upshot - august 2010

ISSUE 13 AUGUST 2010

THE OFFICIAL BOWLS NZ eMAGAZINE

HOW TO: ZOOMClick the part you want to zoom into. Click again to zoom out.

TURN THE PAGEClick to the outside of the page area (indicated by the grey strips) to turn the page.

YOUR NATIONAL BOWLS AWARdS FINALISTS ANNOUNCEd

What will the next 100 Years of Bowls look like?


HAS YOUR CLUB EvER USEd THE TOWER BOWLS dEvELOPMENT FUNd?

dId YOU kNOW THAT THERE IS FUNdING AvAILABLE FOR THE

BENEFIT OF YOUR CLUB ANd ALL YOU HAvE TO dO IS APPLY FOR IT?

BOWLS dEvELOPMENT FUNd

Thinking about insurance? Talk to TOWER first free call 0800 477 466

To apply for a grant from the Development Fund or for more information please see www.bowlsnz.co.nz or contact your local Bowls NZ Community Development Officer

Bowls New Zealand Staff Profile – Rob Pidgeon 3

Why do we sell Ourselves and our Sport so Cheaply? 4-5

Can your Club afford to lose its Liquor Licence? 6

Bowls New Zealand Membership Project 2010 7

Review of the Capability and Performance of Bowls New Zealand 8

Myth Busting 9

Kiwisport to support Squad6 in Auckland 11

Club Scene 12-13

Rotorua East wins ClubCheck Silver 15

Redcliffs achieve Silver Award 15

North Island Greenkeepers Seminar 16

The South Island Seminar 16

Examination Routine for Registration as an Umpire, Law Umpire or Measurer 17

A moment in Bowls History 19

The Long Road to Commonwealth Gold begins in Mt Eden 20

Indian Commonwealth Games 21

Bowls New Zealand Judicial Process and the Aftermath of a Recent Hearing 24-25

A Surge and Merge for Barrington 27

National Bowls Awards FInalists 28

issueTHIS

When any member of your club signs up for TOWER Plus Bowls insurance it generates a rebate that is used to help our sport continue to thrive. These rebates go towards three areas.

l The TOWER Bowls Development Fund - a fund which supports initiatives that enhance our sport at club level!

l Marketing of our sport as whole to the wider community,l Training costs to upskill volunteers, executives, coaches, umpires etc

The TOWER Bowls Development Fund is available to clubs for initiatives that attract new members or new target audiences to our sport, for things like events aimed at attracting new participants, projects that will generate income, and plans that increase utilisation of facilities.

The TOWER Bowls Development Fund also funds projects aimed at up-skilling of volunteers, executive members and personnel. Up-skilling members can be through attending recognised training programmes or official conferences, which will provide immediate benefits to the governance, administration or operations of the club.

The rebates generated do not ever go towards the High Performance programme or Bowls New Zealand’s staff salaries. The rebates are purely for the furtherance of bowls as a sport and to provide funds for the development of the club and club membership.

Because the money for the fund comes from rebates when club members sign up for insurance with TOWER, the more members you have signing up the more money is available to use. So encourage your club members to move to TOWER and sign up for TOWER Plus Bowls cover!

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www.bowlsnz.co.nz

BOWLS NZ STAFF PROFILE

ROB PIdGEONRob is the first point of contact for many of our clubs, being a critical link in the distribution of information and helping to answer many of our clubs questions regarding new initiatives and support.

Rob joined Bowls New Zealand in 2007 as a Massey University practicum student. After completing his required 160 hours of (unpaid!) work he had managed to impress the Bowls New Zealand staff so much that they offered him a job as the Marketing and Communications Assistant. His job involves working with the Marketing and Communications Manager on a variety of tasks. He manages the website, oversees the production of UpShot and the Annual Report, works on sponsorship proposals, helps to ensure that the annual marketing and communications plans are successful, and has been a vital part of the development of the Mates in Bowls programme. He is also the one that is responsible for most of the communication with the clubs, when you receive an email about the latest issue of Upshot or the Black Jacks playing in an event he’s the one sending it.

Rob’s greatest frustrations is based around trying to build the quality of media coverage the sport deserves in the national media organisations, and keeping Mike his new marketing manager under control.

Rob is a dedicated member of United North Piha Lifeguard Service and serves as an executive of that club. Rob spends most of his weekends over the summer patrolling the beach, saving lives, and working with young surf life savers helping to grow their confidence and skills. Rob is so dedicated to this service he even has a lifesaving personalised plate on his car!

Rob is also working towards completing his post graduate

diploma in marketing part time, sometimes coming in to the office to study on weekends to get away from distractions. On top of all this Rob has just been appointed to the development position on the board of Sport Waitakere RST and has a bright future within the New Zealand Sporting environment. We are lucky to have such a dedicated and skilled individual working for the benefit of Bowls.

Rob plays in a social rugby team in the little spare time he has, and despite numerous injuries and constant grief received from the rest of the office over the years he is still playing between injuries to his ear, leg, shoulder, and the rest of his body.

How to contact Rob:Email [email protected] 09 571 9954


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www.bowlsnz.co.nz

WHY dO WE SELL OURSELvES ANd OUR SPORT

Mike O’Keefe, Marketing & Communications Manager, Bowls NZ

Simply put, if price was the only statement behind why people play casual sport, no social cricket, netball, soccer, touch rugby, squash, badminton, etc would survive. I go every Thursday to play indoor cricket. Every Thursday I pay my $12 willingly. Simply put I am not there because it’s the cheapest option, I am there to play a game I love, to be competitive, to be with friends I enjoy, and to get out of the house. Ask your casual players, and I bet you, their reasons for playing aren’t that much different.

I believe it is important when a person writes an opinion piece to state their biases and positions so that others can form an understanding of the logic, so that individuals can base their own conclusions on fact not hearsay. I don’t have a long history of playing bowls; most of my time has been in playing

cricket, from the early age of four when my first club game was on a mown strip of grass and the wickets an old beer crate. Over the years I have played at competitive junior and senior club level, in indoor, twilight and social teams. In all that time not once would I have expected someone else to pay for my participation, not once would I have expected to pay for someone else to have the privilege of participating. I have had to pay my own way to tournaments and nationals, to training camps and for additional coaching, this is how I have been acclimatised to sport and that to participate I needed to be able to pay my own way. I have been the marketing and communications manager with Bowls New Zealand for the last four months and believe my role is to add value to the organisation and to the clubs that make this sport possible.

What amazes me the most since I began with Bowls is that many people out there believe it is ok that they pay for two other people to participate in the sport almost free of charge. What is worse in my opinion is that many people don’t realise that they are paying so that two others don’t have to. What many clubs have done is bastardised the membership categories to give a category of player cheap playing rights to our sports at the expense of the traditional member.

What do I mean by this? Many clubs have utilised the social member category to give players a cheap option of participating in our sport. The social member category was designed for non players who wanted to participate in the Club, who were friends, family, wives, and husbands of members who didn’t want to, or couldn’t play bowls but wanted to be an active part of that club. This category never had playing rights, now many clubs have decided to use this for

players. What it has meant is that the full members are subsidising these individuals; these so called social bowlers are given in many instances unlimited access to greens and playing rights for a fraction of the cost to the traditional full member. Many of these social players will play up to five times a week for a token $30, while our traditional member struggles to play once a week for $150, where is the fairness in that?

I look at our sport and it feels unfair compared to what I have experienced in the past in other sports. It feels like the people who do all the work, the members, the volunteers, and the executives have to bear the burden of all the costs involved in the sport. As a social player in multiple sports I happily pay my fees, I expect to, I don’t know of anyone I have played with who hasn’t expected that. We don’t care where the money goes, our expectation is that when we turn up to play, there are adequately

SO CHEAPLY?


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www.bowlsnz.co.nz

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trained officials, the ground we play on is better than average, and that there are the facilities and equipment we need to participate. I am unsure why in bowls we feel it’s ok to put the entire burden on those that do the most work.

Now you may think I am exaggerating so here are the facts:That there are only 37,000 paying members, and currently they

have to support up to another 88,000 players of bowls, these figures are based on recent membership and Nielsen survey data. In the five months since I started with Bowls New Zealand I have read time and again peoples’ issues over membership fees. Never once has the issue been raised of a fair distribution, of those stalwarts of our sport having to bear all of the cost, not once has a casual participant raised concern over the potential of their contribution to the infrastructure of the sport, why? We, they, don’t care, as a social participant I am there to play, to participate, to enjoy the sport, and to go home. I expect to have everything I need to play when I turn up, and I am smart enough to realise some of that is to ensure the sport I love has the infrastructure to deliver that base expectation.

More focus is going on sports clubs with Liquor Licensing authorities looking closer at the actions of clubs, most of our clubs are operating in a ways that breach the current laws. Can your club afford to lose its Club license; can you afford not to have that revenue coming in?

So people why aren’t we affiliating our casual bowlers? Why aren’t we having them link into the infrastructure of our sport? Doing this, registering them, linking them into our payment models, ensures this sport can survive. Many sports I have participated in are doing it, and it’s one of the few areas bowls truly lags behind in.

I don’t think it’s fair that those people who happily pay their membership fees, believe in and value the club, who represent the heart and soul of the club, who help out the club where they can, are the ones also burdened with subsidising casual bowlers. It’s an aspect of our sport that confounds me, that I personally struggle with. I bet all of you who have or do play other sports never consider it, so why is it such an issue in ours?

NOTE: This is an opinion piece, written by Mike O’Keefe purely based on his own personal experience and opinion. It does not necessarily represent the official views, policies or opinion of Bowls New Zealand.

For feedback on this opinion piece email [email protected]

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LIqUORLICENCE?CAN YOUR CLUB AFFORd TO LOSE ITS

With the increased media coverage around alcohol related issues and the government’s continued focus on excessive alcohol consumption, underage drinking, breaches of license requirements, and the availability of cheap alcohol we thought it was prudent to take this opportunity to discuss and highlight the legislation under review by the government around the supply of alcohol and club liquor licenses.

As a significant part of the operation of clubs revolves around the management, running, and revenue generated from the Club’s bar, it is important we all understand our obligations and the nature of the potential changes our clubs face.

The Club “needs to be aware that a license is a privilege and not a right. It is not guaranteed profitability, and it’s holder acquires certain responsibilities” (Decision, Ocean Focus Limited LLA PH 579/2004). It is important that a club understands that a club liquor license is based on the fact that a clubs sole purpose is for the administration and participation of bowls and that the bar is an established privilege for the clubs members. Promoting free or cheap SOCIAL memberships is most likely to land your club in hot water with the District Licensing agency as you will be in breach of the conditions attached to a club Liquor License.

In 2007 the Liquor Licensing Authority provided this explanation around who can access the bar facilities of a club, “The Act gives privileges to a club but expects scrupulous behaviour in return. The basic rule is that members of the public are not sold liquor at a club, unless there is a special license in force. Or unless they are in the company of a member as a guest.” Guests must be accompanied by the member, and leave before or at the same time as the member. District Licensing Agencies’ require clubs to maintain a register (visitor book) to ensure compliance with this regulation and prefer a limit to

the number of guests allowed on the premises at any point in time. The member needs to ensure the guests behaviour and that they act in accordance to the law and the clubs regulations. Everybody else is to be treated as a member of the public and therefore requiring a special license.

The Sale of Liquor Review has made 151 recommendations for the government to consider. Areas of concern brought to their attention around clubs and Club Liquor licenses included:

Clubs not abiding by the conditions of their licenses and not being subject to as much scrutiny from licensing inspectors and police. The Committee recommends that the rules relating to clubs should be enforced more rigorously. In, addition, the new act should require “increased supervision of the sale of alcohol in clubs.”

Where the risk of alcohol related harm is high… there is much less justification of different treatment for clubs as opposed to other on-licenses. There was particular concern in relation to sports clubs because of the occurrences of sales to minors and sale to intoxicated people. The New Zealand police advise that some clubs are operating as de facto on-licenses by selling to members of the public as defined under the law or by promoting the consumption of cheap alcohol.

How does this impact your club?

Your club needs to ensure its policies around member categories align with the law and your constitution. There have been instances where social membership categories have been created by clubs which have breached the intent of the law, and sports clubs have had their licenses suspended or renewals held up while clarity is sought regarding the categories of membership and the numbers in each category. Remember that the prime purpose of a bowling club is to promote the game of bowls

and that the club license is ancillary to this purpose and is granted for the use by club members.

Clubs need to determine when the general public is going to be on the premises and they need to get a special license to ensure they do not breach the law. The advantage of a special license is that you can apply for multiple events on one application so look to your planning, try and apply for as many events as possible under one application so the club isn’t burdened by excessive costs and the time required for this process.

No matter what happens and what changes to the Liquor Laws are implemented all sports clubs are going to face increased scrutiny by District Licensing Authorities and police to ensure the basic legal requirements are being adhered to, so be proactive.

A simple question is, can your club afford to lose its club liquor license? If it can’t, then look at obligations and systems within the club, make sure you have your systems right, ask the District Licensing Inspectors to assist, talk to your Community Development Officers around best practice, Join SCANZ if you are not already a Member –they are experts in this field. They can be contacted on 0800 655 889 or e-mail CEO Bob Clark at [email protected] , postal address P.O. Box 1080, Dunedin 9054 and they have a website www.sportingclubs.org.nz


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www.bowlsnz.co.nz

MEMBERSHIPBOWLS NEW ZEALANd

PROjECT 2010As part of the ongoing review of

the financial viability of our sport, a

working group has been established

with the intention of researching

alternative models from which the

sport can continue to grow, and

ensures a fair distribution of the cost

of managing the infrastructure of our

sport in a fair and equitable manner

across all participants. The broad

aspects of the project are detailed

below:

BackgroundOne of the areas considered during

the Task Force deliberations of the One

Bowls: One Vision project included our

present membership categories as well

as the funding base of our sport. The

Task Force recommended that further

study be done into this aspect of our

sport.

The Board of Bowls New Zealand

considered the Task Force reports and

decided to commission a separate

project to consider the options for

membership of Bowls New Zealand

into the future.

Objective of ProjectTo recommend a membership

structure that will serve the sport of

bowls into the future.

The features of the proposed

membership structure are that:

l It reflects the participation base of

the sport into the future.

l It enables a fair and equitable

contribution to the infrastructure

costs of the sport.

l It is simple and has a low

compliance cost.

l It is self-regulatory.

Structure of ProjectThe project will start with a “clean

sheet of paper”, and will be conducted

in four stages, with a consultation

approach to be a critical element of the

process.

l Stage 1. Establish what structures

other sports and similar

organisations have – what works

and what does not. Request

submissions from the bowls

population as to options they

see taking bowls into the future.

Determine which examples

are applicable to the Bowls NZ

situation.

l Stage 2. Establish a selection

of options which should be

considered by Bowls NZ Board

and communicated for discussion

within the wider Bowls community

l Stage 3. Bowls NZ Board to

determine which option to adopt.

l Stage 4. Prepare any necessary

amendments if any to the

Constitution and inform

membership.

To ensure that this project and

the workgroup understands the

perspective and values of our clubs

and centres, in the first stage of this

project we are asking for submissions

by individuals, clubs, or groups on

potential options for consideration on

how the membership structure should

be maintained, developed, or adjusted

to best meet the needs of the sport

now and in the future.

Closing date for Submissions

October 31 2010

Submissions can be emailed to info@

bowlsnz.co.nz

Posted to:

Bowls New Zealand

PO BOX 62502

Kalmia St

Auckland 1544


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www.bowlsnz.co.nz

Bowls New Zealand, along

with 10 other National

Sporting Organisations,

recently underwent a

comprehensive review of its

capability and performance

using an Organisational

Development Tool process

developed by SPARC. The

tool uses a scoring system

modelled on the Baldridge

Criteria for Performance

Excellence (the world

recognised standard and used

by the New Zealand Business

Excellence Foundation) and

sets high standards.

Bowls New Zealand

achieved an overall score of

70 out of 100. This score put

the organisation in the High

Performing scoring band

(70-89%). A High Performing

score indicates the organisation’s

performance is embedded enabling

it to consistently meet or exceed

operational needs and stakeholder

expectations. There is evidence of

cycles of improvement. There are six

scoring bands being World Class, High

Performing, Sustainable, Developing,

Initiating and Absent. The covering

memo from SPARC states that scores

in the sustainable band are strong

results and scores above this are

uncommon. Many sport and recreation

organisations are scoring in the

Developing and initiating band during

their first assessment.

Areas in which Bowls New Zealand

displayed High performing scores were:

Leadership- in particular the sections

of Direction, Governance and CEO

performance, Planning- which includes

strategic and annual planning, Sport

Delivery- in particular the sections

on Marketing and Communications,

Event Management and Competition

Management, and Sport Management-

in particular the sections on financial

management, financial sustainability

and risk management.

The report states that this is

an impressive result for Bowls NZ

placing it firmly in the top band of

organisations assessed to date. As

such the bulk of the recommendations

relate to areas in which Bowls NZ are

already performing well, but could

be improved by some additions or

amendments to established processes.

The health of the sport at the

regional and club level is the most

significant issue facing the sport

of bowls. The sport of bowls has

some issues in ensuring the

game is delivered by strong

sustainable clubs, with

support provided by capable

regional bodies. The issue is

well-known and understood

by Bowls NZ, who is in the

middle of a well researched,

defined, and managed project

to devise and implement the

right solution to address.

Bowls New Zealand CEO,

Kerry Clark, comments that

this review is a very satisfying

result for both the Board

and Management who have

worked diligently over the

last few years to put in place

systems of governance,

planning and management

which are based on best

practice.

What we want to do now

is develop a similar approach for every

level of our sport and the Regional

Service Centre Model is the first step

along that path.

We are committed to working

with our community to achieve the

community sport investment priorities

that SPARC, as a result of this review,

have invested in us for the next three

years –they are:

1. Developing a collaborative sport

delivery model

2. Developing the capability and

capacity of organisations and

people involved in Regional Sports

Organisations and Clubs

3. Developing and supporting the

volunteer base for bowls

4. Enabling more opportunities

for young New Zealanders to

participate in bowls.

A team from SPARC enjoyed playing Mates in Bowls

at Khandallah Bowling Club last year.

PERFORMANCEREvIEW OF THE CAPABILITY ANd

OF BOWLS NEW ZEALANd


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www.bowlsnz.co.nz

How the Annual Membership Fee of

$27.54 will be spent for 2010-2011

season.

Key Fact: The membership fee

accounts for 38% of the Bowls New

Zealand income, so for every $1

the membership contributes to the

infrastructure of the sport; Bowls New

Zealand raises a further $1.50

Key Fact: No aspect of the High

Performance Program is funded

from the membership fee. The High

Performance Program runs to a

separate breakeven budget based on

Bowls NZ, in the interest of transparency, is introducing a “myth busting” segment, specifically dedicated to busting some common “myths” with the facts. Let’s look at…

the allocation from our funders e.g.

SPARC. The membership fee is designed

to support the infrastructure of our

sport and not to finance the High

Performance Program.

Key Fact: Bowls New Zealand

employs 11 full time employees (FTE)

and 5 part time employees (PTE).

5 FTE and 2 PTE are based at the

National Office. 5 FTE Community

Development Officers regionally, based

working with Centres and Clubs. High

Performance: 1 FTE National Coach in

Christchurch and 1 PTE Program Leader

in Auckland.

1 PTE National Coaching

Coordinator and 1 PTE Event Manager

regionally based working with Clubs,

Centres and Bowls NZ.

The average salary is $43,062 per

annum. Salaries account for 17%

of the expenditure attributed from

membership fees. Bowls New Zealand

has developed relationships with

outside funders so that significant

portions of the salary component are

funded by their contributions rather

than membership fees.

MYTH BUSTING

MYTH #1: Bowls NZ uses my annual membership fee to pay for high performance athletes and exorbitant staff salaries.

Membership Fee Allocation

2010-2011 Season

n One Bowls, One Vision (17%)

n Salaries (17%)

n Administration (5%)

n Governance/Board (9%)

n Marketing and Communication (15%)

n Development (13%)

n Coaching (3%)

n Competitions (5%)

n Greens Turf Culture (11%)

n Umpires (1%)

n World Bowls Levy (4%)

This graph shows:

How the Annual Membership Fee of $27.54 will be spent for 2010-2011

17%

17%

5%

9%15%

13%

3%

5%

11%

1%4%


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www.bowlsnz.co.nz

kIWISPORT TO SUPPORT SqUAd6 IN AUCkLANd

By Amy WilliamsBowls is a fast growing sport for

youths and the recent approval of Kiwisport funding by the Regional Sport Trust Alliance is a step towards more young people playing the sport.

The Regional Partnership Fund is aimed at encouraging partnerships between schools, clubs, local and community groups to get more young people involved in organised sport. Kiwisport’s support will grow bowls participation numbers and membership base, and help to ensure the future of the sport. Squad6 was run as a trial programme over the last year, and the funding from Kiwisport has led to a confirmed 600% growth in expected participation numbers for the coming year.

Squad6 is a structured 4-6 week competition where students compete in teams of 6. Squad6 is aimed at students that have never played before, and is a great way to introduce young people to the sport. It is intended to be a stepping

stone in the process of getting young people involved in Bowls, and will lead to students moving into full club memberships and high performance teams. Auckland Bowls Collegiate Committee Chairman Howard Sandler has been instrumental in the success of Squad 6 in Auckland, and has worked tirelessly to ensure that students enjoy their first introduction to bowls. Riki Burgess, Harbour Sport’s Sport Development advisor says that Squad6 is a fantastic programme for college kids, particularly having a big impact on kids that are not interested in the more physical sports. He says the way the sport and social components of the programme interact are great, and it is a programme that has good pathways to lead into high performance.

Working with Regional Sports Trusts will help the sport of bowls beyond just youth membership. Building a successful partnership will help to ensure that Regional Sports Trusts view bowls as a sport that is worth investing in in the future. We

are grateful to The Regional Sports Trusts for their support, and look forward to working with them in the future for the success of bowls and the health of Kiwi kids. Burgess thinks that the regional approach is a particularly effective model, and is a great example of bowls working with RSTs to bring benefits to the community.

Delivering Squad6 also involves cooperation between clubs and Auckland Bowls, as well as with Kiwisport. Auckland Bowls is responsible for introducing the concept to schools but it is club volunteers that actually run the programme. These volunteers are chosen because of their enthusiasm for growing bowls as a sport and their ability to deliver the programme in a fun, structured environment. Their support is invaluable for the success of the programme and many thanks go all our volunteers.

Pictured below: Students enjoy Squad6 in Northland.


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www.bowlsnz.co.nz

congratulationsCongratulations to David Ormsby and Bob Moore for their Greenkeeping Awards

for services to the industry. Congratulations also go to Norman Cowie, Martin

Christensen, Harry Hopping, Ann Dougal and Warwick Graham who also received

awards during recent greenkeeping seminars.

David Ormsby received a Merit Award for his 21 years of service. Starting out

as an Agronomist in Hamilton in 1989 David has become a respected member

of the community for his contributions to greenkeeping for local bodies, golf

clubs and bowling clubs in the area. During his time as an Agronomist there has

been a marked improvement in the playing fields in the area, including the field

of the “best rugby stadium in New Zealand”. Bob Moore was the recipient of a

long service award for his services of an astounding 36 years! Bob’s dedication to

greenkeeping is remarkable, and Tinwald Bowling Club are exceptionally lucky to

have him. He always puts the greens first, and takes every opportunity to increase

his knowledge and expertise.

David and Bob are outstanding members of the Bowling community and their

contributions have helped to guarantee that bowling clubs continue to have high-

quality greens in the future.

jacobson hyundai performs on and off the greenGrant Jacobson, Director of Jacobson Hyundai, Tauranga and

Bowls NZ CDO’s Steve Beel and Steve Smith were part of the

“sponsors team” at the recent Fat Snapper tournament held at

the Tauranga South Bowling Club in Tauranga.

Jacobson Hyundai are a principal sponsor of the Tauranga

South club and when the club was holding their marquee

tournament it was too good of an opportunity for Grant and

Bowls NZ to miss. Steve Beel organised the entry, arranged for

Steve Smith to bolster the talent and for Mark Reid, the required

junior of the team, to play – plus spend time with Grant to coach

him in preparation for the event. Team Hyundai shirts were

arranged, Bowls stickers proudly showing the Hyundai brand

were sourced and the team was ready to do battle.

Whilst the weather was the winner the team did perform both on and off the

green. Grant also had cars on display as well as other promotional material and

plenty of people were interested.

The bowling highlight was Grant having his first ever “bowls drive”. The initial

problem was ‘the drive’ was something Grant had only seen and not tried before,

anyway in a fairy tale like fashion Grant lined up the ‘fast drive” shot, let fly at the

target and without fear of contradiction never looked like missing the target from

the time it left his hand. So Hyundai was a great drive on and off the green.

club scene

Bob Moore (right) receives his long

service award from Norman Cowie.

The “Sponsors Team” – Beel, Jacobson, Reid & Smith.

Jacobson lines up the drive.

issue 13 august 2010

have a go daysunday october 10

over 85 clubs have signed up

register your club online and download templates at www.bowlsnz.co.nz

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www.bowlsnz.co.nz

CLUB SCENE

HYUNdAI @ FIELdAYSBlack Jack Genevieve Baildon stopped in to see the Hyundai

Fieldays stand at Mystery Creek recently. Hyundai had an

impressive display featuring their range of quality vehicles.

Don’t forget to get your $25 WOF Test at your nearest

Hyundai dealership. See p.12 of Upshot or www.bowlsnz.co.nz

for more information.

UPSHOT EMAIL PROMOTIONWe received a number of entries for the Upshot Email

Promotion. Thank you to all Club Secretaries who submitted

entries on behalf of their Clubs. Congratulations to the

following winning clubs:

l Green Island Bowling Club - Millennium Hotels and Resorts

Prize

l Mairangi Bay Bowling Club – Henselite Bowls Prize

l Beckenham Bowling Club – National Interclub Entry Fee

paid for 2010-2011

LIFE MEMBERSHIP FOR ALLAN GRIFFITHSJanis Reynolds (Secretary Stoke Bowling Club) reports that

Allan Griffiths was made a life member at the AGM of Bowls

Nelson. He was also elected President of Stoke Bowling Club

recently. Congratulations Allan.

6th INTERNATIONAL dEAF LAWN BOWLS CHAMPIONSHIPA team of 12 New Zealanders will compete at the

International Deaf Lawn Bowls Championships in Perth,

early next year. New Zealand has placed well at the previous

International Championships, placing bronze overall at the

last event.

This time, NZ is very determined to win gold but, they

need your help to get there. Deaf Lawn Bowls NZ is requesting

assistance with fund raising efforts. If you can help, please

contact Treasurer Joan Richards, email: [email protected];

1/210 Mangorei Road, Merrilands, New Plymouth;

Fax (06) 758 1669.

A NEW GREEN FOR LEvIN BOWLING CLUBAfter many months of planning, fund raising and negotiation President Paul Skilton and Dales NZ Director Tony Pellet signed

the contract for the construction of a new artificial green for Levin Bowling Club.

The signing of the contract represents the culmination of many months of hard work by a small team dedicated to the

concept of a better artificial playing surface for their club.

do you have a story of interest that would be suitable for Upshot? Email your article and high resolution photos to [email protected]

Michelle Hurley-Scotson (Hyundai New Zealand Sales and

Operations Manager) and Genevieve Baildon at Fieldays.


13

www.bowlsnz.co.nz

ClubCheck

ROTORUA EAST WINS CLUBCHECk

SILvER

REdCLIFFS ACHIEvE SILvER AWARd

By Amy Williams

Congratulations to Rotorua

East Bowling Club who have been

presented with their ClubCheck

Silver Award. Led by Club President

Stu Whibley, a dedicated team of

volunteers have worked tirelessly to

win the award.

The club now has plans in place to

ensure their success in the future, and

they are on their way to making the

necessary changes to grow and survive

in the future. Mary Solomon has been

the driving force behind the adoption

of the Mates in Bowls programme,

By Vince Roper

A vision for something different

was what stimulated Peter Hyland

to throw his energies into a club

development role at the Redcliffs

Bowling Club over the last couple of

years. The Club and members ‘took

on board’ the need to become more

responsible for their own future.

The early focus was on the

clubrooms which underwent a major

refurbishment and modernisation. The

initiation of a new women’s invitation

tournament, development of a recipe

book, increased sale of signage and

sponsorship, and active exploration of

all revenue streams have had a positive

effect on the culture and pride of the

Pictured above: Stu Wibley and Bowls

NZ CDO Steve Beel. Photo courtesy of

Greg Gould Photographics.

which has been an integral part of

their Club Plan success.

Steve Beel, Rotorua East’s local

Community Development Officer says

“The Rotorua East team has been great

to work with. It proves that if you get

the leadership right, with a can do

attitude, glass half full outlook then

anything is possible. The results being

achieved are proof that the Bowls

NZ programmes of Club Plan coupled

with Mates in Bowls is the way of the

future.“

For the Club to gain the Silver

award in such a short time is testament

club members. The club is proactive in

seeking ways to attract players at all

levels.

The community linkage has

been reinforced with the running

of the ‘Mates-in Bowls’ (MIB) model

designed to increase the bowler

numbers in the sport. Redcliffs was

the first Christchurch club to embrace

this concept when it was launched

nationally. The facilities are now

also being used more by community

organisations for meetings and

functions, and tai-chi and pilates

sessions are held on a regular basis.

Redcliffs efforts were also

channelled by the Bowls NZ Club Plan

processes which outline the areas a

progressive club should be working

on, ie planning, people, the club and

the game. “We found the resources

to the key volunteers in the club and

is a excellent example to other small

Bowling clubs in New Zealand. The

volunteers at Rotorua East understand

that improvement is a continuing

journey and that, while compromises

may have to be made, the club will

continue to grow and thrive because

of their dedication to the Club Plan

Process.

If you are interested in getting

your club started on the Club Planning

Process please contact your local CDO,

details are on www.bowlsnz.co.nz

from Bowls NZ very helpful and easy

to adapt” says Peter, “and having

things like proper job descriptions and

documented operating plans gives us

a much clearer focus on what is going

to be done around the club and by

whom”.

Don Simpson, club president,

believes the club is on the right track

and the plans now in place help to

show members the way forward. “We

find it is becoming easier to shoulder

tap people to give a hand when they

can see what the club is trying to

achieve” says Don.

Proud of the Silver ClubCheck

Award, “There’s work to do yet”, says

Peter, and the club’s vision is to convert

the club’s adjacent paddock back into a

fully utilised green.

Pictured left, Peter Hyland and Bowls NZ CDO Vince Roper.


15

www.bowlsnz.co.nz

FOCUS ON GREENkEEPING

NORTH ISLANd GREENkEEPERS SEMINAR

TAURANGA, 21-22 jUNE 2010

THE SOUTH ISLANd SEMINAR

ASHBURTON, 6-7 jULY 2010

By Norman Cowie

The Bay of Plenty Greenkeepers

hosted a very successful North Island

Seminar at the Tauranga South

Bowling Club. The seminar included

a comprehensive array of workshops,

open forum discussions, information

about greenkeeping training, and

discussions around green evaluation

forms, Bowls New Zealand’s contract

with NZSTI and Bowls New Zealand’s

strategic plan.

Among the highlights at the

gathering was the enthusiastic manner

By Norman Cowie

The excellent programme started with a welcome from Ashburton

Mayor Mr Bede O’Malley, and Norman Cowie. The topics covered

were similar to the North Island Seminar, and included discussion

about organic matter management, legislation and risk management,

drainage, and planning machines. The speaker line up for the event

was exceptional, and the comment and involvement from the floor

during every talk and paper was outstanding. Bob Moore received

a Long Service Award for his amazing achievement of 36 years in

service. A Life Membership was also presented to Warwick Graham for

his services to the association since 1988.

The New Zealand Greenkeeping Association held its Bi Annual

General Meeting on the evening of the 6th and the following officers

were elected:

l President – Ron Sabin (Canterbury)

l Vice President – Norman Cowie (South Canterbury)

l Secretary – Maurice Symes (Canterbury)

l Treasurer – Warwick Graham (Canterbury)

Committee

l Marty Webb (Northland)

l Evan Forde (Auckland)

l Murray Adamson (Hamilton)

l Stu Dally (Canterbury)

l Roger Gibson (Otago)

in which prominent expert agronomist,

David Ormsby, dispensed his wide

knowledge to the eager audience.

Other workshops included mower

setting by Evan Ford, verti drain in

action by Parklands Turf, and reading

product labels by Prebble Seeds. In

addition to the main workshops there

were several speakers giving lectures

about a variety of issues that face

greenkeepers today.

Martin Christensen received a

Greenkeepers Long Service Award from

Bowls New Zealand Greenkeeping

Association President Norman Cowie,

a fitting reward for 26 years of

service in the greenkeeping industry.

Congratulations must also go to Harry

Hopping and Ann Dougal who were

presented with the Merit Award

Plaque for 12 and 10 years of service

respectively. David Ormsby, who

is widely regarded as one of New

Zealand’s most expert greenkeepers

received a Merit Award for his

outstanding 21 years of service.


16

www.bowlsnz.co.nz

FOCUS ON UMPIRING

EXAMINATION ROUTINE FOR REGISTRATION AS AN UMPIRE, LAW UMPIRE OR MEASURER

(ACCREdITATION) ANd RE-ACCREdITATION

AccreditationThe 2010 examination routine

for new umpires is well underway

and the results to hand so far are

again very pleasing. We have had

only one failure so far this year and

that was in the practical aspects of

the process, where the candidate

had been unable to attend the

tutoring sessions, so once again, we

are seeing that candidates are easily

achieving the required 90% pass rate,

provided that they have attended the

tutorials and training sessions. Let’s

attempt to dispel those myths and

misconceptions that still exist about

the examination routine for umpire

candidates, particularly amongst

those members of Centres that have

not participated in the training and

examination schemes that have now

been in place for two years.

In 2006, Bowls NZ decided to use

the examination papers and practical

exercises set by World Bowls and

one of their directives is that the

examining officer(s) must come from

the National Authority’s Umpires

Committee. Bowls NZ also directed

the Umpires Committee to put in

place a standardised training routine

and ensure that all Centre CEOs and

all Umpire Associations received

copies. Whereas in the past, a pass

mark of 80% was required, the new

routine called for a pass mark of

90% in both the laws and practical

sections. Subsequently, several Centres

and Umpire Associations expressed

their disapproval at this new higher

level and also at not being able to

conduct their own examinations.

After the first two years of this

‘new’ routine, these fears have

proved unfounded as over 97% of

those candidates who have been

tutored both through the 10 unit

Umpires Training Course and the

fifteen exercise practical course, have

bettered the 90% mark with several

obtaining 100%.

All this means that the tutors

have been well satisfied with their

success, the candidates have been

‘chuffed’ and the standard of the new

umpires coming through has been

markedly improved, putting them on

the first rung of the ladder to their

greater success that will come from

the experience they gain and further

self training.

Any concerns you still harbour

concerning the new routine and

the required 90% pass mark are

unwarranted as it is proving highly

successful, so join the throng and

restart the flow of new umpires in

your district.

Re-AccreditationThere is appears to be some

confusion in some Centres/Association

about the Re-accreditation

requirements.

Re-accreditation is required every

four years and the recommended

process is that the umpires concerned

are brought together and by

mutual participation in a relaxed

local atmosphere, answer at least

ten questions on the current laws

and Domestic Regulations, (drawn

from the fifty questions provided by

the Bowls NZ Umpires Committee),

and complete at least six of the

practical exercises from the fifteen

exercise routine used in the annual

accreditation routine.

On completion, the Centre/

Association records should be altered

to show the new expiry date and this

should also be noted in the annual

return to the Bowls NZ secretary

reporting on currently active umpires.BOWLS NZ UMPIRES COMMITTEEPictured from left - Helen Stallard (Chair), Martin Christensen, Reg Briggs and Ray Hunt.


17

www.bowlsnz.co.nz

The perfect partnership.

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AS OFFICIAL VEHICLE SPONSOR OF BOWLS NZ, HYUNDAI IS PROUD TO OFFER ALL BOWLS NZ MEMBERS THE FOLLOWING OFFER*:• $25WOFchecksatyourlocaldealer• $250toyourlocalbowlingclubforanyHyundaipurchasedatyourlocaldealer• $250tothesportofbowlsforanynewHyundaipurchasedatyourlocaldealer• UniqueBowlsNZ/Hyundaikeyringforeverytestdrivetakenatatyourlocaldealer **

BOWLSHISTORYA MOMENT IN

Silver Fern Returns after 89 Years

In May, a small, tarnished and

fragile Silver Fern badge, wrapped

carefully on a bed of cotton wool and

encased in a sturdy plastic container

arrived in the post at the Auckland

based office of Bowls NZ office. After

some investigation, this small trinket

revealed a small yet remarkable bowls

story dating back to 1921 when the

Dominion of New Zealand Bowling

Team embarked on a tour of Great

Britain and Ireland.

The badge was discovered in

England by Bob Langton, as he was

sorting through his mother’s effects.

Bob assumed that the bowlers badge

was given to his mother during the

1921 visit to England by George

and Elizabeth Ulmer of Wellington.

Recognising the national importance of

the item, Bob was keen to return the

badge home to New Zealand after 89

years and it was his friend Barry Flavall

from Outram who forwarded it to

Bowls NZ.

Upon receiving the badge, CEO

Kerry Clark acknowledged its historical

significance and sent it onto the

TSB Bank Bowls NZ Museum in New

Plymouth for display. Teena Foreman

is the curator of the museum and she

picked up the trail, trying to track

down the original owner of the badge.

The booklet held at the museum

titled “The Dominion Of New Zealand

Bowling Team 1921 – a record of the

tour of Great Britain and Ireland” has

the matches listed and the players of

both sides included with their scores.

After scouring through the records it

was found that no one by the name

of Ulmer was part of the official tour

party. Teena sent Bob a list of names

from the tour and it was found that

the Hills were the link.

Bob reflects, “on my Mother’s

side of the family we had two sets of

cousins in New Zealand - the Ulmers

in Wellington and the Hills in New

Plymouth. We were closer to the

Hills because they sent us regularly

throughout the Second World War

wonderful parcels of tinned food that

were quite absent from the shelves

of our pretty bare shops in England.

I lived in Chessington, Surrey about

14 miles from the centre of London.

My father insisted that all four of our

family got together at the ceremonial

opening of the food parcel from

Cousin Emily - and we made the

contents last as long as possible!”

TSB Bank Bowls NZ Museum

Our sport is rich in history and the TSB Bank Bowls NZ Museum in New Plymouth is where our national bowls treasures and memorabilia are being preserved. The museum was established by Bob Vinsen, who is a dedicated bowls enthusiast, in his garage and then it was moved to its current location on the grounds of the New Plymouth Bowling Club.

Currently Teena Foreman is the curator who has her work really cut out for her! With archiving, upkeep of displays, as well as research history requests, it’s a big job keeping on top of it all. If you’re interested in preserving the great history of our sport and have a few hours to volunteer, weekly or even monthly, Teena would love to hear from you.

Contact Teena Foreman on; 06-758 0284 or [email protected]

WantedDo you have copies of the NZ

Bowler magazine from 1960-1969? The TSB Bank Bowls NZ Museum is missing magazines from this era and would like to complete their collection. Contact Teena Foreman on; 06-758 0284 or [email protected]


19

www.bowlsnz.co.nz

BLACk jACkS

THE LONG ROAd TO COMMONWEALTH GOLd BEGINS IN MT EdEN

By Crispin Anderlini

After a six week hiatus from the

pressures of international bowls, the

Black Jacks are back with a vengeance.

The Mount Eden Bowling Club was the

site chosen to kick off the first week

back in training, and under a sharp,

wintry blue sky New Zealanders’ trust

in medal success looked well-placed.

From now until the

Commonwealth Games begin in

October there will be fitness training

schedules to adhere to, international

matches to attend, and of course hours

of time spent on the greens for these

world-class athletes. Tight-knit and

comfortable as they appear, every one

of the 12 bowlers has had to balance

full-time jobs, families and training

to get to where they are. It’s not an

easy schedule to keep, but having the

opportunity to represent your country

is well worth the sacrifice. In line with

this busy schedule, the Black Jacks are

heading to Fiji this month “to simulate

the heat and green speeds they’ll get

in Delhi,” explains NZ National Coach

Dave Edwards. “Half the time between

now and the Commonwealth Games

will be spent overseas acclimatising

and practising.”

So how are the Black Jacks dealing

with the pressure and the build up to

the Games?

Women’s

Singles: Val Smith

(Women’s Singles

world number

one): “I’ve done it

before (competed

internationally)

many times, but it’s

always different. I

wasn’t sure about getting back into

it after the break from bowls, but

now I’ve started I’ve fallen back into

it easily, and we’re getting a real buzz

in the team as we prepare for the

Games.”

Men’s Singles:

Ali Forsyth (Men’s

Singles world

number four): “I’m

looking forward to

going back to Delhi

and playing against

the world’s best. It

won’t be as hot this

time and it’s what we’ve been training

for. I think we’ve got a great chance to

go all the way at the Games.”

Women’s Pairs: Jan Khan & Manu

Timoti: “We’re a new pair,” says Khan,

“and we’re going great. Maybe it’s the

Maori in us – the aroha between us

that works to make our team strong....

It’s fantastic to be back training for this

event, and after spending the break

with family I think we’ve all come back

fresh. You need a break from the sport

once in awhile because it requires a lot

of commitment and sacrifice to reach

this level and stay there.”

Men’s Pairs: Danny Delany &

Richard Collett: “We’ve been training

like greyhounds racing around a track,”

says Collett. “Three or four times a

week we’re doing fitness training; it’s

high on the agenda and we’re ahead of

schedule on the fitness tests,” confirms

Delany, “I have to lose 10 kilograms

before October, but it’s fine. It’s the

biggest event in the world for bowls,

so it can’t hurt to go to the gym a bit.

We’re also going to be having longer

days than last time (8-Nations event).”

Women’s Triples: Genevieve

Baildon, Dale Lang & Karen Coombe:

“It’s been a bit strange not flying

around the place for bowls (during the

break),” reports Baildon. “I was settling

into life, but now it’s time to focus on

fitness and I’m throwing everything

into training. Having that fitness on you

helps in high heat and humidity, so I’m

spending five days a week in the gym

and four on the greens. I think we took

some confidence from the recent Trans-

Tasman results, so we’re on form.”

Men’s Triples: Andrew Todd,

Shannon McIlroy & Richard Girvan: “I

was blown away really when I found

out I was selected,” explains McIlroy.

“It’s the pinnacle of our sport and

you’re playing against a contingent

of 300 bowlers; it’s quite special. I’m

lucky to be playing with these guys.

They’re both world champions, so that

increases our chances of winning, but

we also believe in ourselves. I think we

have a good chance of winning gold

medals and there’s a good chance of us

all picking up medals. But there’s a lot

of training to be done, and from now

until the Games everything’s going to

go really fast.”

Photos by Crispin Anderlini – www.

crispinanderlini.com


20

www.bowlsnz.co.nz

INdIAN COMMONWEALTH GAMES TEAM LOOkS TO NZ IN BId TO BECOME BOWLS

POWERHOUSEBy Crispin Anderlini

A newcomer to international greens, the Indian Commonwealth Games bowls team landed on NZ shores last month in an effort to gain experience and learn from some of the sport’s heavyweights.

Having initially been turned away by Australia because of an embarrassing immigration wrangle over player incomes, the team was welcomed by Bowls NZ and stepped next door to get a taste of the level of play to be expected at the Games.

After warming up with local Auckland clubs, the fresh-faced Indian side began their learning curve at the Pukekohe Bowling Club with their first unofficial test against the veteran Black Jack team on July 15. Putting everything they have learned from Indian Commonwealth Games Coach Richard Gale into practice, the visiting

team proved they were primed and ready to roll against the best.

Despite losing all but one match against their more experienced hosts, confidence was brimming and spilled over into some highly charged and closely contested games.

“Experience is the difference between winning and losing,” observed 28-year-old Women’s Triples player Pinki, “that’s what we need to improve. They’re [NZ] good, but we’ll be better.”

Gale agrees with the assessment, predicting that by 2012 they will be “a force to be reckoned with”; if they can get the experience they need to improve. “It’s a major problem for us and that’s why we’re here,” says Gale. “Some of the players have only been playing for 14 months, but we proved ourselves at the 8-Nations and we’ll definitely win more than we lose at

the Games.” Looking to the 8-Nations for an

idea of where India is at as a bowling nation is a good indicator of the level they have already reached in their two year-old quest for dominance. The Men’s Pairs, for example, came searingly close to toppling golden boys Dan Delany and Richard Collett when the match went to a tie-breaker that the NZ team just won. Interestingly enough, the same situation was repeated at Pukekohe with NZ losing on the tie-break in the first game and winning the ti-break in the second. “The men are no slouches,” confirms Gale, “but the Women’s Triples are our strongest team.” A word of warning to our top-rated women bowlers: India are not a side to be taken lightly when it comes time to don the colours and roll for their country.

Pictured from left: Danny Delany, Indian Women’s Pairs, Val Smith and the Black Jacks and India Teams.

Photos by Crispin Anderlini www.crispinanderlini.co.nz


21

www.bowlsnz.co.nz

BOWLS NZ sign new deal with LEGENDZ Teamwear! Bowls NZ are proud to announce a 4 year partnership deal with LEGENDZ TEAMWEAR that will change the way you can buy your white wear and teamwear.

The partnership will enable every club, and their members, the opportunity to purchase white wear and teamwear in their local community POSTIE Store, and be rewarded for it! LEGENDZ is also the of cial teamwear suppliers for the NZ BLACKJACKS.

LEGENDZ Teamwear is part of PPGL Group. POSTIE has 81 stores nationwide, which will enable a tailored solution for your local club via the closest POSTIE store. When your club of cially signs up with LEGENDZ TEAMWEAR as their supplier, a range of white wear polo’s personalised with your club LOGO can be stocked locally.

So how will this work? We need your feedback to get the best solution possible.

• In mid-August LEGENDZ will send a questionnaire out to get you feedback on what your requirements are. BOWLS NZ are also organising focus groups, in selected locations.

• Promotional signage and catalogues will be sent out to individual clubs, supported by a number of visits by LEGENDZ representatives throughout the country.

• From October of this year all 81 POSTIE stores around the country will have Bowls white wear standard apparel.

• If your club has signed up via the local POSTIE in your community, we can also have your club logoed stock in store.

• When your members’ purchase Bowls white wear via POSTIE – your club automatically gets 5% cash-back for your club! (However - Your club must be registered to a Local POSTIE

store to redeem this cash-back offer)

What are the bene ts for your club, your Members and your community?

No more stock holding apparel at your club

No more waiting for apparel with your club logo to be made

A handy customer service number, with a LEGENDZ representative only a phone call away

An easier process for clubs and members to purchase standard white wear apparel

Cash-back rebate that generates income for local bowls clubs

Competitive pricing and superior product

A customised service for local clubs

We are KIWI owned and employ over 800 Kiwi’s throughout the country

POSTIE supports KIWI communities – to date we have given over $4 Million to local schools as part of our Schooltex school range.

So who are LEGENDZ Teamwear? LEGENDZ Teamwear is an exciting New Zealand based grassroots apparel company. With LEGENDZ you can create own teamwear apparel on line, or select from a number of stylish teamwear options. We can cater for all your teamwear needs!

As part of the New Zealand owned PPGL group, we have access to over 81 outlets nationwide, with over 100 years history and experience in the retail and apparel industry.

We are passionate about sport and the local community, and look forward to working with you.

A message from LEGENDZ teamwear about the partnership...

On behalf of LEGENDZ and POSTIE, we want to let the Bowls fraternity know how proud we are to be involved with your organisation.

The opportunity to work with one of NZ’s growth sports is very exciting, along with partnering the BLACKJACKS journey over the next 4 years in their quest for Commonwealth Games and World Cup titles.

We are thrilled to enter into a partnership with all 650 clubs and its 100,000 members in the country – We believe that this partnership will be a WIN-WIN for both parties, and has potential to raise the awareness of BOWLS, and give the organisation a solid nancial growth.

For this to work, we will need to get feedback from the Bowling community, which we will look forward to receiving over the next month.

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT LEGENDZ TEAMWEAR CONTACT -

William Locking - Regional Account RepresentativeDDI: 09 820 4409Mobile: 027 224 2944 FAX: 0800 802 820Email: [email protected]

WWW.LEGENDZ.CO.NZ

See WWW.POSTIE.CO.NZ for store locations

TEAMWEAR

potential to raise the awareness of BOWLS, and give the organisation

Bowling community, which we will

EAMWEAR CONTACT -

entative


During the last twelve months there has

been a spotlight on Bowls New Zealand

which has been driven primarily by an

incident that occurred during the Asia

Pacific Championships in August 2009.

While the organisation and a majority

of those associated with this incident wish

to move on it is disappointing to record

that there is still alive and well a “whisper

campaign” circulating which questions

the process involved in investigating

and hearing this incident and labels the

process used for the hearing as a “set up”.

At a function held recently, a Bowls

New Zealand Board Member overheard a

conversation suggesting that the Judicial

Review was a set up and that the players

involved did nothing wrong etc.etc.

The details of these proceedings

are not intended to be detailed in this

article but it will counter what is being

said about the process used by Bowls

New Zealand to investigate proceedings

of misconduct and the rumour being

circulated that the proceedings were a

set up.

Bowls New Zealand is fortunate to

have a Judicial Committee with high

credentials. All have been involved in

numerous areas of law in their careers

and are active players of lawn bowls. In

their day to day working life this group

of individuals have constantly dealt with

inquiries where they were required to

assess information in an objective manner,

assess the demeanour of those making

representations to them and then make

decisions based on the evidence presented

to them.

The innuendo now being raised

about this case cannot go unchallenged

as it is, without foundation, an attempt

to slander the reputation of the Judicial

Committee Members, the Board of Bowls

New Zealand who made the decision to

commence the proceedings and the Bowls

New Zealand staff involved.

Commencement of proceedings

The proceedings were commenced

on the direction of the Board of Bowls

New Zealand after they received a report

from the National Coach on the incident

in Malaysia. The substance of the National

Coaches report was corroborated by

separate statements from Athletes and the

Team Managers from the Canadian Team

taking part in the same Championship and

from the World Bowls Officials who were

the Tournament Directors.

The National Coach reported a breach

of the Players Agreement and Code of

Conduct to the Board of Bowls New

Zealand. All Players taking part in the

Championships had signed the Players

Agreement and the Code of Conduct

which included the following obligations

l To maintain at all times a high

standard of sportsmanship and fair

play

l Always playing to the best of their

ability and where appropriate to

perform as part of a team

l Abide by the Laws of the Sport, its

Regulations, Conditions of Play and

the Bowls New Zealand Constitution

and Regulations.

The Board of Bowls New Zealand

arranged for the National Coaches report

to be investigated and, after investigation,

referred it to the Judicial Committee for

consideration.

The Board considered that this must

be dealt with by the Judicial Committee

as the report constituted a breach of the

Bowls New Zealand Constitution and the

Values of Bowls New Zealand.

The hearing processIt has been stated that this should

have been dealt with in Malaysia by

World Bowls and that it should have

not come back to New Zealand. That is

incorrect. World Bowls could have dealt

with the matter under Law 54 if they had

a complaint filed within the time frames

but these proceedings involved more than

Law 54. The Judicial Committee made

the following observation regarding the

commencement of the proceedings in

their substantive decision –

“in this case the Respondents i.e. the

athletes who were representing New

Zealand had signed Player Agreements

in New Zealand prior to competition.

By signing the agreement they agreed

to comply with the Constitution and

Regulations of Bowls NZ amongst

other things. This was not a situation

where the controlling body for the

tournament i.e. World Bowls was

appealed to in terms of Law 54 of the

Laws of the Sport of Bowls.

The time taken to deal with this case

also came in for criticism. In their decision

jUdICIAL PROCESS

24

www.bowlsnz.co.nz


AFTERMATH

on penalty the Committee comments –

“ We are aware from what has

appeared in the media and elsewhere

that Bowls New Zealand has been

accused of protracting the prosecution

and conclusion of this matter. From

what evidence we have it is our

opinion that once the Canadian

complaint was referred to it, Bowls

New Zealand not only proceeded

with due expedition with the only

course available to it but also was at

pains through its counsel to provide

all other requirements in a timely

manner. The delays that occurred

subsequently were to a very large

degree brought about in an effort to

make sure that the Respondents, at

each stage of the proceedings, were

not denied natural justice.”

Throughout these proceedings

all parties were legally represented as

requested by the Committee. At the

hearing in December 2009 all witnesses

were available to be questioned by either

party and by the Committee and Counsel

for both sides were invited to make final

written submissions and the Committee

then reserved its decision.

The process followed was exactly in

accord with what the Bowls New Zealand

Constitution and Judicial Regulations

provided for.

A disappointing aspect has been

the one sided angle taken by the

media. Throughout the whole process

Bowls New Zealand took the view that

the proceedings were sub judice i.e.

before a Court or Tribunal for hearing

and therefore media comment was

inappropriate. That wasn’t respected by

all parties and resulted in a media frenzy

based on opinion rather than fact.

Decisions on the case were delivered

early in the New Year, the case was then

appealed to the Sports Disputes Tribunal

when an agreement was reached in

March 2010 between the parties when

the Players withdrew their appeals and

accepted the decisions of the Bowls

New Zealand Judicial Committee. Bowls

New Zealand agreed to waive the fines

imposed by the Committee but all other

findings and penalties were accepted.

What has happened since the hearings

These proceedings and the action

taken against our Men’s Fours teams at

World Bowls 2008 have done reputational

damage to Bowls New Zealand and teams

representing New Zealand.

There is no doubt that if faced by

a similar situation the Bowls NZ Board

would authorise a similar process to

uphold the Constitution and Values of the

Organisation.

In his Annual Report to the World

Bowls Ordinary General Meeting which

will be held in Delhi in 2010 the President

of World Bowls, John McArdle, states as

follows –

“However the one comment which as

President I have to make is on the incident

at the Asia Pacific games. Whilst the New

Zealand Board are to be commended

on their stance and the actions taken,

the mere thought that an incident of

this nature should occur in our sport is

unthinkable, and steps have been taken

to ensure that this cannot happen in the

future. The bad press which our sport

endured during this period will take time

to heal our reputation as a sport known

for its fair play.”

It is gratifying to see that our

Commonwealth Games Side for 2010

have also addressed this issue at training

camps held since March 2010. The

following highlights what they are doing

to regain New Zealand’s reputation in the

International arena

Since the mediation settlement the

Athletes selected for Commonwealth

Games 2010 which comprise some from

the Asia Pacific Side of 2009 and some

from the World Bowls Side of 2008 have

met on a number of occasions. At their

first meeting in March 2009 on the way

to the Trans Tasman in Australia they

recognised that this incident and the one

in 2008 had been bad for bowls in New

Zealand and that results in 2010 would

be a chance for the team to redeem our

reputation and move forward from there.

The Commonwealth Side have come

up with a charter that states - Other

Nations looking at us and saying “I wish

we could be like that” Their values for

the campaign are Pride; Belief in what

we are doing; One team, one culture;

Enjoying the moment; equal; tight unit;

respected role models.

Good luck to them in Delhi and may

they win both on and off the field of

play.

ANdTHE

OF A RECENT HEARING

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Classic II Tiger II

ABT-evo Alpha

BOWLS BIAS TRAJECTORYApproved 15/09/09Bias chart is a relative guide only.

Performance characteristics will vary due to different surfaces and playing conditions

Choice of Champions

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Tiger II A mid biased bowl with an even and predictable trajectory. The predictable line of the Tiger II makes it very easy to adjust to for experienced and new bowlers alike. The Tiger II pro-vides comfort in the hand, control on the delivery, and consistency in results.

Classic II The well established, traditional and popular wider drawing bowl, with a “hook” finish, well suited on greens with a speed of 12-16 seconds

ABT Evo A full bodied bowl providing on green stability, giving maximum performance on fast running greens. A true holding line to maximise accuracy and results on run shots.

For information on Henselite Lawn Bowls, Clothing, Footwear, and Accessories Vist:

www.henselite.co.nz

Val SmithWorld Number 1Winner singles & pairsWorld Champs 2008

Bowls Bias Trajectory


CdOCONTACTSREGION 1

Steve [email protected] 021 966 016

Bowls Far North Bowls Northland Bowls North Harbour Auckland Bowls

REGION 2

Steve [email protected] 021 966 017

Counties/Manukau Bowls Waikato Thames Valley Bowls Bay of Plenty Bowls Gisborne/East Coast Bowls Hawkes Bay

REGION 3&4

Paul [email protected] 021 966 177

Bowls Taranaki Bowls Wanganui Bowls Manawatu Bowls Wairarapa Bowls Wellington Bowls Kapiti Coast

REGION 5

vince [email protected] 021 966 263

Bowls Nelson Bowls Marlborough Bowls Canterbury Bowls Buller Bowls West Coast

REGION 6

jim [email protected] 021 966 010

Bowls South Canterbury Bowls Dunedin Bowls North Otago South Otago Bowling Centre Central Otago Bowls Bowls Southland.

ClubCheck

A SURGE ANd A MERGE FOR BARRINGTON

By Vince RoperGood things are happening these

days at the Barrington bowling club in Christchurch.

“It would probably be fair to say that until a year ago the club was drifting”, says Dave Thompson, who has taken a strong hands-on approach to putting the club’s processes on the right track. “While it was competitive on the green the club’s playing numbers were getting low enough to be a worry and it had no female members”.

A decision was made at that time to utilise the Bowls NZ Development Officer to develop a 3-5 year strategic plan for the club.

“That decision was a turning point for the club. Our Club Plan has been very much the catalyst for all of the positive changes the club has seen in the last year. We could see that without change our club was going to be under pressure within five years, both in membership numbers and financially. The Bowls NZ ‘Club Plan’ approach has been brilliant in providing us with the framework to shape up a club vision and lay out the areas we need to work on to make a difference”.

The rapid progress Barrington has made in adapting the various templates and resources that are available has resulted in the club recently being awarded a Silver ClubCheck Award … a superb achievement in a short period of time.

But wait, there’s more! … As pleasing as the award is, Barrington has achieved a double whammy with a speedy and successful merger with the United club to form Barrington United. An approach by Barrington with a formal offer to merge was welcomed by United which had also seen its numbers dwindling. Just

four meetings were needed to sort out all the detail needed to make the transition and about 20 United members will relocate this winter, the majority of them being women … good news all round.

“Both clubs could see so many benefits in a merger and worked together positively to make it happen”, says Dave. The transition team used the merger material from Bowls NZ to assist with their thinking.

Development Officer Vince Roper says it’s refreshing to deal with clubs that are prepared to work on ways to help ensure their own future. “A number of Christchurch clubs are struggling with declining membership or a lack of people with the skills, health and time to run the club. Those clubs would do well to follow Barrington’s example and start talking to some of their neighbours about what opportunities there might be from working in with each other” says Vince who is keen to help any club which may be interested.

Pictured below: Bowls NZ CDO Vince Roper presents the Silver ClubCheck Award to Dave Thompson.

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ANd THE FINALISTS ARE...

National Bowls Awards 2009 - 2010

NATIONAL BOWLS AWARdS WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCEd IN THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES SPECIAL ISSUE OF UPSHOT (due online 30 September).

Presentations will be made to the winners at a local or regional event TBC or if the winner is already attending the 2010-2011 Hyundai National Open Championships,

they will be acknowledged at a special ceremony during the event TBC.

Congratulations to everyone who was nominated for a National Bowls Award, being nominated is an honour in itself, that you should be very proud of. All nominees received an official acknowledgement letter from Bowls New Zealand and nominators received an official email acknowledging the effort it takes to put together nominations for those who make a positive difference to our sport.

The following finalists for the 2009-2010 National Bowls Awards (who each receive an official framed certificate recognising their achievement) are ...

TOWER CLUB OF THE YEARBeckenham Bowling Club, Birkenhead Bowling Club, Hutt Bowling Club and Woburn Bowling Club.

PLAYER OF THE YEARAli Forsyth (Havelock Bowling Club), Danny Delany (Onehunga Bowling Club), Richard Collett (Stoke Bowling Club) and Valerie Smith (United Bowling Club).

YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEARAndrew Kelly (Canterbury Bowling Club), Chris Le Lievre (Onehunga Bowling Club), Clare McCaul (Silverstream Bowling Club) and Mandy Boyd (Bowls Taradale).

vOLUNTEER OF THE YEARGraham Lowery (Burnside Bowling Club).

COACH OF THE YEARAllan Smith (Blockhouse Bay Bowling Club), Tony Marinkovich (Browns Bay Bowling Club) and Wilma Ennor (Bowls Taradale).

“dON MANSON MEMORIAL AWARd” AdMINISTRATOR OF THE YEAR

Kevin Smith (Browns Bay Bowling Club), Mark Reid (Woburn Bowling Club) and Michael Stewart (Wakefield Bowling Club).

OFFICIAL OF THE YEARHelen Stallard (St Heliers Bowling Club), Margaret O’Sullivan (Petone Central Bowling Club) and Ralph Duke (Glenfield Bowling Club).

GREENkEEPER OF THE YEARGerard Slattery (Waitoa Bowling Club) and Stuart Dalley (Cashmere Bowling Club).

MEdIA AWARdAlistair McMurran (Otago Daily Times), Jim Fish (Southland Express) and Tony Jensen (Wanawatu Standard)

CENTRE OF THE YEAR*Note: Centre of the Year Award is not awarded for 2009-2010.


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upshot - august 2010

Documents

bowls insurance

bowls history

years of bowls

furtherance of bowls

bowls development fundthinking

new members

club membership

official bowls nz emagazinehow