Mount Lawley Club Manager Rose retires
The Mount Lawley Bowling Club has achieved much in the past decade and during the entire time has been blessed to have Rosemarie (Rose) Lenzo as their Club Manager.
On 31 March, Rose will retire knowing her efforts have been a significant factor in the prosperity, reputation, achievements and growth of the club.
Club President Terry Conley first met Rose when he visited the club in late 2012 to enquire about possibly taking up bowls and joining the Mount Lawley Bowling Club. Rose’s warmth and welcoming approach to Terry had him sold on the Club that day. After a tour of the club he signed up on the spot and to this day has a positive memory of his first interaction at the club with Rose.
Past President Keith Scott recalls the positive experience he had with his first contact with the club – “I was looking to join a bowls club in the area and called Mount Lawley Bowling Club; I spoke to Rose and she asked me to come down in the afternoon to meet some of the members playing Thursday Pairs. I did, met Rose who showed me around the club, introduced me to some of the members, explained there was coaching available and first year membership was only $70. I was impressed, had a beer, filled in the membership form and paid.”
Rose joined the club in 2009 after her brother Carmelo convinced her to come down and try bowls. Rose was hooked from the start and in no time had won a number of club championships as well as being a member of a 2nd division pennant team.
In 2011 Mount Lawley was looking for a new manager to guide the club through the myriad of changes that were happening within the bowls community in WA and Australia.
Rose took on the job, accepted the challenge and has been the go-to person through a period of unprecedented change that has seen the club prosper, grow and be recognised on five occasions as Bowls WA’s Small Club of the Year and most recently runner-up in Bowls Australia’s 2022 Club of the Year award.
Rose has increased the number of the functions held at the club year on year and added diversity to the use of the club by a variety of different dance groups, gym classes, business forums and most recently Tai Chi classes.
One of Rose’s great attributes is her friendly interaction with potential hirers of the club’s facilities. The feedback the Club’s Committee receives is always positive and the number of repeat clients staggering.
Rose has indicated that once she’s retired and had some time off she will resume playing pennants and may join Mount Lawley’s “Dad’s Army” working around the club on a Monday morning. This may result in a name change of the volunteer group.
When asked about Rose, Keith Scott said “It is Rose’s care, dedication to the club, diligence and attention to detail, in her role as Club Manager, over the years, that has helped our club achieve outstanding results both on and off the Greens.
Terry Conley expressed similar sentiments to Keith and said “ Rose will be missed by all at the club but her legacy will live on. On her whiteboard of upcoming events Rose has scribed for 31 March 2023 – ROSE GORRN ! – Rose may well be GORRN but her impact on the club will never be forgotten”.
