MINUTES

GALETTA LAWN BOWLS CLUB

2023/24 SPECIAL MEETING

MARCH 21, 2024 at 7 pm

LOCATION: Basement Room, Russell Hall, Galetta

 

Present: Suzanne Erickson, Graham Murray, Frank Rezny, Helene Ouellette-Kuntz, Pat Rose, David Jeffries, Sandra Jeffries, Kitty Braceland, Steve Bunge, Edie Cathcart, Chris Gardner, Rosemary Gardner, Patricia Garvin, Sheila Moher, Hugh O’Donnell, Millie Pacella, Paul Pacella, Karen Ridgway, Bill Sheffield, John Stevenson. 

Regrets: Brenda Dalliday, Kevin Dalliday, Brian Gillespie, Raymond Kuntz, John Ostis, Sebastien Benard

 

1. Call to Order

President Suzanne Erickson welcomed everyone and reminded everyone of the purpose of the meeting: to consider the offer from the Galetta Community Association regarding the future of lawn bowling in Galetta. She outlined the agenda: Secretary Helene Ouellette- Kuntz would present the GCA offer, Vice President Graham Murray would then a breakdown of membership fees for 2024, and Greens Keeper David Jeffries would explain and describe the importance of volunteers to maintain the greens. A question period to follow after which a motion would be presented so the membership could vote on the viability of the club going forward. She explained that the Executive had determined that at least 15 members had to be prepared to renew their membership and commit to volunteering in order for the club to accept the GCA terms.

2. Helene handed out copies of the “Revised Agreement between Galetta Community Association and Galetta Lawn Bowls Club” prepared by the Galetta Community Association Board of Directors on March 7, 2024 (appended). After explaining that this was the final offer by the GCA after efforts on the part of the Lawn Bowls Executive to seek a partnership beneficial to both the community and lawn bowlers since last Fall. The Galetta Community Association Executive made it clear that these terms were not open to further negotiation.

3. Graham outlined the executive’s proposed membership fees for 2024 as follows.

• Returning Members: $170

• First Year Members: $120

• Junior Members: $75

• Social Members: $0

He stated that the degree to which the Club would be able to raise funds from other sources was unknown, but that offsetting this uncertainty was the club’s ability to control its cost. He added that there was a significant opportunity to do so in the area of greens keeping. As Dave Jefferies was retiring, the Club could either:

• Hire someone to maintain the greens, perhaps a summer student or a local Galetta resident, or

• Maintain the greens on a volunteer basis.

Regarding the latter option, Graham said that if the Club could get enough members to volunteer to keep the greens, the Club could save almost $5,000 a year.

4. Dave informed everyone that he was resigning as Greens Keeper. He suggested that a greens committee of 5 or 6 members be established to look after the green. Two grass cutters and a machine maintenance were already available. Additional volunteers were needed for weeding, cleaning ditches, watering, dragging the greens, mowing the surrounding areas, rolling the greens, etc.

5. Discussion

• A member asked under what conditions the proposed membership fee structure would be sufficient, and Graham replied that the Club could cover its costs if 20 members returned, 5 new members joined and a reasonable amount of revenues came from fundraising.

• Another member expressed the view that it was unlikely that students or local residents had the required knowledge and skill to be a greens keeper and that t he estimate of $5,000 to hire a professional greens keeper was much too low. Graham then revealed that, according to his calculations based on information provided by Dave Jefferies on the amount of time he spent keeping the greens, 12 members would be required to volunteer 2 hours a week to maintain the greens. This would be in addition to the volunteers needed to operate the Club such as league conveners and tournament directors etc..

6. The motion “that the GLBC accept the terms of the Revised Agreement between Galetta Community Association and Galetta Lawn Bowls Club dated March 7, 2024” was moved by Helene Ouellette-Kuntz, seconded by Bill Sheffield. The vote by secret ballot indicated:

“PLEASE NOTE: ‘YES’ vote means:

(a) I will renew Membership at the 2024 rate of $170 and

(b) I will be available for ‘volunteer hours’ to support the Galetta Lawn Bowls Club’.

Members were reminded that at least 15 YES votes were required for the motion to pass. The secretary counted the votes: 12 YES (including 2 in absentia), 9 NO, 1 ABSTENTION. The motion was defeated. Suzanne announced that she would proceed to informing relevant parties that the club is being disbanded.

7. Further discussion ensued regarding the possibility of having a lawn bowling program in Galetta. As significant interest in continuing to bowl in the community was expressed. A second secret ballot vote regarding bowling in Galetta was undertaken. The question was: "Should the Galetta Community Association be asked to provide a lawn bowling program?" The secretary counted the votes: 18 YES, 2 NO.

8. The meeting was adjourned.

 

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Revised Agreement between Galetta Community Association and Galetta Lawn Bowls Club

GCA will:

- Seek permission from the City of Ottawa to sell all City-owned assets related to lawn bowling to GLBC for $1 [ref. funding agreement Section 7]; in the event of the dissolution of the GLBC these assets will revert to the GCA

- Offer washroom, kitchen, hall and downstairs lounge use, when not needed for rentals or GCA sponsored events and programs, to GLBC at no charge [ref. 4H, Scouts, Brownies, etc.]

- Charge a $1 annual rental fee for the locked GLBC storage room in the basement of the hall subject to negotiation annually

- Charge a $1 annual rental fee for the use of each storage building outside the bowls green [“Lighthouse keeper’s” building and sea can] subject to negotiation annually

- Provide one access key to the hall in the lock box on the greens’ fence as has been the practice and one to the GLBC greenskeeper

- Write a cheque to the GLBC in the amount of $8,000 to be deposited by March 31, 2024; failure of the GLBC to deposit the cheque by that date will render this agreement null and void

GLBC will:

- Acquire its own bank account by March 31, 2024, and deposit the cheque in the amount of $8,000 from the GCA; failure to do so will render this agreement null and void

- Inform GCA of its annual bowls and meeting schedule to facilitate kitchen, hall and basement lounge scheduling for GCA programming and rentals

- Understand and acknowledge that its ‘clubhouse’ is in fact Russell Hall, a facility of the City of Ottawa managed by the GCA, and the use of these premises is at the pleasure of the City of Ottawa and the GCA [ref. Nepean Lawn Bowls Club]

- Maintain its own website and communications to its members and prospective bowlers

Revised by the GCA Board of Directors on March 7

 

 

For information on the Ontario Lawn Bowls Association, visit them here  

For Membership Information: