Celebrating Canada Day at the Greens
Canada Day . . a great time to reconfirm your love for this grand country of ours . . . . thankful for all the opportunities & enjoyments available to us.
In the midst of the busiest period of the season for Championship competition . . . with District Playdowns & Ontario Finals almost every weekend . . . the social bowling club members are hard at it too. Over the last 15 years every one of my Canada Days has been celebrated the best way I know how . . . with friends & family at the lawn bowling club. Following is a report on the goings on at our club this year on Canada Day.
At Cosburn Park Canada Day is usually the best attended day of the year (sometimes given a run for the money by the Labour Day BBQ). This year the greens were awash with red & white outfits as the 80 members came en mass to celebrate the day with a roll up of bowls and good food.
As per the traditional schedule the morning’s 12 end game started at 10 am . . . maybe a little later as the draw master was challenged by the usual late comers running through the gates minutes before game time . . . and with so many on hand . . . good opportunity to make announcements about all the upcoming events at the club. “Mixed Pairs and Singles club championships coming up . . sign up by Friday or you miss out” . . . . “The East York Trophy match with Leaside is next Friday . . need 2 more Ladies & 3 Men to fill out our teams” . . . and so on. Then the draw was up and the games were on.
As quickly as the games began they came to an abrupt halt . . . . . also part of the traditional schedule . . . and everyone proudly grabbed their little Canada Day flags & noise makers and headed to the fence to cheer on the East York Canada Day Parade. This procession of marching bands (2), floats from local organizations, ethnic dancers and various community groups comes marching down Cosburn Ave. right past our greens every year at the same time on its way to its final destination at Stan Wadlow Park . . . East York’s Canada Day party center a half mile down the street.
Near the end of the line the politicians (most of whom had attended our opening day) passed by in their open convertibles. We hope they remember the sea of red & white waving their flags and enjoying our facilities the next time they are deciding what kind of support the City should be giving us. (Currently we get a grant of $3,000 each year to put towards maintaining our 2 full sized green).
It was about 20 minutes before the police motor bikes went by signaling the end of the parade. Everyone marched back to their rink and the games continued. I was on kitchen duty so wasn’t bowling today . . but enjoyed watching the games on the east green from the clubhouse deck. Sitting just 4 feet from the greens and raised about 5 or 6 steps above ground level the deck at Cosburn is about the best place I know of to sit and watch a game. When I volunteered for Canada Day kitchen duty I didn’t know that the lunch was being catered (that’s my story anyway) . . . so I didn’t have much to do in the kitchen. I was able to sit on the deck with a refreshing beverage (thanks Eric) on the rail in front of me, and comment on all the bad shots being made on rink 1. (I can be annoying at times).
Our sponsor for the Day was one of our own members, Real Estate Agent Mary Kapches. . . 2nd year Mary has sponsored the Canada Day festivities. A member for 4 years now, Mary was generously supplying all the food for lunch (Greek Buffet) plus a substantial amount of cash ($400) which was being used for prizes. Thanks to Mary not only was the bowling free of charge (usually pay $1 on holidays to cover food & prizes) and the pop & water in the fridge free but the 50/50 draw became a 0/100 draw as the whole amount of ticket sales was being given back to the winners. Free food . . . free bowling . . . good prizes . . . no wonder we had so many members out. (Although as Treasurer . . . I will have to check the coffers to make sure this practice can continue)
As the games were coming to a close it was time to put the kettles on and start preparing to serve the lunch. The food arrived and was placed on the tables ready for the early finishers. As they came through the doors I had to caution . . “Only 1 or 2 meatballs from the first pot on the table per person please . . . . leave some for the late finishers . . but lots of rice & shish kabobs at the end of the table to dig in to.”
After the ceremonial cutting of the large Canada Day cake, the schedule of the afternoon’s activities was announced. In lieu of a 2nd game all members who wanted to would compete in 5 skill testing events. Laila Hassan, Mike Mogan & Nanci Myers were running & judging the competitions:
- closest to the ditch from a mat at the hog line.
- closest to the ditch from a mat at the 2 meter mark
- driving a jack into the ditch from the hog line
- driving a jack into the ditch from a 2 meter mat
- trying to draw a bowl onto a mat placed in the middle of the green.
Good prizes and glory for the winners!
First in line to test their skills were the members who had been at Cosburn for 25 or more years, then 20 to 25, and so on down to 1st year bowlers. Winners of each Group then came back for a playoff. Watching the various competitions while finishing off dessert was as much fun as playing in them . . . . the spectators / hecklers urging the bowls to stop before they rolled into the ditch could be heard a block away.
At the end of the day there were prizes on the table for all. Everything from a round of golf for 4 down to a bottle opener. As the prize table thinned out the rousing cheer for prize winners fell off to a faint yippie or 2. . . hard to keep up the enthusiasm for too long . . . by the time my name was called and I tore away from my dish washing duty I was able to snatch a nice white & red hat I had had my eye on . . . and wondered why even the faint cheers had seemed to turn to boo’s when I headed for the table!
Another good thing about having a great turn out for the day . . . lots of hands to help clean up (although like most clubs . . .was probably the same 10 to 12 hands doing most of the work). Oh well . . .what would a great day at the club be without a good whine.
Good weather . . . good friends . . . great food & drink . . . . . thank you CANADA!
B.B. in the GTA
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