Medicine Hat Memorial Tournament 2022

The club played host to the Medicine Hat Memorial Triples Tournament for the first time since 2019. Six teams from three different clubs attended - Medicine Hat LBC, Lethbridge LBC, and Highlands LBC (Edmonton).

Teams played 5 round robin games against one another over the course of two days and it culminated w
ith teams being seeded into the A, B, or C finals.

Richard Turner, Thelma Melnichuk, and Katherine Kerr from Highlands (3-1-1) went up against Barb Moll, Curt Moll, and Eric Moll from Medicine Hat (3-2). The Turner rink came out on top with a 9-5 win to take the Medicine Hat Memorial Trophy. 

Wes Bresee, Mike Gilchrist, and Jean Bresee (3-3) from Medicine Hat went up against Bill Black, Ann Black, and Sandra Angell from Highlands (2-2-1). The games was tied at four going into the eighth. The Bresee rink managed to score a point to take the 'B' Championships 5-4.

Scott Packer, Esther Rodzinyak, and Robert Rodzinyak of Lethbridge (2-3) went up against Linda Bower, Frank Buck, and Joyce-Ann Bacon of Medicine Hat (1-4) and soundly defeated the Bower rink 20-1 in seven ends to take the 'C' Chammpionship. 

Fourth Annual Yardstick Tournament

The Yardstick Tournament is one of the club's favourite tournaments. It is a jitney style tournament - new teams are drawn after each game - and scoring is high. Regular bowls is played, however all of the bowls within a yard of the jack score points for each team. 

Autographed meter sticks are awarded to the top three men and top three women. Each player has their team's points in all three games added up to determine the top three.

This year there was a tie for top spot with Pat Dennis and Linda Bower earning the same number of points. Jean Bresee was second, with Barb Moll finishing up in third.

On the men's side, Mike Gilchrist finished first, with Frank Buck taking second, and Wes Bresee in third place.

Canada Day Tournament Resurrected. Team Bresee Comes out on Top

The club resurrected the Canada Day Tournament. Participants were decked out in red and ready to play triples.

This year's format involved skips being pre-chosen and then drawing their team out of a hat. Each team would play three games. The top two teams would then play for the Burniston Family Trophy; third and fourth would play for bronze; and fifth and sixth would play for fifth place.

Wes Bresee's team of Jim Clegg and Doug Sanregret came out on top in the round robin and in the final with a 11-5 win over Barb Moll's team of Pat Dennis and Yvonne Sanregret.

Curt Moll's team of Frank Buck and Sam Ferrier took the bronze with a win over Linda Bower's team of Gerry Aitken, Roz Fisher, and Pat Ferrier.

The fifth and sixth place teams decided not to play their final game.

    

 The Spring General Meeting was held at the club on Wednesday, May 4. Here are the highlights:

• the competition committee submitted a proposed calendar of events. They include;
• May 29 - Open House/Membership Blitz
• June 4 - National Bowls Day
• June 18 - Dave Dennis Memorial Tournament
• July 1 - Canada Day Tournament
• July 23 - Yardstick Tournament
• August 6-7 - Medicine Hat Memorial Triples Tournament
• August 20 - Novice Tournament
• August 27 - Lawn Bowling Golf Tournament
• September 10 or 17 - Season Wind Up Tournament
• Mondays - Singles Competitive League
• Tuesdays - Pairs Competitive League
• Tuesdays - Youth
• Wednesdays - Jitney
• Wednesdays - Special Olympics Bocce
• Thursdays - B3 League - Medicine Hat Catholic School Employees
• Thursdays - Hell's Basement League
• Sundays - Youth
• Day Time League - TBA
• Membership dues will rise to $50/season (from $35). Increase cost of insurance, cost of green maintenance, cost of equipment use, were all cited for the needed increase. It was the first increase in seven years.
• The club is participating in the Safe Sport Initiative. All national, provincial, regional, and other sports organizations are strongly suggested to set up Safe Sport Initiatives in order to educate members about abuse, bullying, and player safety. At the the fall general meeting, we will go through all the Safe Sport documents in order to adopt them for our club. 
• Member will now have to complete a membership registration form. This is a part of the Safe Sport Initiative.
• We are currently looking to change insurance providers in order to insure our club in four areas: liability, sport accident, board, and cyber protection. The company we are looking at is the same one all clubs in Alberta, and many other sports organizations are already using as it specializes in sports organizations.
• Rental costs have increase to $15/adult and $10/youth for this year. This is a $5 increase/person 
• Parks and Recreation are still working on an agreement with the club. We have been without an agreement for several years now. 

Spring General Meeting

The spring general meeting will be on Wednesday, May 4 at 6:00. If the weather is nice, we will be meeting outdoors so bring a lawn chair. 

Items we will be discussing include:

• Leagues - competitive and non-competitive
• Jitney
• Membership Dues - possible increase this season.
• Change of insurance coverage
• Calendar of events for the season
• A need for volunteers on our committees - marketing, fundraising, kitchen, youth
• Groundskeeping
• Our agreement with the City of Medicine Hat Parks and Recreation.

Pairs League Wrap Up

The pairs league came to an end for the 2021 season. Bill Cuthill and Joan Theriault (#4 seed) played Frank Buck and Joyce-Ann Bacon (#3 seed) for the Red Amos Trophy, awarded to the 'B' side champions of the pairs league. Frank and Joyce-Ann were looking to repeat as the 'B' champions.

Bill and Joan asked that the game be only 6 ends due to medical issues and Frank and Joyce-Ann consented to the abbreviated game. Frank and Joyce-Ann were up 2 heading into the last end, but Bill and Joan counted 2 to send the game to an extra end. In the extra end, Bill and Joan scored one to win the game 7-6 and capture the Amos Trophy.

On the championship side, Wes and Jean Bresee (#1 seed) took on Barb and Curt Moll (#2 seed) Sunday afternoon. This game would be a rematch of last years final. It wasn't meant to be for the Moll's as the Bresee's eked out a 7-6 win to win their second consecutive H.J. Cove Memorial Trophy.

Thank you to all the teams this year for your participation!

Third Annual Yardstick Tournament

The Third Annual Yardstick Tournament was held on the weekend with 13 participants vying for a chance to win one of the coveted meter sticks. 

A yardstick tournament is a bit different from a regular games of bowls. All the usual rules apply except for the following:

• all the bowls that are in a one yard radius of the jack, score.
• the closest bowl to the jack is worth two points and that team gets the mat to start the next end. 

Drawing to or drawing close to the jack becomes vital. 

This year we ran the yardstick like a jitney - players re-drew for pairs teams after each game. We played three games. Players' points earned by their teams go towards the point total.

On the women's side, Barb Moll was the high lady with 68 points. Jean Bresee and Roz Fisher tied for second at 66 points so they had to play a tiebreaker end. Roz came out on top in the tiebreaker and was awarded second place, while Jean had to settle for third. 

The men's side saw Allen Hunt score 69 points - 10 more than the second place finishers - and there were three men who tied for second. This also required a tiebreaker end. Curt Moll, Wes Bresee, and Frank Buck played the tiebreaker and Curt came out on top, with Wes earning the second closest bowl. Curt would finish in second place, while Wes took third, and Frank finishing just outside of the prizes.