We are so proud that this person agreed to be the nomination of the League to serve as County Deputy President for 2023.
So here are the speeches made by chairman Sean Round and then Pauline Wilson at the official ceremony at the end of the SCGBA AGM at Sinclair:
“Mr President, ladies and gentlemen,
It gives the Molson Coors Mid Shropshire League the greatest of pleasure to nominate Brenda Slingo – PICTURED – to serve as County Deputy President for 2023.
League secretary Malcolm Fletcher had dearly wanted to make this nomination himself but, being unable to attend today, he’s proud to have written this nomination for a person everyone in Mid Shropshire land feels deserves this honour.
In fact the official announcement that Brenda had agreed to accept the nomination was met with a round of applause at the League’s AGM this week, showing how highly she is regarded.
Brenda thought long and hard about being put forward after enduring a tough year when she lost her husband Brian. But thankfully, a spell in some sunshine abroad over Christmas gave her the time to reflect and make what we all believe is the right decision.
She took office with the Mid Shropshire League in 2018 as a junior team selector as well as joining the selection panel of the Shropshire under-18 team.
And it is fair to say that, without her commitment, the League’s junior scene would not be in the sound state it is today.
Her wholehearted efforts have kept our young bowlers organised and motivated, kept the conveyor belt going and helped to deliver two proud Shropshire junior inter-league championships triumphs in 2019 and again just last year.
In Brenda we are putting forward someone who lives and breathes bowls – and who will serve the county for the next two years to the best of her considerable abilities.
Everyone in Mid Shropshire feels this is a nomination that Brenda Slingo richly deserves, given her outstanding services to the sport as a player, junior selector and top class coach.
It is just a real pity that the League can’t claim to have come up with the idea of nominating Brenda Slingo . . . for that plaudit belongs to her good friend, County Development Officer Pauline Wilson, who will now second it!”
County Development Officer Pauline Wilson:
“I am delighted to second Brenda as our nomination for future County President
Brenda followed her county bowls player dad Charlie into the game with mom Kath & sister Doris at Hadley. Not surprising her own family have gone the same way with daughter Karen, son Ian & of course husband, Brian all players too. So she has decades of involvement in bowls.
Brenda has played at various other Mid Shropshire clubs: Bowring, Madeley Court, Broseley & Sinclair.
As well as club bowls she played Ladies County getting her first cap in 1981 & continuing until 1999 gaining 71 caps. She is also a previous Ladies Merit winner in 1984
In recent years a shoulder injury has frustratingly left her unable to play and at this point many would just have given up but Brenda has turned her hand to coaching wanting to continue her involvement with bowls and to give something back to the game. So she qualified as a Coach at Levels 1 & 2.
She has been at the heart of all the coaching we have done in the last few years in Shropshire & together we’ve written material for the junior Awards scheme much of which went into the current BCGBA Coach Awards practical work. She brought a wealth of experience to this task as well as a red pen when checking my work!
She has introduced some great Juniors into the game at Sinclair and is currently involved at Bowring developing new members & new coaches. As you have heard she is also a Shropshire junior selector and heavily involved with the Junior County squad.
I’m not sure we could ask much more from a county president & I know Brian would have been very proud of her nomination.
I’m sure she will be a supportive deputy in 2023 and a great president for 2024 & I commend her nomination to the floor.”