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WATCHWATCHWATCHWATCH INCORPORATING

A REGULAR NEWSLETTER OF THE

DOUBLE BAY MEN’S BOWLING CLUB

Vol. 6 No 9 September - October 2009

EDITOR: MIKE GOLLAND

WOMEN’S BOWLING CLUB’S ON THE GREEN Pages 8-11

Double Bay Bowling Club Proudly Sponsored

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Contact Bob Guth 9327 3744 or 0403 585 585

WINNERS IN THE PINK

Winners of the 6th Invitation triples led by Karen

Murphy (centre) with Kay Moran (left) and Melanie Macaulay were in

the pink to promote their participation in the upcoming Pink Bowls Day for the McGrath Foundation.

STORY PAGE 9

2

Grandchildren the “inspiration” to winning Major club tournaments

GERALD Weinberg has dedicated his

“half” of the 2009 Major Pairs title to his

newest grandson, Zane, who arrived two

days before he and Arnold Javen defeated

Peter Levy and Jack Kampel in the final on

Sunday, August 2. He is making a habit of associating his club

championship wins with his grandchildren. When he won the Major Singles title from James Cook in April, 2006, his (then) three-and-a-half-year-old grandson, Chase, watched the match and ran onto the rink when Gerald played the winning bowl in a 31-25 result.

“He was my inspiration,” Gerald said at the time. Audrey and Gerald Weinberg’s latest grandchild is

their seventh (with an eighth due in November), and makes the tally five grandsons and two granddaughters. The new arrival is the third child for Craig and Saralea (nee Bogan) Weinberg, of Rose Bay, and a brother to Chase and Hunter.

The win was Gerald’s fifth Major Pairs championship honour in the past 10 years and Javen’s first major crown since he joined Double Bay from Lindfield in early 2008, although

he won last year’s handicap singles event. But Javen had been in great form prior to the

championship challenge. He took his place in the final soon after arriving

back from Israel with a bronze medal when representing Australia in the lawn bowls triples at the Maccabiah Games.

Ironically for Kampel, his constituted partner in the club pairs was Bernard Fridman, who was in Javen’s Maccabiah medal-winning team, but who delayed his return to Sydney due to commitments in South Africa.

However, Kampel was fortunate to substitute Fridman with Peter Levy, who teamed with Fridman to win the Major Pairs in 2007

Weinberg’s five Major Pairs crowns have come with four different partners. In 1999 he won the Rose Bay Club’s Major Pairs with Alan Treisman and they went as far as the semi-final of the State Pairs Champion of Champions event. At Double Bay Weinberg has his name on the pairs honour board for 2001 again with Treisman, in 2003 with Walter Jacobs as his lead and in 2005, he had veteran, Les Ferguson, as his partner.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 7

Arnold Javen (left) and Gerald Weinberg.

Flashback (right) to 2006

Gerald Weinberg and grandson, Chase; (below) Chase and his

newborn brother, Zane

3

Use the door to “pavilion” toilet

THE uni-sex toilet and the

groundsmen’s machinery room,

which was constructed in early

2005 between the No 2 and 3

greens, has had a “face lift” to give

more privacy to members and to

make it easier for the groundsmen

to utilise the area.

The structure, known officially as the Currie Pavilion, now has a separate entrance to the toilet facility, while the opening to the machinery retains the roll-a-door.

Double Bay again in Club Challenge ALTHOUGH there was moderate interest from a majority of players in

last year’s inaugural Bowls NSW Club Challenge tournament, Double

Bay will compete in the 2009 event. The club has again entered three teams in the Mixed Competition which makes

every member of the men’s and women’s club eligible for team selection. Despite this,

selectors last year had problems in naming full-strength teams.

Last year Double Bay’s three teams were allocated places in two sections against

opposition from north shore clubs, North Sydney, Neutral Bay and Warrawee, which

meant that two Double Bay Clubs played each other twice in the six rounds, while the

third had two byes.

Each team is represented by sides of seven players. The combined efforts of a singles,

pairs and fours games with the club winning at least two of the three games winning

the match.

This year’s first round must be completed on or before September 27, with the last

round on November 8. The State Finals are at Raymond Terrace BC on December 12-

13. Prize money will be awarded to clubs successful at State Finals and clubs from

more than 150km from Raymond Terrace, will receive a subsidy towards travel and

accommodation. The Competition gives competing clubs the chance to schedule

matches at times that suit players and the club, but Double Bay may have a problem

for the first round which coincides with the Jewish New Year High Holyday period.

Last year Double Bay had mixed success in the tournament. The No 1 team won

regional section honours, but lost the play-off to qualify for the State rounds.

TOP LEFT: Chairman, John Rosen, at the door leading to the toilet facility

LEFT: The building after its renovation into a store room and toilet in May 2005. The door has been constructed where

the panels were on the right.

4

THIS magnificent trophy

(right) which stands in a glass

case, just behind the

president’s table in the club

house could be “under

arrest”, if club member,

Peter Gow has his way. It is the Davis Cup, donated in

1969 by C. L. Davis, the club president from 1949-1951, to be contested between Double Bay and the NSW Police Bowling Club.

But is has stood idle, collecting dust since it was last taken out of its casing way back in 1977.

Now, Peter Gow, (pictured) a past vice-president of the strong NSW Police Bowling Club, wants to resurrect the annual contest between the two clubs.

Veteran club members recall that the annual challenge between Double Bay and the policemen was played by fours teams, with shots counting to decide the winning club.

Judging by the shields on the base of the trophy the police were top guns during the 1970s. The trophy was contested on nine occasions with the police taking the honour eight times. Peter Gow says he has the blessing of acting men’s bowling club president, Harry Black, to

remind the current Police Club officials of the trophy’s existence and gauge if they would consider reviving the annual event.

It is suggested that the challenge be played on a Wednesday during the pennant season. All Double Bay members, who compete in the club’s regular Wednesday competition, would be selected to play against graded Police sides which will ensure a competitive tournament. “The Police can field 12 to 16 teams, so there will be a game for everyone.” Gow added.

All the latest club news and views including WEATHER WATCH ON STATE OF GREENS ON WET DAYS

DOUBLE BAY BOWLING CLUB WEBSITE www.doublebaybowlingclub.com.au

Police may come after our Davis Cup!

5

Winners (and runners up)

receive trophies for 2008

Major club tournaments IT was a case of “better late than never” when finalists of the 2008 Major club

championships received their trophies. Bowls club acting president, Harry Black, handed

out the innovative trophies in the shape of a bowling

ball mounted on a stand which contained the Double

Bay Club badge, during the afternoon tea break on

Wednesday, August 5.

Although there were more than 90 members taking

the tea break, at least six of the 2008 championship-

winning players were not at the club to receive their

awards. and hear the membership applaud their

efforts.

James Cook, Double Bay’s former Development

Officer and Club administrator, who won the coveted

Major Singles and Major Pairs, was one of the notable

absentees as were Ray Jankelowitz, who was runner-

up to Cook in the singles and Les Lilian, Cook’s

partner in the Major pairs.

MORE PICTURES PAGE 6

THE WINNERS AND

*RUNNERS UP --

MAJOR SINGLES:

JAMES COOK

* Ray Jankelowitz

MAJOR PAIRS: LES LILIAN

JAMES COOK

*Brian Ginsberg

Pepe Glick

MAJOR TRIPLES:

BRIAN GINSBERG

PEPE GLICK

JACK KAMPEL

* David Carroll

James Cook

Phil Gordon Jnr

MAJOR FOURS:

DAVID CARROLL

LES FERGUSON

PETER LEVY

GERALD WEINBERG

*Harry Black, Les Lilian

Harold Jankelowitz

Ray Jankelowitz

MINOR SINGLES:

MARK SACK

*Jonathan Chapman

MINOR PAIRS (Inaugural):

BRIAN GRILL

CES ALBERT

*Les Ginzberg, Max Klein

HANDICAP SINGLES:

ARNOLD JAVEN

*Les Brem

MIXED PAIRS:

IRIS KAMPEL

JACK KAMPEL

*Mary Newin, Walter Jacob

DRAWN PAIRS:

BERNIE GARDEN,

SOLLY SHUSTER

*Max Klein,

Brandon Conway

Winner of the 2008 Handicap Singles event, Arnold Javen (left), receives the trophy from bowls club acting

president, Harry Black.

Handshake for handicap singles win

6

ABOVE (left): Mary Newin, runner-up (with Walter Jacobs) in the Mixed Pairs event.; (right) Les Brem with his trophy as Handicap Singles finalist.

BELOW (left) Solly Shuster and Bernie Garden Drawn Pairs champions; (right) Minor Pairs

(inaugural) winners, Brian Grill and Ces Albert

Club trophy presentations

LEFT: Solly Shuster

and Bernie Garden –Inaugural Minor Pairs winners. RIGHT: Jack

Kampel and Pepe Glick triples team winners

LEFT: Gerald

Weinberg and David Carroll fours team RIGHT:

Brian Grill and Ces Albert Drawn Pairs

winners

7

Greens criticism “unwarranted” Members have no reason to complain about the

condition of the club’s three greens, Leon

Portrate, told Bay Watch¸ this week. Portrate is the club’s Director of Greens and is the

liaison between management and the club’s sub-contracted groundsman, Rob Fetherston. His opinion is shared by club chairman, John Rosen,

who added that Double Bay’s greens are as good as, if not better, than any within the eastern suburbs, all of which are subjected to the same weather conditions as Double Bay’s. “Rob is considered among the elite of groundsmen and

puts in 150% into his responsibilities at our club, working seven days-a-week to ensure members have the best possible bowling conditions. He is faced with the same problems as every other curator because the majority of lawn bowling greens are affected by shade from clubhouses, trees, fences and here [Double Bay]from the rock shelve along the rear boundary line,” Rosen said. Portrate added that while shade is the worst scenario with which greenkeepers have to

contend, rain also plays a part in the overall condition of the greens. “We have made sure the drainage system on all our greens is more than adequate, but

again shade is an added problem when it comes to drying the grass. One of Australia’s leading experts in turf grass, Davies Riley, in a published report on

Shade on Bowling Greens said that shaded areas cool the soil, which causes a downgrade in grass growing ability. During the summer growing period, when fast grass coverage is all important, the shaded areas fail to keep up with the rest of the green, Riley’s report said. “There is only a very small minority which has expressed dissatisfaction with the

current state of our greens and their disapproval is certainly not warranted,” Rosen added.

The 2009 pairs win gives Gerald Weinberg two of the three Major club events decided so far this year having skipped the Major Fours championship team of Jonathan Chapman, Bernie Garden and Peter Levy.

At the same time Weinberg’s pairs victory thwarted Kampel’s hopes of taking out the two top-listed Major events in the one year after he won the coveted Major Singles in May. It also prevented Kampel from retaining the Triples crown he won last year with Brian Ginsberg and Pepe Glick.

The Weinberg-Javen combination was always in control and looked to have their hands on the trophy by the half-way stage. On the fifth end they snared four shots to take command at 8-2. By the 12th end they were sitting pretty at 16-8 and with four ends to play had the scoreboard showing a certain win at 24-9.

Only on the next three ends did the Kampel-Levy duo show their obvious talent when they collected six shots to give some respectability to the score line at 24-15, but it wasn’t sufficient for the final 21st end to be played.

The Weinberg’s are now looking forward to November when their next grandchild is due. It is the time when the mixed pairs tournament is set to be finalised – and that’s a

perfect reason for the Gerald and Audrey team, to have another inspiration to winning the title.

Major Pairs final FROM PAGE 2

KAMPEL’S THREE INTO TWO IN PAIRS DID NOT “GO”

Jack Kampel (left) with his two “partners” in this year’s Major Pairs tournament – (centre) Bernard Fridman, who was

substituted in the final by Peter

Levy (right).

Rob Fetherston left) Leon Portrate (top) and John

Rosen (above)

8

Three wins in State Pennant title round-robin not enough for flag

REPORT BY IRIS KAMPEL

WOOLGOOLGA is a pretty seaside town 30 kms north of Coffs Harbour and has a large Sikh population. The first sight the club’s team saw as it entered the town to compete in the 2009 Grade 3 State Pennant playoffs, was a beautiful white Temple surrounded with statues of elephants and men on horseback.

Double Bay competed at the Woolgoolga Bowling Club against 11 other teams in a round robin of six teams in two sections. The greens are tift-dwarf grass running between 14.5 and 15. 5 seconds and Double Bay’s first match was against a steady team from Wingham. The team got off to a very shaky start. There was a freshening breeze and this made the greens even more slick and our girls struggled to find their form. to go down 24-45.

In the afternoon session Double Bay came up against Asquith and got off to a cracking start to put pressure on their opponents and came away with a 41-32 win and collect five points.

Tuesday morning was bright and sunny and the girls were looking good in the roll up before the clash with Goulburn Railway, but found themselves well behind after just a few ends. Gradually they stemmed the tide and by the 10

th end they had clawed their way back. Carole's team picked up a five

on the 11th

and a six on the 18th end and another great win 49-38 and four points to the total. After lunch the girls knew they had a tough match against unbeaten section leaders, St John's Park

Against the previous trend the girls got off to a great start on both rinks and never took their feet off the pedal. By the 10

th end Double Bay was 10 shots ahead. Due to a late start the final ends were

played under floodlights, our girls held their nerve in the creeping darkness and went on to win by 45-32 and collected another five points.

With this win Double Bay was now second in its section knowing that the last match against the section leaders from Wagga would decide who would meet Tura Beach, the runaway winner of the other section.

Wagga went ahead after a few ends, but our girls were not feeling any pressure and seemed to be in with a good chance. However, the Wagga girls were very consistent and with exceptional leads and seconds on both rinks Wagga stretched to a 12 shot lead.

Sonia Davis’ team set the pace to whittle down the leeway to seven shots, but without any big breakthrough Double Bay’s challenge ended with the score at 40-29, but taking third place in the 12 –club competition.

In the Final at West Coffs Harbour Tura Beach beat Wagga for the No 3 Flag.

ON THE GREEN CAROLE BRICKMAN AND IRIS KAMPEL

Gail Black, Florrie Cohen, Jan Hutchins, Sonia Davis, Carole Brickman, Jenny Welton, Sandra Ballard, Audrey Weinberg, Marion Berelowitz (reserve).

9

Winners dressed for charity and championship rehearsal

REPORT BY MIKE GOLLAND

WINNERS OF THE Women’s Club’s Sixth Invitational Triples, the odds-

on favourite team led by Australia’s Number one female bowler, Karen

Murphy, competed for more than the $3000 first prize. First and foremost they wore specially designed pink shirts and pants to promote the Pink

Bowls Day at clubs throughout Australia on Sunday, October 25, to raise money for the McGrath Foundation charity for breast cancer nurses and research.

Secondly, the Cabramatta-based team of Murphy, alongside Scottish international celebrity, Kay Moran and up-and-coming star, Melanie Macaulay, used the Double Bay event as a “dress rehearsal” for their tilt at the 2009 State Triples at the St Johns Park Club from September 7.

“It gave us an opportunity to play against players from far and wide in a highly competitive atmosphere,” Macaulay said after the prize-giving.

“It is not the first time we have played together at Cabramatta in pennants and other events, but it was the first time against such top opposition and over so many games,” she said.

Murphy, well-known for her work for charities, said she hoped her team’s appearance in the now famous McGrath pink would alert the Double Bay competitors to the importance of supporting research into breast cancer. No doubt bowlers will know someone who has been affected by or sadly passed away from breast cancer.

Bowling Club Insurance Brokers (BCiB) is an official fundraiser for the McGrath Foundation and are co-ordinating this event across Australia with the support of Bowls Australia and its state and territory associations.

Following the untimely passing of dual Commonwealth Games marathon gold medallist Kerryn McCann, Murphy vowed to pay tribute to her memory.

The pair formed a friendship over the best part of a decade as two of the Illawarra’s most decorated athletes, McCann, who resided in Coledale, and Murphy, a Shellharbour favourite.

Following McCann’s death, Murphy sewed the seeds for a tribute befitting of her memory, with a National Pink Bowls Day the final result, with the slogan “Turn the Green Into Pink”.

TOP TEAMS SHARE RECORD $9000 PRIZE MONEY The Murphy team went through the seven games (each of 12 ends) unbeaten collecting

14 points and a plus 60 shot margin. Second place and $2400 went to the combination from Soldiers Point WBC of Maria

Barrett, Joy Templeton and Roz Downes, (12 points + 28); third spot and $1800 went to the Bombaderry trio of Margaret Patterson, Janice Egbers and Gloria Clifton (12+21)

Other teams which shared the prize money were Jenny Clark, Debbie Schoemaker and Denise Campbell on 12+20 (composite - 4th $750); Margo Brandes, Marian Jordan and Judy Gould 11+18 (Figtree WBC 5th $450); Noreen Sneddon, Natasha Van Eldick and Carolyn Glen 10+29 (Raymond Terrace WBC - 6th $300).

ON THE GREEN -- 6th INVITATION TRIPLES

Jenifer Bailey (second from right) presents the winners (from left) Kay Moran, Melanie Macaulay

and Karen Murphy, with their prize money. TOURNAMENT PATRON – SEE NEXT PAGE

10

Sponsor honoured as

tournament “Patron” MAJOR supporter of Double Bay Women’s Club’s

Invitational Triples, Arthur Bailey Surgico, will

continue its sponsorship of the event next year and

with added prize money. Representing the company at the prize-giving ceremony of the 6th

event on Sunday, August 30, Jenifer Bailey (pictured), a former president of the Double Bay Women’s Bowling Club, announced the increased sponsorship to the applause of the more than 120 competitors and club officials.

At the same time the Women’s Club recognised the support of the company by announcing that Jenifer Bailey has been named Patron of Double Bay Women’s Club Invitation Triples.

Tournament organiser, Carole Brickman, said that when it was

suggested that the club recognise Jenifer’s “all inclusive loyalty, the committee agreed with great pleasure to appoint her as from 2010 as the Patron” of the event. “Without her support it is doubtful that this wonderful tournament would have been so successful,” Carole said.

Double Bay Women’s Club president, Margo Michael, welcomed among the many special guests, NSW Women’s Bowling Association president Jewel Buchanan, as well as Eastern Suburbs WB Association president, Marie Cotsios. She thanked the organising committees (event and social) as well as

the members of the Men’s Club who assisted in the operation of the event.

When skip of the winning team, Karen Murphy, accepted the prize money, she thanked Arthur Bailey Surgico and co-sponsor G. J. Watts and said it must be difficult to attract sponsors for events in the current economic climate. “It is great that Double Bay has such a generous supporter as Surgico,” she said. At the same time Murphy echoed the opinion of the competitors when she said “this is a well-run tournament. You’ve given us great greens and a high standard of competition. I, for one, look forward to coming back next year.”

ON THE GREEN -- 6th INVITATION TRIPLES

Jewel Buchanan with Double Bay’s vice-chairman, and NSW Royal NSW Bowling Association vice-president, Alan

Rosenberg

Paul Brandon had the task of keeping the scoreboard up to

the minute.

11

ON THE GREEN -- 6th INVITATION TRIPLES

EARLY EXITS FROM STATE MASTER SINGLES

BARBARA Shotland and Karen Levinson competed in the 2009 NSW

Women’s Bowling Association’s Master Singles tournament at

Gymea Miranda Bowling and Sports Club on Monday and Tuesday

August 10-11. Shotland had a bye in the first round,

but exited the event to Judith Wheatley, from the Telarah Club.

Karen Levinson scored a 31-22 first round win over Lynette Thompson

from Pt Macquarie City. However, in the clash with Julie

Hayden (Mosman Park) the game was interrupted by rain for more than

half and hour. After the break, Karen had difficulty holding and controlling the bowl and

conceded the match at 11-24.

THANKS

TO ORGANISER DIRECTOR and organiser of the

6th Invitation Triples, Carole Brickman, was warmly thanked by

club officials and visiting team players for a “brilliant job”.

Women’s Club president, Margo Michael, presented Carole with a floral tribute (pictured above) for

her “exceptional leadership” in putting together the most successful tournament.

INSTANT REPLAY? WHEN Debbie Schoemaker (pictured) came off the green on Saturday after playing four

matches in the Invitation Triples, she might have seen herself on ABC television

competing in the 2009 Australian Indoor singles semi-final at Tweed Heads against 20-year-old Lisa Mitchell, the former under-25 champion.

The recorded match produced many exciting heads as

Mitchell won by taking the first set and squaring the

second to send her into the final against Karen Murphy.

Of course, the end result was known to Murphy, but

she wasn’t saying!

Gary Watts, of co-sponsors G. J. Watts, (left) with tournament runner-up, the team from Soldiers Point, Maria Barrett, Joy

Templeton and Roz Downes.

SECOND PRIZE TO TEAM FROM

SOLDIERS POINT

12

WE share the sentiments expressed by Laurie Kern (a former member) in his published tribute to John Michelin, who passed away on July 21 after a short, but devastating illness. John was a member of both Double Bay and Diamond Bay clubs, opting in recent times to give his pennant allegiance to the greens facing Old South Head Road. Laurie too, after many years with Rose

Bay and Double Bay as well as stints with Kensington, now has the Diamond Bay rings on his bowls for pennants. It was as a Diamond Bay member, that Laurie wrote a memorial note in the bowls page of Eastern Suburbs Spectator, saying that John was “one of a kind and not afraid to advise his team members on certain aspects of the game and to remind them they were there to help him – not to cause him aggravation”. And he added: John will not only be missed by his loving family, but also by his many bowling friends at our Diamond Bay, but also Double Bay. Members will agree with these sentiments and while John (pictured right) was no “world beater” at lawn bowls, he was more than an average squash player and excelled at backgammon, while he was a master in the art of food sculpture – you should have seen how a few cuts with the blade he would transform a +tomato into the shape of a full blown rose. It was a significant act of tribute that our club chairman, John Rosen, requested that the Wednesday, July 22, triples competition be cancelled because so many members would be attending John’s funeral. And as his wife Railee said through tear-filled eyes: “Knowing how John felt about his bowls and friends, it would have made his day.”

WHILE club members were struggling with self-service afternoon tea (plastic cups -- hot water, tea bags, instant coffee and an assortment of not so assorted biscuits) our Monday and Wednesday caterer, Ewa (we all call her Eva!) was taking a journey back in time. She spent much of her six-weeks overseas holiday with her mother, Helena, (pictured right with Ewa) visiting the place of her birth -- the historic Polish city of Ciechocinek, which is famous for its therapeutic minerals used in the treatment

for lung problems, asthma etc. BARBARA SHOTLAND may have been Double Bay’s lone representative in the Australian women’s team at the recent Maccabiah lawn bowls in Israel, but she came home with a trophy (pictured left) proclaiming her the “Outstanding Sportswoman” of the tournament. That is OUTSTANDING considering the women’s team failed to win a match!