BOWLING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 24297, 11 September 1942, Page 5

BOWLING NOTES

[By Dkaw,] New Season Approaches. At their monthly committee meetings the various clubs will” be giving thought as to the dale for their opening ceremonies. It is usual for clubs in this district to open their greens on one of tho Saturdays in October, At the present time most of the playing areas are being treated and a fine top-dressing added so as to help along the general appearance. Tho exceptionally fine winter has not been of any great assistance to the greens, and many of them are at present in need of a substantial welting. Winter rains and frosts in moderation arc very necessary for the welfare of our lawns, and it is remarkable ihe amount c.f moss that has appeared on some of them. This is a matter that can be easily fixed if treated in time. North-east Valley Club. At a well-attended meeting of members (he question of serving afternoon tea for tho Saturday and Wednesday intcrclub matches was again discussed, and the resolution passed at the club’s annual' meeting, stating that tea would not bo pro-, vided, was unanimously rescinded. This decision will be welcomed by sister clubs as it would certainly have been unfortunate if tho clubs in this centre were not acting similarly in regard to the tea question. The club is busy making some welcome alterations in regard to the seating and paths surrouuding the old green. The laurel hedge on the western side between tbe green and the tennis court has been removed, the path widened, and a fence erected. This will be appreciated by players and spectators alike! More seating is being arranged around the new green. History of the Game. A bowler who has been resident in the Southland province over many years has written asking for some information in connection with the early history of bowling in tbo.two islands of this country. In looking up some old records I came across many articles connected with the past. Some of these were highly interesting, and I thought that tho bringing to light of certain items might be welcomed. One is asked the questions; Which is the oldest bowling association in tho world and what country has the oldest green? ■■ When was the game first started, and to which country goes the honour of having played the . first of competitions, or, again, when was tho first international game played ? The first meeting held to consider the question of forming a New Zealand bowling association was held in the Grand Hotel, Dunedin, on January 23, 1886. At that time the following clubs had notified their willingness to join up with the association : —Ba’.clutha, Caledonian, Christchurch, Canterbury, Dunedin, Invercargill, Lawrence, Milton, Oamaru, and Roslyn. (Tho Oamaru Club is the one now known as Meadowbank.) A little later, after the actual formation of tho association, the Auckland and New Plymouth Clubs joined up, and were closely followed by Wellington, Wanganui, Napier, and Nelson, while new clubs were formed at Kallangata, Green Island, Taicri, Naseby, Timaru, and Phoenix (Oamaru), and these all became affiliated to the association. It should be kept in mind that at this time there wore considerably more clubs and players in tho South Island than in the North.

Mr Thomas Callender (first president of the, Dunedin Club) was elected The first president of the newly-formed association. It will certainly be of interest to many bowlers, particularly local ones, to know that tho Thomas Callender mentioned is tho grandfather of Mr William Callender, one of the city’s leading bowlers and a prominent member of the Otago Club. In the your 1880 two bowling associations were formed. The first was that of the colony of New South Wales (Australia), in May, ticsoly followed by the Victorian Association, which was founded in July. Sc tho first bowling association was formed in one of Great Britain’s colonies, and not in a part of Great Britain, as many people think. It is worthy of note that close on 90 years ago a meeting of chib delegates was held in Scotland with tho object of forming an association or a body to arrange play and other matters. After a second meeting of the delegates it was decided not to bother further with the proposition, as it was thought that the idea was impracticable.

The first national association, that is, an association continuing the whole of the country in question, was undoubledly the New Zealand Association, which was formed in 1886, 'and is referred to in the early part of these notes. Many bowlers ore of the opinion that the Old Country was the first to form controlling bodies to govern the game of bowls, but such is not the case, the Antipodes' (Australia and >New Zealand) being far ahead in this respect. Odd as it may seem, the formation of the English Bowling Association owes its formation to a great extent to a visit to England of an Australian cricket eleven, under the captaincy of Joe Darling, and managed by Major B. J. Wardjll. The latter was a'so a bowler (a member of a Melbourne club). Many supporters of the Australian cricketers bad journeyed to England to see the tests, and some of these men were also bowlers, and it was due to their influence that an invilntion was issued to the bowlers of Australia to visit Great Britain in 1901. It was r.oi; until 1903 that tho English Association was formed, and it was lingland’s greatest cricketer of all lime, Dr AV. C. Grace, who was the first president of Ihe association. When (he English Association was formed in 1903 it consisted ■>!' 25 clubs; now it has somewhere about .1,500. The game of bowls, us we know it in (his part of the world and generally in use everywhere, is known as the Scotch game. In England, particularly in the sontlnrn portion, bowls was played on a, more »r less open space, without ditches, and it was not until just a little over 40 years ago that the up-to-date Scottish system was brought into use. Over the 'ust 40 years the growth and advance of the game have been remarkable, and '/<1 <9 Sow cue cf the most popular of all games. When this war is won and the United Nations are f reparing for the rehabilitation of the soldiers an« civilians, the game will find a big place, for it offers a fine form of recreation.