Membership

Welcome to the sport of bowls!  It will be a pleasure to welcome you as a member to the North Balwyn Bowls Club Inc (NBBC). Bowls has given great enjoyment to many people, and we trust that you will experience the same enjoyment. Bowls is a game that can be played in a relaxed “rollup” between friends, in competitive Pennant games, in organised social competition, or on your own as an individual. Bowling clubs offer a wide variety of opportunities for involvement in club activities and contact with other people. Like most things, what you get out of it will depend on what you put into it.

Membership Fees

Our membership fees per year are as follows:

  • Full member  – $280.00*
  • Dual – $200.00
  • Intermediate members (under 25) – $140.00*
  • Junior (13-17 years) – $40.00*
  • Social/Bridge/Non Bowling – $80.00

*This includes an affiliation fee payable to Bowls Victoria.

Rates may be reduced for part-year memberships.

Joining the Club

To join the club you need to:

  1. Register your interest to join and complete the form.
  2. Our Membership Director or one of the Team will be in touch to arrange a time to meet to welcome you and outline how the club works and pay your club membership and, if applicable, Bowls Victoria affiliation fee. Also, to give us additional information including about the publishing of contact details in the club’s handbook and your participation in club activities.
  3. Arrange a clearance if you are a member of an existing club.

Our Club

Outlined below are some key features of our operations at NBBC:

1.  Governance

The club is a not for profit incorporated association, registered with Consumer Affairs, Victoria, under the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012 and is conducted under the aegis of Bowls Victoria for the benefit of members.

2.   Coaching

NBBC has seven club coaches and free coaching is available to all new bowlers and existing bowlers who request assistance with a particular aspect of their game. The Membership Director will discuss coaching with you.

3.   Bowls Program

During the summer season – September to April – we field four sides in the Bowls Victoria Pennant on Saturdays, and four sides in the Bowls Victoria Midweek (Tuesday) Pennant, and organised social bowls for those not playing Pennant.

Club games and a range of championship events also operate at various times throughout the year. Because we have artificial greens, we can offer our club members a Winter bowling program on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Also, in winter an Indoor Bias Bowls program operates – Pennant on Tuesday nights and Wednesday afternoons, and Social on Friday mornings – year-round.

Unlike the outdoor game where rules are set by BV (Bowls Victoria) this game runs under the dictates and rules of AIBBC (Australian Indoor Bias Bowls Council), VIBBA (Victorian Indoor Biased Bowls Association) and our local ESIBBA (Eastern Suburbs Indoor Bias Bowls Association).

4. Dress

Bowls Australia regulation attire, i.e., club uniform, to be worn for Pennant and for the major club events – Opening Day, Anniversary Day, President’s & Presentation Day, Life Members Day, Harold Brennen Perpetual Trophy Day, as well as for the finals of Club Championship matches.

Neat casual clothes may be worn for all other club play.

5. Practice

It is our hope and intention that new players would be welcomed to join other members in practice. We would ask you to make yourselves known to other members who are having a practice. When some members may prefer to practice alone they would say so, but would not think it wrong of you to have invited them to have a roll-up with you. You would also seek out other new members to practice with.

6. Bowls

Club bowls are available until you buy your own. These bowls are not available for use outside the NBBC premises. It is suggested that you do not purchase bowls until you have discussed this with your coach.

7. Volunteers

The club relies totally on the volunteer work of its members for the operation of the bowling program, the social program, the maintenance of grounds and playing surfaces, and for club governance. It is an expectation that belonging to the club means that every able member will take on some volunteer activity. This would be discussed with you in your interview with the Membership Director. The time commitment for individuals is not onerous and may be only two to three hours a month. There is great deal of flexibility about the timing and nature of individual contributions. Members who are active in their club work report a high level of personal satisfaction at their involvement and contribution.

8. Social Activities

There are a range of social activities at our club, including a craft group who meet once a month and the popular Duplicate Bridge every Monday evening and Thursday afternoon. Bridge Lessons are conducted in 10-week sessions twice a year.

9. In conclusion

We would be pleased to have the opportunity to welcome you to the North Balwyn Bowls Club. New members are the life blood of the club. We would look forward to seeing you develop as a bowler, getting to know you as a friend and sharing with you in the work of taking this great club forward into the future.

If you require any further information, please send us an email.

Welcome!