BOWLING.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXXI, Issue 5596, 7 July 1930, Page 1

BOWLING.

SOUTH AUCKLAND CENTRE. DELEGATES CONFER AT HAMILTON. PAEROA REPRESENTED. At the annual meeting of the South Auckland Bowling Centre at which delegates from all over the Centre’s wide district assembled. The President, Mr. R. N. Pilkington, occupied the chair. Mr Pilkington extended to all a hearty welcome. From the large attendance it was fully evident, he said, that they had the game of bowls at heart. 1 Mi 1 D. G. Meredith congratulated Mr Pilkington on his election to represent the North Island on minion Council. It was a tribute to his popularity amongst the bowling fraternity in the North province. Entertainment Expenses. It was decided to vote the Hamilton Bowling Club £5 towards the expense the Club was put to in connection , with the recent tournaments of the Centre. It was further resolved that a vote of two guineas be made to Mr L. G. Harvey who had maintained the greens in such splendid condition. Mr W. Clavis, Ngaruawahia, in criticising the amount spent on entertaining, held that it was this that was responsible for the debit balance shown. There was a dange? of the game of bowls being made too expensive for the average man.. In cases of overseas visitors such expenditure was no doubt justified but in tournaments such as the Hardley Shield such expense was to be deplored. Mr A. G. Yardley, Morrinsville, endorsed the remarks of the previous speaker. In the Hardley Shield tournament a.levy of 10s had been made. When other expenses that the visiting bowler had to meet, were taken into consideration there was no doubt that there was a danger of the game of bowls becoming a pastime for the wealthy class. Mr W. M. Horton considered that the Centre executive should go into the matter of entertaining and fix some limit of what the Centre should contribute towards the expense of entertaining. It was decided as a recommendation to the incoming committee that they go into the matter of the cost of entertainment.

The Vice-Presidency. In proposing the nomination of Mr G. Stewart, Tffatamata, for the position of Vice-President, Mr A. G. Yardley was of opinion that there was a danger of outside dubs gaining the impression that 'the Centre was run by Hamilton clubs and this was to be prevented at all costs. The nomination of Mr W. Glavis, Ngaruawahia, was later put forward. Mr Clavis was returned after a ballot had been taken.. Mr W. M. Horton, in declining nomination for the position of treasurer, pointed out that he had definitely decided not to seek re-election. One reason was that he did not see eye to eye with the committee and further that he did not believe that too many-members of one club should fill office on the - Centre. \ The President was a member of the Hamilton Club, he pointed out. After the experience of last year the Chairman was of opinion that the members of the management committee should be representative of South Auckland.

It was pointed out by various members, however, that the committee, which acted in an emergency capacity, should be composed of Hamilton members w'ho would not be put to the expense of travelling from a distance. However, it was to be desired that these members should not belong to the same chib. A tribute to the outgoing treasurer, Mr W. M. Horton, was paid by, the Chairman. He had taken over the reins of. office when the Centre’s finance was in a bad ,way and it was a tribute to his ability that they were in their present sound financial, position. A request from the Taumarunui Club that it-be granted permisslion to affiliate with Rangatikei, was granted without discussion. The reason for-' warded was that Taumarunui was to all extents and purposes outside the Centre and more conveniently situated for affiliation to Rangitikei.

Proposed Alteration of Rule. The Centre was in that position that it must have a certain amount of control over the various clubs, said the Chairman when the proposed alteration of the rule governing the use of clubs greens was introduced. These motions were ruled out of order by Mr Pilkington. The recommendation “that a conference of green superintendents be arranged to discuss the question of the -upkeep and maintenance of greens” was carried. Mr N. Bell (snr.) was of opinion that the recommendation was in the right direction. There were ‘ some green custodians who might gain some valuable knowledge from such a meeting. It was decided that the executive committee. be given power to gr;rht mid-week day tournaments and that the ruling governing day tournamen ts held on the same day as a principal tournament be reviewed . This was a matter, said Mr Glavis,, that had cropped up in executive meetings and he was in favour of

lifting the restriction on one day tournaments. Various speakers spoke in favour of lifting the restriction and a motion on the matter, when put to vote,- was carried unanimously. The Chairman pointed out that he was pleased to see that the Cambridge Club had decided to discontinue the use fof their greens for croquet tournaments. Mr Edgar James told the meeting that croquet courts had only been formed at Cambridge in an endeavour to please everyone . They had found 'that things had not turned out as anticipated, however. 1 Election of Officers. The election of officers ' resulted : President, Mr R. N. Pilkington (reelected) ; vice-President, Mr W. Clavis ; secretary, Mr'C. W. Wycherley ; treasurer, Mr W. Fraser ; executive, Messrs. H. J. Clothier, D. G. Meredith, Z P. Stewart, J. Norths A. G. Yardley, W. Sands, W. J. Towers (Paeroa) ; auditor, Mr Colin Speight; management committee. Messrs. R. N. Pilkington, W. Fraser, T. B. Booth; selectors, Messrs. H. H. McCathie (Cambridge), W. Fraser (Claudelands), J. North’ (Te Awamutu). The Selection Committee. Considerable discussion ensued on the appointment of the selectors, it being pointed out that in one communication that on the occasion of the visit of the Taranaki bowlers half the personnel of the South Auckland team was composed of members of the Hamilton Club. Mr N. Bell (senior) was of opinion that there was no * doubt that a new system of appointment of a match committee should be inaugurated, There had been considerable dissatisfaction over this aspect last season. This matter had come up for consideration every year, said Mr, Horton, and a solution of such an important question was imperative. He thought that it might b 6 done by selecting teams on a proportional basis. By this means every club would have its nominations in.

Must Have a Free Hand. Why limit a dub to a limited number, queried Mr W. J. Towers (Paeroa). Some clubs might not find it convenient to send members and others could send in more than their proportion, he said. It was wrong to elect a selection committee if that committee was not to be given the right to select the best players available, said Mr Smith. They could never hope to win the Hardley Shield if “ such was not the case. Mr H. Crosby (Otorohanga) concurred with the remarks of the previous speaker, but added that as far as his Club was concerned it had never seen the selectors last, season. How, then, could they hope to, know the capabilities of the players in his district ? If they were going out to win, their

selection committee must have a free hand, said Mr N. Bell (senior). The selection committee last year had endeavoured to the best of its ability to study other clubs. Unfortunately they did not know the bowlers of some of the outlying districts. The idea put forward by a previous speaker that the King Country, the Goldfields, and Hamilton should be represented on the committee was a sound one in many ways. y■ . ' Only Satisfactory Method. The only satisfactory method in the opinion of the President was that the match committees of the various clubs should nominate their players. Mr Edgar James (Cambridge) thought it an excellent suggestion that the selectors of the various clubs, in nominating players, provide a description of their capabilities. Mr H. G. Loveridge moved that a match committee of three be appointed, on ■which the King Country, the Goldfields, and the Hamilton districts be represented. ’ Mr W. Sands (Cambridge) thought that it would be far better to select three Hamilton men who could accept a recommendation that selection of teams be on a proportional basis. He did not consider that the scheme, embodied in the motion, was practical. He moved an amendment in this direction. . The amendment was seconded by Mr W. Clavis, who also was of the opinion that a scheme which entailed the travelling of selectors from such outlying districts, the King Country and the Goldfields, would not work. The amendment was carried and became a motion. A further amendment that the match committee be composed of three delegates within a 25-mile radius of Hamilton, was carried.