National Volunteer Week featuring Gayle Young
Known as the ACT Bowls computer whiz, Gayle Young is a volunteer that not only contributes to her own club, but she has assisted most clubs in the Canberra region.
Gayle Young is not afraid to get her hands dirty and this hard working volunteer is always looking for new ways she can help her club, her state and of course the greater good of the game that she loves so dearly.
Young dedicated her time to visit majority of the clubs in the Canberra region to train the members on how to run their own website on behalf of Bowls ACT.
Young was able to help fellow bowlers use the new Whole of Sport IT system that is available to bowling clubs free of charge through IMG, to bring the clubs into the new era of technology.
Young has helped clubs with computerized draws for tournaments and also circulates flyers for ACT bowls events around Canberra clubs and nearby NSW clubs.
For six years Young has been on the Match Committee for ACT and assists with the running of Ladies State Championships and will often mark singles matches or help the host clubs on the day if they need assistance.
At her home club, Canberra Bowling Club right in the heart of the capital, Young is about to publicize her 49th club newsletter, a service she provides free of charge to engage the members of her club.
Young took the initiative in her club and designed a patron survey that helped collect important data on barefoot bowlers, encouraged feedback about the club and their experience and most importantly collected contact details; therefore the club now has the ability to invite visitors back to the club for upcoming events.
Like many clubs, the Canberra Bowling Club survives on functions and over the Christmas period when 2200 barefoot bowlers book in work parties, you will always find Gayle Young on the green introducing new bowlers to the game.
Young’s main objective is to ensure the barefoot bowlers have a great time, to encourage them to return for more lessons and become members of the club and she certainly gets a lot of enjoyment out of it herself.
Young has assisted with the 12 Active After School groups that have attended bowls in the last three years and gets great pleasure seeing the kids trying their best and enjoying a new sport.
Young is a passionate Club Coach and is down at Canberra Forrest Bowling Club twice a week working with new bowlers; putting them through their passes with training drills and exercises she has created over the years to improve their skill levels.
Young was a keen viewer of bowls on the ABC and says that most of the knowledge she passes onto her apprentices and bowling friends comes from what she learnt tuning in to watch the bowls every Saturday at 5pm.
For someone that dedicates as much time to the sport as Gayle does, there is certainly a great love for the game and for her club.
“The best thing about bowls is it’s a sport that anyone can play whether they are male or female, of any religion any age or ability; they can compete against each other or be in the same team; there’s just no other sport like it,” Mrs Young said.
“I wish I took up the sport at a younger age; it fills a void for me, it’s a great way to socialize and communicate with new people in retirement.”
Volunteers like Gayle Young are a godsend for any club and during this year’s National Volunteer Week we should all show great appreciation to the people that keep our bowling clubs alive.
If anyone would like more information about Bowls Connect, the free websites available for bowling clubs, follow the link below to view all the benefits and to sign your club up.
http://www.bowlsaustralia.com.au/Club-Assist/Bowls-Connect
