4-3-2-1 up and running
4-3-2-1, a Wednesday evening staple at the club, kicked off its schedule on a decidedly chilly May 8. This is a drop-in event that runs Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. If you're available, stop by.
Players at all skill levels are welcome. Just turn up and have fun.
The hardy souls who braved the first chilly evening—Dickson, Ismail, Marilyn, Lily and Bernie—were greeted with a special 4-3-2-1 cake.
4-3-2-1 continues every Wednesday through the season.
Opening day ... the fourth was with us!
The club got off to a strong start on Saturday, May the Fourth. About 40 members gathered to kick off the 2024 season.
Councillor Lily Cheng threw the first bowl and Brian Spooner won the bottle of wine at the spider draw. A 10-end jitney was played and there there was lots of laughter to go around.
To view more pix, click here to go to the gallery.
Strong sponsorship for 2024
This year's lineup of sponsors includes some returning names and a number of new ones. Additionally, some sponsors have chosen to support more than one event.
"One of the benefits of sponsorship is the potential for a four-foot by eight-foot banner on our fence facing Beecroft Road," Bernie says. "Our research has shown that up to two-point-five million cars go by the club each season, which represents an excellent opportunity for sponsors."
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Thanks to everyone who helped clean up
Kam and Maureen (who showed up both days), Marilyn, Bernie (both days), David, Joan (both days), Sandy, Julie (both days), Nancy, Ardyth (both days), Iris, Mike, and Lois and David.
Of course, Vince was there both days. And thanks as well to Ines and Doris who helped out on Monday.
We got the clubhouse cleaned, the windows washed, the ditches cleared and weeded, the mats and patio furniture pressure washed, the short mat put away, the centre green rolled and cut, the grounds weeded and moss control started.
Thanks to everyone who helped. If you're interested in helping out on the property with one of the many jobs available for the summer, please contact Eric or Julie Bergman.
Indoor short mat season very successful
Over a period of five months, 30 organized short-mat bowls events were held in the clubhouse. This included 18 Sunday afternoon Jitneys and 12 Thursday evening meet-ups.
Goodby, winter. And good riddance.
In total, there were 368 attendees at these events. This included 298 members and 70 guests.
In addition to short-mat bowls, members played darts, mah-jong, rummy-cube, and other board games. On top of that, thousands and thousands of jigsaw pieces were patiently put into place in a dozen beautiful puzzles over the course of the winter.
And we looked beyond ourselves, toward making life a little less difficult for some of our less fortunate neighbours.
Members made cash donations, which were forwarded to the North York Second Harvest Food Bank. And we responded to a request from Councillor Cheng to host a community sock drive, where we collected hundreds of pairs of warm socks which were then given to refugees and homeless people in our community.
It was a very successful winter. Special thanks to Don Rayko for leading this initiative.
Councillor's volunteer appreciation held at Willowdale
Willowdale Lawn Bowling Club hosted Councillor Lily Cheng's volunteer appreciation on Friday, April 19, 2024.
It was an opportunity to showcase our property within the local community and introduce lawn bowling to a group of people who are active locally.
"We wanted to introduce lawn bowling as part of our volunteer recognition event this year," says Councillor Cheng. "As a valuable community resource, Willowdale Lawn Bowling Club is an oasis in the heart of North York."
Vince and Bernie barbecued up a storm, cooking hamburgers and hot dogs for everyone attending. Julie helped with coaching new bowlers and Gay was once again invaluable in the kitchen.
Thanks to everyone who helped out!
Vince and Bernie grilled up a storm for the councillor’s volunteer appreciation event.
Opening Day 2024
Saturday, May 4, 1:00 p.m.
Opening day is Star Wars day in 2024 (May the fourth be with all of us!).
Councillor Lily Cheng will roll the first ceremonial bowl at 1:00 p.m. After that, we'll have a spider roll. Donations will be accepted from those who wish to roll and proceeds will be forwarded to the local food bank.
When the spider roll winner is congratulated, we'll have a 10-end jitney followed by potluck desserts (so please feel free to bring your sweetest treats).
If you're planning on joining the jitney, please arrive before 12:45 for team selection.
See you on the 4th!
Cleanup and startup April 20 & 21
We’ll start at 11 a.m. each day and finish by 3 p.m.
It’s a great opportunity to clean the clubhouse and locker room, perform moss control on the artificial green and begin general cleanup of the property.
See you there!
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Open houses scheduled for early 2024
Please feel free to drop by on one of the following dates to help out with introducing potential new members to the club, the grounds and our sport:
- Sunday, May 5 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
- Monday, May 6 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
- Saturday, May 11 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
- Monday, May 13 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
- Thursday, May 16 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
- Sunday, May 26 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
- Saturday, June 1 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. (National Bowls Day)
Club bowls to not leave premises
This policy includes all bowls, whether the coloured Taylor bowls that we were able to purchase with our most recent Trilluim Foundation grant, or the bowls in tubes.
“Historically, members were encouraged to purchase their own bowls after a season or two,” says Suzan Tari, club president. “We haven’t enforced that guideline, but to ensure that bowls are available, we cannot allow club bowls to leave the premises.”
if you’re interested in purchasing your own set of bowls, please contact Vince Donohoe.
Registration open for 2024
Dues remain the same
Registration is open for the 2024 season. And the better news is that the dues remain the same.
At their February meeting, the board of directors voted to keep club dues at $180 for the 2024 season. And, to facilitate payment, invoices will be sent to past members over the next week or two.
You can download the club’s registration form and the Ontario Lawn Bowls Association (OLBA) waiver.
There is no charge for lockers. However, if you have a locker, please send us an e-mail to let us know your locker number.
Socks delivered to Willowdale Welcome Centre
Eric Bergman (centre) delivers two large bags of socks
to James O. and Liz M. at the Willowdale Welcome Centre.
Two large bags of socks were donated to the Willowdale Welcome Centre on Thursday, February 22, representing the culmination of our first successful sock drive.
The idea evolved out of one of Councillor Lily Cheng’s open houses that was attended by a couple of members of the board of directors. Councillor Cheng spoke eloquently about the need for socks, which is not something we normally think about but is critical to refugees and the unhoused.
The Willowdale Welcome Centre at 5800 Yonge Street provides short-term shelter and services to 420 refugee claimants. The centre’s housing managers and case workers work one-on-one with refugees to help navigate the system and obtain housing.
Clients can stay as long as they need but usually move out to housing as soon as they get a job.
The centre accepts donations of clothing, jackets, underwear, socks, shoes, gift cards and hygiene products for men and women.
Thanks, everyone, for helping to make our inaugural socks drive such a success! Your donations are making a small but important difference in someone’s life.
Short-mat bowling continues Feb 18
The mats will be rolled back into place after the special general meeting on Sunday, February 11.
As a result, there will be no short-mat bowling until the next jitney meet-up on Sunday, February 18 from 1:30 to 4:00 pm.
If you’re around, Don Rayko is promising something special at the clubhouse for Sunday, March 24 (the Sunday before Easter).
He says that it may involve some tasty treats, so stay tuned for more news to come.
Completed your proxy yet?
The meeting is being called to formalize our incorporation process. Being incorporated provides the club with a level of risk prevention. But the main reason for incorporating is to access larger capital grants that are only available to community organizations that are incorporated.
Notices for the special general meeting have gone out to members with a package of materials that will (ideally) be read by all members before the start of the meeting. If you haven’t received a package (or can’t find it), please consult the list below. You can click on each document to access it prior to the meeting.
- A cover letter from Suzan Tari, President of the club, giving a brief explanation of reasons for incorporating
- Notice of the special meeting, which includes the text of a Resolution that you will be asked to consider and vote on at the meeting
- Schedule A: Form 4001 - Articles of Incorporation,
- Schedule B: Form 4002 - Initial Registered Office Address and First Board of Directors, and
- Schedule C: By-law No. 1;
- A Proxy Form for members who won't be at the meeting; and
- A list of the club's assets (for information purposes only).
As a reminder, each member can only bring one proxy to the meeting, which is why you are asked to make up to three choices for your proxy on the form.
Our sox box runneth over!
Our Warm-Up Barbecue and Sock Drive on February 4 was an unmitigated success!
The event began with a regular short-mat jitney at which members were encouraged to bring friends as an introduction to lawn bowling. A number of members brought friends along, who could not only bowl indoors on a short mat, but because the weather was fantastic, could also bowl outdoors.
At about 3:00 p.m., the short mats were rolled up and the clubhouse configured to accommodate the people we were expecting for our barbecue and socks drive, which was co-sponsored by Councillor Lily Cheng.
Our neighbours from the Willowdale community got to see our facilities and meet many club members.
Councillor Cheng and our president, Suzan Tari, gave short welcoming speeches about the event and our club. Councillor Cheng stayed for the entire event and chatted with members and neighbours alike.
We also received significant donations of socks for the unhoused, refugees and others. We don’t often think about it, but socks are important to those who have less than the majority of us.
In exchange for donations, members and neighbours alike were treated to hamburgers and hot dogs. The cooking crew went nonstop from 3:00 to 5:30. The event was so successful that we ran out of food at the end.
Thanks to everyone for contributing to a successful event: the organizers; members who bowled, brought friends and coached; everyone who helped rearrange the clubhouse; our cooks and kitchen staff who fed everyone; and those who stayed around to clean up the kitchen, clubhouse and grounds after a successful event.
Special General Meeting
Sunday, Feb 11
1:30 to 3:00 p.m.
As a result of that process, the board of directors is calling a special meeting of members on Sunday, February 11, 2024, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Member resolutions need to be passed in order to meet the legal requirements of incorporating a not-for-profit association like ours. If those resolutions are passed and the paper work is filed before March 1, 2024, Willowdale Lawn Bowling Club will be eligible to apply for large Trillium Foundation grants as early as next year.
We need those grants to make the capital investments that will keep our club vibrant and thriving. One of our first applications, for example, is intended to be nearly $200,000 to resurface the artificial green.
Please join us in person, or let us know if you’d like to attend via telephone or other electronic means.
It’s critical that we have a quorum at the start of the meeting to get the resolutions passed to meet all necessary legal requirements.
Proxies are possible
If you’re unable to attend the February 11 meeting, please take the time to assign your proxy to another member.
If you’re accepting a proxy, please be aware that each voting member is only allowed to bring one proxy to the meeting.
Please attend in person, via electronic means, or click on this link to assign your proxy to another member.
See you (or your proxy) on February 11!
Sunday jitneys going strong:
Bring-a-Friend on Sunday, February 4
“It depends on the week, but we can have as many as 15 people playing darts or short mat,” says Don Rayko, who is organizing Sunday afternoons at the clubhouse. “It’s been a lot of fun. And we’ve been able to do it safely.”
On Sunday, February 4, from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m., the jitney will be played in socks to support the theme of a socks drive that day. If you’d like to attend, please feel free to bring a friend to introduce that person to our game.
The short mats will be rolled up just after 3:00 p.m. to make room for our winter barbecue and community socks drive, co-hosted by Councillor Cheng. If you’re interested in helping out as a volunteer, please send Don Rayko an e-mail to let him know.
Either way, any donation you can make to our Sox Box will be greatly appreciated.
We hope to see you on February 4!
Winter Warm-up BBQ and Sock Drive
co-sponsored with Counillor Lily Cheng
Join us at the clubhouse from 3:15 to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 4. Bring new, unwrapped socks to help us fill our Sox Box and we’ll trade your generosity for a hamburger or hot dog (vegan options will be available).
Councillor Cheng is inviting the broader community to join us. We’re hoping to have the opportunity to talk to people about bowling and the facility. We’d love to have you help us make a positive impact on the community.
We’re going to have some short mat demonstrations and we’re asking club members and community neighbours to donate new, unwrapped socks for the unhoused and other individuals who are particularly vulnerable during the winter months.
If you have the time, please make time to join us at the clubhouse on Sunday, February 4. Help us fill our Sox Box!
Update on pickelball and warming centre
If either of those changes, we will let you know immediately.
During the winter months, members of the board of directors will meet with Councillor Cheng and a number of city departments—Parks, Forestry and Recreation, Corporate Real Estate Management and Shelter, Support and Housing Administration. The purpose is to agree on a vision before re-engaging with Mount Pleasant Group to negotiate a new lease.
Full house for Bill Donald Memorial Tournament
It was truly a celebration of Bill’s life. There was some excellent competition among twelve teams of mixed triples that drew players from Woodstock, Pickering, Brampton, Cosburn, Midland, Agincourt and, of course, Willowdale. Top prize went to Willowdale bowler Albert Wu, playing with Stanley and Helena Ho of Agincourt.
A delicious lunch was organized by life member Emma Varga, supported by volunteers of the club’s excellent kitchen crew. There was more than enough food to go around and desserts, of course, were plentiful. Canterbury Place donated cake and cookies.
The gathering resembled a reunion of past Willowdale presidents. Lorne Reid, Willowdale LBC president in 1982, was joined by Roger Thompson (1999), Emma Varga (2000), Anne Baille (2004), Elmer Mittelstaedt (2005), Sharon Jeffrey (2006 & 2008), Susan Leong (2013-14) and Gordon Jones (2011-2013, 2018-2023).
Five members of the Donald family attended the day’s celebration, as well as long-time members Alice Mittelstaedt, Brook Reid, Andy and Carol Watson, George Meek, Kerry Peters, Carole Barker and Doreen Semple.
A wonderful time was had by all!
National champions again!
In the bronze medal match, the recently crowned Women’s Singles champion, Claire Day and partner Jennifer MacDonald faced a tough British Columbia duo of Josephine Lee and Sarina Mak. The local BC natives proved too much for the Albertans, claiming bronze with a final score of 21-15.
Don and Jack win silver at Ontario 55+ Summer Games
Willowdale members Don Rayko and Jack Siboni (centre in the picture above) represented District 16 at the Ontario 55+ Summer Games held in Brantford from August 9 to 11. Don and Jack came away with silver medals in a marathon event.
After winning all four games in the round robin (three games on Thursday and one Friday morning), they played the semi-final game and ended up in the final Friday afternoon, losing to District 15 representatives Lan Tran and Cathy Larkin.
"With six games in two days, we just ran out of gas," admits Don, who also admitted that he hadn't played three games in a day (let alone six over two days) in quite some time.
Julie and Eric Bergman also represented District 16. They went 1-2 in round robin play, losing to the teams that won bronze and gold.
The games were well-organized and a lot of fun. The next games are in 2025. If you're even remotely interested, give it some thought. The event was well worth attending.
‘Willowdale bowlers win RBC Willowdale Gold Cup
A men's triples team two-thirds comprised of Willowdale Lawn Bowling Club members emerged victorious at the annual RBC Willowdale Gold Cup held on Sunday, August 13.
Skip Arnie Markowitz and lead Gerald Lampert, both from Willowdale, were joined by vice John McKenzie from Oshawa in the 10-team tournament.
The trio won all three 14-end games to take home the top prize of $300. In total, five cash prizes were awarded at the tournament.
Thanks to all the volunteers, competitors and sponsors who helped make the event a success.
August 7 jitney "best spread in quite some time"
They were no doubt glad they did. The food was fantastic and there was plenty of it.
Between games, president Gordon Jones thanked everyone for their participation and praised the food, saying that "it was the best spread we've had at the club in quite some time."
(So good, in fact, that we're going to do it again for Labour Day, but we're getting ahead of ourselves.)
Gordon also recognized Chrystal Shephard, who is representing Ontario at the national lawn bowling championships in Victoria, BC, which are being held at the Juan de Fuca Lawn Bowls Club August 18-26.
Gordon presented Chrystal with a small token of appreciation on behalf of the board of directors and members to help her offset a few expenses.
It costs each competitor representing Ontario approximately $2,500 to compete in Victoria. The Ontario Lawn Bowls Association provides winners with $500 per competitor.
"Hopefully, this small token will help with the expenses you incur as you represent our club and our province," Gordon said.
Motion passes
With input from a number of members, but most particularly Don Rayko and Jane Brackley, the following motion was voted upon:
The membership of the Willowdale Lawn Bowling Club expresses its openness to negotiating the following with the City of Toronto:
- Conversion of the centre green from natural grass to an artificial lawn bowling surface;
- Rejuvenation of the existing lawn bowling artificial surface on the south green;
- Conversion of the north green to alternative recreational uses, such as pickleball; and
- Use of the clubhouse as a warming centre during winter months by the City of Toronto.
The motion was carried and the board of directors is already working on developing the next stage of the club.