I honestly never ever thought that I would be reporting the item of news that has just been sent to me.

But before I divulge it perhaps we should go back a few years, in fact we should go to the beginning of the present Century.

That was the year  I was introduced to bowling in South Africa. I had played the harder game of Crown Green bowls in NW England – but we won’t go into that again.

It was also the time that I was made aware of the fall in bowling club membership, generally. My own club Constantia told of the times when 3 greens were filled on the Wednesday  tabs afternoon. On my travels around the country, the same scenario unfolded. This and the rising cost of membership subs made for gloomy table topics at all clubs. The Club Presidents and their committees were forever trying to balance the books and find sponsors to fill the holes left by the withdrawal of many banks from bowling events.

At the BSA AGM,s the same recurring figures, showing an average 5% fall in membership per year.

It wasn’t for the lack of trying to halt the decline – no indeed – many, many committees were launched to analyse and propose methods of stemming the continuing fall. Most clubs had hard working  conscientious committees, and members, who sacrificed their own precious leisure time to devise methods to bring in new members.

Fast forward now to the BSA- Warwick, Men’s Nationals at the splendid Morningside bowling Club in Johannesburg. On Sunday 8 May 2011.

I was to give the address on behalf of Warwick – what can I say – what should I say that hasn’t been said endless times.

Comes the day comes the Man. A man with a message. A message of true hope for this lovely game and its equally nice people.

I must digress again dear reader before I forget to put it all into context.

BSA President , Debby Ferguson has lead the charge to increase Bowls club membership, and must take much credit for her efforts.

The appointment of Warwick’s own Fonny Meyeridricks to Chair the Development Committee has proved to be a very wise choice.

This is not to decry all the excellent work done by previous Developement committee members. I would name Alloma Smith of WP for her good work.   

Fonny tells me, as I’m making notes of my speech, that he has some good news for me to announce. It was this.

Up to Nov 2010 BSA has registered 1674 NEW MEMBERS. WOW that’s incredible news. That is the FIRST rise in membership for a decade.

Truly worth celebrating about I’m sure you all agree. There’s  more to come .

Today  the Ist of June 2011- Fonny informs that a further 420 members have been registered. All this does not take account of the expected new membership recruited during the very well organised Bowling Awareness Day on May day 2011.

The Development Committee set themselves a target of 2000 new bowlers in their first year.  they passed that figure comfortably with a truly magnificent number of 2626 new registered bowlers. Stand up and take a bow President Debby Ferguson and Fonny Meyeridriks lead  Development Committee.

On swallow never did make a summer, but it’s very nice to see a light – almost 9% increase – at the end of the tunnel.

It’s  now up to ALL BOWLERS to keep this momentum going.  Get ONE person to join your club – just ONE. Think about it.