Recently, Peira and Kylie went to the Eaglehawk Bowls Club to talk with Stephen Pearcey and the SCOPE participants and their clients.
The Eaglehawk Bowls Club was started in 1885, and as always been a big part of the community.
The Bowls Club started working with SCOPE team around 3 years ago.
The Blows Club and SCOPE made an alternative piece of equipment for the movement impaired participants – they placed a big pipe sitting on a wooden stand where the bowler can role the ball down the pipe.
âI like to win, and I like the bowls,â said one SCOPE participant Kim, who has been playing bowls for 2 years.
Many skills are developed playing bowls by the participants through these activities as well as growing social skills and making friends.
The program SCOPE is for people with disabilities, the participants go swimming and play lawn bowls. The participants also have social groups and they will go out to the Marketplace or go on the train to Castlemaine and have a picnic in the gardens and on Fridays play balloon football.
In 2001 SCOPE changed its name from the Spastic Society of Victoria, they chose âSCOPEâ as it upheld the core belief of their founding families which is seeing the person not the disability.
âSee the Person, Do it Together, Do it Right and Do it Better.â
SCOPEâs mission is to enable each person we support to live as an empowered and equal citizen.
How to play
⢠Stand on the mat, feet together, knees and waist bent slightly
⢠Take ball in your preferred hand (right or left)
⢠Step out with your opposite foot (left or right)
⢠Take a small back swing
⢠Bend down and roll bowl along the ground
⢠Roll it out at an angle, so the bowl curves back towards jack
⢠Avoid dropping or bouncing bowl so as not to damage green
Scoring
⢠The player who has their bowl or bowls closest to the jack wins
⢠Points are awarded according to the number of bowls closest
⢠Players judge the distance and number by eye
⢠If in dispute, a measuring tape is employed
⢠If still in dispute, an umpire called in to resolve
