THE Walmer Bowling Club, founded in 1919, has a series of exciting events planned this year in celebration of their highly anticipated centenary.
The first of these events was a cocktail party attended by more than 175 members, friends and dignitaries, including Rob Forbes, president of Bowls South Africa, and Brian Buchanan, president of Eastern Province Bowls, both staunch Walmer Bowling Club members.
Club president, Jack Haskings, reflected on the early days of the club, from its beginnings as a croquet club to the establishment of the first green and to the present day when there are three fine greens irrigated by borehole water.
The membership is currently a very strong 180 plus and all the men’s and ladies’ leagues are highly contested.
“That said, Walmer has never won the Men’s First League title and the general feeling is that it will do so this year!
“It is also not all about winning; the club has a great social spirit and all are made to feel most welcome and there is plenty of social life off the green,” said the Walmer Bowling Club’s Ian Pringle.
“It is no wonder that the club has the second highest membership in the Eastern Cape,” Pringle said.
Walmer Bowling Club has this year been invited to host The All Cape Tournaments, which will take place at the beginning of April.
The arrival of hundreds of visiting bowlers from the Border, Southern Cape and Cape Town will certainly boost local accommodation establishments and restaurants.
The club’s motto is “Festina Lente” which means “make haste slowly”.
Having been founded soon after World War 1, the members imagine that the survivors from those trenches and who made up the early membership of the club abided by the motto.
“To be cautious and careful yet ever aware of an opportunity which certainly bore fruit in 1993 when the club made the bold decision to acquire their present property from the then City Council – a move never regretted and which has set the Club on a firm path into the future,” concluded Pringle.
