BOWLING.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 253, 7 August 1941, Page 2

BOWLING.

THE ASHBURTON CLUB. 2sEW SYSTEM. SUGGESTED. A now system of playing fours was suggested at the annual meeting of the Ashburton Bowling Club last evening, and the proposal wafe sent on to tne committee for favourable consideration. There was a large attendance, presided over by the president (Mr H. 11. D. Porter). A motion of sympathy was-aocordetl the relatives of the late Mr T. Wilson, who was one of the club’s oldest members.

The annual report and balance-sheet, published yesterday, were adopted. The president said the financial position was very sound, but in future the club would not be able to operate the arrangement with the Domain Board on the subject of green care and maintenance.

Mr F. Pritchard said the club fiad started the year with a credit of £bd and had finished with £152. It was unfortunate that the arrangement with the Domain Board could not be taken advantage of in future. Three new members were elected. Thanking members for their co-opera-tion during the past year, the retiring president briefly reviewed the season's activities.

Officers were elected as follow: President, Mr F. Pritchard; vice-presi-dent, 31 r E. A. Edmistoiij secretary, Air G. J. McEhchcn ; treasurer, Mr Edmiston; auditor, Mr Pritchard; committee, Messrs T. J. Cameron, W. M. Woods, E. A. Cockroft, A. Gregory, and L. A. King; delegates to subcentre, president, vice-president and past president; delegate to Ashburton Sports Association, Mr S. Mitchell; delegate to Christchurch Centre, Air B, j. Finnegan; social committee, Air Mitchell; ties committee, the secretary

and Mr .T. E. Carter; selector, Mr E. A. Cockroft. It was agreed unanimously that one selector- should he appointed, in place of three as decided on at the previous annual meeting. It was. decided that for the third year in succession the subscription for colts (beginning players) should be reduced by til . ‘ Mr 11. J. Finnegan wrote suggesting that percentage fours, which had become the popular type of play in Wellington, should be adopted. This enabled the junior and weaker players to (day with the better exponents of the game. The system eliminated petrol consumption to a large extent. After a brief discussion, the suggestion was referred to the committee for favourable consideration. The president expressed the club’s thanks to the- ladies who had assisted with the afternoon teas through the season. Thanks were also extended to the newspapers for their publicity. Mr Cockroit said he thought many members had the wrong idea in regard to the “packing” of champion rinks. If a man picked a rink he should pick the best he could get. Mr Woods said the “packing” of rinks would reduce the club’s rink competitions 1 . There should he an endeavour to improve the rink play, which, had not been what it might have been. Move skips should he trained. If a system of grading were adopted, that would get over the difficulty. The president said the new player should he encouraged and Mr Woods idea would meet the difficulty. Mr T. E. Tarbotton said that a champion rink to play outside could be selected and leave the club competitions as they were. It was pointed out that the team to go away must be the club champion rink, and the only way to get over the trouble would be to conduct two competitions, club and champion. Mr Coekroft said that if there was to he a champion rink, there should be,a separate competition for them, and one to. bring on new skips and leads. Mr 'Woods said that if there were to he champion rinks the whole club draw would be thrown out of gear. Father G. Daly said that even with the suggested system there would still bo a tendency for “packing” rinks, though not to the same -extent as before. “If you want to put on a good show in Christchurch, you have to pick a good rink,” said Mr Cameron. A motion, moved by Mr W., Finn and seconded by Mr G-. Bowman, that the club this season should not enter a four in the Christchurch Centre champion competitions, was referred to the committee, with power to- act on it and on the question of the club fours competition.