SUMMER BOWLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 248, 19 October 1937, Page 17

SUMMER BOWLING.

MANY NEW PLAYERS.

HONOURS TO THE VETERANS CHAMPIONS FOR SYDNEY. " KBy TRUXDLER.) Eleven more: clubs in the Aucklam Centre officially opened their summei season lust Saturday, and the cominj Saturday will gee similar ceremonies a Avondale, Xew Lynn, Ponsonby and WeeEnd, and the private greeu at the Epson Infirmary. The story of increased mem bership w heard everywhere, 22 nev members at Mount Eden lifting the active roll to a new record at 130. It is doubtfu it the members at Balmoral would care t< take any more members, as they cannoi very well increase their accommodation fcdendale has a substantial increase, ant tiie outer suburban clubs ate starting th< season under equally hopeful prospects. 'liie lasliiuu staitod last year at Bal moral and Uueiiuutfu, in anigliug out th< oldest ine.ubers in years, or the oldest ii inemboißlup, was repeated this year i. Ihesu clubs and several others, with tilt obvious eiidoiseuitut oi their tellow members, but the procedure was varied iu » very happy niaunef at Carltoii 'Xht presentation ot a life membership badge tc -Mr. t. Sl. S Gaudm appropriately followed a similar ceremony at Gisborne a lortiaght earlier, where Mr. Douglas MeUregor s presidency of 1921-24, together vvnu hie long services to the club, were th us recognised. In the case of Fred Ltaudlli, however, only his intimate friends ana the older club members will remember ins work, for he was president ae Jong ago as the last three years before the w.ir, and with one exception he ia the oldest surviving president. President and Champion. Reference wag' made last year to the tact that Mr. .Frank Livingstone had equalled a, record previously held by only one Auckland bowler, Mr. G. B. Osmond, in being elected president of a club wlule actually holding a Dominion championship Ihrough being re-elected this year, after warning the title of champion of champions of the centre, he now shares in another record, for with Mr. H. C. Clarke they provide the only occasion in Auckland on which two club presidents are former Dominion champions. This may be equalled in the future, but it is hardly likely that there will ever again be two presidents who are not only former lJonnnion champions, but also former holders of the centre title. In this connection it is worth mentioning that Harry Uarke holds the record in the latter title, :or he has won it three times, besides being runner-up once, which is just a little ahead of W. H. Keatley, who has held each position twice. Maxwell Walker comes third, with the title twice and runner-up once, and Arthur Parsons is a good fourth, with the title twice. Xeil Thomson is with each position once, and the only other double winners are b. Jury and W. Bremner, who have each been runners-up twice. Mr. Bremner is returning from England by the Rangitiki. due at midnight to-morrow, so we shall soon hear about his rink for Sydney. Players for Sydney. There will be general satisfaction that both Clarke and Livingstone are going to Sydney for the big events in January and February. Each man will be in his favourite position, third in the rinks, and will play in the pairs and singles. In addition to the name* of 26 players already published, the blank in George Hosking's rink htm been tilled by the inclusion of H. J. Bray, who cabled last Thursday accepting the fifier. The latter is living in .Melbourne just at present, but he had written to say that he would be in Sydney for the carnival. Jt must not be forgotten that he won the Ponsonby championship twice, and also the Remuera championship. The question is often asked: "How did you do it?" This seems to apply to Bray's run at Poneonby, for on the first occasion he broke a most remarkable sequence of i champions, the order bein,;: Parsons,! •Walker, Walker, Pareons, Bray, Parsons. On the eecond occasion it wae in this order: Parsons. Walker, Jury, Bray, I Parsons. Not bad to stop the run of tlie three biggeet winners at Ponsonby! It seems quite certain that an eighth rink for Sydney will be made up during the next few days, with every powibility of a ninth. There are also rumours of a ■econd rink from South Auckland. It is freely admitted that several of these men could not reasonably be classed among the beat seven players in the Dominion, and probnbly not even among the best seventy, but Auckland bowl ore have had more experience of Australian jrroens and conditions than have all the rest of the Dominion playere put together, and they often find that the first shill be last, and the last shall be first. Consequently by keeping open the eelcction for the Empire Gaince until the prior tournament is settled, in the name way oh the Australian representatives will be chosen, there should be a much sounder selection than if the choice had been made here, before it is known how the Sydney greens and climate euit them. ' Seelctors For Empire Games. Sometimes one haa to go away from home to get the news, and this time the best news comes from Dunedin, as the last minutes of the council executive meeting show that Mr. A. E. Whitten has sent an official intimation of hi« intention to visit Sydney. If no other member of the council goes, he will be chairman of the selection committee, after the carnival, "with power to co-opt.," as the resolution at the annual meeting of the council worried it in July. This will give general satisfaction, for there in nobody in Auckland better fitted for the job. Mr. Whitten has sound judgment, coupled with an nniinual capacity for deciding to- what extent he shall be guided by the members of his committee. The Mayor of Mount Eden. Mr. T. McXiib, hit the nail on the head "on Saturday, in addressing'the Targe gathering at the opening of the local club, when he remarked that the success of a aport so largely depended on capable administrators, and that Auckland bowling had been extremely fortunate in that respect. Auckland entries for the Australian carnival will close with the secretary of the centre, Mr. Gladding, on November 5, and he will send them, with the fees, to the secretary of the Association, for the council executive in Dunedin to send to Sydney. A meeting of intending competitors will be held a few days earlier, to make the final decisions abo.it the pairs nnd singles, and also to discuss such matter* as bla/.crs and badges, and the important question as to whether Australia shall be nsked for a Test match.