Future looking very bright in Mid Shropshire
A healthy profit, a successfully re-launched presentation dinner and new teams in the pipeline resulted in a positive AGM of a leading Shropshire bowls league.
The annual meeting of the Molson Coors Mid Shropshire League also saw the launch of a new competition for bowlers in the lower divisions as all of the rule change proposals were approved unanimously.
Called the Monday Merit, the singles knockout for those playing primarily for teams in divisions 4-5-6 will be introduced this year with new competition secretary Rob Burroughs in charge.
He succeeds Phil King in that role, with all other officers elect en bloc by delegates at Wellington’s Bayley Club, but the league is still searching for a new veterans team captain to take over from Peter Spragg.
Treasurer Celia Miles’ accounts showed a surplus of £8,109 despite two Covid hit years previously, but auditor Steve Anyon was quick to point out the true picture.
“A more accurate figure for the 2022 year's profit would be derived by deducting the monies paid for prize money, £5,510, and the amount shown in the accounts from clubs paying for invoiced annual dinner tickets of £1,250,” he said.
Moves to streamline the management of the league with fewer meetings during the playing season were passed along with a tweaking of the handicaps for the main team knockout, the Harris Cup, now that it is 10-a-side.
And Hadley USC’s bid to encourage more entries by stopping registered Premier League bowlers from competing in the main Senior Merit – even if they play in Mid Shropshire’s Dennis Lewis Thursday Division – also got the nod.
“As for new teams, the early signs for the coming season are positive,” said league secretary Malcolm Fletcher.
“I have had an application from Castlefields to join the Thursday Division and have already been contacted about two possible new Friday teams from Hadley USC and Wrockwardine Wood and also Horsehay on a Monday.”
A one-off management meeting has been called for Wednesday, February 15, at Bowring BC in Wellington (7.30pm) to try and nail down plans for the 2023 campaign – including a possible new Afternoon Division – ahead of the crucial March executive gathering.
