When you first come to a Club or organisation there arealways things you want to know and it’s the same whenyou first start playing bowls. Often new bowlers may be apprehensive, fearing that theyare not good enough or that they may let the team down,and that they may upset more experienced players. We have all been new bowlers at some stage andremember what it was like when we first started and how grateful we were to members who helped and encouraged us.The purpose of this booklet is to provide you with someinformation about the Club; how to start playing; and whatbowling activities are open to you.

We think that our Club is very special, and after playingbowls and socialising with other Club members, we aresure you’ll feel the same way.

AT THE ANGEL INDOOR BOWLS CLUB

Avenue Du PuyTonbridge TN9 1QH

Reception: 01732 771200Office: 01732 771262www.angelibc.co.uk

AN INTRODUCTIONTO BOWLINGAN INTRODUCTIONTO BOWLING

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We have five different kinds of membership to suit everyone. Details of current membership fees are available on the separate sheetenclosed with this booklet.

Full MembershipThis entitles you to bowl all the year round,enter leagues, competitions, and play inmatches, provided you have paid theappropriate green fee, and you may use thefacilities of the Club at any time.

Social MembershipSocial Membership entitles members to use the facilities of the Club at any time.

Social Membership +Summer BowlingBy adding ‘Summer Bowling’, members canalso play during the summer season (May toSeptember) at the prevailing green fee rate forfull members.

Assisted BowlingWe are very proud of our assisted league whichwas formed when the Club first opened in1981. This runs every week at times shown inthe Members’ Handbook. We have bowlers whouse wheelchairs, those who are partially sightedand others with physical limitations, all of whomare assisted by a group of volunteers.

Junior Associate MembershipOur Junior section is for Under 18s. There is no official lower age limit but we find in practice that around 6-7 is the youngestage that is suitable although this very muchdepends on the individual child. We meet everySaturday throughout the year and full detailsare shown on the attached sheet.They take part in the Under 17 Kent Invictaleague and there are ample other opportunitiesto play in Inter-Club tournaments, matches andcompetitions. They have a Child ProtectionPolicy in place and an independent ChildProtection Officer.

How do I join and what membership options are there?

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When can I visit the Club to bowl or use the facilities and how muchdoes it cost?Full details are shown on the separate sheetenclosed with this booklet.

I am new to bowling – can I get anyhelp learning how to play?Yes, of course – if you visit us on an Opensession, you will be shown the basics and wewill arrange for you to have four free lessonswith one of our qualified coaches. Opensessions are held weekly throughout the yearwith no obligation to join.

Do I need to wear anything special?This varies depending on what you are doing.While being coached, we only expect you towear sensible clothing for the occasion, andsome thick socks to protect your feet.Once your coaching sessions have beenconcluded, then you will need regulationbowling shoes, grey trousers or skirts withwhite shirts or tops (with collars). These areknown as ‘greys’.In the winter season, if you are playing in aClub match or special events, you normallyneed to wear ‘whites’. This means whitetrousers or skirt and the registered Club shirt(available to order through the office) andwhite shoes.In the summer there is a more relaxed attitudeto the dress code and ‘greys’ are worn for allinter-Club matches and competitions.Other changes to the dress code will be madeknown to you as and when appropriate.However, we do ask all members to respectthe dress code and jeans, track suits andshorts are NOT permitted at any time.For all items of clothing and shoes, we cangive you details on where to buy these locallyor they are readily available online.

Below is more information about when you can come,what to wear and how the Club works.

OK, I would like to play – how do I book a rink?Members of the Club can book a rink up to twoweeks in advance in person at the ReceptionDesk, at any time when the Club is open, or byphoning 01732 771200 after 10 am each day.You will need to pay for your rink on the day,before you start to bowl. Please note that ifrinks are booked but you do not use them, themember or person who booked the rink will berequired to pay the green fees if cancelled lessthan 24 hours before the start time.If you are taking part in National, County orClub Competitions, you may need to offer youropponents a variety of dates. In that case, youcan make provisional bookings up to four weeksin advance. The Green Steward will make awritten note of these in the Rink Bookingssystem. Once a firm date is chosen, you mustmake sure that the correct rink is confirmed inthe book and the unwanted bookings deleted. Ifyou fail to cancel a provisional booking, you willbe liable for the full green fees.

Are rinks always available?The Winter Season (October to April) is muchbusier than the Summer Season.There may be rare occasions when our ChiefGreen Steward will need to cancel a rink thatyou have pre-booked. If we need to do this wewill do our best to let you know beforehand.

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There is a lot that you can choose frombut it depends on how involved you wantto get. As you gain experience and yourconfidence grows you may wish tobecome involved. There are variousoptions available to you.

Club Casual Sessions – or ‘Roll Ups’You can book any vacant rink for what we call a‘roll-up’, which is a casual practice session. Youcan do this on your own or with a group of othermembers, up to a maximum of eight people perrink. We also run organised ‘roll-up’ sessionswhere you can ‘Turn-up-&-Play’ with others on amore organised basis. Details of these sessionscan be found in your Membership Handbook.

Internal Club leaguesThroughout the winter season we run a variedprogramme of Club leagues: Men’s, Ladies andMixed. There are both day and evening leagues.Details of the Ladies leagues and how to join ateam are posted in their changing room; Menand Mixed League details are on the notice boardin the main area opposite the Reception Desk.Although many of our members play outdoorsduring the summer months, we still run leaguesand these are an ideal way for new and socialmembers to get involved and gain experience.

Inter-Club MatchesThroughout the year we organise matchesagainst other clubs in Kent and neighbouringcounties – again, Men’s, Ladies and Mixed.Some of these are Kent League matches andsome are ‘friendlies’ – you will be able to seewhich is which on the match selection sheets.

So what goes on at the Club then, what kind of matches can I play in and how do I get selected?

Who Can Play?Only Full Members may play in Club matches inthe winter season but during the summer, ALLfixtures are mixed and both Social+SummerBowling and Full Members can take part.Playing in friendly matches is an ideal way fornew members to gain more bowling and matchexperience before putting their names forwardfor Kent League matches.

I would like to play in a Club match,what do I have to do?Match sheets are displayed either in thechanging rooms or on the notice board in themain Club area opposite the reception desk. If you would like to play in a match, just putyour name on the sheet – if you are selected,your name will be shown in the team selectionsection at the bottom so you will need to checkthe sheet to see if you are playing. If you are,please then tick your name to confirm youravailability

Oh – I haven’t been picked – does thatmean I am not good enough?No, absolutely not! Don’t be disappointed if youare not picked for every match or at your firsttry. Keep entering your name for matches andyou WILL be picked!

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This is all well and good but I don’t own any bowls!That’s ok, now that you have decided to joinand start playing do not purchase any bowlswithout first trying different sizes and models.The Club has a stock that you can try and see what suits you, and please take advicefrom our coaches or experienced members.Only approved bowls shoes (smooth soles)can be used on the green as the carpet caneasily be damaged. A replacement carpetcosts over £25,000 so you can see why!There are specialist shops where you canpurchase bowls equipment so please ask foradvice or look online. Also in the Foyer NoticeCabinet you can find second-hand bowls andshoes advertised for sale.

Where do I keep my kit once I have it?There are lockers at the Club where you can store your bowls equipment. A ‘one-off’payment of £10.00 by application to theOffice is required, but that lasts all the timeyou are a member. However, we do not haveenough for all members so should there be a waiting list, can you please take your kithome with you.

Can I bring a guest?Yes, you can. Guests are welcome to bowl,subject to their playing with a member andpaying the appropriate green fee. They canalso join in other social activities at any time,but only five visits in any one subscription yearfor the same visitor are allowed.

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Lots! The Club is a friendly andwelcoming place to spend an eveningwith friends or to use to pop in for acoffee and bite to eat during the day.

Car ParkWe have a large car park that members areallowed to use when visiting the Club. However,you are not allowed to park there when you arenot using the Club. Please note that when theClub is closed the gates are locked and therewill be no-one available to let you out. Pleasefollow the arrowed route when arriving orleaving and be sure to park within the markedparking bays.

RestaurantOur restaurant is a franchise and it is openevery lunch time throughout the winter session.During the summer please check the noticeboards for opening times. The restaurantprovides light snacks, cooked lunches andSunday roasts. Our restaurant area can bebooked for private parties and functions subjectto availability.

BarWe have a well stocked bar that has draughtand bottled beers as well as a wide range ofother soft and alcoholic drinks, all at verycompetitive prices. Tea and coffee can also bepurchased from the bar.

What else does the Club offer apart from actually playing?

What other social activities do youoffer?Throughout the year various quizzes, fun days,music evenings and parties etc take place. Wealso run a crib league and darts competition.Details are published throughout the Club asthe events are organised.You can also join our ‘100 Club’– for a smallmonthly fee you have the chance to win a cashprize. Application forms are sent withmembership details when joining but are alsoavailable from the Main Notice Board.If you have any ideas for a social event that youthink will be popular, just let a Bar Steward orthe Office know – they will be delighted to hearfrom you.All funds raised are used for the benefit of the Club and its members.

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Yes – For any Club to opperate efficientlythere must be a set of rules thatmembers are required to observe. We have a set of bylaws that membersshould be aware of and comply with. A copy of the bylaws are available in theMens and Ladies changing rooms.

Who manages the Club?The official name of the Club is the Angel(Tonbridge) Indoor Bowls Association Limited.There is a Council Of Management made up ofelected directors (listed in the members’handbook) who are elected at the AGM eachNovember. They are responsible for thefinances of the Club and all the facilities. We lease the ground from Tonbridge andMalling Council and the Club owns the building.

We also have separate BowlingCommittees who look after the general bowling affairs. We have five committees:Angel (Tonbridge) Men’s Indoor Bowls ClubAngel (Tonbridge) Women’s Indoor Bowls ClubAngel (Tonbridge) Summer Indoor Bowls ClubAssisted Bowling CommitteeJunior Associate Membership Committee

How do I know who they are?Details of all the people serving on the BowlingCommittees, and their appropriate telephonenumbers, are contained in the Club Handbookgiven to all members annually on payment ofthe appropriate subscription.Photographs of the Directors can be found inthe Foyer of the Club.

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Are there any other rules I need to know about?

I’ve got some questions not coveredhere – who should I talk to?Please feel free to call the Office on 01732771262 or contact any of our Directors.

Other relevant and importantinformation(a) Under the terms of our Lease, members ofthe public who live within the Tonbridge andMailing Borough, are entitled to book rinks, forwhich they are charged a public members rate.(b) Application forms for all categories ofmembership are available from the Office onrequest either in writing or by telephoning01732 771262/771200.

‘… and finally, like any Club, it is not what you get out of being a member that’simportant, it’s what you put in. Our experience shows that the more you get involved the more pleasure you will get from being a member.’

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POSITIVESl Show consideration and respect to other

bowlers, as you would expect them to do to you.

l Keep quiet and still when players are on the mat. Stand well behind when youropponent is on the mat.

l Walk close to the centre of the rink whenchanging ends to avoid distracting theadjoining rinks, and consult at the headand not halfway down the rink.

l Be ready to play when it’s your turn.l When an end is completed and you are

at the mat end, assist with the collection of the bowls.

l Accept your skip’s instructions as to thehand he/she wishes you to bowl, unlessthey give you the option.

l Be a good loser; don’t blame others on the rink.

l Shake hands with your opponent beforeand after the game.

l Remember that possession of the rinkbelongs to your opponent when your bowlhas come to rest and you should either be behind the mat or the head.

l Stand well clear of the head – not in it.l If you decide to fire/running bowl,

warn those at the head.

© The information contained in this booklet is correct at time of going to press.

AND NEGATIVESl Do not walk across other players’ rinks –

enter and leave the green from your rink.l Do not drop your bowls – place them on

the rink/carpet.l Do not deliver your bowl before the previous

bowl has come to rest.l Do not cheer or applaud lucky or unlucky

bowls – accept them graciously.l Do not complain about your opponent’s

lucky bowls – you will have your fair sharethroughout the season.

l Do not waste time – if the result of the endis in doubt then measure.

l Never be heard to criticise the carpet, oryour opponent.

l Never use bad language.

… and finally please do not enter the bowls hallbefore the seven minute bell sounds unless it isurgent. Please wait before entering if someoneis about to bowl on rinks 5 and 6 and also rinks2 and 3. You can open the door once their bowlhas left their hand. Do not walk behind/in frontof a bowler who is standing on the matpreparing to bowl at either end of the hall.

Things to consider when playing bowls

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