Newsletter January 2018
G’day all – here’s the January 2018 Newsletter. The slightly fancier PDF version with colour pics is here.
Listen Up! A Word from Ron…
Traditionally, the Club has been very quiet during the Xmas / New Year break, but it was great to see so many members come down for social / practice bowls. Shows great Club spirit which we can all be very proud of.
I’d also like to call out a special thank you to Paul Wagland for his work not only organising our Xmas breakup, but also ensuring the many functions we hosted for guests were a great experience for them – well done Wags! There’s a couple more to go, so please help out Wags where you can.
We’re now heading into the serious end of the season. We’re going into the second half with all but one side in the top 4 for Saturday and Mid-week pennant, which is pleasing, but make no mistake, EVERY match from now on will see oppositions dead keen to knock us off. We must strive to be at our very best every week and work closely in our teams to counter this pressure. I look forward to seeing many sides play finals at the end of the season, and hopefully one or two section flags.
Along with the themes and challenges Keith Ronaldson introduced for this season, remember the old saying from when you were little …
“Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better, and your better is best!”
Bowling Matters!
A very sensible decision was made to postpone the tournament given a forecast 41°C for the Saturday – this is dangerous heat for many of us. It was very pleasing to see that the great majority of teams were able to accommodate the late change, with 30 sides still competing.
Once again, there were way too many people to name who made great contributions to make the day a success, but special thanks must go to
· Century 21, Harold Laver and Hagens Organics (Tiny Tim) for the generous sponsorship.
· Our Match and Tournament Committee – Alan Walker and Chris Michell.
· The entire Catering Crew, led by Barb Cruickshank.
· The Bar Team – Tony Heath, Greg McHugh and Rosie
· The Greenkeeper, Andrew Fitzharris – the greens came up a treat after a good rest over the Xmas break and in spite of Saturday’s fierce heat.
· Jenny Naylor from the esteemed Dept of Treasury who made sure all the finances were in order before and after then event – no mean feat!
Congratulations to the winners of the day:
Best Game 1
The team from Sale who unfortunately needed to start the long drive home ahead of the presentations. Harold wanted the prize money put over the bar, but we will mail it out to them instead.
Best Game 2
Damir Martinic, Clive King, Erica Horsfield and Peter Wisnewski
Best Game 3
Ian Clarke’s team from Cheltenham
Overall Runners Up
A composite team from Middle Park and Mount Waverley
Peter Reilly, Daniel Dimery, Randall Dimery and Michael Stransky.
And the Overall Winners…
Composite team from Elsternwick Club and Clayton
Colin Keene, M Behrendt, Frank from Clayton and Michael Gardner (aka Mojo)
Thank you to Mojo for the very kind and gracious words in his victory speech.
Monday Triples – January 15 with the Tatts Mob
Barry Munton’s Tatts Mob will be with us for Monday Triples on January 15th. It’s always a fun day when the Tatts bowler join us, so enter as a single or a team of 3. Only $8 per player and play kicks off around 12:30pm if Chris Michell has all the kittens herded in time. Cash prizes included (thanks again for your sponsorship Harold Laver from Century 21).
The entry form is on the Notice Board at the Club.
From The Coach’s Box
Ronno’s was on holidays as this newsletter was coming together. However, here’s a repeat of our themes and challenges for the season. Never more important than as we enter the business half of the season…
| My Challenge… | My Theme… | |
| Leads | Never bowl 2 bowls short of the jack. | “I’m all over it” |
| Seconds | Positive draw bowls and shots. | “I’m not afraid of it” |
| Thirds | Add shots, cover or alter as required. | “I’ll tidy it up” |
| Skips | Bowls as required. | “I’ll cap it off” |
Think of your rink as made up of 2 teams
· The Front End is Leads and Seconds. Your aim is to work together to get 2 or 3 close bowls with at least 1 bowl within 1 metre behind the jack.
· The Back End is Thirds and Skips. Your aim is to ensure that the worst result is one shot down and to win most ends.
Social News
Xmas breakup
We had a very good crowd for the Xmas breakup and, personally, I think the experiment was worthwhile! It was good to see a number of people dropping in, even if they couldn’t stay for the whole event.
Dave L’Huillier provided us excellent “on deck” entertainment and we hope to see him back at the Club again at another relaxed event. Following Dave’s performance, Keith Ronno sang a few familiar tunes, ably supported by the crowd. And then the Karaoke started! Kudos to all who participated and to our neighbours down the back fence waving their arms in time with the music (apologies to the cricketers still out in the park J).
Donations to Salvation Army and Monash Children’s Hospital
We delivered our donations to the Bentleigh Corps of the Salvation Army before Xmas. Lieutenant Stan Oldfield was very grateful for the contribution we made. I hope we can do as well, or better, next Xmas. Thank you to all those who made the effort to think of others and donate to this, or any other worthy cause.
A letter of appreciation has been posted on the Club noticeboard.
Brendan and Yvonne Maloney also popped in to the Club before Xmas and it was great to see them. Brendan picked up our (pretty heavy) tin for the Monash Children’s Hospital and left us with a new one for this year.
We’ll let you know how much was donated when Brendan gets back to us.
BBC Shenanigans!
C7arky’s Conundrums
This might become a regular feature of the newsletter, if C7 feels up to it – but I have my doubts…
…You see, as a young fella at school, a thoroughly exasperated teacher once asked C7arky (or Anthony as he was known at the time) if he knew the difference between ignorance and apathy. “I don’t know and I don’t care” responded the young C7 as he turned his back and casually sauntered away…
Anyway, here’s the first (and maybe last) of C7’s conundrums for you to ponder while having a quiet one at the bar:
In the word “scent”, is it the letter “s” or the letter “c” that is silent?
Xmas Casualties
There have been a couple of valiant attempts to secure the Knucklehead of the Year award over the past month.
Firstly, we had Tony Heath attempting to jump from one roof to another on a construction site and doing some considerable damage to tendons and muscles in his ankle / lower leg. He’s back on two feet after a couple of weeks doing a great impersonation of The Old Man on one crutch.
Second, Gary Crump had a very nasty freak accident on a jet ski up at Lake Eildon. Crumpy suffered a major break to his leg and is still waiting on a second round of surgery before the healing process can really begin. Hope all goes well and quickly Crumpy, and we share the horror of you being caged up for an extended period.
We shouldn’t take this one too lightly given the extent of the injury, but in the spirit of making Crumpy feel a little cheerier, Bob Rorke has adapted the lyrics to Bob Denver’s “Leaving on a Jet Plane” to cheer him up…
All the tanks are full
I’m ready to go
I’m standing here outside houseboat door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye.
But the dawn is breaking
It’s early morn
The Jetski’s running
My heart is torn
Already I’m so lonesome
I could die.
Now kiss me, my leg is stuffed
I can’t walk to pee
Both bones are shattered
I can’t bend my knee
So hold me like you’ll never let me go
Cause I’m leaving on a JetSki
Don’t know when I’ll bend my knee again
Oh Babe I hate to go…
Lastly, and I still don’t know quite what to make of this, but Chris Michell was seriously mauled on both hands by a domestic kitty cat she was babysitting. This also requiring surgical treatment.
I’m tipping it hasn’t been fed since “the incident”.
Anyway, they say disasters come in 3s, so the rest of us should all feel safe now. Thanks guys!
For Sale
Peter Blee is selling his Greenmaster Premier bowls:
- Navy with crimson speckle and bulldog engraving
- Size 4 Heavy, no grips
- Date stamped 2021
- Beautifully maintained, so in Excellent Condition
- Price has been heavily discounted to $250 (were $600 new)
See Pete at the Club or give him a call on 0418 392 735
Future Newsletters
If you have any announcements or something you’d like to see in future Newsletters, please see Steve Brady or email brady1sj@gmail.com.