Narrabri Bowling Club, ‘Narrabri Sporties’, is moving towards a watershed in its history with meetings on Saturday, May 29, which may decide the future of the club.
Members will be asked to vote on the sale of the Club Motor Inn and the future direction of the bowling club and bowls in Narrabri.
The club (‘Sporties’ and the Club Motor Inn) went into voluntary administration in April last year and has subsequently been operating under a deed of company arrangement while its finances and future have been assessed.
An extraordinary general meeting will be held at 9.30am, with two resolutions to amend the constitution to be considered by eligible voters, followed by the annual general meeting with the ‘sale/disposal of land on which the Club Motor Inn stands’ on the agenda, on which all members can vote.
The sale of the Club Motor Inn has been identified as ‘the only available method by which Narrabri Bowling Club is able to pay its liabilities.’
A group of club members is determined that there will be a future for bowls in Narrabri.
“But we need members to be engaged and come along to the AGM,” urged Ladies Bowls president Nola McNamara.
“The club is a community facility. The meeting will indeed be a watershed point,” said Miss McNamara.
“We need to engage members to volunteer and the wider community to support the club if we are to continue to have bowls and the club facility.
Narrabri Bowling Club members will vote on the future of the club at two separate meetings on Saturday May 29.
An Extraordinary General Meeting will be held first, at which 74 bowling and board members will be able to vote, followed by the AGM at which all members can vote.
The Extraordinary General Meeting will consider two special resolutions which will amend the constitution (to clarify the club’s main purposes and provide some certainty in the event the club was to be wound up) and the AGM will consider a resolution for the sale of the Club Motor Inn land and business ‘to discharge Narrabri Bowling Club’s liabilities’ amongst other resolutions typically considered at an AGM.
The club’s Deed Administrator Alan Hayes, says in an explanatory note to the resolution that the primary purpose is to allow the sale ‘and hopefully leave a small surplus of funds, together with a clubhouse and land upon which there are three bowling greens, subject to any tax payable’
In a notice to members, Mr Hayes said the club’s brokers had advertised the Club Motor Inn and about ‘50 confidentiality agreements were executed by parties interested.’
The brokers had received nine offers by way of expressions of interest for the purchase of the Club Motor Inn business and land.“I anticipate a sale of the Club Motor Inn should be completed by
July 2021 subject to bowling and social members’ approval at the AGM and the proposed subdivision’s completion” Mr Hayes said in the notice to members.
Following the sale of the motel, future options for Narrabri Sporties will be considered. These include i) amalgamation with another club – ‘preliminary enquiries reveal there is interest in same after the sale of the motel and creditors are paid’;
- ii) conversion of one or two of the unused bowling greens into an income generating business within the recreational zoning permitted;
- iii) sell all the remaining Narrabri Bowling Club land and relocate or build a bowling green elsewhere in Narrabri;
- iv) Narrabri Bowling Club to continue trading with new management and business plan with available surplus funds; or
- v) place Narrabri Bowling Club into a Members’ Voluntary Liquidation and transfer its assets to a club with similar objectives, subject to amending Narrabri Bowling Club’s constitution and appointing a voluntary liquidator.
Narrabri Bowling Club Ladies’ Bowls president Nola McNamara and other members are determined to see a future for bowls in Narrabri.
“We need to engage members to volunteer and the wider community to support the club if we are to continue to have bowls and the club facility,” she said.
“We have to get the members back.”
Miss McNamara said the history of the bowling club in the community spanned generations of local people.
Miss McNamara is a long-term member and has been president for three years, but her late father and brother were members ‘all their life.’
Many other families have similarly long associations.
“We cannot let this community asset fade away,” said Miss McNamara.
“We need people to return to the club, step up and support the club as volunteers.
“The bowling club was built with voluntary labour. That’s the spirit we have to get back to.
“We have to get the members in, to pitch in and volunteer – we can’t afford to pay people.”
Miss McNamara said other clubs have survived with the voluntary support of their members.
“Bingara and Barraba have bowling clubs which are run by volunteer support.
“That’s what Narrabri has to get back to. We just have to try and save it and the members will have to stand up and put more into it.
“The council has to come into this. The community can’t let the facility go.”
The sale of the Club Motor Inn appeared to be the only option.
“If we can end up with one green and the use of the clubhouse, that will be a good outcome,” Miss McNamara said.
“We just urge members to come along to the meetings and we are looking for a greater participation of volunteers to help.”
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