WELCOME TO LADNER LAWN BOWLING CLUB
When someone joins a club, it often takes time before all the ways of the club become apparent. We hope this booklet will guide you through your first year.
MEMBERSHIP:
The LLBC consists of three types of members:
- Full membership entitles you to bowl all year, vote in the Annual and Semi-Annual Meetings, as well as participate in all social events. The club depends on its members to volunteer in club activities in order to function properly.
- Social Membership entitles you to attend all social events. This also is a opportunity to volunteer with social events.
- Winter Membership pays $50.00 to play from October to April and may participate in social activities.
- Junior Membership allows you to enjoy all club activities but not to vote at Semi-Annual and Annual Meetings.
The Ladner Lawn Bowling Club is an amazing club. Not only do we bowl, we also have an active social program throughout the year so that members have a chance to know each other on a more personal level.
The following information follows the LLBC in chronological order as much as possible, explaining our various activities and schedule of events.
LADNER LAWN BOWLING CLUB CALENDAR
The calendar of events informs our members about the activities that occur every day from the beginning of April to the end of September. As the season progresses, check the activity board for the posted upcoming events in which you wish to participate. These sheets contain the correct time of the event, club colours or casual dress, cost, and event organizers. Also, in this calendar is the list of the Executive Committee, any additional committees, information about the games, and club leagues.
WEB SITE AND NEWSLETTER
Information about club activities is obtained from emails, the website-llbc.ca, and the newsletter.
OPEN HOUSE
Our Open House signals the beginning of our bowling season. On that day, we welcome prospective members who are interested in lawn bowling to meet our existing members, discover what our club is about, and actually try bowling. Many are surprised at how easy it is. Should interest be shown, prospective members are encouraged to sign up for lessons. The coaches will be in contact to schedule lessons. Mornings, afternoons, and evenings are offered to accommodate as many people as possible.
The cost of the lessons is nominal and are incorporated into the yearly membership fee should you wish to become a member.
ANNUAL AND SEMI-ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS
The LLBC holds its Semi-Annual General Meeting (SAGM) in April. Beforehand, where possible, the Executive Committee as well as associated committees sends their reports to the membership to allow members to read them ahead of time. These reports inform the club of past activities as well as any changes that are planned
for the new season. This is the time when members pay their dues. After May 1, bowling is not allowed unless dues are paid in full; there is no prorated fee for existing members.
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) occurs in October to wrap up the year. Members are informed about winter activities. Again, the Executive Committee and associated committee members send
reports to the members ahead of time. This is also when the LLBC holds elections to fill vacancies in the Executive Committee.
OPENING DAY
On Opening Day, all members come together for the first official day of bowling. We wear club colours, as it is an official club day. Someone from our club or the community is asked to throw the first bowl. After bowling, we gather in the clubhouse for tea/coffee and a bite to eat.
PLANT /BAKE SALE AND OTHER FUNDRAISERS
The Plant and Bake Sale is our main fundraiser.
If you are a gardener, before you throw out your expanding perennials, pot them and save them for the plant sale. Please try to label your plants. Our bake sale is extremely profitable, as well as popular, because of the superb baking skills of our members. Even though you no longer bake on a regular biases, if everyone bakes one or two of their favourite recipes, it allows a greater variety of baked goods and takes the pressure of a few.
At times, this event may contain a Garage Sale, Book Sale, etc.
Other fundraisers may include Burger and Brew, Bridge Tournaments, Christmas Bake Sale and Tea, as well as other activities as they arise.
These events contribute to improving our club, keeping down our fees, and adding to our contingency fund for unforeseen expenses.
WHAT TO WEAR
The LLBC wears club colours on formal Club Days when the club competes for money and trophies, as well as Visitations with other clubs. The club wears casual clothes for fun days, aggregates, and leagues. Shoes should be designated club shoes only (i.e. not worn on the street), without heels and with minimal tread. The Calendar of Events and signup sheet will indicate what to wear.
HOW DO I PARTICIPATE IN CLUB EVENTS?
Once you have paid your yearly dues, you receive a calendar with the club’s scheduled events. You should check it on a regular basis for upcoming activities.
About two weeks prior to the event, look for a signup sheet on the Events Board next to the men’s washroom. On it will appear the name of the event, date, time, cost, type of clothing required, and the name of the coordinator with that person’s phone number. PLEASE MAKE NOTE OF THE COORDINATOR AND THAT PERSON’S PHONE NUMBER.
If you are interested in an event, sign up. When you do this, please make sure that you are making a firm commitment. If an emergency arises after the draw takes place and you are unable to attend, please phone the coordinator as soon as possible in order to find a replacement.
If members constantly remove their names from the signup sheet, it becomes a nightmare to organize activities. So, please make sure of your commitment.
WEEKEND EVENTS
On weekends, a variety of activities take place.
On formal Club Days, when members play for trophies or commemorate a special day, club colours are worn. Members who indicate on a signup sheet they wish to participate in a given
event are divided into teams of three. Your skip will telephone you to reconfirm that the day will go ahead as well as who is on your team, your position, time that bowling starts, cost, as well as any other important information. Three 10-end games are usually played, 2 in the morning, a break for lunch, and then the third game is played. The club provides tea and coffee.
- Formal Club Days include Opening Day, Centennial Trophy, Burn’s Trophy, Canada Day (red and white worn), Amy Morrison Trophy, Champ’s Day, and all Inter-club Visitations.
- Non-formal Days are fun days so that clothing is casual. The rest is similar to formal club days.
- Invitationals are days when we participate in and host members from other lawn bowling clubs from throughout the Lower Mainland. Dress is club colours. This is a time to meet bowlers from other clubs and test our skills. Our club encourages new bowlers as well as experienced bowls to participate in ours as well as other club’s Invitationals.
- Visitations occur when select clubs and our club exchange visits. Each year half the clubs visit us and we visit the other clubs. The next year we change. We play a designated number of ends, enjoy a light snack, and then play a designated number of ends. Sometimes several clubs combine for a full day of fun. We bring our lunches and the host club serves dessert. Visitations are non- competitive and suitable for all levels.
DRAWS
Draw times occur on days when open bowling or Aggregates occur. The draw takes place 15 minutes before the bowling begins so it is necessary to be at the club well ahead of time. If you know you are going to be late, please telephone the club, and ask for your name to be put on the draw table.
To participate in the draw take your nametag from the wall, place it on the draw table in the appropriate position, and if in an
Aggregate, place the correct amount of money on your name tag. When your name is called, select a number from the container (this tells you on which green you will play), then replace your nametag on the board.
AGGREGATES
Our Aggregates include Men’s Monday morning, Tuesday morning, Tuesday evening, Wednesday afternoon, Thursday 10-end, and Ladies’ Friday morning, etc. Aggregates are the same as open draws except that a minimal fee is charged and scorecards are collected and recorded. At the end of the season, scores are totalled and prizes given to winners. Even though scores are kept, it is not necessary to attend all the games. Come out when it is convenient. This is an excellent time for new bowlers to learn about the game, meet new friends, and discover which bowl size is correct.
LEAGUE GAMES
League games run for several weeks so commitment is required. A small fee is charged with a portion of it going to prizes. However, if you are unable to attend for some reason, it is possible to get a replacement from the spare list as long as they are at your playing level. If this is not possible, refer to your membership list where member’s positions are indicated.
CLUB COMPETITIONS
Everyone may participate in club competitions. Club competitions begin about the middle of June and continue into the middle of August. A small fee is charged with a portion going to prizes. They consist of Mixed Triples, Men’s and Ladies’ Singles, Sophomore/Colts, Novice Singles, Bob’s Single Competition, etc. When you sign up for a competition, you are expected to commit to the designated nights because of elimination rounds.
SOCIAL EVENTS
Social events are an important aspect of our club. There is usually one event a month. Generally, this involves a meal catered by the club. If you wish to attend, purchase a ticket before the cut off date so that caterers know how much food to purchase. Once you have purchased your ticket, there are no refunds after the cut off date.
These events include:
- Hearts Night: This takes place close to Valentine’s Day when we play Hearts. A light snack is provided as well as some prizes. Sign up in the clubhouse.
- St. Patrick’s Day/Spring Fling: This takes place close to St. Patrick’s Day. The club provides a dinner. Jokes are told, Limericks recited, songs sung, and fun had by all. Tickets are available several weeks ahead.
- Ladies’ and Men’s Days: These are days where members of the opposite sex put on lunches for each other. The day begins with bowling followed by a meal. You must sign up at the clubhouse.
- Burger Night: This is either a fundraiser or a club event. We bowl at 3:30 PM, followed by Happy Hour at 5:00 PM and the meal at 6:00 PM. Tickets are available several weeks ahead.
- Canada Day: After a day of bowling, the club participates in a potluck dinner. Sign up for a category of food and bring enough for about eight people. No ticket is required.
- Salmon BBQ: Afternoon bowling begins at 3:30 PM, followed by Happy Hour at 5:00 PM and dinner at 6:00 PM. The barbequed salmon is always a treat as is the delicious rest of the meal. Tickets are available several weeks ahead.
- Corn Roast: Towards the end of August we participate in a big corn feed. A full dinner is provided. Afternoon bowling begins with a 3:30 draw followed by Happy Hour at 5:0 and dinner at 6:00. Tickets are available several weeks ahead.
- Awards Night: Awards Night usually takes place in November. It is a celebration of our bowling season. Those who have won Aggregates, Leagues, and Club Competitions receive cash prizes as well as their names on some trophies. The club gives a trophy to the bowler of the year based on participation during the bowling season. It is not necessary to be a top bowler to receive prize money, just be a participant.
- Christmas Party: Sometime in December, the club holds a Christmas party. Generally, the club holds this event elsewhere in the community because our clubhouse is too small to accommodate everyone. Tickets are required.
- Boxing Day Blowout/New Year’s Day: On these days, we gather at 1:00 PM for a game of bowls. Make sure to dress warmly. We then retire to the clubhouse to enjoy Christmas leftovers or appetizers.
CARDS NIGHT
To keep our members socially connected during the winter, the LLBC offers Friday Night cards from the beginning of October to the end of March. We begin playing at 7:00 PM and play a variety of games with a coffee break half way through. Members team up to bring goodies to enjoy during the break. It is a great way to spend a winter’s evening and get to know your fellow bowlers at a social level.
HELPING AT THE CLUB
As in all clubs, the LLBC depends on its members to volunteer their services to make the club a success. If everyone participates throughout the year, the tasks do not become onerous. As well, you get to know members with whom you work on a personal level, and begin to know how the club functions. We all come to the Club with amazing talents so let us put them to use. Who knows, we may even discover talents we did not know we have. The following are some of the ways you can participate:
- Clubhouse Cleaning: On the back wall is a signup sheet where you can choose a day to clean the floors and bathrooms as well as anything else that looks like it needs doing. It is best to do it on a Thursday in order for the clubhouse to be clean for the weekend. It can be a job for two people, so find a friend to help. This should not take much more than one-half an hour.
- Kitchen: On the backboard is a signup sheet for kitchen duties. On weekend club days, someone needs to get the coffee as well as the cups, etc. ready for lunchtime. This is done before bowing. Instructions for when the coffee should start are in the kitchen. When the last end begins, turn on the kettle. You can still bowl. When people have finished eating, load the preheated the dishwasher and press on. When the dishes are done, unload the dishwasher and drain it. Washing dishes can be left until after bowling. Members help with Invitational and Visitations. When you do this, you do not bowl. This is a good time for Social Members to participate.
- Wednesday Aggregates: After bowling on Wednesday afternoon, the club has “Tea Time”. We take turns, with a partner, getting coffee and tea ready for after bowling. With a partner, we bring goodies to enjoy. Coffee instructions are in the kitchen. It is fine to buy the goodies. Turn on the dishwasher when you come in from bowling. You are able to bowl.
- Social Events: Conveners of the events will ask for volunteers to help prepare food, serve the food, and clean up after the event. Again, this is a good time for Social Members to volunteer their services.
- Executive Committee: The Executive Committee looks after the needs of the club. It is important for club members to participate. Directors are elected for two years and are able to serve up to six years. The Executive is elected on a yearly biases. While we think we are not capable of assuming any of the positions or that we do not want to be bothered anymore, our club needs an executive to function. There is a detailed guideline available to guide you in your duties. As well, the rest of the executive is more than willing to help, as are previous holders of the position. We always need fresh ideas and yours may be what we need.
WHEN THE SUMMER BOWLING SEASON ENDS
While there are a few bowling activities that carry on in September, the official summer bowling season is pretty well over. However, it does not mean that bowling has stopped- it is not organized. On each day that does not have an official activity, there is a 1:00 PM draw. This is not an organized day, so members may or may not turn up. It would be a good time to phone a couple of friends to join you. There is no charge for open bowling.
From October to the end of March, the Winter Aggregates take place on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays with draws at 1:00 PM. Again, there is a small charge with a portion going to prizes. Members of other lawn bowling clubs may join us for the winter by paying $50.00 for the season or $3.00 each time they bowl. The winter members are able to attend all winter social functions.
RECRUITING NEW MEMBERS
As in other clubs, we are always looking for new members. Our club has so much to offer and the best way to let the community know is for our members to talk about our club and invite people to join. If it is in the middle of the season, contact a coach and arrange a time for lessons. If they join, make sure that they are made welcome. Introduce them to your friends. Talk to new members when you are bowling, not just your friends. Explain how to sign up for activities. Invite them to sit with you on Wednesdays and at social functions. It is up to us to make this club a success.
As you can see, the LLBC is an active, well-rounded club. We welcome all members of our community, any age, to try the sport of lawn bowling. Our club is a safe, friendly place.
Your Lawn Bowling Executive Committee