SUMMER BOWLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 252, 25 October 1933, Page 15

SUMMER BOWLING.

FURTHER CLUB OPENINGS. INCREASE IN MEMBERSHIP. AUCKLAND BOWLERS IN ENGLAND. (By TRUNDLER.) Fourteen clubs opened their summer season last Saturday, under conditions very favourable for an enjoyable afternoon. A rather strong breeze made accurate play difficult on exposed greens and some were a little heavy as a result of the continuous rain during the night. However, the downpour greatly relieved those green superintendents who were getting anxious about their young grass, and the same applies to the many clubs who have been beautifying their grounds by planting summer and autumn flowers. Some clubs make quite a feature of the floral display surrounding their greens, and their enterprise is worthy of high commendation. Tlie season is now well started, for next Saturday will see the last of the formal openings, at Avondale, Buckland's Beach, Hillsboro' and Papakura, and play has been unofficially in progress at most of these-for several weeks. The president of the centre, Mr. Raymond Sheath, followed his usual custom in calling at as many clubs as he could conveniently visit, and he was represented by the other members of the executive at the other openings, as well as then- number would allow. Accompanied by Mr. James Pascoe, past president of the centre, he made the Hallyburton Johnstone Club his last "port of call," where they were both very warmly welcomed by the club president, Mr. F. W. Breckon. In the course of his reply, Mr. Sheath remarked on the splendid grounds possessed by the club, as a result of Mr. Johnstone's remarkable generosity, and complimented the members on their enterprise and energy in getting up working bees and other means for improving their greens and surroundings, making special mention of the valuable assistance from the ladies. He reminded them that in another 15 months the Dominion tournament would be held in Auckland, and he hoped that the club would again be well represented on that occasion. Mr. Pascoe enlarged on both features, expressing his astonishment at the extensive grounds and the remarkably capacious pavilion. He recalled that three years ago, when the last Dominion tournament was here, a hurried decision to play one section on their green was made, but he was surprised to see that they now had two greens in such beautiful order, and he ventured to forecast that the club would not be overlooked in future, when greens were being selected for the big tournameifU probably be remembered that the last annual report disclosed a general decrease in the membership throughout the Dominion since the previous year, although the figures for the Auckland Centre were almost identical. This year, however, everything points to a large increase here, for some clubs report a record increase, and at the pavilion of the parent club the notice board displayed no less than 26 nominations for membership, l his is quite remarkable for the opening day, and other new members are expected almost immediately. Ellerslie made a good start for the season, a pleasant feature being the presence of three foundation members of the club, Messrs. T. N. Peek (now of Devonport), J. Darby (West End) and S Somerfield, who retained his membership throughout. These three. have never missed the opening function since the club started -o ye^ rS ve ry happy feature at the club °P en " ings in recent years, dating |r°m about the time when the late Mr. J. W. Hardley introduced the fashion of visiting as many clubs as possible, and getting the members of the executive to visit the rest, has been the growing tendency for the representative of the Centre to skip an official rink against the president of the club. The latter is usually supported by some of his officers, but occasionally a ! president goes one better, and it more of a family gathering by bringing j from "virtual retirement three of his preS decessors, a neat compliment which is ■always warmly appreciated at on official opening. Presidents are just as human as the rest of the community, and probably no president likes to feel that he is on the shelf as soon as he is out of office. In addition to all the Labour Day tournaments this week, about a dozen in all, there is one at New Lynn , today. Next week there will be a tournament at Hallyburton Johnstone on Wednesday, and Papatoetoe on Thursday. It is rather fortunate that there are so few, as this will doubtless secure a full entry for both, and those who have not yet visited the former club may be qurious to see the largest bowling pavilion in the city, when they know that it has alongside it a nice green. A past-president Carlton, Mr. W. Perry, has been enjoying a wonderful tour of the British Isles, accompanicd by Mr. J. E. Cornes (Mount Eden). Usually they found the greens rather heavy, but at Inverness the conditions were more like those in Auckland, and they played a full game from 7 to 9.45 p.m., on "A braw Scotch nicht ye ken." Their stat effort, however, was at the Isle of Wight, where they spent a week, and were quite reluctant to leave that delightful seaside resort. They won a tournament and were presented with silver souvenir spoons (not H.P.N.S.), with congratulations to the visitors from New Zealand. In fact, wherever they went they only had to mention that they were from New Zealand to be assured of a hearty welcome, and their stay was always made enjoyable. In this connection it may be appropriate to mention that visitors from the Dominions to Great Britain, or vice versa, are now supposed to be furnished with an official letter of introduction from the council of their respective associations, and Auckland bowlers who contemplate a trip Home next autumn may get the necessary document through the secretary of the Centre. Mr. Perry mentions that at Callendar, Oban, and Inverness they were able to play until 10 p.m., "owing to tlie long twilight and the lovely weather." These may have been contributing factors, but not the principal ones, although probably the first of these will be quoted again next January, to explain why .play can continue in Dunedin for about an hour later than in Auckland. Of course the main reason is that in the height of summer the sun sets in Dunedin nearly an hour later than in Auckland, as the former is in what is called a "higher" latitude. In Inverness the sun sets nearly an hour later still, in addition to there being an hour of daylight saving, as against half an hour in New Zealand, and if Mr. Pern'' had gone about the same distance still further north, he would have found that the sun did not set at all! All who have read Marie Corelli in "The Land of the Midnight Sun," will appreciate this point, and that it formed the main argument in the contention that if England and Scotland required daylight saving, where the maximum length of day is 16 to 18 hours, it is wanted still more in Auckland, where the maximum is less than 15 hours.