Donvale Bowls Club Inc.

Thankyou for allowing me the privilege of being your club's chairman for season 2010-2011. Again the position of Chairman has been an easy one because of the large number of members who have contributed their time and their talents for the good of their club. 

After losing some members at the end of last season, we have rebuilt our membership to around 180. So far as our finances are concerned, we have never been in a stronger position. 

I would like to single out the contributions to our club made by Vice-chairman Graham Howard, Secretary Jeff Grant, Assistant Secretary Sheldon Lipschitz and Treasurer Ron Gibbs. Graham makes an outstanding contribution in sponsorship and Greens committee as well as RVBA Chairman of Selectors and in many other ways. Graham's award of the Bowls Australia 2010 Volunteer Administrator of the Year was well and truly deserved and I offer him hearty congratulations. Graham has been appointed to Yarra Region Bowls Board of Directors and I know he will do a wonderful job in this position. Jeff puts in many hours as club secretary and has handled the job very efficiently, as well as being on the RVBA Section Committee, the Greens Committee, the Pavilion Operations Committee and the VLBA Selection Committee. Jeff has also taken on the responsibilities of being an umpire. Sheldon is not only the club assistant secretary, but maintains our website in consultation with his son Greg, edits our newsletter and is also a club coach. Ron has quietly and efficiently looked after the club's books, which I know to be a demanding and time consuming task, and has found time to qualify as a club coach, assist me with U3A bowls and is always available when there's work to be done around the club. 

I also congratulate Presidents Marilyn Grant and Bernie Henderson and the VLBA and RVBA Section Committees for all their work in organising the club's bowls activities. The club's selectors have also put in countless hours organising skills training and the 40 bowl testing as well as selecting some very successful sides. They are to be congratulated for the results achieved - all five RVBA sides playing section finals with 2 sides being promoted to Divisions 1 and 5 and two VLBA sides finishing in the top 3 in their sections. We shouldn't forget the Night Pennant side which did very to finish 3^rd in their section. Well done all those who have represented our club so well in pennant competitions. Individual members have also brought distinction to our club, one of these being Julia DeMarchi as a member of the State Under 18 Side and another being Barry Ferguson who did exceptionally well at the Australian Open, winning a silver medal in the  60 and Over Pairs.

 During the year we witnessed the long awaited unification of the RVBA and VLBA into Bowls Victoria. This whole process has been an enormous undertaking and the current leadership of our sport is to be congratulated on a job well done. In our own  club the unification meant some work on our club constitution to take us forward under Bowls Victoria. The necessary amendments to the club constitution and the club's new by laws were basically drafted by me with the support of the committee of management. It was a humbling experience to go to the club's special general meeting in January when the amendments to the constitution were adopted without demur. Thankyou all for trusting me to get it right. On the other hand of course, I must accept responsibility for all errors. 

Our regular Social bowls, Twilight Bowls, Winter Bowls, Special days and inter club competitions have continued over the past year. To all the members who assist with these days, I say you are making an enormous contribution in getting all members, and particularly newer members, involved in the life of their club. 

I would like to thank our ward Councillors, Deputy Mayor Meg Downie, Graeme Macmillan and David Ellis for their continued interest in our club and all council officers who have assisted us, especially Barbra Gaiotto and Melissa Ferris. 

I would also like to thank our greenkeeper Shane Tremayne for maintaining our grass green through a very trying summer. 

Once again I am using my report to record the contribution of so many members to our club. The ones that occur to me are: 

Eddie Azzopardi - Outside Maintenance 

Ritto Bettiol - Building 

Elizabeth Bill - Outside Maintenance, Gardening,Catering 

David Bill - Selector, RVBA Division Assistant Secretary, Outside Maintenance 

Bill Bourke - RVBA Team Manager 

Megan Bourke - Catering 

Jan Brooke - Tournament Committee 

Kevin Chard - Coach 

Alan Clark - U3A Bowls 

Frank Clark - Outside maintenance 

Rebecca Clark - Outside Maintenance 

Martin Cotsford - Winter Bowls, RVBA Team Manager 

Margaret Davis - Tournament Committee, Catering, VLBA Side Manager 

Richard Davis - RVBA Team Manager, Umpire, Outside Maintenance 

Barbara Drew - VLBA Division Treasurer, Catering Supervisor 

Daryl Drew - Gardening and Banks, Building 

Bill Duggan - Outside Maintenance 

Ken Eldridge - RVBA Team Manager 

Jacqui Fandrich - Catering 

Barry Ferguson - Club Vice Chairman, Coach, Greens Committee 

Sue Ferguson - VLBA Side Manager 

Ron Gibbs - Club Treasurer, U3A bowls, Marking the Greens, Coach, Building 

Tess Gibbs - Catering 

Peter Gillett - Building 

Gary Glenister - Tournament Committee, Outside maintenance 

Marilyn Grant - VLBA Division President, Tournament Catering, Catering Supervisor, Umpire, Pavilion Operations Committee 

Jeff Grant - Club Secretary, RVBA Committee, Greens Committee, Pavilion Operations Committee, VLBA Selector, Umpire 

Bob Grosvenor - U3A bowls, Marking the Greens, Tournament Committee, Outside Maintenance 

Ray Halliday - Marking the greens, 

Peter Hanslow - Outside Maintenance 

Di Heller - VLBA Committee, Catering, VLBA Side Manager 

Bernie Henderson - RVBA Division President, Winter Bowls, Pavilion Operations Committee, Coach, Outside Maintenance 

Ann Henry - Catering 

Maureen Hooper - Catering 

Cheryl Howard - Catering 

Graham Howard - Club Vice Chairman, RVBA Chairman of Selectors, Coach, Greens Committee, Sponsorship and much more

Geoff Humber -Handbook Printer 

Jan Johnson - Catering 

Keith Johnson - Winter Bowls 

Les Johnson - Outside Maintenance 

Norma Juchno - VLBA Division Vice President, Tournament Committee, Catering, Gardening 

Reisa Lipschitz - Catering, Building 

Sheldon Lipschitz - Website, Newsletter Editor, Coach, Club Assistant Secretary 

Bruce Little - Photography 

Tari Mallia - Outside Maintenance 

Peter Mason - Outside Maintenance 

David Mattiazzo - Building 

David Mitchell - RVBA Division Secretary, RVBA Selector, RVBA Team Manager 

Jim Morrison - Gardening and banks 

Cheryl McAnally - VLBA Division Secretary 

Rob McAnally - RVBA Committee, Tournament Committee 

Kel McMahon - Building 

David Neville - Outside Maintenance

 Danny O'Meara - Sponsorship Signs, Honour boards, Trophies 

Margaret Pepper - VLBA Committee, VLBA Side Manager 

Lindsay Ridgwell - Twilight Bowls Committee, Pavilion Operations Committee, Bar Manager, Probus Bowls and much more 

Joy Riley - Catering

 Roy Riley - Gardening and Banks, Building 

Mary Roberts - Assistant Bar Manager, Tournament Committee, Catering 

Keith Rochow - Coach, Sunday Social Bowls, Social Committee, Assistant Bar Manager, Bowling Programs for Schools and the Disabled 

Frances Rowland - Tournament Committee 

Sheilah Scull - VLBA Committee, Welfare Officer, Catering 

John Slight - RVBA Team Manager 

Pauline Smit - Tournament Committee, Catering Supervisor, VLBA Side Manager, Gardening 

Geoff Smith - RVBA Division Vice President, RVBA Selector, Winter Bowls 

Val Spargo - Catering 

John Stammers -Marking greens 

Robyn Upfield - Gardening 

Jan Vickerman - Catering 

Maurie Vickerman - RVBA Selector, Coach 

Robin Whitchurch - VLBA Selector, 

Julie Wilkins - VLBA Selector, Umpire, Coach, Twilight Bowls Committee, Catering Supervisor 

Marilyn Williams - Catering

Peter Woodman - Coach, RVBA Committee 

Bill Wright - Outside Maintenance 

Jill Wyllie -VLBA Committee, VLBA Side Manager, Catering Supervisor and much, much more 

Obviously I have not included all who have contributed. Please don't be offended if your name's not there, because all members' contributions are very valuable, and indeed the club could not function without so many dedicated volunteers. 

During the season Richard Spicer and George Rose passed away. Both of these gentlemen made important contributions to our bowls club, and we will miss them. 

This is my last report as chairman of your club. I think that it's now time to hand over the reins to someone else. I have really enjoyed my time as chairman, and I thank all members for their support over the last 6 years. If someone had said to me 6 years ago that by 2011 we would be financially secure, triple our membership, have a side in Division 1 and achieve and exceed all our goals, I would have doubted their sanity. Together we have made huge strides and I congratulate all members on their achievement. If we all continue to contribute and support our club's leadership, I know that we can continue to achieve big things in Season 2011-2012 and beyond. 

Barry Wilkins

31^st March 2011.