Clubs: ‘We Play A Vital Role In The Community’
[Written by Don Burgess]
Last night a panel discussion talked about the role of sports clubs in the community.
The forum, which was held at CedarBridge Academy, was sponsored by the Men of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and the topic was “Evaluating the Role of Sports Club in Bermuda.”
Moderated by Alpha’s Dwayne Caines, the panel included:
- Alfred Maybury – Somerset Cricket Club
- Kenneth “Neil” Paynter Jr. – St Georges Cricket Club
- Jason Wade – Southampton Rangers Sports Club
- Ray Jones – Devonshire Colts
- Michael Trott – Pembroke Hamilton Club
- Shervin Dill – North Village Community Club
- Nadine Browne-Evans Henry – Devonshire Recreation Club
Mr. Maybury said the mission at Somerset was “to incorporate the community into the club and make sure the benefit we provide benefit the club and the community at large.”
He added that the club is just one aspect of the community and it is wrong to point fingers at the club and expect it to solve the problems of the community. Mr. Maybury said SCC is doing its part but others needed to step forward too.
His club has recently given 25-year bans to five young men who were the source of most of the behaviour problems around the club.
Mr. Maybury said many of the problems that happen are not from the actions of club members but from others in the community.
Mr. Lowe had to deal with violence at his club just two weeks into his presidency. He said immediate actions were taken to help curb it from happening again.
“We had to take the bull by the horns,” Mr. Lowe said. “We hired a security consulting firm. The first thing they said to us is we need to shut our doors earlier.”
The club used to be open until 11 but made it 8pm and have recently started closing at 9pm after months of not having an incident.
Another thing that has happened, is that the club presidents are meeting together once a month to discuss what is happening and to provide feedback to one another. Mr. Jones is the unofficial leader of this group.
Clubs are now getting SCARS training as well as having a multitude of coaches and executives also getting CPR training.
Ms. Browne-Evans Henry addressed the myth that the club is just focused on bar revenues. She said that DRC closes the bar during any youth event. In addition, “Bar revenue is not as great as our people so we have reduced operations. We fellowship on Fridays..While bar revenue can be useful, we have to get back to basic things like fundraising so people can become more involved.”
All the club presidents stressed they play a vital role in the community with the various outreach programmes affecting approximately 1200 youth.
not hardly active enough
Listen up – most of you don’t do a good job and the unfortunate outcomes are clear and obvious. Until you accept your many failings you won’t move the needle forward.
For years numerous clubs have been a conduit for drug use – molestation -gun and knife violence – unruly and abusive behavior, both physically and orally and a gateway to alcohol abuse.
There are clubs that lack transparency as it relates to proper accounting of funds – that hold bogus AGM’s – that enable coaches to act in ways that can be best described as deplorable, without fear of punishment- that simply talk a good game but seldom walk the walk.
I fully agree that the community must play its part in the development of our youth, however if club administrators did their jobs, starting with the election of fit and proper executives at the club and more importantly national levels, we just might see the tide turn across the country.
The above commentary is both hard hitting and disparaging and will be condemned in some circles. Possibly many. That’s a normal reaction when painful truths are discussed openly and in particular via the media. With that in mind I provide balance in applauding the new management at PHC who have reversed years of questionable administration. On the surface they appear to be the example of how a club should be managed. Long may it continue!!!!
over the years the clubs have just become nothing more than a bar to
get cheap drinks
they have not put any money in upgrading because all the old guard
just kept dipping in the cash.
take a good look
We have to be honest – the clubs have degenerated over the years and will simply fail if not for the bar sales or the benevolence of the club benefactors – fundraising bake sales and car washes won’t do it.
We have to be honest and realize that the weed smoking patrons that “aren’t tolerated” don’t just vanish into thin air when the club members tell them to begone…….or the drug pushing patrons who deal their drugs on the club grounds….or the gangster wannabes who come to the game – ban some people for life from entering the club grounds. the ones who want to change will change when their children can’t enter because of their parent’s poor behaviour.
We have to be honest about all of this before any solution will work. Bermuda needs to stop turning a blind eye to the east and expecting the west not to be affected…..problems don’t just disappear.
we are seeing the results of all of the drug dealing and using of the 80s, 90s that has bred a new type of criminal.
you play a vital roll yet your example is trash.
While I fully support the efforts of these clubs (and doubtless others who were not represented there) to play a leading role in the community, they can only do so much, and should not be blamed for the recent outbreaks of violence. The individual participants in that violence are the ones who should be blamed, and the sooner that they’re turned in to the Police, the better.
I do not wish to knock the efforts of single parents here, but I’d be interested to know just how many of these thugs come from “single-parent” of “broken” homes…
Dave you are making assumptions from a safe and comfortable distance.
Clubs have deteriorated greatly over the past 20 years and the net results are crystal clear. While they shouldn’t be blamed for all our social ills they simply have not done enough and that is indisputable.
Sounds like the typical rhetoric after the annual AGM’s they are all supposed to have. A bunch of broken promises.
Are the clubs on private property and do they get any tax relief or grants from government?
You need to enforce a no trespassing /loitering policy outside your doors and involve police to assist by proxy…Members only policy needs to be more stringently enforced by management with guest signed in by member with signed by both member and guest (no exceptions!).The member being made to be responsible for any infraction …Infractions to be displayed openly for all to see within the entrance and also where alcohol is served.
Any and all patrons must enter through a metal detector if not be removed immediately.
Control your house.
Your house is your home.
Your home is your castle.
License laws need to be enforced by licensing authority!
No Tom foolery for profit.
Raise and elevate your standards, they will not ascend by themselves.
Take pride in what you now have.
Your journey will begin with your first step…Just lean forward the rest will fall in place …From then on do not conceede ship!
Also…Players are both hosts and guests with gentlemen’s mutual respect worn like a shirt.