Members of the Orange Ex-Services' and Orange City Bowling Clubs will meet on Wednesday night to discuss amalgamation.
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It will be the first public meeting of members of both clubs together in the planning process following the historic amalgamation of the OESC and Wentworth Golf Club last year.
If an agreement is eventually reached the OCBC base on Warrendine Street would become the home of bowls in Orange with improvements to its facilities.
A statement to both clubs' members by OESC president Graham Gentles, CEO Daniel Perkiss, OCBC chairman David Beadle and secretary manager Neil Southcombe said a 2019 review found Orange could not support several bowls and golf clubs.
There is a lot of history and emotion in a decision like this.
- Statement to OESC and OCBC club members
"With declining membership and an ageing population, the sustainability of running multiple golf and bowls clubs in [Orange] was looking unrealistic, as a mid-to-long term proposition," it said.
The statement said OESC had considered building bowling greens at the Wentworth Golf Club site but "most observers understand that building additional greens is not in the long-term interests of bowls in Orange."
It said OESC held the assets of the now-closed Newstead Bowling Club which could be invested into improving bowls facilities in Orange if the amalgamation went ahead.
"We see this as an opportunity to deploy these funds in improving and renewing the bowling and clubhouse facilities at Warrendine Street to underpin bowls for [future] players," it said.
The meeting will be held in the Coral Sea Room at the OESC from 5.30pm.
No decisions on amalgamation will be made at the meeting, but it will allow members to ask questions about the plans.
"There is a lot of history and emotion in a decision like this," the statement said.
It said the golf club amalgamation would deliver a "first-class" golf precinct with a new clubhouse at Wentworth.
Mr Perkiss and Mr Southcombe said they would wait until after the meeting before making any comments on the amalgamation proposal.
Mr Southcombe said the OCBC had 2800 members.
He said that included about 180 people who were bowls-playing members.
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