Is he the youngest ever?

Dapto Cricket Club have decided their new president for the remainder of the year will be a 21-year-old, who must lay claims to being the youngest in the history of the local game at a senior level

Harry Bown has the job, and says he is looking forward to the challenge.

A cricketer with the club since his boyhood days having come up through the juniors to the senior scene, he now plays first grade.

Off the field he is completing a commerce and marketing degree at the University of Wollongong and has recently returned from undertaking a government scholarship to the University of Indiana where he spent some six months, and says what he learned about marketing was unbelievable.

Harry has also been involved with our local university in recent times helping to promote it throughout NSW and has visited the institution’s Dubai campus which, he says, was “an amazing experience”.

He also spends time away from university working at the Cabbage Patch hotel in Fairy Meadow where he describes his job as “being a jack of all trades”.

But back to the cricket.

Harry says Dapto has some 17 senior and junior teams and the club is well off financially with a number of key local sponsors.

“It’s the happiest times I’ve seen in many years and we now have a good mix of younger and more senior people on the management committee, which is helping the younger people of the club to make their contribution.

“After all, the club’s ultimate success on and off the field relies on everyone being able to have a say or at least make a suggestion or two.”

He is also pleased that some other local cricket clubs are giving younger people an executive role.

“A few of my cricketing mates are in this area and they are loving the opportunity to make a contribution and learn the ways of management,” he says.

Away from cricket Harry also plays basketball and Aussie Rules with the Wollongong Lions and, he will tell you his basketball skills were greatly improved during his time in the United States.

But right now he has to get a hold on his new and challenging role and work with the club and his fellow players to keep Dapto seniors at the top of the local competition and emerge as premiers.

Publisher’s Note: You’ve probably guessed it but Harry is regular WollongongOnline columnist John Bown’s son - and JB quite rightly sounds like a very proud father to me!

John Bown has spent a lifetime writing about people and events, firstly as a working journalist in Melbourne and later as a managing editor of a group of suburban newspapers before he joined BHP as editor of its company magazine, 'The BHP Review.' A man of leisure these days John can usually be found at YOC's head office most mornings - to contact him about this column Phone (02)9516 2000.

Comments

Great to see the youth of Australia shining through. Harry was always destined for a management role.
by Kevin Tucker
03 Feb 10 14:21

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Updated 04-02-2010