Laurie Sibson










IT is with regret that the club announces the death of Laurie Sibson after a long illness. Laurie was a larger than life character, who lost in the singles final to Les Mikowiec in 2015 only a season after joining the club along with his widow, Lynette.
Laurie was a big fund raiser for the charity, Legacy, which provides services to Australian families suffering after injury or death of a spouse or parent, during or after their defence force service.
The funeral was held on October 30 at St Andrew’s Catholic Parish Church.
MAY O'NEILL is the latest Merriwa bowler to be made a life member. She received her certificate at the agm from president Steve Appleton, whch by chance coincided with her birthday.
A former member at Shark Bay BC, English-born May has served the club in many ways, including captain, selector and match committee.
An accomplished artist, she has donated several paintings to raise money on Ladies Gala Day.

Out with the old, in with the new

THE 2020/21 season Opening Day featured a belated presentation for the new champions, including Lionel Peacock and Ellaine Jopling, who won the blue riband event, the singles. Lionel received the champion's jacket from 2018/19 winner, Bob Gillian, and Ellaine was awarded her champion's brooch from Marilyn Bradbury, who had held the title for four consecutive years.
Former secretary John O'Brien, who has joined Como BC, won the pairs with Graeme Winter and was runner-up in the mixed pairs with Roberta Creswell, he donated his prize money to Pink Cancer Day (September 26).
FIFTY bowlers turned up for the Opening Day sociel bowls on Sunday (September 13, just three weeks after the end of the old season), which started with the traditional forehand shot from estate manager Karen Huyton followed by the nearest-the-spider-free-for-all won by Alison Turner.

Edwina and Maitland tickled pink

N UNTIMELY and prolonged rain shower failed to dampen the spirits of Merriwa bowkers who turned out in force for Pink Cancer Day, which raised $877. Captains Ronda Macgregor and Bob Gillian voted Edwina Foster and Mait Briggs winners of the fancy dress. Without any bowls, members took part in a couple of quizzes, while social secretary Elaine Weskin was given a warm round of applause for organsing the catering team.
PINK CANCER DAY (September 26): Social secretary Elaine Weskin and one of her helpers, Barbara Wilkins, and the Brothers Grim - Brian Barron, Bill Nicoll and Brian Wilkins.Top picture: a magnificent spread.

End of the road for Barry after 22 years of being in the driving seat

JUST prior to the pandemic striking, an era ended at Merriwa AFA Bowling Club- Barry Whinfield handed in his licence that enabled him to drive coaches to away games.
It coincided with his 82nd birthday on February 23 and for more than 70 of those years he had been behind thee wheel of a vehicle – legally and – when young - illegally!
Driving is in Barry’s DNA as his father had a fleet of 22 trucks and at the age of 17 after leaving school at 13, Barry fulfilled his childhood ambition of taking to the open road.
‘I loved the isolation of being alone in the driver’s seat and I still felt the same way driving the Merriwa bus. I didn’t want people sitting next to me and talking.’
His life might have taken a different turn had it not been for an incident at the age of nine that blew away part of his right hand.
His grandfather, a mining engineer, had been brought over from Victoria to supervise the construction of 240 kilometres of underground pipeline to supply water from Southern Cross to Coolgardie. After retiring, Barry’s grandfather blew up his explosives and detonators except that he had missed two detonators.
‘Years later my cousin and I found them and thought they were fireworks. We lit the fuse and I waited for it to sparkle into life. But it just kept burning and eventually went off in my hand.’
Now Barry is missing his index finger and most of his thumb, an injury that left him in intense pain for 20 years before he had surgery to prevent the cracking that caused his hand to bleed in cold weather. He had what was left of his index finger amputated.
At the time Barry was learning to play the piano (classical and ragtime) and although handicapped he continued his lessons and went on to play at functions for some years.
After marrying Wendy, he needed to start earning a more significant wage and his driving career included five years on the buses in the Claremont area - a job he enjoyed except for the dreaded school run - and then 28 years with the Post Office, including the role of chauffeur to the State manager.
The pinnacle of his driving career came in October 2011 when the Commonwealth Heads of Government met in Perth and Barry was among the elite team responsible for transporting these VIPs around the city.
‘The only person I was not able to drive was the Queen – she brought her own driver!’
In 1998 Barry and Wendy moved into the village and community-minded Barry instantly offered his services only to be told he wasn’t needed. That is until Lenny Snell intervened. ‘I told him the situation and he said ‘you start tomorrow’. Lenny also took me under his wing when it came to bowling.’
Barry had a trouble-free ride for 22 years but decided to quit because he no longer wanted the responsibility of carrying 20 or so passengers. ‘I still feel more than capable of doing it but I just felt it was to go on my 82nd birthday.’
The club wanted to recognise his efforts that went beyond driving the bowlers by making him a life member. Barry declined the honour. ‘I don’t feel that I’ve done enough to deserve it,’ he told the audience at the annual meeting on Monday.
The offer will surely be made again in the years ahead and hopefully he will accept it.

Presidents Report – AGM 2020

ALTHOUGH all of us would describe this past year as the most difficult that any of us have experienced in our life time, I would like to focus my annual report on the extraordinary service of many of our members and the results that they have been able to achieve. In particular I would like to recognise the Club Management Group.
This select group consisted of Ian Edgar, Clive de Ridder, Ronda Macgregor, Bob Gillian, Roberta Creswell, Brian Wilkins and our ‘high jacked’ member, Ronnie Futter. It was a privilege to work alongside the members of this management group and I thank you, on behalf of your club, for your dedication and perseverance particularly during the COVID 19 lock down period.
The e-mails, phone calls and video conferencing that flowed through this group broke all records of communication in our club and I can report to you that some excellent results were achieved.
Firstly, I would like to focus on the Executive/Financial group of the Club.
Through the entire year Ian Edgar, along with his small group of volunteers, maintained our greens even when we were unable to use them. This a man, who last year, regretfully did not re nominate for President because of health issues. Yet, when we lost our Club Secretary he accepted the position of acting president to allow me to take over the role of secretary.
At the same time and also due to the loss of an executive member, we invited Ronnie Futter to join this senior group. He was selected because we knew of his financial and corporate background. The executive had also worked successfully with him on previous financial matters. His expertise, refreshing approach and good advice was invaluable to this Club. We thank him for immediate response to join our group and subsequent work effort.
The last member and longest serving of the ‘Four Horsemen’ is Clive de Ridder; and it is to Clive that this Club owes a massive – thank you.
At last year’s AGM we pledged that one of key objectives would be to change the financial direction of this Club. The last time that we declared a profit was 2017, and that was a profit of $167. In 2018 we lost $8.5K+ and then 2019 we lost $17K . This year we have achieved our goal and Clive has declared a profit of $8K. And we firmly believe that this direction will be maintained.
This was all achieved through good, tough negotiations in which Clive played a pivotal role.
Together we successfully negotiated a major reduction in the amount of money that was paid to the RAAFA management for the use of amenities.
At the same time, we were able to reinvent the system that we all know as the “mini bar”. This allows us to sell liquor during non-bar staff hours to our profit.
And then, during this COVID 19 period of reduced bowling club activity, we negotiated a rent holiday with RAAFA. Of course the major effect of this saving will be shown in the 2020/21 financial figures.
I must point out to you, that none of these financial decisions would have been possible if we had not had the support of our Estate Manager, Karen Huyton, and we thank her for this support and direction.
Similarly we had a sympathetic ear in our parent body, the Division Council of RAAFA WA.
Clive retires this year as our longest serving Treasurer but will remain on the Finance Committee as an Executive member.
To our two captains Ronda and Bob, their match committees and volunteers- We thank you. These last few months have not been easy. I am pleased to announce that both of them have nominated to stand for another year.
To all of our volunteer groups, match, selectors, web editors, kitchen helpers, fund raisers, greens workers and bar staff - we thank you. This Club exists with no paid staff. You, the volunteers, are our life-blood. You belong to a select group that is the fabric that holds this Club together and makes our Club what it is today.
At last year’s AGM, I mentioned that the reduction in the number of people playing lawn bowls was a national problem. We were aware that our Club initiated a number of times different recruiting programmes with limited success. Early in 2020 we took a different tack.
In conjunction with an Open Day to be held by the Merriwa Estate we launched an innovative recruitment programme that was based on a three pronged attack.
• We introduced a Free Membership Offer.
• We negotiated with AMP management a free stand in the Ocean Keys shopping centre to advertise our Club and an Open Day.
• At the Open Day we had a ‘Meet and Greet’, Try a Bowl and free BBQ offer.
The initial result of the Open Day was 22 new members. But this result was only gained because of the selfless attitude of our volunteering members.
I congratulate and thank all of those members who assisted in this wonderful exercise.
Our biggest challenge for the time being is to ensure that we do not fall into an attitude of complacency with regard to the COVID 19 pandemic. I urge you to ‘err on the side of caution’. We are currently watching our fellow Australians in Victoria who are showing us what can really go wrong if we do not heed the advice of our health experts.
My wish for each of you is to stay well and stay safe. STEVE APPLETON
Darryl fund raising on Anzac Day 2019 - this year's a victim of the coronavirus and right playing for the club. He has had several successes - the triples, fours and mixed pairs.

Darryl gets RSL honour for outstanding work with Veterans

SEVENTEEN years of helping ex-servicemen in Western Australia to get their just rewards has led to Darryl Ikin being given the rare distinction of life membership of the Returned Services League (RSL).
In that time Darryl has been a volunteer advocate and more tha 850 former members of the Army, Navy and Air Force, including some Merriwa bowlers, have reason to thank him for his efforts in negotiating on their behalf with the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) along with assistance in the appeal process up to the level of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
The advocacy team understands the complexities of the claims process, how the legislation applies to a veteran’s individual circumstances and the processes involved in applying for compensation, income support, Gold/White cards and health cards.
Darryl joined the RAAF at just17 in August 1966, two days before the battle of Long Tan in Vietnam.
He first joined the RSL in 1967 but let his membership lapse after transferring to Malaysia from February 1969 until February 1972. That same year he renewed his RSL membership after returning to Sydney until retirement in 1987.
His postings were Wagga Wagga (NSW), Malaysia, Richmond (NSW), Tottenham (Victoria) Headquarters Support Command, Point Cook (Victoria), Edinburgh (South Australia) and Movement Control Office in CBD Melbourne.
In the RAAF Reserves Darryl served at Pearce Bullsbrook until 1997, working mainly in logistics and air movements.
After leaving the reserves he had the prestigious job of chauffeur to the governor of WA for three years and then started work as a civilian contractor in the RAAF clothing store until multiple injuries forced him to stop work resulting in his becoming TPI (Totally and Permanently Incapacitated).
Says Darryl: 'I was still a member of the RSL at this time and thought that I could not sit around home doing nothing so I decided to do some courses through a group of volunteers to become an advocate for veterans'
That resulted in being granted Life Membership of the RSL on April 24.
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