BOWLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 249, 20 October 1924, Page 11

BOWLING.

" i SUMMER SEASON OPENING. ANOTHER WINTRY BAY. lli.v ••TRrNULER"). : li,c li-mler* of Auckland have had to I : j,in up with a good ileal of bud luck ' in the mutter of wet Saturdays during '. Ihc la.-t month.-, Tor ever "mnce till! nt-atln-r Iμ.ike <m Kaster Monday, drlny- I ing the linala in the tourimnient then in progress, liny specially stormy out- ' 1,,,,., ..-.ni- t.i tune had an unfurtlliiale [lartialily fur Sttturilays. Jivt-n thu nipsl j,,-s.-inii.-t !■-, liowcver, luokinu' 141 iiHu the mll μ-niliectit sky lust Friday, one ol ihe lil ■< - -1- spring linya that even Auvk-|l lanrl hm ever known, could hardly have ' antk-ipatcd that '.he eleven clubs upctli,,;: in Auckland la-t .Saturday sliould have their plans marred liy such a ' heavy and contimious downpour of rain, although the w<-ather-wis.i> hail nuticed that the wind waa in a bad quarter on Friday. Kortiinatelv, the position liad ', its liiii-.irirotis side also, and il led tv novel scene? that were very far removed from tin , usual stereotyped programme thai associated with summer openings in ordinary weather. The Epsom t lub made the best of a bad j"h. and the number 01 iiicitiers present resigned themselves to an afternoon indoors*, being in the happy position of opening their hue new pavilion, as well as the summer preen for play. The president of the club, Mr. Jervis Wripht. welcomed the visitors, and al-n condoled with the members on the unfortunate loss of thu afternoon's enjoyment wliich they had all expected. He then called upon the president of the Auckland Centre, Mr. J. W. Hardley, to declare the pavilion open. Rising amid applause, Mr. Hardier said that ninny honours had been thrust upon him since he was elected president of the • centre, but this was the first time he i liad had the great pleasure of Opening h pavilion. There was an impression '. in the South that, although Auckland i liad belter preens, they could beat us 1 in the matter of pavilions, but so many I dubs had in recent years improved their ] accommodation that in pavilions also, f iie thought Auckland was well to the ; fore. While they were taking part in \ that interesting ceremony, a similar one 1 was taking; place at Devonport. wliich ' lie would also have liked to attend if { only it had been on a different day. For j tlie following Saturday he had been ■ invited to open the new pavilion at ] Dominion Road, and a fortnight later j there was a similar function at Eden- 1 ilule. lour new pavilions iv one year ' was a wonderful performance. In con- J gratnlating Mr. Wright on holding office . un such a red-letter day in the history i of the Kpaom Club, Mr. Hardley paid ! a graceful tribute of honour to those . pioneers who had "blazed the trail," t laying the foundations which had made ' possible the fine achievement witnessed l that afternoon. They would always j hold in grateful remembrance the first S officials of the club: l'atron, Sir John s Logan Campbell; president, Mr. E. \V. j Burton; secretary, Mr. S. 11. Harrison; s treasurer, Mr. E. A. Craig; green ° superintendent, Mr. R. A. Eagleton. lie ° was afraid that the present generation j ; were too apt to take all their privileges r for gTanted, "as if they had just p dropped from Heaven,'' overlooking the 1 hard toil of their predecessors. Fortu- h nately, at Epsom they liad worthy sue- ' cessors to the pioneers, and the club I was to be congratulated on the num- a ber of members who had risen to the v occasion, and put in an amount of . r honorary work without which their fine 1 pavilion would have been an irapossi- " bility. Amongst others, he would like v to name the architects, Messrs. Sansbury ,' and Burton, and Messrs. Kendall, Wai- r lace, Foote, Smith, Wilkinson, Morison, Clarke, and Richmond, not forgetting * the president and the other officials, s while Mr. James Buttle had crowned F their efforts by presenting them with -j. ' flag. As he looked at their spacious f| pavilion, he felt he must congratulate t the builder, Mr. Fred Vaughan, and its dimensions were still more apparent a few minutes later, when he invited Mrs. Wright to throw the first jack right down the middle of the social room. The president of the croquet club, Mrs. G. J. Mackay, followed this by sending the first croi|iiet ball down the same long 2 course, and the greens and lawns were r open for the season. The members * spent the rest of the afternoon in an t enjoyable card tournament. I Off to Rawhiti. r Meantime, the president set o/T for ( f . Rawhiti, where another interesting v ceremony awaited him. The president 0 of the club, Mr. J. B. Paterson, had already declared the green open, but he awaited the arrival of Mr. Hardley .1 to make two presentations, and these r are described in detail in another ' t column. Mr. Hardley remarked that he j liad just come from Epsom, where, for 1 the first time, he had opened a pavilion, * and now he was having a similar novel t experience, as it was the tirst time he 1 had presented a. gold badge of life membership. A hurried cup of tea, J and a course was steered for Mount 0 Eden, where another novel welcome greeted t lie president, an orchestra striking up a lively air. Mr. Hardley congratulated Mi\ Joll on his election , as president, and expressed his pleasure in being able to participate in their opening ceremonies, together with his 1 regret at being away last year, when rMr. Duncan Fraeer officiated. As he J 1 walked in the gate, he was very pleased t to notice tho new flairstaiT, which had t hcen presented by their patron. Mr. ' Oliver Xicholson, and he was glad to f notice that such a keen interest, in the ] Various clubs was still being taken by t their older members, those who had ? already borne the "heat and Inirdcn of H the day." i A Musical Reception. 1 The orchestral reception at Mount \ Eden was followed by another novelty t at. Rocky Nook. As the president f entered the door, a packed pavilion v greeted ],jin with a well-known chorus, \ and he took his seat after being vocifer- t ously assured Unit "your friends are my ' friends." As niL'lit be expected. Mr. Dolph Ka.uk'ton was in charge of the mueic. and. with the help of a little t orchestra, and Mr. M'lfnlliiraii »i the 1 | piano, he lust mi oppi»-tii'iil.\ i" pve |', Vocal i-iiilor-iMiKMit tv I 11 , \ariinis 1 speeches. I i,e pn-id"iit nl" t!ie club, ' Mr.' \V. 11. Keat'ey. in l.i- speech of wel- j * COnic t" tiie vi-iti)!'.-. rpu-riel to t!ie j., large inlhix of new niembora tliis year. ; ( about :ii) joining, inclmlin-i a dozen first- i ' year players. T'lis point vva« t--kon up i at once in- Mr. fftrdiey, whu thencht it T-Mt .surely lie 11 r.—iird fir tin estab- ; »>d dub. Speaking in farciioila j ..11. with an air uf injure 1 innocence, j t h« uininiained tlint Horky Nook hail | J dour i|iiiii> well eiinir.''i already, in the ' mritie: n! MPiirlv iilwiiys i-a;<t'iring tlie '11 Pflin;llil Hii'io'il w.i 111 ins to lake ~,it ;, '-J mnrtjjaar mi tin , iirnl-yi>.ir rlinu"-'jn-j ships also. •*• I t