CLEARWATER - Cecilia Noble, president of the Clearwater Lawn Bowling Club, would like to see more people take up the sport of lawn bowling. "New members, with or without experience, are welcome to join our club," she advised on a recent Saturday morning. "Lawn bowling is lots of fun and it's an inexpensive sport," she added. Don't know anything about the sport, you say? No problem. If you're interested in learning, members will teach you for free. What's more, you can bring children over 10 along for the lessons as well.
The club is open Wednesday evenings for beginner bowlers, Noble said. Cost to play is $1 per person. For information on lessons, you may call club headquarters at 442-5329 or Trevor at 669-5268. Regular play takes place Monday through Saturday beginning at 9:30 a.m. Play is cancelled in the event of inclement weather.
There are several categories of membership. They include: active members - persons who join for a period of longer than three months (all privileges of the club); short term members - persons who join the club for a period of less than three months (all privileges except voting at club meetings); social members (all privileges except bowling and voting at club meetings); and associate junior member - persons under 18 years of age (social bowling privileges but no voting at club meetings). Guests pay daily fees to participate.
Persons interested in seeing what the sport is all about are invited to attend any of the upcoming club championship tournaments. Women's competition is scheduled on January 4 (pairs), January 11 (triples), January 18 and 25 (regular singles). The men will compete on January 11 and 18 (pairs), February 1 and 8 (triples). Many of the members will also be travelling around the state to take part in tournaments such as the Sun City Invitational on January 13, Lakeland Invitational on January 20, Bert MacWilliams Memorial Tournament in Sun City on January 27 and Sarasota Mixed Pairs Tournament on February 18. Clearwater Mayor Frank Hibbard is expected to make an appearance at the Mayor's Charity Tournament at the Clearwater Lawn Bowling Club on February 22.
Last year's club championship winners were Barbara Roller (4-3-2-1 Ladies Singles); Lorne Reid (4-3-2-1 Men's Singles); Olive Shearer (Ladies Singles); Ron Jones (Men's Singles); Marion Wall and Carole Rawlings (Ladies Pairs); Ken Roberts and John Orr (Men's Pairs); team of Jill Orchard, Joyce Beardmore and Anita Gray (Ladies Trebles); and team of Joe Dorsch, Doug Shearer and Hugh Darby (Men's Trebles)
In addition to Noble, other officers for 2006-2007 are Cathie Stephan, secretary; Jill Orchard, treasurer; and Lou Ann Mulvaney, assistant treasurer. Directors are Ken Roberts (2007), Lou Ann Mulvaney and Pauline Keenan (2008) and Joyce Lannan, Lenore Roach and Bruce Miller (2009). The Clearwater Lawn Bowling Club is currently celebrating its 83rd year. Its facilities, which include 22 rinks maintained for professional play, are located at 1040 Calumet Street.
