Hello everyone,

I hope you are all keeping warm and healthy in this miserable weather.

Well things are finally about to happen around our Club after many months of meetings and planning with the Tea Tree Gully Council.

ShineHub are about to begin replacing all the solar panels and installing a battery to significantly reduce our power bill which is in the vicinity of $12,000+ per annum.  Jane Oswald and Matt Romaine have been the prime movers in getting this to happen.

Jane has obtained a $28.000 Grant, and the Council have agreed to pay the balance up front. We will then repay them through a lease agreement over 10 years. We did lobby to get them to pay it all for us but to no avail.

Jane is also applying for a grant to establish retractable shades over ‘B’ green.  Let’s hope she’s successful in getting this. She’s doing a great job as our Grants Coordinator.

‘A’ green is an ongoing project, with the old plinths about to be replaced with steel.  We have employed a contractor James Gregory to do the installation but must thank our members Dick Murdoch, Bob Fuss, Bob Klose and Steve Brown who did all the work in removing the old plinths. It will need weeding again and laser levelling. It has been a long process, but we certainly hope that next year it will be near to perfect.

We have confirmation that the bathroom upgrade will be going ahead Dec/Jan and the verandah at the end of March 2027. The costs for these are covered by the $300,000 from Tony Zappia’s election promise with Council paying the remainder.

Chris Parry our Bowling Operations Manager is currently in the process of nominating sides for the coming season with the MBA and organising, with the Board, the Selectors for all teams to begin the difficult task of selecting sides and teams once the trials commence. There is a great deal of work for him to do.  He will advise every one of the outcomes when that process is complete.

Because of the change in administrative structure, we need to replace the three large boards ie BOM, Women’s Section and Men’s Section without losing the history of the Club that they represent. Your Board of Management is currently investigating ways to do this. Richard Smith is updating the Honour Boards.

We have some wonderful volunteers at Hope Valley who continue to do so much work to keep our Club running smoothly.

The Bingo is proving very successful, Bunnings Sausage Sizzle also.  Friday night teas, bar servers and organisers, garden and greens team, cleaning teams, social club organisation, maintenance, running social bowls, etc, etc. So, if you are able to contribute your time and/or expertise, please consider helping out.  You certainly would be appreciated.

We have decided to go ahead with our Opening Day again this year. The date is Sunday 27^th September so put that date in your diary and come along and make it a great day for our Club.  A fun game of bowls, a few speeches, and then the delicious food that Hope Valley is noted for.

I hope that we get some sunshine soon, to grow the grass on ‘A’ green, fill the solar battery and get me moving again.

Cheers to all,

Andrea

President

Hello everyone,

I think it is important to answer the many questions I have been asked over the past couple of weeks by various members, so I will try to do so for all members.

Mostly, they have been in relation to the proposed new Constitution and what it will mean for our Club if accepted at the coming AGM and why it is being proposed.

Those who attended the 2025 AGM may remember that a proposal was tendered by Kerry Foster and seconded by Chris Parry, to unify the Club’s Management structure.  This was accepted with an amendment tendered by Rocco Galluccio, and passed by a majority of members present, for the Board of Management to appoint a working group to prepare a proposal reflecting the essence of the amendment passed. This would be to remove any reference to Men’s and Women’s Committees in the Constitution with sub-committees to be formed instead, e.g. Women’s and Men’s competition committees and all other sub-committees needed for the effective management of the Club.  This proposal was to be presented at the 2026 AGM.

The working group comprised Rocco Galluccio, Ivan Lawton, Jane Oswald and Nola Manuel.

Over the year the group has worked to bring this to fruition using the Bowls S.A. template and information gleaned from other clubs who operate with this model.

It has been submitted to Bowls S.A. and accepted by them.

Both the Women’s and Men’s Sections have endorsed the new proposed Constitution, as has the Board of Management.

That is then the Notice of Motion that will be presented to you, the members, at the AGM on Tuesday 12^th May at 7pm.

Rocco has also presented a Notice of Motion relating to an alteration to the proposed new Constitution which will be addressed prior to a formal vote.

All Notices of Motion are displayed in the Clubrooms and on the website, so it would be beneficial for you to be familiar with these, if possible, prior to the meeting.

Our Club’s By-Laws are currently being reviewed to accommodate these changes if the new proposed Constitution is accepted.

We currently have 10 nominations for the 2026/2027 Board of Management with a 5:5 gender balance which is recommended by Bowls S. A.

I do urge you attend the upcoming AGM and participate in the decision making.

This could be a significant moment in the history of Hope Valley Bowling and Community Club.

Regards,

Andrea Williams

Chairperson

Brian was a long-term member and bowler of Hope Valley Bowling Club, being instrumental in the set up of the club in its initial stages.  Both he and Dick Murdoch joined about 3 years after the Club began as they were still working at the time. 

Brian was a good bowler but was plagued with spondylosis and had to stop bowling a few years ago.  There are still a large number of members of the Club who remember him and who acknowledge that he was a very good bowler and Club Member.

Brian’s funeral will be held at Harrison Funerals, Ridgehaven, on 21 April at 10:00 am.  Please wear Club uniforms if you attend.

Our condolences go to Irene and Family.

RIP Brian

https://www.hvhornets.com.au/wp/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Torrensville-Bowling-Cub-Good-Friday-Triples.pdf