What’s going on?
Most new or inexperienced bowlers joining Camberley and District Indoor Bowling Club without a guide or mentor must have wondered, from time to time, what it’s all about. Surely bowls is all about getting on the green and bowling up one’s woods. Well yes – but no!
Very soon it becomes obvious that ‘getting on the green’ involves a little bit more. These notes seek to offer some help to any club member wanting to become involved.
Firstly then, an explanation of which bowls events can be found to be taking place, and when. Lets break it down into component parts:
Leagues
Most operate as a single division only, others have two divisions with promotion and relegation. Each league (or division of a league) is composed of 6 or more teams, each run by a self appointed team captain. Each team must have a minimum number of players (as defined in the club bye-laws). Leagues are played from Monday opening at 10.00am through to Friday at 10.00pm, with the exception of Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons (see friendly matches below).
Club ‘Fun’ Drives
The Club runs a number of ‘fun drives’ during the season (mostly on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons where there is no friendly match at home, and on Sunday evenings). The purpose of the drives are to encourage new bowlers and to provide bowling for those members who on the odd occasion have not been selected for an away match. The format is very relaxed and friendly and provides an ideal opportunity for all bowlers to have a good afternoon with friends and to meet our new members who may have not yet plucked up enough courage to put their names down for matches. Watch the notice board for details!
On Tuesdays and Wednesdays please arrive for these drives by 1:45pm for registration in order that a timely start may be made at 2:15pm. On Sundays please arrive by 6pm, so that a start may be made at 6:30pm.
Friendly Matches
These are generally played against other Clubs (Indoor and Outdoor) or Bowling Associations. Lists are displayed in the foyer of the club and (within the format of the match) are there for any member of the club to append his or her name to indicate their availability for match selection.
Generally, but not exclusively, Tuesday matches are for ladies, Wednesdays for men – however both days offer a number of mixed matches. Weekend games on Saturday and Sunday afternoons vary in format, but are mostly mixed. Afternoon matches are of 18 or 21 ends duration (depending on whether teams are made up of triples or rinks (i.e. 3 or 4 bowlers) and usually played in ‘whites’. Occasionally, matches are arranged as ‘in-house’ games, e.g. Ladies v Gentlemen.
Competitions
Here matters become more complex, as there is considerable variety in the type and number of competitions that may be entered. Let’s try to unravel the complexity:
Club Competitions
These are open to all members, who can enter any (or all), as appropriate, of singles, pairs, triples or rinks (i.e. fours) for ladies or men.
In order to encourage more Ladies to enter competitions it has been decided to replace the Ladies Pairs, Ladies Triples and Ladies Fours with drawn competitions where teams will be drawn from the pool of entrants. For the Ladies Triples and Ladies Fours the skips will be seeded and drawn separately.
There are mixed pairs and rinks for both ladies and men to enter together, as well as an ‘over 60’s’ singles, and a ‘2-wood’ pairs, which are ‘open’ competitions.
There is also a ‘Novice Pairs’ competition, open only to members that have played bowls (indoor and/or outdoor) for three years or less and a Ladies Novice Singles open to any lady that has not previously reached a club competition final.
All club competitions are played on a ‘knock-out’ basis.
Following the Men’s and Ladies Championship Singles Finals, the winners will be invited to play in a Champion of Champions final to determine the overall Club Champion
County Competitions – Men
In accordance with Surrey County Indoor Bowling Association (SCIBA) rules, the club enter the previous year’s winners, runners-up and semi-finalists of the club men’s singles, men’s pairs and men’s triples championships to the equivalent county championships for the next season. The club singles champion is also entered for the national champion of champions competitions.
Other Surrey County competitions include over 60’s men’s singles, men’s fours, mixed pairs and mixed fours, which are open to all club members who wish to enter as an appropriately structured team.
The club also enters the winners of the club men’s fours championship for the following season’s London & Southern Counties Bowling Association’s Indoor Fours Championship. Two other ‘fours’ will also be selected by the Team Manager to represent the club in this competition
County Competitions – Ladies
Ladies county competitions available are Pairs, Triples, Rinks (Fours), Under 50 singles and Over 50s singles See the Surrey County Women’s Indoor Bowling Association (SCWIBA) handbook for details (a club copy is available for inspection, by the correspondence pigeon holes, located in the entrance hall.
National Competitions
Usually entered by individual members who ‘fancy their chances’ as bowlers, and want to bowl at a higher level. Good quality bowling offering opportunities to play away at other clubs, where the draw permits, with the eventual aim at appearing at national finals. Very challenging, especially arranging times and venues!
County, Regional and National Inter-Club Competitions
Teams for these competitions are selected by the Team Manager to represent the club. Again the matches, and their play by/on dates (where available at publication time) are shown in this booklet.
Roll-Ups
These are a long-standing part of the bowls world. Although no rink space has been scheduled for roll-ups, there are rinks available during a number of league sessions which can be used for this purpose. An early morning session is available for roll-ups on weekdays from 8:30 am until morning leagues commence. This session is free of charge, although at other times, a rink fee is payable, by the hour (on Wednesday and Thursday evenings the session from 8:30pm to 10:30pm is available for a single hour’s charge). Keep an eye on the rink book at Reception.
Tournaments
Various tournaments, generally restricted to club members only, have been run very successfully in the past, both at the New year and Easter (Good Friday). These are usually whole day affairs, played by up to 24 teams on a mini-league basis, followed by semi-finals and finals between the winners of the mini-leagues. Watch the notice board for details, these days are very enjoyable.
Summary
That’s the bowling activity within the club – and, of course, you are saying “How do I fit in?”. In short the answer is to help yourself, but a few comments may help – let’s look at each section separately:
Leagues:
There are books at the Reception Desk in which you can show that you are available to join a league – enter appropriate details of name, telephone number, membership number, and when you are available to play. There is also a book for league team captains to advertise for additional players to join their teams: it is up to you to look in these books and proceed from there.
You may join any number of teams but, of course, can play for only one team in any league. If you want to form your own team, you may do so at the end of the season, when the league programme is being scheduled for the following year. The League Secretary will place a book at Reception for all existing captains to confirm their entries, and for new teams to register where there are vacancies in the league structure. Help and Advice is available if you want to understand how to run a team – just ask any committee member.
Fun Drives
Just turn up on the day – registration takes place half an hour before play commences to enable teams to be sorted out. Generally there is a break about halfway through the session to enjoy a cup of tea and a biscuit (or two!)
Friendly Matches:
Don’t be worried about joining in here. This is the place to learn what bowling is all about. Put your name down on the availability sheets. Make sure you get to know the Captain of the day, and enjoy your game.
Club Competitions:
These are open to all members. Please note that these matches are played on a “knock-out” basis.
Competition Entry Forms are produced each year (usually in September/October) detailing all Individual Club Competitions that may be entered, which should be completed and returned (together with appropriate Entry Fees) to the Competition Secretary, by the date stated on the form for play in the same Season
County and National competitions:
County singles, pairs and triples (men only) can only be entered by reaching the semi-finals of the club singles, pairs and/or triples competitions. Other county competitions are open to all.
For ladies, there are Under 50 Singles, Over 50s Singles, Pairs, Triples and Fours county competitions open to all lady members who wish to enter either singly or as a team.
All national competitions are open to all members.
Competition Entry Forms are produced each year (usually in February) detailing all Individual County and National Competitions that may be entered which should be completed and returned (together with appropriate Entry Fees) to the Competition Secretary, by the date stated on the form for play in the following Season
Inter-Club Competitions:
It is unlikely that new or inexperienced bowlers would be selected for these highly competitive Inter-Club Competitions (e.g. Denny Cup, Yetton Trophy etc.). Nevertheless the dates and venues for these matches are published in this book, and any support that you can give would be very welcome, and much appreciated by the members selected to play.
Roll-Ups and Club Drives:
An excellent way of measuring your abilities against other members, as well as improving your bowling. More importantly, perhaps, a chance to get to know other members. Roll-ups and club drives are also very good fun – do join in!
Coaching
There are excellent coaching facilities available at the club.