Blair Atholl BC Club Story
In a move to become more modern and efficient, Bowls Scotland are encouraging clubs to affiliate for the 2022 season online, working towards the goal of achieving as close to 100% online returns by 2023. Many clubs completed both their online affiliation and competitions entries within days of the online system going live.
Blair Atholl Bowling Club affiliated for the 2021 season via email using an interactive PDF and this year have found switching to using the online system straightforward. We spoke to Paul Figures, Treasurer of the Highland Perthshire based club to find out about the process involved…
“I contacted Bowls Scotland regarding the club affiliation process and spoke to Kelly who explained last year’s process and how it was being done this year online. She gave me the necessary information to log in and a complete the affiliation form. It was very easy and only took a few minutes to input our clubs membership details. The payment method, by direct debit, also makes sure that the correct payment is made. All in all a very easy and stress free experience.”
Our Business and Membership Officer, Gillian, provides a bit of insight into how clubs are doing with the system so far:
“As soon as we sent information to our members and the system opened for affiliation and competition entries, we have had lots of engagement with our members asking for log in details or a quick refresher of the system. We know our clubs are resourceful and confident, but we also understand that moving online might be daunting and I want to reassure our members that we will provide all the necessary support to ensure the process is as straightforward as possible. Our Administrative Officer Kelly and I are here to help – there are no silly questions, and we’ll do whatever we can to help you.”
Mirroring the goals stated by many clubs in our 2021 survey, recruiting members and taking part in competitions are priorities in 2022 for Paul’s club, as he explains: “This season Blair Atholl bowling club intends to have a full programme of fixtures, club competitions, league and senior league games. They also have plans to host matches against a number of clubs from out with our area in friendlies. Like a lot of clubs, Blair Atholl’s goal this season will be to introduce new members to the bowling world and enhance our own club’s membership.”
Club Affiliation and Online Membership workshops have been held throughout January and will continue in February to train and support Club Administrators with the returns process, these can be booked online or if you need support, you can contact Bowls Scotland’s Kelly and Gillian using info@bowlsscotland.com. Written help guides are also available and these walk through the process step-by-step.
Annual Affiliation for the 2022 season must be completed by 28th February and competition entry date deadlines are all outlined in the competition information guide.