Zone President’s Update – Oct 2020
Hello Members & Clubs of Zone 10,
As the October delegate meeting was cancelled due to insufficient delegates to make a quorum, I would like to give the following update to our Members and Clubs.
The past couple of months have been very challenging times for our Zone 10 Clubs through the COVID -19 pandemic as we learn to live through these difficult times under new restrictions which have made it difficult for clubs to trade at full capacity. We have seen Gladesville shut their doors on competition bowls and a couple of Clubs look at amalgamation to secure the future of their club. Restrictions put in place by the State Government, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard and Bowls NSW regarding Community Sport, put a cease to Zone & State Competition Bowls for a period of 6 weeks.
This affected inter-zone and the schedule for Zone Singles and Zone Pairs which had to be put on hold for some six weeks and then rescheduled to commence once the government eased off on the Community Sport restrictions.
I would like to thank the Zone 10 Bowls Co-ordinator Cameron Curtis & Zone 10 Match Committee for the quick rescheduling of the dates. As a result of this the semi-finals and final of the Zone State Singles were played on the 10th October at ATC – Rosehill Bowling Club, who we thank very much for their support and hosting of these prestigious events.
The very next day, the Zone State Pairs kicked off at various clubs around the Zone. All section winners played the finals at NBC Sports on the best greens and surrounds I have seen in a long time. A big thankyou to MJH Turf & NBC Sports Club for hosting this event.
Since the last juniors report we were going to play a 7a Side morning and afternoon representative game at Glenbrook Bowling Club, but this had to be cancelled due to the government shutdown of community inter-zone sport for six weeks.
Clubs, if you have any junior members at your club that are playing bowls (boys or girls), could you please give their contact details either to myself or our Zone Coordinator, Cameron Curtis.
The Zone coaches junior bowlers on the third Monday of every month from 5pm to 7pm at the Wenty Leagues Club. We are urgently looking for new junior bowlers within the Zone as we lose four of our best and most senior junior players out of our present nine players, as they turn 18 years old.
The Executive Committee have been active in implementing strategies to secure the future planning of Zone 10 which has included regular Zoom meetings with the following outcomes
- Zone 10 applied and were successful for the Grassroots grant of $1,000
- The Zone 10 Executive put a hold on the payment of the Zone 10 Co-ordinator for an 8-week period that we were unable to run competition due to restrictions
- Colin Lees (Castle Hill), Brett Hughes (NBC Sports Club), Michael Linnell (Toongabbie Sports Club) & Tony Wood (Club Merrylands) have been appointed to an extended Zone 10 Match Committee to give an equal balance around decisions made regarding Pennants & Zone 10 Championships. We are making sure there will be no conflict in interest when it comes to decisions and disputes.
- All clubs have paid an entry fee for the 2020 Pennants and will receive this as a credit for the 2021 Pennant season
If any of our Clubs need assistance during these difficult times I would ask you to please reach out by giving me a call and we would be happy to organise a meeting and see how we could best assist your club.
I look forward to seeing all the delegates at our next meeting at The Hills on Monday 7th December at 7pm.
Zone 10 President
Mark Barton