Still faced with declining membership, the Dresden Lawn Bowling club is looking to boost their numbers.
Steve St. Pierre, president of the Dresden Lawn Bowling Club, said the object of the game is very close to curling.
“In district 1 all the players from all six clubs are extremely easy going and are out to enjoy the evening,” he said
District tournaments are “a little more serious” but still all about having fun.
“At the end of the game you will be sitting eating lunch with the team you just played against and you will be complementing each other on some of the finer shots you made or you will be laughing about the flops you threw.”
St. Pierre said lawn bowling has a rich history in the area.
“Lawn bowling is at least 100 years old in Chatham-Kent and it is the most unrecognized sport around,” St. Pierre said.
“It is low impact but it can get intense depending on whether you are out for a visit with some new friends, or out to kick some butt on the greens.”
St. Pierre said the season starts in mid May, and runs Monday and Thursday evenings in Dresden, at Kinsman Park.
Tournaments can range from six teams showing up on a Saturday morning, up to 32 teams in the bigger communities.
Dresden, Chatham, Ridgetown and Tilbury will get 8-10 teams on a regular basis, St. Pierre said.
The Dresden club is truly for men of women of all ages, as the membership currently ranges from mid-20s to low-80s.
“If you ask someone how old they are, they usually won’t tell,” St. Pierre said, adding that there are provisions in the Ontario Lawn Bowling Association for people with physical limitations as well.
St. Pierre said all local clubs will allow a new bowler to come out and give lawn bowling a try for a few nights or weeks, before they decide to join the club.
“Most clubs have equipment for newcomers to use, if they don’t they would borrow from neighboring clubs,” he said. “Gently used equipment is available around if you wanted to make the investment.”
Rates for a new bowler in Dresden are $50 for the first year and $100 per year afterwards.
“I cant stress how enjoyable this game is for new and existing members,” St. Pierre said.
“You always hear someone laughing and everyone else looking to see what is so funny.”
Here is the contact information for the area clubs:
Chatham: Mary Anne Chappie – 519-354-8828
Dresden: Tom Roth – 519-401-4570 or Steve St. Pierre – 519-683-8956
Leamington: Paul Brown – 519-825-4642
Ridgetown: Brian Doidge – 519-674-5135 or Bob Long – 519-674-0385
Tilbury: John Fantin – 519-682-0489
Windsor: Alfie Fairweather – 519-972-5787 or Jean Stuhlmeuller – 519-945-6433
– Submitted photo
