Club Development

Lawn Bowls is one of Queensland's most popular sports. There are no limitations as to who can play. Age, gender or physical fitness are not an obstacle for a person wishing to enjoy bowls as a recreation or competitive sport.

Promotional Handbook

By implementing simple promotions and advertising to specific markets, bowls clubs can enjoy increasing membership numbers and therefore strengthen their future.

There are plenty of options out there and available to club's. Think outside the box and don't be afraid to experiment. If it doesn't work the first time round, don't give up. Adjust and fine tune the idea and try again.

To read Bowls Queensland's Promotional Handbook please click here.

Bowls Queensland have created three brochures that are available for clubs to use in conjunction with promotional days:

The Perfect Delivery

Traditionally, bowls has been one of the largest participant in Australia.

Today, however, bowls faces the challenge of addressing a dwindling membership rate.

Bowls is losing members at a rate of almost 5% a year. This decline has affected the sport in many ways, with the most obvious being the closure of numerous clubs in both city and rural areas.

The Perfect Delivery is a marketing resource kit that has been created for bowls clubs throughout Australia. To access the Perfect Delivery handbook click here.

Promotional Van

The promotional van is available to all clubs across the state, if you wish to use the van to promote your club please feel free to downoad the booking form here, otherwise contact the development staff at Bowls Queensland on (07) 3355 9988 or email: brett@bowlsqld.org or steven@bowlsqld.org

The Promotional Vans have been booked for the following events

Date	Venue	Event	Booked by

May
19th	George Willmore Park - Ferny Way	The Hills Carnival	Gaythorne BC

June
1st to 3rd	Stanley Road, Carina	Crackerjack Carnival	Carina BC
2nd	Queens Park, Ipswich	Family Fun Day	Ipswich BC
18th to 20th	East Toowoomba Primary School	Multi Sport Expo	Toowoomba East Primary School
19th	Bundaberg PCYC	No Limits - Sports Expo	Lifestream/Sporting Wheelies
21st	Cornubia Insports Centre	No Limits - Sports Expo	Lifestream/Sporting Wheelies
23rd	Pomona Bowls Club	Membership Drive	Pomona BC

July
14th	Lionel Perry Park - Surfers Paradise	A-La-Carte in The Park	Surfers Paradise Alliance

September
18th	Toowoomba - TBC	No Limits - Sports Expo	Lifestream/Sporting Wheelies
20th	Sunshine Coast - TBC	No Limits - Sports Expo	Lifestream/Sporting Wheelies
22nd	Meandarra Showgrounds	Meandarra Show	Meandarra BC

The state development team conduct annual visits to all clubs throughout Queensland to dicuss all areas of club development as indicated on the website. Please see below for when a visit is planned for your club. These visits are open to all club members, including committee and board members.

This calendar will be updated throughout the year, so if your club isn't listed yet please check back periodically.

Clubs marked in red have received their annual visit for this year, the % indicated beside each club is the percentage of total club membership that attended each meeting. These figures will be affected by dates and times each club is visited. Obviously weekends will attract more members, but unfortunately we cannot visit every club on weekends.

The following clubs have declined a visit from the development team: Ayr, Clayfield.

January 2012

16th: Bribie Island (2%), Solander Lakes (2%), Bongaree (1%).

17th: Beachmere (7%), Kilcoy (12%), Glasshouse Country (5%).

18th: Caboolture Memorial (11%), Caboolture Lakes (2%), Narangba (12%).

19th: Donnybrook (6%).

23rd: Diggers Memorial (2%), North Rockhampton (4%).

24th: St.Lawrence (13%), Yeppoon (3%), Emu Park (4%).

25th: Victoria Park (10%), Rockhampton (3%).

30th: Mt.Larcom (12%).

31st: Gladstone (4%), Calliope (24%), Boyne Tannum (2%), Calliope Central (4%).

February 2012

1st: Alumina (1%), Miriam Vale (4%).

2nd: 1770 (5%), Isis (2%), Isis Central Mill (12%).

13th: Ferny Grove (2%).

14th: Ashgrove (1%), Gaythorne (5%), Samford (7%), Everton Park (3%).

15th: Stafford (1%), St.Lucia (8%), Indooroopilly (6%).

16th: Toowong (13%), Kalinga (7%), Newmarket (20%).

March 2012

3rd: Emerald (7%).

4th: Springsure (33%), Moura (2%), Theodore (53%), Biloela (16%).

5th: Baralaba (8%), Wowan (16%), Dee (2%), Mt.Morgan (27%).

6th: Gracemere (10%), Capella (12%), Clermont (29%).

7th: Moranbah (1%), Dysart (4%), Middlemount (11%), Tieri (50%).

10th: Blackwater (12%).

26th: Laidley (12%), Rosewood (1%), Lowood (14%).

28th: Esk (29%), Toogoolawah (3%).

29th: Swifts (10%), Ipswich United Services (1%), Ipswich (7%), North Ipswich (3%).

30th: RAAF Amberley (2%).

April 2012

2nd: Goodna (5%), Darra/Cementco (5%).

12th: Mt.Crosby (12%), Boonah (13%), Harrisville (9%).

16th: Mackay RSL(4%), Mackay(8%), Mackay City(5%).

17th: Airlie Beach(9%), Proserpine(3%), Seaforth (2%), St.Helens(7%).

18th: Mackay North(2%), Mackay Suburban(3%), Pioneer Valley(4%).

19th: Marian(6%), Glenden(4%).
20th: Sarina (8%).
21st: Northern Beaches (10%).
26th: Jindalee(13%), Oxley(1%), Corinda(23%), Graceville(3%).

30th: Bell(60%), Dalby(1%), North Dalby(6%).

May2012

1st: Tara(6%), Meandarra(13%), Miles(8%).

2nd: Taroom(6%), Wandoan(2%), Chinchilla(3%).

3rd: Jandowae(2%).
4th: Salisbury(3%), Moorooka(1%), Tarragindi(2%).

24th: Enoggera.

29th: Blackall, Barcaldine, Longreach.

30th: Winton.

June2012

1st: Leichardt Services, Mt.Isa.

2nd: Cloncurry.

3rd: Richmond, Julia Creek.

4th: Normanton.

6th: Cairns, West Cairns, Edge Hill, Marlin Coast.

7th: Brothers Edmonton, Gordonvale, Yungaburra, Malanda.

8th: Ravenshoe, Herberton, Atherton.

9th: Dimbulah, Mareeba, Cooktown.

10th: Mossman.

12th: Weipa.

13th: Stratford.

14th: Thursday Island.

15th: Babinda, South Johnstone, Innisfail.

16th: Silkwood, Tully, Cardwell, Ingham.

17th: Noorla, Macknade, Mystic Sands.

18th: Cutheringa, Thuringowa City, Townsville Suburban, Townsville, South Townsville, Gin Gin, East Bundaberg, Burnett.

19th: Hughenden, Charters Towers, Services Memorial (Charters Towers).

20th: Magnetic Island, Jubilee, Across the Waves, Brothers Bundaberg, Bundaberg, Tantitha.

21st: Alligator Creek, Giru, Brandon, Home Hill, Bargara, Elliot Heads, Moore Park.

22nd: Collinsville, Bowen, Wangaratta, Woodgate.

July 2012

2nd: Yarraman, Nanango, Kingaroy.

3rd: Durong, Mundubbera, Eidsvold, Monto.

4th: Binjour, Gayndah, Biggenden.

5th: Tansey, Goomeri, Proston, Murgon.

6th: Wondai.

23rd: Clifton, Warwick, Warwick East.

24th: Southern Cross, Tannymorel, Killarney.

25th: The Summit, Stanthorpe, Tenterfield.

26th: Texas, Inglewood, Goondiwindi.

30th: Scarborough, Bramble Bay, Brighton, Sandgate.

31st: Aspley, Deception Bay, Kallangur, Pine Rivers.

August 2012

1st: Chermside, Wavell Heights, Geebung, Toombul.
2nd: Dayboro, Hendra/Nundah, Banyo, Hamilton.

6th: Twin Towns, South Tweed, Tweed Heads.
7th: Coolangatta, Tugun, Burleigh Heads, Mudgeeraba.

8th: Beenleigh, McKenzie Park, Helensvale, Woongoolba.

9th: Tamborine Mountain, Canungra, Beaudesert, Rathdowney.

10th: Musgrave Hill, Benowa, Southport, Paradise Point.

13th: Broadbeach, Gold Coast Lawn, Mermaid Beach, Robina.

27th: Cooroy, Noosa, Tewantin, Coolum.

28th: Maroochydore, Headland, Kawana, Pacific Paradise.

29th: Yandina, Mapleton, Maleny, Palmwoods, Woombye.

30th: Mooloolah Valley, Nambour, Nambour Heights, Buderim.

31st: Mooloolaba, Pelican Waters, Caloundra.

September 2012

17th: Gatton, North Toowoomba, Toowoomba, Drayton.

19th: West Toowoomba, South Toowoomba, Toowoomba City.

20th: Oakey, Peranga, Crows Nest.

21st: Pittsworth, Millmerran.

23rd: Surat, St.George.

24th: Cunnamulla, Quiplie.

25th: Charleville, Augathella, Mitchell.

26th: Injune, Roma.

October 2012

8th: Kilkivan, The Albert, Gympie.

9th: Boonooroo, Tin Can Bay, Cooloola Coast.

10th: Pomona, Kandanga, Imbil, Kenilworth.

A clubs membership directly affects the success and future of a club. Growth must exceed the the rate of decline in order to obtain a new increse. Anything less than this will only slow the decline and prolong the period to when a club finds itself in a serious membership(financial) position.

Bowls Queensland have designed a handbook to assist clubs in retaining members, both new and existing. To access the handbook click here.

If your interested in becoming a member of your local bowling club click here to find a club.

Can your club reach its target?

There's no escaping the fact, membership numbers are decreasing and have been for the last 25 years. Sure, there are more people playing bowls thanks to social programs such as open days, corporate bowls days, barefoot bowls and the like, but the conversion of these bowlers into members is not occuring. You only need to look around your local area and notice the number of clubs that have closed or amalgamated to realise that there is a problem.

The Participation Planning Tool

The good news is that the trend can be reversed! But only if your club acts now. For a club to increase its membership figures, aiming at a target is always a good place to start. To assist clubs to increase their membership figures, Bowls Australia in partnership with SportInfo have created the Participation Planning Tool. The tool outlines how many members your club needs to increase to ensure it meets the target. The membership figures are nation wide, you can compare a club in your state to a club in a neighbouring state.

To access this exciting tool, click here. The program should load in a new window, although it may take a moment. The image above is what you will see when you open the program. Access the information by clicking on the black buttons at the top of the page. Hover your mouse over the chart lines to see the exact membership information. Change the years and targets by clicking on the arrows.

Pay particular attention to the Projection tab, click on the button at the bottom of the page to select your state/territory to find out how many members your club needs to increase by. This is your target. What can your club do to meet the target? Who is responsible for ensuring your club is actively recruiting new members?

For further assistance in this area, please contact the Bowls Queensland development team on (07) 3355 9988

In 2009 Bowls Queensland conducted a club survey. From the responses received it became clear that a large number of Queensland clubs do not have a strategic plan. Bowls Queensland has designed a guide to assist clubs in developing such a plan.

It covers what a strategic plan actually is, why you need one and who it relates to. It also assists in getting started and how to create one in a simple to follow dot point format.

To access the Strategic Plan handbook click here.