BOWLING.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 11 July 1921, Page 4

BOWLING.

TARANAKI CENTRE. ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the Taranaki Bowling Centre was neid at Stratford on Saturday, about twenty delegates being present, and every club in Taranaki, excepting Auroa and Opunake, was represented. -■• The president (Mr. J. D. Sole) was in the chair. The annual report congratulated the centre on another successful season, both from a playing and financial point of view. Although the entries at the annual tournament were less than in the preceding year, caused mainly by the fact that the Dominion tournament was in progress when the Taranaki tournament was commenced, this could not be obviated on account of the close" proximity of the Rotorua and other tournaments. The adoption oi the two games of 25 heads per day in lieu of three games of 21 heads met with general approval, and it is to be hoped that it will be continued. The tournament was won by a Fitzroy rink skipped by Mr. J. McNeil!, the same rink also winning the Taranaki champion shield, the runners-up being a West End rink skipped by Mr. T. Billing, and both of these teams are to be congratulated. The New Year tournament was won by a New Plymouth rink skipped by Mr. H. Smart, the runners-up being a rink from the same club skipped by Mr. C.^N. Johnson. The banner competition was won by the. Fitzroy Club after playing off with Hawera, the wieners of the southern division, and Manaia, winners of the western division. The Fitzroy Club are to be conf;ratulated on their meritorious victory, n connection with the play-off the Ha-; wera Club are to be thanked for their splendid hospitality and for the pains taken in preparing the greens.. This club is also to be thanked for the excellent arrangements made for the first "test match against the Auckland visitors. - Taranaki was successful in winning the rubber in the test matches in the Auckland Centre's visit, while in the inter-club matches the honours were easy. The report adds: Your executive would like to place on record its appreciation of the generous help given by all those who placed their motor cars at the service of the Centre, and also to Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Burgess and Mr. and Mrs. T. C. List and others for their hospitality in entertaining the visitors. During the year the Rahotu Club applied to the centre for affiliation, and this had been granted. The balance-sheetp showed a. profit of £14 16s. the amount standing to the credit of the centre being £57 2s Bd. In moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet Mr. Sole said that the fact that every club in Taranaki, excepting Auroa and Opuhake. was represented at the meeting illustrated that interest in bowling in Taranaki was not waning. The very satisfactory financial position disclosed by the bal-ance-sheet was due to the hearty support. of bowlers throughout the province. ' The report and balance-sheet were adopted. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The election of officers for the ensuing year resulted as follows: President Mr. J. D. SoJe (West. End); vicepresident, Mr. J. Foy (Hawera); secretary and treasurer, Mr. A. T. Moore; committee, Messrs R. Lambie, A. K. Smart. E. Dingle, F. Spurdle, P. Skog* lund. L. Sampson. Mr. A. T£, Smart was nominated foi the position of councillor representing the Taranaki Centre on the Dominion Association. SELECTION OF TEAMS. Mr. Masters brought up the matter of the manner in which players had been selected for the matches against the Auckland centre. "It would seem " he said, "that New Plymouth thought they had all the good players." , I . Mr. Sole said the selection of the teams had nothing to do with the centre, but was carried out by the I selection committee. He quoted figures showing the proportion of players selected to the number nominated by the different clubs. He was sure New Plymouth had not acted unfairly in the matter. Mr. C. H. Burgess said the meeting was wandering. They were not ejecting a selection committee. The chairman ruled that the subject was irrelevant, and it was dropped. EXPENSES OF PLAYERS. Mr. McK. Morison asked for an expression of opinion on the of paying the expenses of players selected to play at the Dominion tournaments. He considered that the man who played i and had the-pleasure of the game should pay his own expenses. It was not fair that young members or those who did J not play often should contribute i towards the expenses incurred by the club's representatives. i The president said they could not devise a better scheme for the entertainment of visitors from other centres than the one at present existent —that of striking a levy on each member of a club towards the expenses of visiting representatives. 1 Mr. Masters said the reason why tho Avon Club did not contribute towards the entertainment of the New South Wales bowlers was that arrangements for their entertainment had been made by a' meeting of New Plymouth bowlers independent of the centre and without consulting the Avon and other clubs. Under these circumstances he did not consider the Avon Club was justified in paying its quota. >-'The meeting of bowlers was usurping the powers of the executive. Mr. Sole said that £ill clubs in the centre were invited to attend the meeting. Mr. Smart said the instructions came from the Dominion centre to the executive to entertain the visitors, and all clubs had been invited. It was a Taranaki matter and not a New Plymouth matter at all. Mr. Sole said that no good could come of washing their dirty linen over again. The meeting agreed to this, and a resolution was carried closing the discussion on the dispute with the Avon Club. GENERAL. ■The Park Bowling tClub (Hawera) wrote applying for affiliation to the Taranaki Centre. The application was granted, subject to the approval of the Dominion Centre. It was decided, on the motion of Mr. Foy, that the Banner competitions "for the next season should be carried out on substantially the same basis as last season. The southern division was altered to include Inglewood, Stratford, Avon, and Eltham Clubs. Rahotu was included in the western division. The matter of colours for the different clubs was left in the hands of the executive to write to the respective clubs with a view to coming to an arrangement. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded the president for the efficient manner in which he had conducted the Centre's business. Mr. Sole, in returning thanks, said some matters in connection with the

Centre's management had become rather, unpleasant. In relation to the Avon trouble he hoped it was now over and amicably settled. A vote of thanks was also passed to the Egmont Club for the use of their building for the meeting, and for their hospitality in, providing refreshments. It was decided that the next' annual meeting be held in Stratford.