The Gold Coast Bulletin

STILL BOWLING STRONG AT ROBINA

- KATE PARASKEVOS

JIM Cameron remembers the day when a truck pulled up alongside green two at the Robina Bowls Club and started to unload a great stack of timber.

Asking the driver what was going on, he received a stern reply: “This is to build your clubhouse, mate.’’

That was more than 30 years ago. The club has since seen many changes over its three-plus decades.

For Mr Cameron, who didn’t even play bowls at the time, there was a different drawcard for him to become a founding member – booze and banter.

“Up to then we had been using a little old tin shed with room for a Temprite, a keg of beer and not much more,” he said. “Look at what we have today – and paid for.”

Jim was a founding member of Robina Bowls Club and was present at the founding meeting in October 1985, attended by about 350 people including Ray Phillips, John Brokken and Jack Toohey.

“I remember that day clearly when the majority of those present were signed up as members,” he said.

“Up to this time I was not a member of any club, had never played bowls and had only arrived on the Gold Coast from Canberra a few months before.

“Jack Toohey, who lived opposite our house at Robina, came over to see me and asked for $25 to which I replied ‘I’ll give you nothing and take you nowhere’.

“Jack explained the $25 was for my founding membership of the bowls club. I told him I didn’t play bowls.

“And then I thought carefully – bowls club equals watering hole. And here I am today.”

Jim has just celebrated his 90th birthday and as the latest to achieve a nonagenari­an status at the Robina Bowls Club, is still a very competitiv­e bowler.

“There were three events that made me proud. In 1990 when I won the B-grade singles and saw my name up on the honour board; when I was presented with my player’s badge for the third division pennant; and the day I received my patriarch badge,” he said.

As well as winning the club’s B-grade singles in 1990, he also had several section wins in the then winter carnival and was runner-up in the club’s fours and pairs.

“I also remember that we had two of what were arguably the best bowlers in the district, Lenny Taylor and Henry Klein,” he said.

“Lenny was outstandin­g and I watched him play the best game I have ever seen at the 1998 winter carnival singles against a player from South Australia.

“Len was down 20/2 at the Palm Beach-Currumbin club and defeated his opponent 21/20.”

At one stage, Jim was the club’s greens director and worked with Bill Harris to write up the submission to the Gaming Machine Board for the approval of 11 poker machines.

“I went up to Toowong for training in management of the machines and was poker machine manager for three years,” he said.

“Bowls is of great importance to me. It keeps me healthy and importantl­y, it provides interactio­n with other members.

“The health profession­als say playing bowls is a low-impact, therapeuti­c exercise that can improve fitness, co-ordination and confidence. How true that is.

“I wish we could convince many more men and women to take up this wonderful game.”

BOWLS IS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE TO ME. IT KEEPS ME HEALTHY AND IMPORTANTL­Y, IT PROVIDES INTERACTIO­N WITH OTHER MEMBERS JIM CAMERON

 ??  ?? Jim Cameron was a founding member of the Robina Bowls Club and still competes.
Jim Cameron was a founding member of the Robina Bowls Club and still competes.
 ?? WITH KATE PARASKEVOS ??
WITH KATE PARASKEVOS

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