Bowlers open green for new season

On Saturday evening last at the outdoor Bowling Green bathed in spring sunshine Past President Gary Kelly welcomed members and guests to the Official opening of the Green for the 2012 season, introducing President Mickey Connor and after affixing the Presidential Badge he wished him a very happy enjoyable successful season.

President Mickey thanked Gary for his good wishes and presented him with his Past President’s Badge thanking him for his leadership and successes last season.

He invited his wife Elaine to roll the silver jack and deliver the first bowl after which she declared the green open wishing all members good bowling in the new season.

Past President Mrs Barbara Logue affixed the Presidential Badge on President Mrs Anne Smith wishing her too a very happy enjoyable season. President Anne also rolled a silver jack and delivered the first bowl declaring the Ladies Bowling Open as well.

President Mickey invited all present to the Social room for supper which was served by the Ladies of the Club and enjoyed by all.

President Mickey then addressed those present:

“President Ann, Past Presidents Barbara and Gary, wife Elaine, Guests and Fellow and New Members thank you all for coming to support this evening at our Official Opening of the Green for the 2012 season.

Firstly may I thank the members for electing me to this high office in the Club, I am looking forward to it and hope to enjoy it very much, I thank Gary for his leadership and bowling successes last year I can only hope that all the Teams do as well this season and also may the various Championships Players do well too.

To you President Ann may I wish your Ladies good bowling success as well and also on behalf of us all I thank you and your Ladies for serving us a beautiful supper this evening which we have all enjoyed and thank you Ann for filling our hanging baskets as well.

I thank very much my wife Elaine for delivering the silver jack and the first bowl and for declaring our Green open, she now knows where I spend the summer evenings.

A lot of work has been done on and around the green as well as a lot of cleaning in our premises getting them ready for today and to the faithful band of members who came along to do this work thank you all very much for all your time and effort, it was worthwhile, and to Charlie Edger for his very willing advice and help on the green our very best thanks go, as too thanks to Alister Steele for looking after the green on a day to day basis as well.

During the winter months our Social Room has been re-vamped making it brighter, more spacious and comfortable for us to all enjoy as you can all see this evening. Could I on behalf of us all send good wishes for a speedy recovery to Maurice Logue who is in Hospital and thank him for his driving force behind the re-vamping of our Social Room, he has worked endless hours in carrying the plans through and to Morris Smyth our very best thanks for carrying on this week when Maurice was taken into hospital. Our Social room is looking very well and my wish would be that, all you the members use it, as well as supporting our funding raising events during the season. Here I want to thank Rayan Carmichael very much for the effort he and his wife put in selling table quiz sheets raising some £435 for the Club.

To our more Senior Members who are not enjoying the best of health at present we send best wishes to Bob Bolton, Jim Frizzell, and Bert McClure.

I thank the members of our Management Committee for their ever watchful eye over the Club’s affairs and thank the members of the Social, Selectors, Green and Competitions Sub-Committees for all the work they are about to do during the season for us all.

Finally I thank you all for coming, enjoy yourselves for the rest of the evening and have a safe journey home.”

President Anne Smith thanked the Ladies for electing her to this high office and looked forward to bowling success on the green during the season, she thanked Past President Barbara and Ladies Honorary Secretary Mrs Irene Hunter for all their support to her so far.

She thanked President Mickey for his good wishes to the Ladies and also for his thanks for the supper served, she paid tribute and thanks to all the Ladies who supplied and served it, by the empty plates all had enjoyed it.

In paying thanks and tribute to all who had worked to refurbish the Social room she hoped all our members would enjoy the new comfort and support the fund raising events that would be held during the season, she wished all a very happy bowling season.

The Club Honorary Secretary D.J.Connelly on behalf of Rayan Carmichael, who could not be present, presented the Money Rayan had raised from the Table Quiz he had run. He reminded members of the NIPBA Championship Entry Form on the Club Notice Board and for them to watch out for news about friend lies being arranged, the green would be open for play from next week, weather permitting, on Friday 27th April the Overend Charity Triples, for all playing members would be played, followed by a Social evening to thank our Contractors, workers and members who had worked on the refurbishment of the social Room. A musical evening enjoyed by all present brought our opening to a close.