Centenary Gala Bowling Day.
The Centenary Gala Bowling day is an annual gala bowls day for all NSW bowling clubs that are more than 100 years old. This year teams from North Sydney, Killara and Manly among others attended. With all the promotion from our 125th Anniversary ball still fresh in the community's mind, we at the PBC found ourselves on the organisers' invitation list. Eileen, our licensee and board member, her husband Phil who fortunately for us is an active lawn bowler & Andrew Lorien, a great friend and member of the club, attended on our behalf.
As a club that doesn't practice competition bowls anymore, Eileen tells me, it was surprising for no one other than herself, Phil & Andrew that practice does indeed make perfect and they were in the company of some of the best professional bowlers around.
The competition requires a team of at least 4 players & North Sydney Bowling club was kind enough to lend the PBC team a member who became affectionately known as the "skip". Our team found glory, winning 1 of the four games they played that day and making some great memories and promises to come back next year with fierce skills and a full team.
On top of the welcoming atmosphere & enjoyment from the day's bowls, it was clear that people had heard our story and it resonated with them. Several of the clubs who attended that day had similar situations and found themselves having to merge with big league clubs to survive, now finding themselves unable to have a say - they couldn't get rid of their pokies even if they wanted to.
Despite what the reality looks like for these century-old bowling clubs, Eileen tells me that lots of young people were bowling and it was refreshing to know that there are more generations enjoying bowls and keeping the life force pumping in these clubs.
