They say you can never have too many friends, but as we get older and retire, it can become difficult to socialize and meet people.
More and more seniors are joining social clubs to hang out with old friends and make new ones. The Gordon Head Lawn Bowling Club is one of the prominent local examples, where dozens of seniors meet every week to bowl a few games and enjoy each other’s company.
“There’s a lot of bowling going on during the week,” said GHLBC president Ann Bodley-Scott. “The social bowls are on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and there’s usually between 40 and 60 people here.”
Founded in 1976, the club currently has 146 full-time members, with 18 more casual members who drop in over the winter. The club is predominantly made up of seniors, with most members between 60 and 95 years old.
Bodley-Scott said seniors are drawn to lawn bowling because it isn’t strenuous and offers an opportunity to socialize with others.
“It’s really good for people who have difficulty with fast sports,” said Bodley-Scott. “You have to be fit enough to bend down, but it’s not hugely athletic.
“It’s good for people who’ve never done any sports before and they want some social outlet when they’re retired.”
Throughout the summer, the club hosts a potluck dinner and three barbecues, all with casual, social lawn bowling for members. In the winter, they host a Christmas dinner and offer more indoor activities, including mahjong, two types of bridge and eight sessions of carpet bowling per week.
“It’s very, very social,” said Bodley-Scott. “Everything we do here is volunteer-driven, so we’re all pulling together to keep the club going. There’s a social aspect to everything that we do in that sense.”
Bodley-Scott said the club is a very inviting community for seniors, and they’re always looking for new members.
“We’re a very, very friendly club,” she said. “There’s a good mix of people from all kinds of different backgrounds in their working life, so there’s a lot of skills being brought to it.
“Anyone is welcome. Anyone who wants to come in and try for a session is very welcome.”
The Gordon Head Lawn Bowling Club is located at 4105 Lambrick Way. For more information about the club, visit ghlbc.ca, call 250-721-1331 or email info@ghlbc.ca.