Opawa Bowling Club Celebrates Jubilee

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28540, 20 March 1958, Page 13

Opawa Bowling Club Celebrates Jubilee

rpHE Opawa Bowling Club, with x a membership of more than 120, will this week celebrate its jubilee, for it is 50 years since a handful of bowling enthusiasts met in a Christchurch house to discuss the possibility of starting a bowling club. The outcome of this was a public meeting which was successful enough to ensure the formation of the .club. Two brothers, Selwyn and Harry Bruce, were- two of the prime movers in the project. The club has come a long way since then. From a block of land, part of which at one time was used as a croquet lawn and tennis court, the club has established two greens. Whereas a large shed served the earliest members of the club as a pavilion, a large new pavilion now stands in its place. In the autumn of 1908 a green was laid on the block of land

bought by the club in Opawa and this land has always been the premises of the club. As well as the green, a tennis court and croquet lawn were established, but these were subsequently replaced. The club’s first pavilion was believed to have been given by Selwyn but he then arranged to erect, free of charge, a pavilion built from timber used in the 1906 Christchurch Exhibition buildings. The latter building was used mainly as a locker room for 47 years before it was dismantled and replaced by a new building which serves the

club today. The present pavilion was opened in 1955.

The tea-room which still remains was added to the Bruce pavilion in 1923 and the present women's pavilion at the club is believed to nave been the building originally given by Harry Bruce. Stalwarts Although there are many men, too numerous to name, who have done «nuch for the club during their membership, a few have been outstanding. , The Bruces were renowned for their gifts to the club and they were two of the most prominent of the early members. Selwyn was the first president and Harry also held presidential office at the club. R. C. Madsen is the present president. Another outstanding early member who held several offices was John Hillary, the first treasurer, then a committee member and near the end of his life in 1955 the patron. One of the club’s leading bowlers and administrators was Frank Steans, who was largely, responsible for helping the club to raise money to pay off debts in the difficult years. The quiet, modest W. Haigh was another of the dub’s best and keenest members and it was under his guidance that the tea-room was added to the pavilion. C. Poulton, an energetic worker of more recent times was one of the most prominent members in establishing the climb’s second green. The greens were the perennial charge of L. Munns whose election to the post of greenkeeper was taken for granted each year. He gave the Memorial Gates at the entrance to the greens. Women's Club The formation of a women’s section in 1947, has' also been an asset to the club. The feature of the jubilee celebrations this week-end will be the jubilee tournament, for which both greens have been fully booked. It is hoped that Canon H. Williams and Mr C. M. Saunders, the only two surviving foundation members, will be present at the celebrations. The club expects a large attendance of former and present members.