LONG-serving Rosewood Bowls Club player and committee member Karen Kington enjoys modern line dancing when not helping out at the Mill Street venue.
She dances four times a week at North Ipswich, along with regular bowls outings at Rosewood and with the Taxi Bowls Club that plays around the region.
For many years, the “home cook” has been a valuable contributor in the kitchen at RBC.
However, after 28 years serving the club “on and off”, recently appointed vice-president Karen is excited about future expansion plans.
She is working with latest club president Kevin Hayden, treasurer David Aspden and secretary Joanne Marshall on a committee eager to take the 70-year-old club forward.
“We have got a whole new committee and it looks like we’ve got a lot of big ideas,” she said.
Karen said attracting new members and visitors to the club was a top priority.
She said one of the committee’s plans was extending the club’s access from three to five days a week.
That includes bringing in a “professional” caterer, which allows Karen more time to devote to other club projects.
“We seem to have a really good committee now working together to try and open the club more for functions, family days, lunches and meals here so hopefully that will work,” she said.
She said last year’s 70th anniversary celebration helped rekindle past traditions and introduced current bowlers to stories of past club events and successes.
However, rebuilding junior numbers remained a challenge.
“There’s some work to be done there, encouraging families to bring their children,” Karen said.
“There is a bit of a stigma about bowls being an old person’s game.
“It’s great for kids and they can make a career out of it.”
With a growing population around the Rosewood area, Karen was optimistic more people would discover what bowls offered.
“It’s good socially, you meet a lot of people,” she said, also enjoying opportunities to represent Rosewood at other clubs.
“It’s a good fun game.”
The two-time singles club champion has lived in Rosewood since 1995.
She was born in Radcifffe, Manchester, where she spent 12 years before moving to Whyalla in South Australia.
She later came to Brisbane, Redbank and to Rosewood where she continues to live.
Asked why she relocated to Australia, Karen smiled and replied: “The weather”.
Karen said the Rosewood sporting club provided social and health benefits with “a good atmosphere”.
“It’s good for the mind,” she said.
“It’s good people … a little bit of exercise. I think that’s all healthy.”
When she moved to Rosewood, Karen joined the club where her mother June Hesketh and her sister Janet Franklin, were regular bowlers.
Karen became Rosewood Ladies Club president from 2003-2005 before the women’s and men’s sections amalgamated.
She continued assisting the club in various roles, including as a selector for pennants and Sevens’ competitions, before being appointed vice president earlier this year.
Karen revived her family connection by restoring the Hesketh Memorial Shield which was contested in junior competition, last year.
Her mum June and father Fred were active in encouraging junior bowlers.
As a dancer for 30 years, Karen hopes to build on that, eager to see more young bowlers share in the sporting experience.
“We want to attract more bowlers, more juniors and the families down here enjoying it.”
