‘SUPERIOR ATTITUDE’

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31409, 30 June 1967, Page 13

‘SUPERIOR ATTITUDE’

(New Zealand Preu Association) DUNEDIN. The British attitude of historical superiority was proving a major setback to international bowling relations, the vice-president of the International Bowling Board (Mr R. S. M. Sinclair) said at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Bowling Council in Dunedin yesterday.

Mr Sinclair was presenting his report on the board, the world bowling championships and the Commonwealth Games to the council. He is also secretary-trea-surer of the New Zealand Bowling Council. This unfortunate attitude of historical superiority was proving the greatest stumbling block to the harmony and progress of the board, and would have to be resolved when an amended constitution was considered next year, he said. The officers of the board were disturbed by the attitude of the four British Isles associations in their dealings with the board under the constitution approved and adopted in Perth in 1962. FORMED COUNCIL They had, in 1963, formed the British Isles Bowling Council, comprising representatives of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. It purported to speak with one voice on the part of all and claimed the authority to do so as an official sub-com-mittee of the International Bowling Board, Mr Sinclair said.

Thia council last year opposed the election of Mr Sinclair as vice-president of the board, and claimed the election result was incorrect, and that the Irish candidate had won.

"The truth is that at the 1968 Glasgow meeting of the board this British Isles joint committee was empowered to act only in the matters of regulating visits to and from Greet Britain and conducting

the “international" matches between the four “home” countries for the two years thereafter,” Mr Sinclair said. He said the additional policy the council had then adopted was having a detrimental effect on world bowls, Mr Sinclair questioned the value of New Zealand entering the 1970 Commonwealth Games. Finance would divide competition between the games and the world championships and neither competition would be fully representative. HIGHER LEVY The council carried a motion which will apply a levy of 20c (2s) on players. This will include 6c for overseas teams, 13c for ordinary expenditure and 1c for special grants. The council finally recorded that it would “express its intention to compete” in the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, and would also enter the world bowling championships. Mr Sinclair, secretary-trea-surer of the New Zealand council for the last 17 years, resigned from the position but his resignation will not take effect for about a year.