketing and Communications • Volunteer Management • Room Bookings • Finance • Office Products • CCTV and Security In dealing with these types of issues and demands, Abba has always performed his duties at the highest level, always putting the welfare of our Club first. In the last six years, whilst he has been President, Sorrento has achieved: • “Bowls WA Club of the Year” on three occasions • “Clubs WA Club of the Year” on four occasions • Included in “Clubs WA Hall of Fame” in 2019 • Named as the “Second Best Bowling Club in Australia” in 2020.

Well done, Abba. Your contribution is very much appreciated, and we still get to see your smiling face around the Club enjoying the new found freedoms of an ordinary Sorrento member.

– Brian Lucas

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Men’s Captain Report

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ongratulations to the Men’s Match Committee (Dan Greig, Brian Staples, Ian Wittber, Paul Doherty and Tony Friedlieb) and the Selection Committee (Kevin Coffey, Mal Burton, Alan Walton, Roger Palmer and yours truly) for all their efforts this season. Considering the disruptions and extra demands caused by COVID the efforts of all members of these committees were greatly appreciated.

Despite not winning any Pennants or achieving any promotions this season our Club has done very well. Considering we lost four Premier skippers from the previous season for our Premier side to finish 5th in Saturday pennants and 3rd Midweek was a very good performance.

The Club also benefited from being able to blood a number of new players in the higher grades. Congratulation to: • • •

Dan Nicholls, our "Bowler of the Year" who won both the Men’s Singles and Pairs Club Championships and was a very valued and important member of our Premier division side Paul Knight who was our "Men’s Pennant Bowler of the Year" The "Saturday Pennants Bowler of the Year" was shared between Steve Bomford and Alan Gallagher and the "Thursday Pennant Bowler of the Year" was Jim Ironside.

Many thanks to our Sponsors especially Brad’s Barber and Safeway Security for their continued support of our weekly pots awards.

Lastly I would also like to acknowledge the valued and important contributions of all our volunteers under the leadership of Ken Giles.

– Rob Tozer

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Our "Bowlers of the Year" Men

Women

Bowler of the Year Dan Nicholls

Bowler of the Year Liz Marshall

Pennant Bowler of the Year Paul Knight

Pennant Bowler of the Year Lorraine Hyde

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Women’s Captain’s Report

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t's been a very interesting season and rapidly coming to a close.

After retiring from employment due to COVID I thought I would take up the challenge of the role of Women’s Club Captain.

This began with our Opening Day in September. This was a wonderful success and it was so inspiring to see our bowlers receive their Championship Awards and then enjoy a social game of bowls for the Des Bennett Trophy.

This was followed by our famous and fabulous Melbourne Cup Day. This was a wonderful day and was very well attended with an over fill of Croquet ladies who thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Well done to the Croquet ladies who are always there to help our lady bowlers setting up tables plus making and providing morning teas. Much appreciated.

The Sorrento Gala Day in early January is always our biggest and busiest day/week of the year. A huge effort goes into making this event a success. A full report on this event has been included in the Match Committee report.

In mid March we had Invitation Day. Again a successful and busy event. We were hampered by several teams withdrawing due to health, COVID or other related reasons. As a result, 28 teams took to the greens. Thank you to the members who donated cakes/slices etc for the morning tea and donated beautiful salads.

In March we hosted the Men’s Country Week and the Women’s Country Week. Both events were highly successful. The lunches

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were provided by our caterer Don Pietracatella and the feedback from our country bowlers was that it was an excellent spread. This was all positive and richly rewarding for Sorrento Bowling Club Congratulations to Liz Marshall our "Bowler of the Year" and Lorraine Hyde our "Pennant Bowler of the Year".

Thank you to the Women’s Selection Committee and Match Committee for your tireless efforts and for giving me your support and to Trevor Orton and Pauline Marsden who always gave me the encouragement and assistance when needed.

Finally, I would like to extend my best wishes to all bowlers. Keep safe, well and happy, and enjoy your next season of bowls.

–Cheryl Greig

Men's Match Committee Report Bowler of the Year Our “Bowler of the Year” for 2021/22 is Dan Nicholls who won the Men’s Singles Championship and together with Matt Sharrett won the Men’s Pairs. In contention for this award were Matt Sharrett and Peter Flack who were part of the winning Pairs and Triples teams, respectively, while both were runners up in other club championship events. This award is based on results achieved in the four main Club Championship events (Singles, Pairs, Triples and Fours), plus the Mixed Pairs and Mixed Fours. Each event carries approximately 32 points which are allocated to the Winner, Runner up, and defeated semi finalists according to a formula with a distinct weighting towards winners and particularly the winner of the Men’s Singles since these points are not shared across a team.

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Men's Pairs

This event was completed in February, before an appreciative audience, whose numbers were swollen for much of the time by the presence of the MegaBowl competitors. In the semi final Greg Taylor and Bruce Eagles were successful over Peter Crow and Ian Linford, while Dan Nichols and Matt Sharrett overcame Peter Snow and Trevor Orton. The final was a high quality, closely fought, intense affair in which scores were tied at 9-9 after completion of 12 of the scheduled 18 ends. However, Matt Sharrett and Dan Nicholls (substituting for Frank Tyson) adapted a little better to the slowing conditions and eventually pulled away winning the last 6 ends for a 17-9 victory over Bruce Eagles and Greg Taylor. Congratulations to Matt and Dan/Frank on their first victory in this prestigious Club event.

Men's Singles

In March the semi finals and final took place under warm and humid conditions.

Despite the relatively slow condition of A green – preparation was limited following completion of Country Week – the semi finals were very high quality, close and prolonged affairs with both matches extending over 30 ends. In the upper part of the draw, the lead changed hands several times with Dan Nicholls eventually triumphing 25-21 over Mick

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Martin. The second semi final was even closer; after early exchanges, Ross Cunningham pulled out to lead of 20-12, before Peter Flack staged a terrific back to the wall comeback to tie the game at 23-all and holding shot for a 24-23 lead. However, Ross with his last bowl not only drew in on the wide hand for shot but moved the kitty back a couple of inches to give him the match 25-23. The final was a very different affair, with Dan Nicholls in irresistible form, combining immaculate draw bowls with occasional on shots to leave Ross on the back foot almost from the start. Ultimately, Dan won 25-6 to add his name to the Sorrento Singles Champion honours board for the first time after being runner up six times in previous singles championships Men's Novices

With six entrants there were two sections. The first comprised Eric Doust, Gerald Hanna and Paul Ramsey. This was a keenly contested section and was won by Gerald. The second section was Jan Konig, JJ Landman and Mark Douglas. Jan displayed some very strong and consistent bowling to advance into the grand final. This started out very evenly with Gerald and Jan playing high quality bowls with the scores level on 13 a piece after 16 ends. Gerald then grabbed a good lead of seven shots after winning the next three ends. Jan bounced back and squared the score again after 24 ends to provide an enthralling finish. After a marathon 28 ends, Jan got the win by two shots. A truly great game and played in great spirit by both players. The Match Committee would like to commend and congratulate all players who participated in this event for displaying the highest standards of sportsmanship, enthusiasm

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and skill to make this event a success. We also wish Jan all the best for his upcoming game in the State Novice Singles Championship.

– Dan Greig

Women's Match Committee Report

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s we reached the end of the bowling season we had to race around to try to complete the scheduled events. We had to deal with several postponements due to wet weather, heat waves and COVID but all events were eventually completed.

Gala Day This was a great success and we had 36 teams competing. The preparation, organisation and recording were a mammoth task which we successfully managed without a hitch. Thanks for all the donations and to all who helped setting up tables, making hampers, working in the kitchen and selling raffle tickets and making the day such a success.

Invitation Day We had 112 players who all enjoyed the day with the successful teams leaving with generous prize money. Once again many thanks to all the helpers who made the day the success it was.

This season has certainly been a steep learning curve for the new Match Committee as we realised how much organisation and paperwork it takes to make a successful season for all.

Women's Triples Pauline Bourne now has her name on Sorrento’s honour board a remarkable ten times after skippering her team to victory in the Club’s Women's Triples Championship. There was simply no stopping Pauline and her team Coral Smith and Jan Cook as they romped to an 18-9

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win over Barbara Lorencs, Liz Marshall and Pauline Marsden. The unpredictable nature of bowls saw Barbara’s team get off to a flying start in the final with a four on the very first end. But in a sobering jolt, Pauline's team hit back straight away with a four, followed by two twos, two ones, and a three, to race to a formidable 13-4 lead after seven ends.

Coral was leading beautifully and Jan contributing valuable assistance as Pauline also continued to weave her renowned magic. And when it was all over, as hard as Barbara’s team had tried, that nine shot advantage still remained.

Women's Novices

Our two Novice bowlers, Liz McTaggart and Dianne Cox, played for the Novice Singles Championship on a very warm day with strong easterly winds. A very competitive Round 1 took 23 ends to decide a winner (first to 21) with Di off to a great start until Liz got her eye in and had an eight shot lead on the 11th end.

Di came back strongly and the score was even on the 19th end at 15-15. The final score was 21-16 with Liz winning the round.

Round 2 was played after a much deserved lunch break and escape from the sun. Both players were very competitive after their break with even scores all the way up to 11-10 on the 14th end. Liz then showed her competitive nature and the game was finalised after the 18th end

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at 17-11 with Liz taking the Championship. Congratulations to both ladies, we hope you enjoyed your day and the experience gained. Liz has won a place to play in the Women's Novice Champion of Champions to be held later this year.

Women's Fours

After sectional play the finalists were Lorraine Hyde, Jan Cook, Jan Power-Tuke and Liz Marshall against Pauline Bourne, Coral Smith, Jan Paniperis and Kath Harris. Lorraine Hyde and her team took the lead after the first two ends and Pauline Bourne and her team scored three points in the following two ends. However, Lorraine and her team couldn’t be stopped until the 11th end and pulled away to a significant lead. Pauline and her team fought back over the next three ends making the score 13-8 but Lorraine's team scored two points on the 14th end to increase their lead once again. Pauline's team fought valiantly, winning ends 15 and 16 but in the end Lorraine's team proved too strong and won the Championship 15-11.

Women's Singles In March five sections of three players competed in this event which got underway on a balmy 35 degree day. By the end of the sections, most of the ladies felt as though they had run a marathon. Congratulations to the winners of each section Lorraine Hyde, Kath Harris, Coral Smith, Pauline Bourne and Liz Marshall.

An alignment round and semifinal and final were played in mid March.

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The alignment round between Kath and Lorraine was a close affair with some excellent bowls by both players. In the end Kath managed to get the upper hand and progressed through to the semi final. The semi finals between Pauline Bourne and Liz Marshall, and Kath Harris and Coral Smith were played in great spirits.

At the completion of the games it was Liz and Coral who prevailed and progressed to the final.

After lunch Liz and Coral faced off in the final. With both bowlers displaying exceptional bowling skills a tough match was played. The final result was Coral coming out on top to win this year’s Club Singles championship.

Women's Drawn Handicap Triples In mid April, 18 of our bowlers from all Divisions took to the green. It is always a pleasure to play with different people from other divisions, we have a points system to enable all teams to be equal. Thanks to Selection for selecting the teams. The weather was glorious, and the greens were running beautifully. Everyone enjoyed their day playing one game in the morning and one in the afternoon.

• Winners: Jan Power-Tuke, Denise Odell and Jennifer Page • Second: Pauline Bourne, Shirley Palmer and Liz McTaggart • Third: Shona Carter, Sandra Minnett and Liz Marshall

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Morning winners were Jan Cook, Larraine Brickell and Wendy Flack and the afternoon winners were Sandy Everest, Robyn Woodward and Carole Ford Drink vouchers donated by Selection Committee went to Cheryl Greig, Coral Smith and Betty Stern. We would like to thank our Sponsor, Duncraig Fresh IGA, who donated $100 and our Club who donated $300 from funds raised by Women's Fundraising during the season.

This enabled all prizes to be generous and added to a successful day.

We all enjoyed the day and look forward to doing it again next year.

I would like to thank • Robyn Rowe for her help in the kitchen • Lee Leach for the paper trail she left for me to follow, her encouragement and for always being on the end of the phone • Pauline Marsden and Wendy Flack for helping promote events • Trevor Orton for answering all my emails and offering advice • Our Umpires who were always there when required • Larraine Brickell for her endless support • My Committee for working as a team when the heat was on.

Finally congratulations to Liz Marshall our "Women's Bowler of the Year" and Lorraine Hyde our "Pennant Bowler of the Year".

– Shirley Palmer

Men's Selector's Report

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nfortunately, 1 White will be relegated to 1 Blue after losing to Cockburn away. Our Premier side finished strongly winning its final two games to finish 5th on the ladder. 3 Gold were our only Saturday Pennant team to qualify for finals promotion to 2nd division and played Merriwa but unfortunately lost. The photo on the cover

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is of the 3 Gold team. All the other sides except 5 Gold finished mid table.

Many thanks to Brad’s Barber Shop who continue to sponsor the Men's Pots. Lastly many thanks to my fellow selectors Mal Burton, Alan Walton, Kevin Coffey and Roger Palmer.

– Rob Tozer.

Women's Selection Report

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e have had yet another eventful and challenging season with Covid and heat abandoned games. We only managed 15 of our 18 games on Tuesday, but we are pleased to say that our three divisions all managed to hold onto their divisions and we will have Premier, 1 Green and Division 2 in 2022/23. Our Saturday ladies also all managed to hold onto their divisions playing 16 of their 18 games, so we will have 1 Red, 1 Blue and 3 Blue next season.

I was once told "no division will go down - not on my shift". Well, I can also say this was achieved this season due to all those ladies who stepped up and made it possible for me to say "not on my shift".

All in all a fantastic result for all Women Pennant players. Our Women Pennant Players voted not to participate in the weekly voting system this year, so Selection decided to record all Tuesday Women Pennant player results on a spread sheet. Charmain recorded all results after each game and came up with a clear winner. Our Women's "Pennants Bowler of the year" is Lorraine Hyde. Congratulations!

Our sincere thanks go to: • Our reserves – Ron Taylor for helping Division 2 on Tuesdays • The ladies who put their names down as reserves and ended up

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• • •

• • • •

playing nearly every game June Gregory who we called nearly every Thursday to play and if she was in town never let us down. Without your help June our job would have been even harder - Thank you so much!!!

Brian Clausen who was at all the Premier ladies games, supporting, coaching, offering encouragement and training. Thank you Brian for your commitment to our Premier ladies Trevor Orton for once again offering his knowledge and encouragement to our 1 Green ladies and coming to all our games. Your support and belief helped us to finish the season in third place and take an eight badge in the semi finals. Thank you Trevor Larry Perry and Derry Ellis for umpiring Barry Bradshaw/Safeway Security Screens, our Pots Sponsor Pauline for all your continued invaluable support over the past three years. You always put yourself out to accommodate our needs which I really appreciated My Selection Committee: Jan Siney, Charmain Harris and Kath Harris. Well ladies together we came to the end of the season, better friends and all in one piece. I think we are all pleased to say goodbye to 2021-2022. It really was a year to remember and, hopefully, never to be repeated!

To all our 2022-2023 Women Pennant players the outgoing Selection Committee would like to wish you all the best for the coming season.

–Shona Carter

Bruce Does well in Over 60s State Events

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ongratulations to Bruce Eagles who last week won the Men's Over 60s State Singles title for 2022. After three long, hot days of bowls, Bruce came up against two-time previous winner Tony Krajancic in the final.

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With a quick start, Bruce was up 9-2 when Tony began to chip away at the deficit with drives hitting the mark and returning the scoreboard to even pegging at 13 all. Bruce then regained his focus, producing quality draw bowls that put pressure on his opponent causing him to miss several crucial drives.

Bruce eventually won 21-16 for his first win in this event after being Runner Up in 2016.

But Surely, I can still Criticise?

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ometimes it’s a bit mind boggling to comprehend the comments of some members who all to freely express how unhappy they are with the way things in our Club are being run and appear happy to criticise the volunteers toiling away on their behalf. It’s a bit like sitting in our air-conditioned clubhouse on a sweltering day, cold beer in hand, looking out the window and criticising the efforts of a volunteer umpire who is measuring for shot in a bowls tournament.

The following suggestions were received from some of our “happier” members and might be insightful for our “unhappy” members: •

“Stop criticising our Match Committees, our Selection Committees and our Governing Council. Rather thank them for giving up their valuable time spent on these Committees organising events, working on projects, getting grants, Club of the Year Awards, getting our synthetic green up and running and for getting us through the COVID pandemic. There have been reports of the Selectors being verbally abused. Is this really necessary?"

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“Stop spitting your dummy when you don’t like what our Selection Committees have arranged. Remember they have a difficult job trying to please everyone whilst still trying to select the best combinations”

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“Put your hand up at the next AGM for one of these positions if you think you can do it better”

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“Remember the difference between a complaint and just complaining. If you have a real complaint, put it in writing so that it can be addressed”

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“Think about the old saying “See no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil.” Gossip and back biting are unproductive! Just because you have an opinion doesn’t mean you should share it”

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“Remember that stating your opinion doesn’t make it a fact”

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“If you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem”

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“Try and follow in the footsteps of the New Zealand Cricket team, as set out in Jim Woodward’s article on page 35 in our March news magazine”

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“Instead of criticising your team member’s game, find something to compliment them about”.

So, I hear you say, what’s the difference between complaining/whinging and offering constructive criticism? Constructive criticism is the process of offering valid and well reasoned opinions about the work of others, usually involving both positive and negative comments, in

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a friendly manner rather than an oppositional one.

“Well reasoned” is an important aspect. Some members voice their concerns based on incorrect or incomplete information. For example, one member complained loudly about the Club wasting money by spending 50 cents on disposable wrist bans for proof of vaccination rather than using a simple stamp. While some retailers may charge 50 cents for wrist bans the Club sources far cheaper product costing around 5 cents. The use of stamps makes it very difficult for staff to check who has been checked and a stamp is easily erased through sweat or coming into contact with clothing. This type of comment assumes that our volunteers have put little effort into looking for the best options to solve problems.

So please, if you have a genuine concern about an issue then speak directly to the volunteer responsible, in a friendly and helpful manner, find out the facts and offer considered alternatives.

Incidentally, the Club is always looking to build upon the 20% of our members who currently volunteer to help around our Club. If you would like to help, then see Ken Giles, our Volunteer Coordinator.

– Thanks to members who contributed to this article

Volunteers Recognised by Bowls WA

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n December 2021 Bowls WA held an event recognising ten longterm hard working volunteers. One of these was our Anne Lilley who was awarded “a Certificate of Service”. Unfortunately Anne was unable to attend the event at Crown Perth. At the Half Yearly Meeting our President John Abercrombie took the opportunity to present the certificate to Anne. Anne served for over ten years on the Bowls Management Committee which deals with all “field of play” issues.

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She also served for 14 years on the organisation committee of the Ladies Inter Region Round Robin competition which sees teams from all four Metropolitan Regions playing Region against Region for a Perpetual Trophy.

The Slippery Science of Curling and Bowls We still don’t know how this all works

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t’s funny how seemingly very different sports have more in common than we would think. If I said for instance that lawn bowls is very similar to the sport of curling, you would probably want me certified (again). But they have in fact many similarities.

This article came to the fore when some of our more sports mad members were watching the Winter Olympics on TV at the Club, over a beer or two (or three). The Curling competition was underway, and it sparked some intense debate about what the participants were doing and why the maintenance staff hadn’t swept the ice before the game started, rather than leaving it up to the poor players to do so. So, with the support of Dr Shane Keating, a Senior Lecturer at the School of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of New South Wales, I have been able to provide some insights.

Did you know that Curling has been an Olympic sport since 1998 and it is one of the world’s oldest sports with more than 500 years of history? But then again it’s not as old as lawn bowls which originated in ancient Egypt and has been played in England since the 13th century (and soon hopefully will become an Olympic sport).

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Curling is played by more than two million people in 52 countries worldwide including Europe, Brazil, Japan, China, Korea and yes Australia and New Zealand. In fact, there is a Curling association right here in WA. But similarly, Lawn Bowls is also played in 52 countries on six continents across the world. As proof of longevity, the world’s oldest surviving bowling green is the Southampton Old Bowling Green, which was first used in 1299.

Both sports use evolving technologies. For lawn bowls a major technological revolution occurred around 1830 when Edwin Beard Budding of Thrupp England, invented the lawnmower. (Perhaps still a new invention to some of us.) Previously, lawns were kept cropped by grazing sheep on them (not dissimilar to some of the greens that we still play Pennants on today).

Curling is played on an ice surface (chess on ice) rather than chess on grass or synthetic surfaces. The ice itself must be perfectly flat and is sprayed with droplets of water before each game to produce a pebbled surface. This minimises the contact area between the ice and the heavy curling stone. A bowling green is also perfectly hard and flat with the grass cut and rolled to allow a bowl to travel 27 metres in 14 to 18 seconds (or so the theory goes).

Curling stones are made from a 20-kilogram dense polished granite that is not dissimilar to the hard plastic composite material used in lawn bowls. The bottom of the stone is concave so that only the outer ring, called the running band, is in contact with the ice (is this a bias?). This reduces friction which allows the stone to slide further.

Curling involves two teams of four people (like Pennants). Each game

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starts with a coin flip to determine which team goes first (sound familiar), then the teams take turns curling eight stones (not unlike lawn bowls) down a sheet of ice. The team that has the stone closest to the center of a bullseye (or as we would say, the jack) wins a point. This process is repeated for between six to ten rounds that are called Ends (21 ends in Pennants).

Curling athletes take turns sliding their granite stones along the ice toward the center of a horizontal target that is 28 metres away. Bowlers on the other hand take turns to roll out 1.5kg, slightly radially asymmetrical, deaf (most of the time) lump of plastic (aka bowls) closest to a little ball called the jack that is placed between 21 to 34 metres.

In curling, by adding a small amount of spin, skilled players can make their stone “curl” along a curving path to block an opponent’s stone or knock it out of the way. How exactly the curling stone does this is something of a puzzle. Skilled lawn bowlers can make their biased bowls go straight or turn more by altering their position on the mat, by canting the bowl in their hands or by hurling (not curling) the bowl down at high speed.

Curling players can change the path of the stone after it has been thrown by vigorously sweeping the ice in front of the stone with special brooms that warm the ice and reduce friction, allowing the stone to travel farther and straighter along its path. Deciding when, where, and how hard to sweep has a big influence on the stone’s trajectory; so

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naturally it is accompanied by a great deal of enthusiastic yelling. This is not dissimilar to bowlers you see running after their bowl and waving their arms and shouting at the bowl. Unfortunately, unlike Curling, this does not in fact influence the bowl’s trajectory or speed and is a total waste of time and energy, but it can annoy the opposition.

Ross Cunningham has reminded us that curlers play "blockers" (aka Robbos) in the same way as some bowlers do! They call it "A guard shot" designed to protect stones in the centre. Perhaps with time curlers will also call their blockers "Robbos".

While some could call it adopting the tactics of another sport, you can watch a video on You Tube and see a bowler trying to speed up his bowl by using his cordless leaf blower and vacuum machine whilst following his bowl down the rink. Some less tolerant bowlers would call it cheating or curling the rules of the game – but is it illegal? Worth a thought?

In a similar vein, in 2020, a Japanese team used sophisticated motion-tracking equipment, a laser scanning microscope, and some sandpaper to modify the surface of the Curling stone. For true sporting people like us, this is not considered to be cricket, and at the very least the sandpaper should be well hidden from TV cameras! In our ever-changing world, perhaps we could use the research of this Japanese team to motion track and laser scan our bowls when the sea breeze pushes our bowls off line. Ahhhh, finally, we have a home advantage.

– Brian Lucas and Dr Shane Keating

What a Way to Win

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n the Men's Pairs Championship in February one of the most unusual and exciting endings occurred during a qualifying game between

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Larry Perry and Greg Clements playing Allan Davis and Brad Marshall.

With one end to be played Larry and Greg were in front 17 to 10.

Allan and Brad (discreetly) decided between themselves, that the only way to win was to create a set play/plan.

Larry and Greg knew that all they needed was to score (hold on to their lead) on the last end, ensuring they win the game. During the last end Brad was instructed to bowl with a little extra weight, which he did effectively and Allan was clever enough to follow suit and to trail the jack, expertly. Larry and Greg used all their guile to avoid the inevitable, but a little "LINE LENGTH AND LUCK" by Allan and Brad, saw them take the last end with an eight hence winning the game, by one with a score of 18-17. What a way to WIN/LOSE a game!

– Alan Gallagher

Another Men's Great Country Week

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nce again "Men's Country Week" has come and gone for another year. What a blast it was, with a huge bunch of exceptional country people as always. A good bunch of blokes from all over the State.

Lunch was an excellent spread and we received good comments every day in regards to the greens and the meals.

Special thanks to our umpires Derry Ellis, Larry Perry, Jim Ironside, Graeme O’Brien, Dan Greig, Evan Cosh and Geoff Murray. A massive thank you to Shelley, Cheryl, Wendy, Shona, Ian, Paul, Tony, Lindsay and Trevor and Anne Orton who made it all come together.

There are probably some helpers we have missed, so apologies if not mentioned, never forgotten. From event organisation to catering it

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came together like clockwork. Ron Taylor and many other legends made these five days happen. A special shout out to Ron who has recently had hand surgery. He still never missed a morning at the bar.

Dedication Ronny! Sorrento nailed it again!

One comment overheard was an observation by two country bowlers about the activity around the club, when they stated that this should be happening at their club. On that day we had the country week pairs, and the Ladies Pennants in the morning, and around lunchtime we had two groups of students from Carine pass through, assisted by our volunteers, as well as them being made aware that in the evening there would be darts as well as corporate bowls. This is the sort of thing that showcases our Club as being active and vibrant, and will hopefully draw them back again.

– Ian Wittber and Ian Lucas

Vote carefully in the next election

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arah was in the fertilised egg business. She had several hundred young pullets and ten roosters to fertilise the eggs. She kept records and any rooster not performing went into the soup pot and was replaced. This took a lot of time, so she bought some tiny bells and attached them to her roosters.

Each bell had a different tone, so she could tell from a distance which rooster was performing. Now, she could sit on the porch and fill out an efficiency report by just listening to the bells.

Sarah's favorite rooster, old Butch, was a very fine specimen but, this morning she noticed old Butch's bell hadn't rung at all! When she went to investigate, she saw the other roosters were busy chasing pullets, bells-a-ringing, but the pullets hearing the roosters coming, would run for cover

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To Sarah's amazement, old Butch had his bell in his beak, so it couldn't ring. He'd sneak up on a pullet, do his job, and walk on to the next one.

Sarah was so proud of old Butch, she entered him in a Show and he became an overnight sensation among the judges. The result was the judges not only awarded old Butch the "No Bell Peace Prize" they also awarded him the "Pulletsurprise" as well.

Clearly old Butch was a politician in the making. Who else but a politician could figure out how to win two of the most coveted awards on our planet by being the best at sneaking up on the unsuspecting populace and screwing them when they weren't paying attention?

Vote carefully in the next election. You can't always hear the bells.

– Wendy Flack

Sky’s the Limit as Dashing Dan Makes Dazzling Debut

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hile we tend to curse a bit when the wind starts to blow hard at Sorrento, the arrival of Dan Nicholls has been a welcome breath of fresh air.

For out of the blue Sorrento has gained a bloke who undeniably brings talent, exuberance, loyalty and YOUTH to our Club. At the age of 24 the affable redhead is the sort of person Sorrento needs in its ranks if it hopes to keep pace with the evolving and competitive nature of bowls at the top level.

In only his first season at our Club, Dan has incredibly taken out the prestigious "Men’s Bowler of the Year" award after winning the Single’s championship as well as sharing victory in the Men's Pairs championship. His role as a Skip also played a pivotal role in Sorrento holding its place in Premier Division.

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On the surface they seem to be the credentials of someone who has been around bowls for a very long time. And in a sense, he has. For starters, Dan had the good fortune of being introduced to bowls by his father, Peter, at the tender age of 13. That was with the Guilderton club where the family lived at Moore River.

Peter had played Premier Division at Bedford and then Scarborough with our Chris Lander. Along the way Dan played in the State junior side until he was 18 and gained selection through the divisions at the strong Bassendean club.

His comprehensive victory over Ross Cunningham in the final of Sorrento’s Singles Championship ended a frustrating run for Dan who had been runner up three times at both Guilderton and Bassendean.

Pictured above is Dan receiving his trophy from Trevor Orton.

In fact, so strong is Dan’s love for the game and desire to help Sorrento, he wants to play an integral role in helping the Club build for the future.

“I felt it was time for a change,” he said. “I wasn’t enjoying my last few seasons at Bassendean. I wanted to go to a club where I could play at a high level and one at which I felt I could help in getting some youth come through.” Dan compares what is now happening at Sorrento to a football club during a rebuilding process.” It doesn’t happen overnight,” he said. “I want to help Sorrento rebuild over the next four or five years. There is a lot of talent at Sorrento but I feel some of it is underrated. I love a club that gives you a chance and I’ve always been someone who thrives on teamwork”.

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A vital role in that regard was played by selector Mal Burton who asked Dan how he would feel if fellow Bassendean player Andy Elmer could be persuaded to come to our Club and play as his Third. “That made me feel at home straight away and really helped me settle in at Sorrento,” Dan said. And the pairing of Dan and the more senior Andy has certainly reaped its rewards. Pictured above are Andy and Dan with Brian Saul and Mal Burton.

Dan said that around half way through the Christmas break of the season, he was approached by Chris Lander who asked him if he was enjoying himself at Sorrento. Dan’s answer was spontaneous and, in a sense, reflects the very culture Sorrento takes pride in promoting. “I told Chris it was the first time in three or four years that I have really enjoyed myself,” he confessed.

And when he is not trying to build a head, Dan is busy building kitchens and as a stonemason specialises in bench-tops and splash backs.

“I’ve never tried to get money out of bowls because then it becomes like a job and if you don’t perform well you are going to get knives in the back,” he said.

To the keen observer, Dan’s enjoyment of our Club and his teammates after a game is something to behold. “I’m not scared of being the underdog, I’ve never been grumpy and I don’t get upset” he freely admits.

Now, there, surely, is a lesson for us all.

– Jim Woodward

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Liz the ultimate quiet achiever

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y her own admission, Liz Marshall likes to fly under the radar. But when she recently won Sorrento’s prestigious "Women's Bowler of the Year Award" there was simply no avoiding the spotlight.A member at Sorrento for ten years, Liz beat a hot field to take out the award after a stellar season which included wins in the Pairs, Fours and Mixed Fours as well as being runner up in the Singles, Triples and 100-up Championships.

The quietly spoken Liz lets her bowls do the talking when she steps onto the bowling green and her relentless accuracy as a lead has become legendary. Yet she and her husband, Ian, an icon at our Club who served as President and is now a Life Member, met, not on the bowling green, but on a badminton court. That was when Liz, who grew up in the northern Sydney suburb of Hornsby, moved to Tom Price at the age of 15 when her father got a job with Hamersley Iron.

Liz also went on to live at Paraburdoo and Goldsworthy but it was at Port Hedland that she began her bowls journey. It was there that Ian had rolled up his sleeves and apart from playing the game, his roles there were so diverse they ranged from Club President to greenkeeper.

“He was never home so I decided I might as well join him and that’s where I first started playing bowls in 1998,” Liz said. Fast forward 16 years and Liz had improved to the extent that she won the Sorrento Singles Champion title.

Liz is one of a growing list of Sorrento bowlers who travel well in excess of where they live to play for our Club. Living at Hocking would

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seem to make Wanneroo a logical choice but Liz says there is no way she is going to swap her many friends at Sorrento for somewhere more convenient.

While Liz admits she is “very quiet”, the extent of her value in Sorrento’s Premier Division squad comes across loud and clear.

– Jim Woodward

Volunteer Report

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e normally recognise our Volunteers at our annual “Volunteers Appreciation evening”. Since my last report a number of our faithful volunteers have been very busy and I would therefore like to take this opportunity to say a special thank you to some of our volunteers: • • • • •

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Jim Woodward who volunteered for the vacant Welfare Officer position. His initial reports in the weekly newsletter have been well received and appreciated by members Matt Sharrett now collates and edits the weekly enewsletter. Wendy Flack has produced our weekly enewsletter for almost two years and she will now focus on our website and Facebook page Kerry Hutchinson who now designs all our posters, menus etc.

Our umpires Derry Ellis, Larry Perry, Jim Ironside, Graeme O’Brien, Dan Greig, Evan Cosh and Geoff Murray who allocate many hours especially during major events Shelley Jeffs, Cheryl Greig, Wendy Saul, Shona Carter, Ian Wittber, Paul Ramsey, Paul Doherty, Ron Taylor, Colin Bangs, Shirley and Roger Palmer, Helen Teasdale, Brian Staples, Lindsay Baker and Trevor and Anne Orton who all helped make Country Week a great success Glenn and Trish McCarthy, Ron Taylor, Lindsay Baker, Alan Susta,

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• • • •

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Rob Tozer and Graeme May who continue to help Ian Lucas behind the bar Our Selectors and Match Committee volunteers who withstood a lot of criticism over this past season but continued to commit to their roles All our COVID Door Marshalls Peter and Wendy Flack along with Kevin Coffey, who ran the successful Friday evening MegaBowl for ten weeks Alex Third, Brian Staples, Kevin McKersey, Gerald Hanna, Gary Bayne, Evan Cosh, Tony Bourne, Phil Bilich, John Sturk, Alan Walton, Jim and Helen Ironside, Trevor Orton and John Brown who help with groups from schools, netball clubs, cricket clubs etc. who continue to come to our great Club to celebrate birthdays, wedding anniversaries, Bucks party’s and Ladies nights. We have received many emails and verbal compliments on our hospitality.

This comes down to our office staff, bar staff and our faithful volunteers. The Carine Senior High School have resumed their bowling sessions (twenty in all) in the capable hands of Tony Bourne, Alex Third, Colin Campbell and Ken Foggo Once again, our community bowls has been a great success thanks to Graeme and Helen O’Brien and their helpers Gary Bayne, Rick Hillier, Gerald Hanna, Greg Clements (on the barbeque), Trevor Orton (fixtures and ladder), Dan Greig and Frank Gandras (weekly raffle) Rose Gannaway (Croquet) doing a brilliant job looking after the coffee machine Our Monday Morning volunteers who help keep our surrounds looking good (See separate article on page 62)

Once again thank you all for your effort and time. Apologies if your name is missing from the above. Please let me know and I will make sure you get a special mention in my next report.

– Ken Giles

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Our Silver Chain Charity Day

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n March we held our annual Silver Chain Day. It was a warm day, about 32 degrees and 26 players took part. Well done to Jennifer Page, Greg Boyd and Merv Gregory in first place and to Beryl Tutt, Colin Scott, Keith Cooper and Bernie Smith who were runners up. A total of $235 was donated to Silver Chain. Well done!

– Barbara Spence

Community Bowls 2021/22

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he season commenced in November and finished at the end of March. A full field of 24 teams (96) players registered to play. This included five new teams.

Before Christmas we had the Green division (consisting of 12 higher ranked teams from last season) and the Gold division (also 12 teams) lower ranked teams plus the five new teams. Grading over five weeks took place with bottom two sides in the Green division relegated to Gold division and the top two teams in Gold division promoted to Green division.

Patos Circus taken on our Valentines theme night.

The full competition commenced in

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January and was played over ten weeks with two games played each week. The fight to finish in the top two spots to qualify for the grand final was played right out to the last week with five teams still able to make it.

The top two teams in Green Division were "Wild Turkeys" (last years’ winners) and "Untouchables" who played the final over two hours with "Wild Turkeys" managing to win the final and top prize. In the Gold Division the top two teams were "Four Amigos" and "Tuesdays Battlers" however "Four Amigos" had to forfeit as they had a preplanned holiday out of Perth and could not attend on the final night.

Congratulations to the winning teams and also to the other 22 teams who participated in a very successful and enjoyable season with some beautiful nights for bowls out on the green. We would particularly like to thank the sponsors "Just Yummy Honey" and "Vasse Felix Wines" for their contribution to weekly prizes. Also to our team of Club volunteers who helped on the barbeque each week and Trevor Orton for fixturing.

– Graeme and Helen O’Brien

Warmth Flows in a Journey of Hope and Inspiration

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ur much-loved and respected Premier Division bowler Kerry Hutchinson, who played right up until the last round of the Pennant season, recently revealed she then, almost immediately, underwent breast cancer and lymph node surgery. Now back home and moving forward with a very positive mindset, Kerry wants to share the heartfelt journey she is experiencing with one of her daughters.

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My middle daughter, Nicole, has also recently undergone breast cancer surgery and lymph node removal and her treatment plan will extend through until the end of July/August with ongoing monitoring and medical support for the foreseeable future.

But there is no way that is going to impinge her plans. Nicole’s progress is looking good and she intends to compete in the upcoming Margaret River Ultra Marathon. That decision doesn’t surprise me in the slightest as four days after her surgery Nicole began walking 10 kilometers a day to build up her strength.

She’s a real fighter very much like myself. The day after breast cancer was confirmed for me, I made it through to the top eight in the Over 60’s Singles, going down to Therese Hastings, the eventual winner.

I am looking forward to playing bowls again at Sorrento as soon as my treatment allows and plan to take part in the Professional Bowling Association WA Qualifying Tournament at Rossmoyne in July.

I feel extremely blessed that I am able to share this journey with Nicole as we are a great support for each other. In Nicole’s words, it’s been special being able to spend so much time together and sharing a very personal experience. But there are some tough times ahead. Nicole is a single, working mum and has a teenage son who is insulin dependent to the extent he has to be attended to at midnight and 3am.

When Nicole begins chemotherapy, I will move into her house to help with the workload. Hopefully, I will do better than my first stint where, in the dark and sleep deprived, I pricked my own finger rather than my grandson’s. At least my muffled groan didn’t wake him and my sugar levels were good.

I am really enjoying my time at Sorrento after three seasons with

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Mundaring and a short stint with Kalamunda which ended when my husband was told by that club his presence was superfluous to requirements and he went back to Swan. I was very happy to be returning to Sorrento and the huge cheers I received when I walked through the door was almost overwhelming.

Even though we live at Swan View, getting to Sorrento is no more a problem than it is for Jeff Thomson and Leslie Hughes who travel from Mount Helena to play at this most welcoming club. When I am asked why I travel so far and pass so many bowling clubs to get to Sorrento, my answer is always ‘the distance is nothing when you know you are travelling to meet up with your tribe’.

Having to virtually self isolate over the last few weeks to ensure surgeries for both of us can go ahead, I have been blown away by the support I am receiving from the Sorrento members. The club’s community spirit and empathy is alive and well and I believe the regular Welfare Reports are bringing this to the fore more and more at a time when members need it most.

It is something that is really appreciated and brings members together through some very trying times. You may not be walking in our shoes during our journey but walking alongside us during these times is what Sorrento members do so well with heartfelt kindness. My sincerest thanks to you all.

– Kerry Hutchinson

Junior Bowls at Sorrento

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arine High School have a history with Sorrento. After the 2013 National Junior Bowls Championships were held at our Club I was asked if I would be willing to help promote junior bowls at Sorrento.

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Briefly, with the help of Bowls WA, Renee Farrell, and Department of Sport and Recreation a plan evolved. Chris Tibbits (a former member) and I attended a session of tutorials to develop a set of activities to promote junior sport in schools. Naturally we chose lawn bowls.

We passed, and I enrolled in a program, “After School Activities” introducing bowls to unsuspecting Primary School students. I applied for and was successful in securing a generous grant from Sports and Recreation which resulted in Sorrento getting eight sets of mini bowls and five sets of small Henselite bowls. With Bill Long (sadly no longer with us), and Renee we attended three schools and had particular success with Sacred Heart school, which had excellent facilities.

Sometime later I contacted all local High Schools offering bowls as an option in their sports program. I got a good response but possibly because of the need for them to use our greens, no commitment came, except Carine High School. Yes, finally got there. The teacher did her homework, booked seven or so sessions and with some help put together a programme based on an excellent handbook I had. Though a success no further interest was shown until the last school term last year when three groups of 25 Year 10 students were booked for 30 sessions.

The persuasive Ken Giles asked Alex Third and myself to supervise and offer what knowledge we could to present a new experience for them. We wondered if we would last this huge commitment we made.

Well, the experience was so rewarding! Their behaviour, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn was just amazing. Their skills rapidly improved and most of the boys and girls could competitively play the game.

So, to this year. Another three groups of 25 booked for what turned out to be 8 weeks. Alex and Colin Campbell took responsibility for

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the Tuesday sessions and I joined Alex for the Wednesday group. Not surprisingly this group matched last year’s so, well done teachers and students of Carine High School, and we hope to welcome you again.

To close I would like to acknowledge the commitment Alex Third made to these groups. Alex and Ken Giles have also completely reorganised the bowl stocks in the shed and introduced a clever numbering system.

A request to everyone who use these bowls, please return them as you found them. We are very lucky to have members putting in the time to improve our community bowling service. Many thanks also to John Sturk for making the extra boxes for the bowls.

– Tony Bourne

Croquet Report

Vale Terry Harvey

Our dear friend Terry passed away on 27 February.

He had been in hospital for a couple of weeks and his health had gradually deteriorated. Terry joined our Club in 2012, having played croquet in England before coming to Perth. He quickly showed us all how much he loved the game by being present at almost every session we held. He competed in numerous competitions in his first few years and was soon playing at ‘B’ Grade level, having started at ‘D’ Grade. He was always keen to ensure that new players improved their game, Terry frightened us all in 2016, when he suddenly collapsed from cardiac arrest after a session of croquet! Luckily, Denise Baldock quickly raised the alarm, and Trish Cunningham and Chris Lander were on hand to give him CPR and used the Club’s defibrillator to resuscitate him before the ambulance arrived. He was forever grateful to them all

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for their fast reactions and abilities and referred to them as his “guardian angels”. Three months later he was back on the courts playing as before.

Terry later developed cancer and spent more time in hospital undergoing treatments but, again, overcame all this successfully – nothing was going to stop him from playing croquet! His love of croquet and his positive attitude kept him going through thick and thin. Terry stopped playing at the end of 2021 as his health started to impact on his stamina and breathing. He is now no doubt “ruling the roost” in “Croquet Heaven” where no illness nor pain can hamper his game ever again.

Vale Terry – we miss you!

Tournaments and Competitions The first competition of the year was the fun competition - Australia vs “Rest of the World”, which (once again) was won by the “foreigners”, who are now all Australians – is that fair?? The “best dressed” this year was Jan Craddock, who represented Great Britain in all her finery!

The WA “C” Grade State Championship Competition was held in January. Jenny Wilmot, Cheryl Saul and Terry Craddock, entered all performing well against some formidable competition and gaining valuable experience in the process. Well done to these players.

In February we played our Golf Croquet Doubles Competition. After some close games, the end result saw Jan and Terry Craddock emerge as well-deserving winners with Sandy Boon and Lorraine Bates runners up. In March Jenny Wilmot, Cheryl Saul and Di McGivern played

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in the Bunbury Central Competition. Di playing with Walter Reid finished in second place after two very enjoyable days of and excellent hospitality.

In early April we hosted the “Croquetwest April Doubles Tournament”

There were 16 entries with four more on the waiting list. The winners were Di McGivern and Lorraine Bates with Ian Tarling (Cambridge) and Eric McCurdy (Gosnells) runners up. Our thanks to all our volunteers who helped over the weekend. What a blessing it is to have such willing helpers. A special vote of thanks goes to our wonderful Greenkeeper, Alan and team, who prepared the courts so beautifully for the competition.

Changes to Croquet Committee Reluctantly we have had to accept the resignation of our Captain Kerry Bomford due to her devotion to, and support of, Frank as he underwent some gruelling medical treatments. We take this opportunity to express our thanks and appreciation to Kerry who has been an outstanding Captain for several years. In particular, she has succeeded in bringing the Croquet Section and the Bowling sector closer together.

Examples of this good relationship have been demonstrated through having Croquet members assist with special bowling events such as their Gala Day and Melbourne Cup Luncheon, making sandwiches and salads for the participants. Pictured alongside are Do McGivern, Terry and Jan Craddock

Di McGivern has now moved into Kerry’s role with Terry Craddock taking on the position of Vice Captain; Lorraine Bates joining the

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team as Secretary, and Jan Craddock accepting the role of Events and Welfare member. Terry is also undergoing medical treatment at present with Jan’s constant and on going support. We appreciate their willingness to maintain their involvement on the Committee in these difficult circumstances; and thank Lorraine for filling an important gap at very short notice.

Quarterly Croquet Lunch

This was held at the Kingsley Tavern and it was great to see so many members there, especially those who brought their partners – Rex Morgan, Thora Lay and Caroline Russell-Browne. Judith Skeet and Pat Hobson made the effort to join us for a most enjoyable afternoon. Peter Beckett was the lucky winner of a draw for $25!

State Coaching Coordinator I have accepted this role at the request of the Croquetwest President; taking over from Sandra Stevenson, who has worked tirelessly for the past seven years in the role.

– Di McGivern

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Visit to Sorrento by Federal Members

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an Goodenough MP, the Federal member for Moore, has pulled out all stops in an effort to secure federal funding towards our new synthetic green! We really appreciate what he has done for the Sorrento Bowling Club. Thank you Ian.

Wendy Flack showing us all how to follow through and stay down! Note: Our Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been watching Wendy

Ian Goodenough and Scott Morrison being briefed by Wayne Gray on our new synthetic green

Dave Dunstan explaining to Scott Morrison how to avoid putting down a wrong bias! (as if this is something he never does?)

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Ian Goodenough, Trevor Orton, Senator Michaelia Cash, Pauline Marsden, Wayne Gray and John Abercrombie

Pauline Bourne showing Ian the correct action to be used Wendy Flack, John Abercrombie, Ian Goodenough, Pauline Marsden and Ron Taylor posing for Ian Goodenough's 2022 annual calendar

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Ron Taylor explaining lawn bowls to Ian Goodenough

A Bowler’s Prayer Bowling‘s my pleasure; I shall not want.

It maketh me to walk down green pastures, and leadeth me to compete in competitions.

It restoreth my gamesmanship and leads me in the path of David Bryant for the game’s sake.

Yea, though I bowl in the wind and rain, I will fear no evil.

For my Skip is with me.

My measure and chalk, they comfort me.

Thou preparest a rink for me in the presence of mine opponents.

I anointest my bowls with Grippo and my bowls runneth true Surely good wicks and lucky shots shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell on my bowling green forever.

– Carol A. Harradine from "Yes, I’m in Love with Lawn Bowling" by On-Kow Au

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Some Cartoons from "In the Groove" Thanks to Dianne Cox for these delightful cartoons from the Royal Victorian Bowls Association's "In the Groove" booklet published in 1979. Nothing much has changed in the last 43 years!

Another bad loser throws his toys out of the cot

Denis Lillee -–Another fast bowler puts one down

How to talk to your bowl as it makes its way down the green

Then why are you eating your bowl instead of the apple?

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BEFORE "Sculptured Art" before becoming Lawn Bowlers

AFTER After turning themselves into Lawn Bowlers

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A Beginner’s Guide to Becoming a Lawn Bowler

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s it really possible for two extraordinary guys to turn themselves from sculptured art into lawn bowlers? In this article Bob and Murray have shared their personal journey on how they became the two fine specimens of lawn bowlers you see today.

"Before starting to play bowls, my body was my temple. I worked hard in the gym, ate only what was good for me and no demon drink passed my lips. Then that fateful day I joined Sorrento. I became mesmerised by those four bowls at my feet. Rolling a bowl on the rink became my place of worship. I could not get enough of the Pennant's sandwiches and cheese and bickies after a social game. Finally hallelujah I saw the light and realised it wasn’t the demon drink, I thought it was but the nectar of the Gods dispensed over the bar. This resulted in the transformation into the fine figure of a bowler you see today". – Bob

"Being the shy retiring type, I worked hard on my mantra of improving my mind and body through expressing my feelings in appropriate ways. I knew that hard physical fitness would lead to happiness and by living a balanced life this would minimise unwanted complications.

Then I started to play lawn bowls and the rest as they say is history, here I am standing barefoot on a bowling green on a Friday night with my arms around another man. Go figure". – Murray It won’t happen overnight but if you persist you too can become like Bob and Murray Is it really possible for two ordinary guys to turn themselves into beasts? If you want to do the same contact our two athletes – Bob Jeffs and Murray Newman!

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Australia versus the Rest of the World

Winners were the Australian team Cheryl Greig, Matt Sharrett, Ron Taylor and Betty Stern Best team representing the Rest of the World were John Hobbs, Stan van Mosseveld, Antonio Farzio and Trevor Hughes 60

Some of the Winners of the "Crab Award" As part of the duty team, John Brown had not yet helped with anything, so he was set up to bring in the flags, despite them having already been brought in. John then made certain that everyone knew he was going out to bring in the flags, returning without them, much to everyone's amusement and cheering.

Another winner was Micky Martin. There were three contenders for the award – Micky Martin, Brian Lucas and Dan Greig who had all put down a wrong bias. By unanimous decision the crab was awarded to Mick, who as a Skip, should have known better.

When Alan Anderson won the Crab Award he and Ron Rogers were the only two members still drinking and Ron awarded the Crab to Alan who claimed: "I don’t even deserve this, I’ve never done anything wrong in my life."

Craig Grisbrook taking good care of the masked up Crab, awarded for not buying his Skip a drink. How could anyone be so forgetful!

Brian Collins was another winner.

He managed to put down a wrong bias during the roll up as well as during the game!

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The Monday Morning Volunteers

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he "Monday Morning Volunteers", formerly known as the “Thumbs Up Group” travelled to the GinGin pub in February for their Annual Social Meeting. This meeting had only one Agenda Item submitted by Colin Bangs, who proclaimed himself an Honoury Life Member. This proposal was passed unopposed.

As the Monday Morning Volunteers only receive “Volunteer Drink Vouchers” from the Club no financial report was required and as everyone was happy no complaints were raised. The meeting started 1.00.00pm and finished quickly afterwards as the drinks had arrived and we lost interest.

Enjoying the lunch were fulltime volunteers, Bob Jeffs and Brad Marshall, with Honorary Members Denis Croker and Alan Gallagher with the newly self appointed Honorary Life Member Colin Bangs.

Also wives and partners Shelley Jeffs, Jennifer Bangs, Maureen Gallagher, and Clare Walsh, helped to make it an enjoyable lunch and afternoon drinks and under sufferance listened to “Sorrento bowls talk”. Gerald Hanna and his wife were unable to attend.

New volunteers are welcome anytime, no experience required, just turn up Monday mornings at 7.30am and see Bob, Brad or Gerald.

Or you can just come for a coffee around 9.15 when the Honoury members arrive.

– Denis Croker

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The MegaBowl Overall Winners

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