Clacton & Dist: An Appreciation of Shirley Rowlen

The Clacton League is sad to announce the passing of Shirley Rowlen. Shirley had been League President since 2017 and her passing brings an end to an association with local table tennis that has spanned almost 50 years.

Shirley will be best remembered for her role as League Secretary, a position she held for almost 26 years, from 1976 to 2002. However, even in that one year (1980) she was not League Secretary, but took on the role of League Treasurer.

To add to the workload, in the 1970s the League Secretary also took on the responsibilities of Minutes Secretary and Tournament Officer. And if that wasn't enough, Shirley was also the Leagues County Representative for many years.

During this period Shirley did a lot of work behind the scenes as secretary, encouraging clubs and players at the start of the season, getting advertisers for the Handbook and later arranging sponsorship for the League (Avents for two years and McDonalds for one). All this at a time when the League had five divisions and over 50 teams.

Even when the position of Tournament Officer was created in 1980, Shirley was always heavily involved in the administration of the Leagues tournaments, particularly the Closed Championships, and often spent a lot of time phoning around encouraging people to take part. At the tournaments, Shirley took on the role of the lady with the microphone – which occasionally caused hilarity among her colleagues at the head table when she struggled to pronounce unusual names!

In 1989 and 1990, when the National Top Twelve Tournaments were held at Clacton Leisure Centre, Shirley was involved in organising them and was a steward at both events. She was also part of the Essex County Sub-Committee which organised the European Qualifier at Brentwood in the early 1990s.

Shirley also headed the Leagues Social Committee. She was the driving force behind the two major events to celebrate the League's 50th and 60th anniversary (in 1988 and 1998), as well as organising other fundraising events. These included an annual quiz night, where Shirley and her husband Brian asked the questions and took turns as quizmaster/mistress each year.

And then of course there were the regular Management Committee meetings, which were almost always held at Brian and Shirley's home, and sometimes lasted late into the evening. But everyone was always warmly welcomed, with cups of tea and biscuits served at appropriate times.

Shirley resigned as League Secretary in 2002, but she was not finished with table tennis and after a short break returned to the Management Committee in 2005 as the League's first Welfare Officer. In 2007 she took up the position of Minutes Secretary, a position she held until her retirement in 2013.

Although Shirley was best known for her role as a manager, she also played one season (1975/76) of table tennis for Brotherhood F in Division Four, records show that she won three times in 21 matches. Her playing ability was later shown in the end of season Management Committee tournaments in the late 1990s. These were purely fun events, but Shirley's forehand hitting and movement around the table were far from bad and with a little practice it was believed that she could become a decent player in a lower division.

However, one of the drawbacks discovered during these evenings was that Shirley had great difficulty umpiring. This was before scoreboards were used, and Shirley was constantly seen counting on her fingers and holding them up to remind herself of the score!

Shirley's valuable services to the League were recognised when she was awarded the League's Bob Phillips Trophy in 1988. She was appointed Vice-President in 2002 and eventually took on the role of President in 2017. Her services to table tennis were recognised more widely when she was awarded the Corti Woodcock Trophy by the Essex County Table Tennis Association in 1998.

As a member of the Management Committee, Shirley was outspoken and honest in her views and always willing to give her opinion. There was one notable exception, however. At the Leagues Golden Jubilee celebrations in 1988, when Shirley was presented with the Bob Phillips Trophy, the press release stated: The award came as a complete surprise to Shirley and left her completely speechless, another first in the Leagues' fifty-year history!

All in all, it is difficult to underestimate Shirley's contribution to local table tennis during her time as League Secretary. Both she and Brian, as League Chairman, put in a huge effort and were without doubt the lifeblood of the League.

And while she was immensely supportive of Brian in the work he did, Shirley was a formidable force in her own right. Their combined contribution to the League's table tennis was further recognised in 1998 at the League's Diamond Jubilee celebrations when they were presented with an engraved cut glass bowl as a token of appreciation from the League for their long and dedicated service.

Shirley's last public appearance was earlier this year, when she attended the final of the Leagues 2024 Closed Championships. It was a pleasure to see her there.

A loyal and steadfast servant of the League, and a lady with a wonderful sense of humor. We will miss you, Shirley, and send our sincere condolences to Donna and Paul, and their families.

Shirley's funeral service will be held on Tuesday 1st October at 11.45am at Weeley Crematorium. Bright colours please.