OUR TWO NEW LIFE MEMBERS. – Doncaster Bowling Club
Tuesday May 15th 2018.
At last week’s Annual General Meeting both Pat Calabresi and Bob Byron were inducted as Life Members of the Doncaster Bowling Club. Unfortunately Pat Calabrisi was not there to be congratulated. On the other hand, Bob was so overcome with emotion that he was unable to speak little more than a few words. They are both really worthy recipients.
Here are just some of the reasons why the Board of Management chose these two stalwarts.
Pat joined Doncaster Bowls Club in 1987 and within seven years she was on the Tournament, the Planning, the Management and the Events Committees.
Ever since I have known her she has helped at Thursday Night Meals and has been a smiling face behind the bar.
Over the years she has been the Ladies Section Vice President, the President and the Immediate Past President.
She has been a club coach and is still a National Umpire. She has been runner-up two times in our club singles, but has won the pairs and the triples, then to top that off, she has twice brought back to Doncaster, the coveted Sinclair Shield. She has also been a bronze medal winner and a section winner in the 5th Australian Games.
Outside our club but still within bowls she has been a Yarra Region Delegate, and involved with the VLBA as a Delegate, a Councillor, a Vice President and a Board Member. Phew! that’s enough, and now to Bob’s achievements.
Bob joined the Club in 1994, but it was soon winter time and in those days the greens were closed. So he was introduced to Harry Reynolds and Indoor Biased Bowls (IBB). Harry mentored him in the early days, and Bob ultimately joined the IBB Committee as Sectretary/Treasurer and later qualified as an IBB National Umpire. He was runner-up in the Club Singles four times and won the Mixed Pairs twice. He also won the Group Men’s Pairs Championship. He was President of the IBB Section for eight years and Club delegate to the IBB Association for many years, and still is.
He was also active in the Outdoor section having qualified as a National Umpire and Measurer. He served the Men’s Section Committee in many functions- Secretary, Vice-President and President, and led the bowls Unification working committee as the two sections – Ladies’ and Men’s sections – were amalagated. He has been Bowls Section President, Treasurer and Secretary and has recently retired from this committee.
He has also been a delegate to Bowls Victoria and to Yarra Bowls Region at various times. On the greens he won the Men’s Triples Championship.
He thanks Ian Golding for his mentoring and leadership in the many roles he has been involved in, and thanks everyone for their support and contribution. He also stated how supportive his wife Yvonne has been over the years.
CONGRATULATIONS to these two people who have been honoured for their imput into our club in the many and various ways.
The other life members are; Daryl Bishop, Bette Fordham, Ian Golding, Bob Grisold, Alwyn Petherbridge, Arthur Ram and Harry Reynolds…….Lyn Goodman.(with help from Bob Byron)
Pat Calabresi working behind the bar.
Bob Byron playing Indoor Bowls.