Size doesn’t matter: Georgetown Memorial Bowling Club mixing it with the best
The Georgetown Memorial Club is one of the smallest South Australian Bowling Clubs based on membership, but as the following article depicts that isn’t stopping them from making great developments to see their club flourish.
Bowls SA had a routine phone call with the North Western Bowling Association and posed the question – “Is there any excellent work being done by Clubs in your Association that stands out and should be recognised?”. Interestingly, in the spirit of ‘the often forgotten, little guy’ the Association highlighted the work of one of it’s smaller clubs – Georgetown Memorial bowling Club. After following up, we could see why this club had caught the eye of the Association in the wonderful work they were doing.
Georgetown Memorial clubhouse has undergone a complete renovation over the past ten years. The original building was erected in 1947 and was shared until the 1990’s by the RSL. Hence, being a ‘Memorial’ bowling club. The RSL club folded as no members remained and very few improvements had been made to the clubhouse for many years. The club has made a concerted effort to fundraise with assistance from grants, and can finally say the last of the planned renovations were completed in 2019.
The first project involved putting a new roof on the building, the club then set about recladding the entire exterior and painting it, using their very capable local tradies. This was followed by installation of new, efficient air conditioning.
The next project was to renovate the interior. A couple of volunteer members spent the 2019 ‘off season’ upgrading and improving the bar, ensuring the club is now compliant with regulations. At the same time, the club was able to again employ their local tradies to re-clad the interior walls, replace the ceiling, paint the entire building, replace floor coverings and install new lighting and fans. Essentially, over ten years, Georgetown Memorial has rebuilt the entire clubhouse with thanks to a small but enthusiastic volunteer and local workforce. Those who spent time working, gain a lot of pleasure from now spending time in quality facilities.
The opening of the clubhouse was a special event, with local community members keen to enjoy the facilities. Georgetown Memorial have received many positive comments and have been congratulated by the NWBA on the improvements made. The facilities are now of a high standard which complements the fantastic running grass green and the club was rewarded with the opportunity to host several Association events and finals this season.
A wonderful story of community spirit, hard working volunteers and a vote for ‘the little guy’. We encourage members to support the Georgetown Memorial Bowling Club and participate in one of their tournaments throughout the year.
Bowls SA thanks Secretary Josie Smallacombe for the information and photo supplied.
