PICTURE SPECIAL: Wick’s Rosebank Bowling Club flies champions’ flag as season begins
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The new president of Wick’s Rosebank Bowling Club (RBC) welcomed members to witness the throwing of the first jack and raising of the Munro Shield winners’ flag on Saturday afternoon.
Scott Christie has taken over as RBC president this season after Graham John stepped down after several years in the position.
“I’ve been a member for three or four years now and I’ll see how it goes as president but it’s all new to me at the moment,” said Scott.
“It’s the first jack of the season so it’s the first time we’re playing on the green. People can come along and give it a try. It’s fun for all ages. Our youngest member is Jamie and we have members in their seventies and eighties.
“There’s a lot of skill involved with hand coordination but there can be a lot of luck in it too. The social side is good and we have a lot of events and get to different places.”
Scott says there are around 25 members in the club but new blood is always welcome to join. On the day, there was much hustle and bustle as members crowded into the pavilion for refreshments, to catch up with friends and pay their membership fees for the season.
Former president Graham John and RBC treasurer Sharon Rosie were busy with a growing mound of paperwork from membership forms and cash deposits for annual fees.
Graham said: “We change the president and vice president after a few years and they can bring more ideas for the club.
“We’ve now got Scott Christie as president and ‘Toots’ Banks as vice president. I think I had five years of service but I’ll still be heavily involved in the club helping out with competitions and things like that. We really want this club to succeed.”
Graham said the membership is £50 for the year but there are various concessions dependent on age with some of the younger juniors having their fees waived. “It’s cheap for what you get,” added Graham.
He said that the club won a major county championship last season called the Munro Shield which involved teams from Wick, Thurso and Lybster. It was the first time in 15 years that the club won this accolade and a special Munro Shield flag was unfurled at the Rosebank Playing Fields to highlight this.
Eleven year old Jamie Coull, the club’s youngest member, was honoured to throw the first jack of the season and pitched it well to resounding applause from all who had gathered.
“I first played bowls four months ago and I like it,” said Jamie who had been given an Xbox game card by the club as a thank-you gift.
