Eclectic Competition at Northern Suburbs BC
The Northern Suburbs Bowls Club, now host to the Eclectic Competition is a vibrant club resulting from the amalgamation of Clayfield Bowls Club, which began in 1909 and the Wavell Heights Bowls Club, which opened on the current site in 1958.
The Eclectic Competition was first held at the Clayfield Bowls Club in 1994. Dr George Corones was the original organiser, an Australian swimmer who broke the world 50 and 100 metres freestyle records for his age group (age 100-104) in 2018. He turned 100 in April 2018 and died in March 2020 at the age of 101.
Our ‘new’ organiser (since 2010) is Roy Moore. Roy puts in an inordinate amount of time to plan and organise this event. He contacts each player individually to check on availability throughout the competition. When Roy was at the club on his 90th birthday on May 19, 2022, I asked him what challenges he’s had as the organiser for so many years and his reply was “getting substitutes”. When asked what he liked about the Eclectic he answered, “the association and friendship with all the members”.
The Eclectic Competition is conducted over six games during the year. Teams for the competition are selected by club selectors and games directors. Teams remain for the duration of the competition played on six Saturdays during the year (April, May, June, September, October and November). This year (2022) we have 20 teams (60 players).
With Eclectic scoring, two points are given for winning the game and one point for each end won. One bonus point is given for each shot in excess of two (four shots has two bonus points). At the end of the competition, the final score is the sum of the three best rounds. It may include only one round in which only one substitute was used. It may not include any round where two or three substitutes were used. After completion of the six games, scores are calculated and an overall winner, overall runner-up and winning rink draw are presented with prizes.
Thank you to Wally Boydell at Havig and Jackson, Clayfield who has been the sponsor for our Eclectic Competition since 2014. We all thank Roy for his thorough and considered preparation, planning and flexibility in the way he conducts this bowling competition.
Contributed by Diane MacDonald
