Presidents Forum Agenda
It is unlikely that the two Forums will be held in their usual form. There are options to host the form electronically, but accept this would be difficult with up to (100+) participants. Therefore, clubs are requested to respond to the Notes that follow by email – after consultation with your committee(s) – this includes issues your Ladies Committee please.
Presidents’ Forum AGENDA
- Introduction to the evening (unlikely to be required)
Matters to be discussed - Bowls WA Affiliation Fee 2020/21
- Bowls WA Calendar 2020/21
- Pennant Competitions
- Men’s Promotions & Demotions for 2020/21
- Ladies Saturday
Number of Ends (Rockingham, Manning & Mosman Pk)
Expansion of teams from 8 to 10 (18-week season) (Manning)
Extreme weather condition of play (South Perth)
- Ladies Tuesday
Changes to promotion/demotion (P/L & 1 White) (Manning)
Two teams permitted in Premier League (Mosman Park)
- Men’s Midweek Various
Sets Play
Start time
Jack placement for dead ends
Roll up format
- Notes for the Agenda.
- Bowls WA Affiliation Fee
The Affiliation Fee Model introduced for the 2019/20 year was introduced in order to seek a fairer method of charging clubs to be affiliated with Bowls WA. The Model based on the pennant positions taken up by the club at the beginning of the season sought to charge clubs on the number of times the green was used by members, rather than the previous Model which simply added a percentage onto the previous year’s fee.
That method did not consider player losses through death, transfer, inactivity or whether the member utilized any of the services provided by Bowls WA. The longer that Model continued the more inaccurate it became – hence the change.
However, the current Model has similarly thrown up some unintended consequences.
There is now some vast differences in the fees paid by clubs on a rough member by member basis; this is particularly the case in country areas, where a small country club is paying the equivalent of $100.00 per member, whilst a club in the same League is paying $39.00 – this clearly cannot continue.
Bowls Link
The current database provides a greater level of member/player certainty than did the previous Bowls Connect system.
Therefore what is to be considered for both Metropolitan and Country clubs is a return to a hybrid affiliation/capitation model that will charge each player the same fee, irrespective of the number of times they use the green BUT dependent on the membership “rights” provided by their Home Club (ie their Playing as shown by the Green Button on the Bowls Link database).
The key will be an understanding across all clubs as to when to use the Green Button and when not to.
Therefore, a definition to be used by all clubs for PLAYING RIGHTS will be as follows:
A member will be required to have PLAYING RIGHTS denoted on their Bowls Link database if they have club membership status that provides them with eligibility to play Club Championships, Pennants, State Championships and above.
Bowls WA will then consider that member to be requiring of affiliation and the club charged accordingly.
Penalties will apply
It goes without saying that clubs will incur SIGNIFICANT PENALTIES if found to be knowingly altering their database to reduce their Club Affiliation Fee. Such penalties may include, cash fines, loss of premiership points and/or dis-affiliation.
The Bowls Link system allows for timely audits to be carried out on club membership/database and will be randomly carried out.
Timing of Affiliation Charge
It is noted that a number of members transfer, join the club or cease playing over the winter months. Therefore, the cut-off for clubs to have their database in order and the number of members with Playing Rights that Bowls WA will charge for is the 15th October.
Thereafter Bowls WA will commence the forwarding of affiliation invoices on the 1st November.
This calculation will be:
Total Income from the Metropolitan or Country Clubs as set by the Bowls WA Board on 1st March
Divided by the
Total Number of Playing Rights members across the Metropolitan or Country area
=
Dollar fee per Playing Rights Member
X
Playing Rights Members per your Club
=
TOTAL CLUB AFFILIATION PAYABLE
3. Bowls WA Calendar
Clearly given the current situation the 2020/21 calendar will be a work in progress unless the current restrictions are lifted by the 1st October.
However, if the season can commence “on time” the following are the key dates for the pennant season and the various state events.
OCTOBER
17, 18, 25 State Fours
20 Ladies Tuesday 1st – 3rd Div. Rd 1
24 Men’s Saturday 1st – 5th Div. Rd 1
Ladies Saturday Rd 1
29 Men’s Midweek 1st – 5th Div. Rd 1
NOVEMBER
13 Ladies Friday Night Rd. 1
DECEMBER
12 Ladies Saturday Rd.8 – Christmas Break commences
15 Ladies Tuesday Rd. 9 – Christmas Break commences (pennants)
16,17,18 Ladies State Pairs
17 Men’s Midweek Pennant Rd 8 – Christmas Break commences
18 Ladies Friday Night Rd. 6 – Christmas Break commences
19 Men’s Saturday Rd. 9 – Christmas Break commences
27,28,29,30 Men’s State Pairs
JANUARY
5 Ladies Tuesday pennant resumes
7 Men’s Midweek pennant resumes
9 Men’s Saturday pennant resumes
17,23,24 Men’s and Ladies State Singles
FEBRUARY
26 – Mar 5 Men’s Country Week
MARCH
13 Ladies Saturday Finals
15,16,17 Ladies Tuesday Finals
18 Men’s Midweek Finals (Wk 1)
19 Ladies Friday Night Finals
22-27 Ladies Country Week
25 Men’s Midweek Finals (Wk 2)
27,28 Men’s Saturday Pennant Finals
APRIL
10,11,12 Men’s and Ladies State Triples
24, 26 Men’s and Ladies Champion of Champions Singles (and Novice)
MAY
15,16 State Mixed Pairs
21 Annual Dinner & Awards Night
29,30 Australian Indoor Qualifying
- Men’s Promotions, Demotions & Pennants (Saturday)
The basis for the following is the Conditions of Play that already exist in the 2019/20 Bowls WA Handbook; hence clubs are requested to consult these conditions in relation to promotion, demotion and pennant winners in advance of the meeting.
- Promotion / Demotion
There are two ways that a club may be promoted or demoted –
- Automatically by finishing top of the ladder (or bottom) where no subsequent match is required or
- Through the Challenge or Promotional match structure where a game is required against an opposition team(s).
In the first instance where promotion/demotion is automatic, these will be honored for the 2020/21 season.
In the second situation where a match is required against an opposition team(s) and therefore not automatic, it is envisaged, subject to approval by the various authorities, that these matches will take place on Saturday 19th September. Should for whatever reason this date not be available, whether that be because of Covid-19 restrictions or extreme weather etc., no further date will be considered.
Given that scenario of no play, the 2nd promotion/demotion will not occur and sides will remain in their current division.
- Eligible players
Players for these fixtures must have been eligible to play in that Side as per the 2019/20 finals regulations. If a club cannot field an eligible Side, they will be forfeited.
- Pennant finals
Pennant finals will not be played.
- Men’s Promotions, Demotions & Pennants (Midweek)
- Promotion/Demotion
For the Midweek competition only clubs that have automatically qualified for Promotion and Demotion will be honored for the 2020/21 season. (ie generally 1st position and 10th position)
There will be NO Challenge or Promotional Finals played over a two-week period as would be required.
- Pennant
Similarly, there will be no pennant finals and therefore NO PENNANTS awarded for the 2019/20 season for the Midweek competition.
- Ladies Saturday
- Number of Ends reduction (Rockingham BC)
The Rockingham Bowling Club has requested a return to (18) ends on a Saturday afternoon – ends were increased to (21) as per the majority of other competitions for the 2019/20 season.
Rockingham argue that they return home too late for evening engagements, even if arrangements are made with the opposition to commence play at 1.00pm. It is their belief they are losing members due to the late return to their club.
Manning and Mundaring Bowling Club’s have supported the return to 18 ends; with Mosman Park also supporting a reduction to 18 ends but only for the 2nd and 3rd divisions. The 1st divisions would remain at 21 ends.
- Number of games / length of season
In addition, Manning Bowling Club are seeking to increase the length of the season from 14 to 18 games. This would be achieved by increasing the number of Sides in each colour/division from 8 to 10 teams.
Bowls WA comment: If supported this would need to occur for the 2021/22 season, given that promotions and demotions for 2020/21 have been set. A likely system that would allow it to happen would likely see NO DEMOTIONS for the coming season.
Request: Return Saturday afternoon pennant games to (18) ends and commence at 1.00pm.
Request: Look to expand the season to 18 home and away games by increasing the teams in each colour/division from 8 to 10.
- Removal of forecast temperature General Abandonment
South Perth Bowling Club are seeking the removal of the General Abandonment rule where the forecast is 38c or higher on the Friday evening for Saturday competition. Their belief is that games were abandoned the evening before when on the day the seabreeze would have allowed play to commence shortly after the designated start time. This occurred more than once and therefore significantly shortened an already short season.
They are seeking a rule similar to the men where the temperature is noted at the time of play and continued or delayed accordingly. They are not seeking an increase to the 37c limit as currently in existence – when the temperature reaches 37c, play is delayed accordingly until below 37c.
Mosman Park have made it known they seek no change to the current rule.
- Ladies Tuesday
Changes to the current promotion/demotion system
Manning Bowling Club are seeking changes to the current system of promotion/demotion between Premier League and 1st Division White. They are seeking one of two changes, either:
- The team finishing on top of the ladder in 1st Division White is promoted to Premier League, irrespective if they have a team currently in Premier League or not, or
- If the top two teams in 1st Division White have a team in Premier League (and presumably can’t be promoted) the teams finishing third and fourth in One White challenge the teams finishing ninth and tenth in Premier League for promotion.
Bowls WA comment: Ladies Premier League must be careful it does not become dominated by 3 or 4 clubs, with multiple sides playing in it. In the 2nd option above what occurs if the top 3 sides have a Premier League side – does a club challenge its own team-mates ?
Along the same lines, Mosman Park are also supporting the position of having more than one club side in Premier League. Mosman Park are seeking a maximum of two (2) sides to be permitted to be in Premier League, noting a lack of incentive for existing Premier League club, 1 White players during the season.
In particular, Mosman Park were arguing against the potential promotion of the 3rd and/or 4th side in 1 White to be promoted to Premier League believing they were not deserving of promotion.
Request: Changes in some form to Premier League as above.
- Men’s Midweek competition 2020/21
The call for change from the current sets play based format from several clubs has been noted, with written submissions received from:
- Leeming Bowling Club – Sorrento Bowling Club
- Kalamunda Bowling Club – Mundaring Bowling Club
- Safety Bay Bowling Club
- Osborne Park Bowling Club
- Mosman Park Bowling Club and
- Manning Memorial Bowling Club
- Willetton Bowling Club
A strong endorsement of the current Conditions of Play was received from the Lake Monger Recreation Club who sought no change.
In terms of the changes made for the 2019/20 season, it is important these be separated out as some of the submissions above have done so and others just lumped all changes into one. Given that individually they were:
Sets Play
Overall a strong feeling that clubs do not wish to continue with a Sets Play format but return to an Ends Match with an Overall Aggregate Result. There were various alternatives put forward to artificially gain some form of Aggregate Result from a Sets Play format, but this is not being seriously considered.
If bowlers were confused with Sets Play, to incorporate an Aggregate with that would no doubt prove too taxing for most !
Given the level of feeling from a majority of clubs, it is highly unlikely that sets play will be continued in midweek pennant next season.
Start Time
The starting time for matches did not receive any clear direction from those clubs above. The mid-season change of the starting time to a 1.15pm roll-up and 1.30pm start did not seem to cause any negative issues and would likely be continued for 2020/21.
Jack placement for Dead Ends
The basis for this was to seek an earlier end to matches due to traffic issues at outer reaching clubs or those that were required to cross the bridge during peak times. Only one of the above clubs considered the “re-spotting” of the jack – which received a favorable response.
Similarly, there did not appear to be any strong opinion on the return of playing dead ends as per Saturday pennant during the season – and the issues of travel remain.
It is therefore likely that the jack on the tee will remain for next season.
Extended Roll-Up format
Abandoned due to complaints from clubs that bowlers were not frequenting the club prior to their matches for bar and raffle proceeds- a strange position – but noted and change was enforced for the 2nd half of the season.
Please email any comments on behalf of your club to:
Ken Pride – CEO
Comments By FRIDAY 15th May 2020.
