Committee for Lorne:

What an end to the pennant season for the Lorne Bowls Club! All three pennant sides won their respective grand final games, a unique achievement. All three teams will play in a higher division in the 2019/20 season.

The midweek side defeated Cobden by 24 shots, a very comfortable win.

The team has two new players, Sheryl Donne and Karen Turner; what a fantastic introduction to lawn bowls. The division
4 team had a thrilling 12 shot win over Cobden (who have been in the past four grand finals and lost – we feel their pain)
and the division 2 team had a massive win over Colac Lake, winning by 54 shots. The Club has only been in division 1 once in its history and our entry into the top level of competition will be both exciting and challenging.

Pictured are the winners of the midweek division 3 competition – our thanks to the Colac Herald for permission to use this image. Pictured also are the division 2 and 4 teams after their wins on Sunday.

This success is a fitting reward to the selectors (the most difficult job in any club), our team managers Merna Smith and Peter Jacobs and to our coach Brad Weetman. Our Club is very much part of the Lorne community. The music nights, music bowls, the February Monday markets and the running of the Community Cup in September have all helped to build this connection. The level of the support and goodwill that we have felt from the community over the finals series has been greatly appreciated by the players.

The grand final victories come at the same time that Sarah Henderson announced that the Club would receive an $85,300 grant from the Commonwealth Building Better Rural Communities Infrastructure Fund. The grant will be matched dollar for dollar by the Club, monies raised over the past three years for capital improvement.

The grant will be used to replace the playing surface, improve the surrounds and shade cloth weather protection. The size of the grant now widens the types of surface the Club can consider. Over the past two years a sub-committee has been considering the options. We must have a surface that will gain Bowls Victoria accreditation, which can be used for topgrade
pennant and invitation bowling. The colour of the surface is also an important consideration. Most bowlers favour a darker shade to reduce the summer glare.

It can be seen that the decision is not an easy one and it is now as a result of the grant there are many more options… A GREAT PROBLEM!

The new surface, along with the lights installed last year, greatly improves the amenity provided by the Club to our members and visitors. It also provides us with a platform to run invitation tournaments and to consider alternative
extended competitions to offer alongside pennant bowls. These will add to the attraction of Lorne as a tourist destination.

The pennant bowling season is a long one and I am extremely grateful for the effort and commitment shown by the players and members during the year, it has been a thrill to be part of this success and such a great club.

Gary Allen
President