BOWLING

Evening Star, Issue 16992, 14 March 1919, Page 2

BOWLING

■THE CONSTITUTION OF THE D.N.Z.B.A. [By Measujikb.]

At the recent conference in Auckland t consider Mr James Allan’s suggestions r amendment of the constitution of the assc elation certain recommendations were ap proved. All centres had been asked t send delegates to consider the proposal: the principal of which were that ih council should be composed of a delegat from each centre and that the annual ger ex-al meeting should be held at tournameri lime (January) instead of in Septeinbei Poor reports of the proceedings have so fa reached Dunedin, and even the brief off cial resume furnished by the council secre tary (Mr Bryden) is questioned as correct On excellent authority “Measurer” ha been furnished with the following accoun of proceedings: All the centre delegates except the Dun edin one voted in favor of the motion tha each centre should be entitled to direc representation on the council, while th Wellington delegate was alone in opposin: the motion that the principal meeting o council should be held at or about th time of the association tournament. Mem bers of council took part in the discussion but did not vote, the object of the confer ence being to ascertain the opinions of thi centres. Nino centres were represented including four from South Island (Dun edin, Christchurch, Nelson, West Coast) Undoubtedly the epidemic, which rc stricted the number of visiting bowlers was responsible for the small attendance of delegates. * Under the present constitution five members of council aro elected for eacli island, in addition to the president, vicepresident, and treasurer. The election is held in July, and the principal meeting oi the council in September. The voting power is with the larger centres, and it is only with their assistance that a smaller centre can get a representative elected. So long as the council meeting involves a special visit to headquarters there will ho little demand for representation by the smaller centres, but if the meeting be held about tournament time it is contended that it is reasonably certain that the majority of the centres would send a delegate had they the right to Jo so. The one thing which may be claimed to justify a meeting in.September is the tournament, programme. Mr Allan contends that the programme is now practically standardised, and that there is no prospect of am’ alteration justifying a full meeting of council. The 'laws of the game were carefully revised five years ago, and seem to meet with the approval of bowlers, as there is no demand for a further revision. At tha same time, under Mr plan, it is still open to call a special meeting of council at any time should necessity arise. The suggestions for election of council are : 1. That the president, vice-president, and treasurer be elected as at present, in July. 2. That each centre elect its representative at any time between July and 14t,h December. 3. That headquarters for time being bo entitled to two representatives, and that the chairman of centre at headquarters be ex officio a member of council. 4. Voting power to be in accordance with number of bowlers in centre. Under this arrangement the president, treasurer, and three councillors at headquarters would be ’the executive. A flexible date is suggested in clause 2, in order that a centre may elect a representative who would be certain to attend the principal meeting of the council in January or a special meeting at an earlier dale should such be found necessary. It has been urged as an objection to this scheme that there would be a preponderance of vo+ing power in whatever island the meeting took place. Anticipating this objection, Mr Allan proposes that no alteration in the laws of the game" should become effective until passed at one principal meeting of the council and confirmed at another principal meeting, unless unanimously agreed to when first carried. Another objection advanced was that an opportunity would be given to North Islanders to make permanent headquarters in Wellington, as was suggested by an Auckland member at the Wellington meeting four vears ago. Wlien it was made clear that this proposal involved the. dissolution of the association it was not carried, and it will not again bo hoard of. As to the advantages claimed for the proposals, here are some of Mr Allan’s points ; 1. Representation would bring all centres into touch with the council and remove the feeling amongst the smaller centres that the association has not justified itself. 2. The centre representative would be expected to attend the council meeting, ‘ and would probably bestir himself to take some clubmates along with him to take part in the association tournament. This would add to the interest of the tournament, and make it a more representative Dominion gathering. 3. There is a promising field of inquiry for a representative council in the collection of information about the formation and grassing of bowling greens and the sterilisation of soils. In this connection all the information which centres can supply should he available, and this cannot be done to best advantage unless each centre is represented on the council. I may say that while in Christchurch recently I had a conversation on the subject with Mr M. F. Barnett, the other South Island councillor at the meeting, who is entirely opposed to the suggested alterations in the constitution. He declared that the meeting last January could have no practical result, as the delegates present were evidently not fully informed of the facts, and apparently only two centres—Dunedin and Wellington—had given any thought to the matter. Whether anything will come of the discussion it is imposibfo to say at present, but the controversy cannot do any harm, and bowlers generally should feel grateful that gentlemen like Mr James Allan and others take the trouble they do in the interests of the game. ______________