TO DOWNLOAD THE 2012 RNSWBA ANNUAL ... - Bowls NSW

and the individual members who contributed to the successfuldevelopment and adoption of the new Constitution. Thefeedback, critical commentary and suggestions which werereceived not only ensured that a wide range of views wasrepresented within the document, but also showed that thereis a general underlying passion for the sport of bowls amongstthe members and that successful outcomes can be achievedwhen the members involve themselves and take an interest intheir Association.Much time and effort has been invested into improvingcommunication lines within the sport and ensuring that theservices provided by the Association match the needs of themembers and clubs.With our members being the lifeblood of the Association, weacknowledge wholeheartedly that the way in which wecommunicate with and the relevance of the services weprovide to clubs and our members is central to the success ofthe entire organisation.The introduction of the new BowlsBox email system for clubswill revolutionise the way in which Bowls NSW disseminatesinformation, as well significantly reduce operational costs byreplacing the need to post “hardcopy” circulars and noticeseach month.The development of a new Bowls NSW website which is bothfunctional and informative, will allow members easier accessto relevant resources and the ability to connect with theAssociation more regularly than ever before, throughpersonally subscribing to receive e-news and circulars.Our core business of administering and running bowls eventsremains at the forefront of our strategic objectives. We striveto ensure that all Association events we conduct, regardless ofthe skill level of the players, is of a first-class and professionalstandard and that all players have a positive experiencewhether they lose in the first round or win the title.Our corporate and event partners have again played asignificant role in the success of our events and I thank each ofthem for their ongoing support of the Association and thesport of bowls in general.The initiative of introducing a hosting fee for a club to hostone of the seven BCiB State Pennant finals, has enabled thecreation of the Travel Assistance Grant Scheme to financiallyassist Individuals and clubs who may be experiencing hardshipdue to the travel costs associated with playing in Associationevent State finals. As a self-funding program which does notimpact on member funds, I am confident that the TAG Schemewill be of great benefit to a large number of clubs andmembers well into the future.The achievements of our bowlers over the past year cannot beoverlooked, in particular our NSW State Junior Side whoconquered all before them in Interstate Series defeating theACT and Queensland in their annual matches, as well as takingout the Quadrangular Series against Victoria, WesternAustralia and South Australia. The NSW Boys also managed totop the year off at the National Junior Championships winningan unprecedented 4 gold medals from 4 events.Playing no small part in this amazing achievement was ourState Junior Coach Jack Hawkins, who was also awardedCoach of the Year by both NSW and Bowls Australia for 2011.Having recently stepped down from this position, I would liketo take this opportunity to thank Jack on behalf of theAssociation for his dedication and commitment to thedevelopment of junior bowls in NSW.The NSW Keno-Hi-Jackers, on the back of their undefeated“Year of the Blues” again represented our bowlers proudlydefeating Victoria and Queensland in their annual test seriesand finishing runner-up to Queensland at the Australian SidesChampionships.The Association is extremely fortunate to have suchhardworking and dedicated employees who are bowlsfocusedand passionate about the sport, and I am sure thatthose members and administrators, who deal directly with theBowls NSW office on a regular basis, will also echo mysentiments. The sport has even had a strong influence on our“non-bowling” employees with Office Manager CourtneyAllouche naming her recently born son “Jack”!Simply, not enough can be said to quantify the importance ofhaving a good team and a cooperative working environment –and fortunately at Bowls NSW we have both. Thank you andwell done to all.Greg HelmChief Executive OfficerBowls NSW, 2011-12 Annual Report & Year Book Page 5