Written By President Mike Spring
”Welcome to our slice of paradise where the community comes to play.
What a wonderful statement that is on the Home Page of your website. In one sentence you have encapsulated two critical elements of a Gold Club: pride in the Club, and commitment to and engagement with the local community.
It is noted that despite the very best efforts of clubs, centres and Bowls NZ the number of clubs around the country continues to decline. About one bowling club per month is closing. But, and here is the significant issue, the total number of people playing bowls is increasing.
Bowls is not alone in facing declining membership; all clubs be they sports clubs, service clubs such as Rotary and the RSA, or social clubs are facing the same issue.
The Gold Award doesnât just arrive â it has to be earned, it has to be worked at, it needs leadership. Strong leadership had been a feature of the original award to this club, and when President Martin decided to become a Pom again President Linda and her leadership team stepped up to the plate. The merger with the RSA was managed very thoroughly and mergers such as this are undoubtedly the way forward for the sustainability of rural clubs like Coromandel. But like any marriage or partnership, if it is not fed properly it will founder. So the Bowling Club and RSA relationship needs to be worked on continually to ensure all parties are happy and satisfied, and ALL members must embrace this.
To this end, again it is great to see on your website notices that embrace the RSA and the community such as:
âWe have now amalgamated with the Coromandel RSA and you are welcome as a guest to join us and the RSA members for a social get together every Saturday from 2.00pm to 7.30pm.â
So you have the RSA and the community, but you must still look to evolve your operations. Bowls New Zealand is not suggesting that clubs throw away everything they are now doing – clubs must continue to satisfy the needs of their members, but they also need to provide the types of facilities and competitions that will attract and capture the growing casual market. If they are to remain relevant, modern clubs must nurture existing ways, and find new exciting ways, to deliver the bowls product. Each community within the club must be looked after: casual bowlers must get what they want to play; the roll up bowlers have different needs and expectations and these too must be met; same for the competitive bowlers; while school kids needs are different again (and I do note your engagement with the Coromandel Area School). In no club should there be any place for one segment of the club to dictate to another what should be played, how and when. The club is the sum of all its parts; each has the same value to the club; no one segment is more important than another. Clubs must continue to evolve what they do and how they do it.
You will hear increasingly the statement that we, Bowls NZ, will work with the willing â if clubs are willing to change the way they do business in order to meet the needs of todayâs market place, then Bowls NZ will provide strong support. And this is the essence of the Partner Club Programme.
President Linda, I congratulate you and your members for achieving this reaffirmation of your Gold status. But I encourage you to keep at it. There is always room for improvement and I do note that out of the 21 assessment areas there are still 10 areas yet to be fully achieved â close but not quite there. But nevertheless, you have done well and you do deserve recognition as a Gold Award club. Youâve put in some hard yards, well done all. I should also acknowledge the contribution from our CDO who has continued as the guiding hand throughout the club partnership processes: thanks Steve.
President Linda, this Gold award is truly deserved by the Coromandel Bowling Club: youâre doing great and your commitment to the Bowls NZ Partner Club Programme should ensure that the Club continues to evolve and change to meet the ever changing needs of current and future bowlers.
Bowls NZ President Mike Spring and Coromandel Bowling Club President Linda
