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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1991-07-03, Page 16Page 14 Nsaes-Advocate, July 3, 1991 SPORT, A look at lawn bowling From 13 to 92, this sport has no age barrier By Fred Groves EXETER - There is no genera- tion gap in this sport. From the teenaged Laura Pear- son, Jaclyn Wright and Andrea Weigand to the 92 year-old Nelson Squire. Some nights on the lawn bowling greens of Exeter, it's not uncom- mon to see all of these people chat- ting while enjoying a relaxing game. Pearson, Wright and Weigand were the 1990 Ontario junior ladies triples champions and are proof that there is a surge towards getting younger people to compete in the sport which for decades has been predominantly for seniors. Exeter's Peter McFalls and his wife Gloria are strong supporters of the youth program at the local club. There sons Allan, Jason and Shawn are all lawn bowlers and have entered a few provincial championships themselves. "The future of our club is the juniors. Our club has had more success because we've put effort in to it," said Peter McFalls. He pointed out that a lot of other clubs don't encourage the younger players to take up lawn bowling. For those youngsters who don't want to play a competitive sport, it still gives them a chance to com- pete. "If they're not into body con- tact,. there's still a challenge. It's a sport you don't have to be physi- cally strong," said Peter. He and Gloria have been lawn bowling for about 10 years now. It was something he did before and decided to give it a try and few years later. "I tried it in 1967 and I bowled in a few tournaments but I got busy coaching ball and I was golfing," said Peter. But a minor golf injury saw him get back to lawn bowling in 1982. About four years ago, there was a slight decline in membership and the Exeter Lawn Bowling Club dipped to about 55 members and now there are over 70. That in- cludes 10 junior bowlers. "The older bowlers weren't able to get out and maybe there wasn't enough effort to get new members out," he said of the decline. But things have certainly turned around in the last four years. "It's an open invitation to the pub- lic. With the juniors maybe I can get the parents out and have a fun day," he said of a recruitment • .:N Pc:wt►tar. TOURNAMENT EXETER A.A. Li,NdrolD-WiNN1-t, t{itw t Good old days - Members of the EXeter Lawn Bowling Club stand outside of the clubhouse on Street in 1911. (Photo courtesy of Exeter Lawn Bowling Club). Main scheme. No age gap: Ruth Skinner is one of the senior members of the club, while she didn't want her age mentioned, she did say it won't be long before she had to be tested for her drivers' license. There is more to a lawn bowling club than what goes on on the greens themselves. Constantly there are tournaments like the Na- tional Trust mixed pairs event on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Skinner, as Gloria McFalls says, is one of the ladies that keeps the kitchen in the clubhouse running smoothly. "I don't mind doing that. I wouldn't care if I didn't bowl at all," said Skinner before lining up a shot at a jitney tournament Mon- day afternoon. Jitney is the term for an inter- club event. It's designed to get club members out and the Canada Day holiday saw dozens of the Exeter bowlers on the greens: Skinner was playing with bowlers who are as much as 65 years her junior. "When we were young like that we hardly had any training in sport, she said." Busy summer: One of the young- est lawn bowlers in Exeter is 13 year-old Brian Negrijn. Last year was his ftrst summer and he went into just one tournament, this year Negrijn is entered in three. "My cousin Andrea (Weigand) is here. She got into it and said it was fun." It is interesting to watch him on the greens listening and paying at- tention to the roll of almost every bowl. a "Last year I wasn't that good at it but now I can get close to the kit- ty," he said of the white ball used basically as a target. Negrijn said the hardest thing for him to keep remembering was which side the weight was on when he gripped the bowl. prior to his de- livery. e- L And what about the seniors, the ones old enough to be his grandpar- ents who are bowling right beside him? "Some of them will give you hints on where to aim," he said. The generation gap may be present in lots of things but on the lawn bowling greens, especially in Exeter, it doesn't exist. Game began In Exeter as early as 1896 EXETER - If you shut your eyes real tight you can still imagine them. On a hot summer's night, W.W. Taman, Fred Gladman, Charlie Snell and W. Leavitt would be dressed in their best white pressed shirt, no doubt rolled up to the el- bows. They'd talk of the days activities and the -happenings along the Main Street of Exeter. The year was 1904 and lawn bowling had be- come a very popular past time. Some 13 years later, Taman would be a member of the "Big Four Rink", the most successful lawn bowling rink in Western On- tario. Joining him were R.G. Sel- don, W.D. Clarke and J.A. Stewart. Although lawn bowling in Exeter can be traced back to 1896 where they would play on the lawn of the Anglican Church, the club did not move to its present location on Main Street until 1911. Garnet Hicks, has been lawn bowling for over 20 years. To oth- ers, such as Stella Taylor, he's a newcomer, but he has a great deal of knowledge about the history of the Exeter Club. "The Exeter Lawn Bowling Club is recognized as one of the best greens in Western Ontario," said Hicks during a recent conversation. "Apparently there is a cinder pad underneath, we can have a temble rain storm and half an hour later we can have it cleared off." Hicks explained that lawn bowl- ing, in Taman's era, was a sport for the important business men of the community. Rules haven't changed EXETER - The rules of the game haven't changed that much, simply be- cause there are so few rules. A small white bowl called a jack or kitty is rolled down the green by the player who scored on the last end. To determine who starts a game there is a flip. Then the kitty is thrown but it must come no less than six feet from the ditch. There is a ditch at each end of the rink which acts as a boundary. At the beginning of the first end, the player to play first shall place the centre line of the mat lengthwise on the centre line of the rink, the front edge of the mat to be six feet from the ditch. For those unfamiliar with a mat in lawn bowling, it's where the bowlers deliver from, much like pushing out of a hack in curling. Then there is the actual bowl itself, if your throwing one for the first time you will notice a strange course it takes down the green. "The bowl is weighted. It will curve around other bowls so you can get around the opposition," said Garnet Hicks. They are made of wood or rubber and either brown or black. Wooden bowls have a maximum diameter of five and a quarter inches and weigh no more than three pounds, eight ounces. The rubber bowls have the same weight but can be a maximum diameter of five and one eighth inches. "In lawn bowling, the grass, humidity and everything else adds into the picture. It takes practice and practice," said Hicks. Sports shorts Local golfers to district tourney SEAFORTH - Six golfers from Exeter have advanced to the Opti- mist Mid -Western District Golf Tournament on July 10 in St. Mar- ys. On Wednesday, Jim Ahrens, Darren Mason and Mike Burton who play out of Ironwood and Ryan Stuart, Jamie Dougall and Sean Beattie from Exeter Golf Big trophies - Ron Grasdahl, left; stands with some of the trophies he and his daughter JoDee and son Colin, right; won at a recent ka- rate tournament in Kentucky. JACK'S Plumbing and Heating (Exeter) Inc. Jack Maver (519) 235-0581 Thinking of Changing to Gas?? We are your local Union Gas Dealer In this area Approved Installers of Union Gas Water Heaters. We also install furnaces, air conditioning systems, water softeners and new plumbing fixtures for new homes and renovations. Club finished in the top five in their divisions. Horseshow ZURICH - An Ontario Barrel Racing Association Horseshow will be held on Saturday, and Sun- day beginning at 11 a.m. at Merha- ven Farms in Zurich. Events included are barrel races, pole bending and dash for cash. Anyone wishing more information can contact Larry Merner at 236- 7565. Coach, skaters wanted LUCAN - The Lucan Skating Club is accepting applications for a precision skating coach for a new Junior team. Tryouts will begin late in August and is open to all skaters 14 -and - over although younger skaters will be considered. Lucan has a juve- nile competitive team and the Lu - can Community Centre recently hosted the Western Ontario Cham- pionships. For more information contact Ann Hardy at 227-4307. Triple play EXETER - The Exeter minor tykes are having a good year on the ball diamonds with the help of some pretty good defensive work. In a recent game against Clinton, Chris Armstrong turned a triple play. New record LUCAN - Lee Cosens of Bid- dulph Central School recently broke that school's long jump record in the 10 year-old boys divi- sion. Cosens leaped 3.93 metres and was also the group champion in his age division. Other age group win- ners were Kellie Dale, Corey Smith, Chad Greenlee, Denver England, Harry Willems, Jaclyn King, Colleen Moore, Launi Ap- pleman, Teresa Lojzer, Kellie Wil- liams. Track -and -fielder GODERICH - Chad Gilfillan of Precious Blood School finished first in both the 400 and 200 metre races here at the Huron -Perth Sep- erate School Board track and field finals on June 19. He also took a second in the triple jump while Jeff Averill also had a good day in the senior boys division bringing home a second in both the running long jump and the shot put. The senior boys were sec- ond in the relay. In senior girls, Toni DeJong was second in the 400 metres. In the junior boys' division, Scott Gilfil- lan was first in the standing broad jump and Paul Gregus was second in the running broad jump. Jaclyn VanEsbroeck was first in the standing broad jump in the jun- ior girls group and third in the 200 metres. Greys win big WINTHROP - Centrefreldcr Sandi Fremlin hod three hits in- cluding a three run homer in the second inning to spark the Greys to a 22-3 win over Winthrop in Hu- ron -Perth Ladies Fastball League play. • Pitcher Gail Beuerman, despite throwing with an injured hand, gave up just three runs in the three innings she worked before giving way to Patti Down. Beuerman also had a good game at the plate as she clubbed a pair of doubles. The Greys were on their toes de- fensively as third baseman Dianne Willis turned a double play and first baseman Lisa Henderson also helped out on a double play to end the game. 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