Four Saturdays For Inter-Club Bowling

Northern Advocate, 20 July 1949, Page 3

Four Saturdays For Inter -Club Bowling

Discussions at the three-hour annual meeting of the Northland Bowling Centre last night, centred mainly around two remits from the Kensington Club. Thirty delegates were present and opinions were very divided, although the tone of the meeting was distinctly harmonious. The protracted discussions and the keen interest displayed by delegates augured well for Northland's now widespread bowling interests.

The remits were:

CD That six Saturdays I playing) be set aside for inter-club play and that no tournaments be allocated on those days to any club within a radius of 15 miles of Whangarci. (2 ) That open revenue-producing tournaments conducted by the Northland Bowling Centre be not held on Saturdays. Sponsoring the remits. Mr S. Lowe. (Kensington) said he felt that there was room for inter-club friendly games. The centre had been inclined to cater more for tournament players. There was a definite move among bowlers for inter-club play, but it was not possible for clubs to arrange these, owing to the many tournament dates.

Mr F. R. Webster (Kensingtonagreed with Mr Lowe. He produced a programme of events from Ihe Dunedin centre in which 13 playing Saturdays w’ere set aside for inter-club play. He considered that tournaments were encouraged to finance Northland clubs. It w’ould have little eifect on tournaments if inter-club games were spread over six Saturdays throughout the season. •LOP-SIDED” Mr A. Whitham (Portland): There are seven clubs concerned. Are they prepared to drop the means of finance?

Mr Lowe: The dates are fixed by the whole centre, and for that reason all delegates must vote on the question.

Mr W. Brydon (Kamo), asked why inter-club play should be restricted to one section of the centre. It appeared a lop-sided remit to him. Interclub games should be encouraged right throughout the centre. Mr J. Spiers (Hikurangi): It is all tied up in tournaments. If the clubs do not want to lose the tournaments then they will have to drop inter-club play. Most of the clubs in the area had only one green, said Mr G. Wilding (Kaitaia). Only 16 teams could be accommodated there at a tourney. The other clubs would not be holding a tournament on the same day and there was nothing to stop intcr-club play on their greens. Mr. E. Litten (Albertland) said that southern clubs would welcome interclub play in their areas. “We have our one-day tourneys." said Mr R. Waterhouse (Whangareib “If you have inter-club play the same players will go. We would not be gaining anything.”

In the years gone by Whangarei and Kensington had tried to start interclub play, said Mr Wilding. “How long did it last?” he asked. “They only want to pass the buck on to the centre.”

Centre Tourney Causes Lively Discussion

"The Northland Bowling Centre is here for the good of bowling. Its job is to legislate for bowlers and to run certain tournaments, such as the champion-of-champions event and the executive fours.

“When it comes to running the centre pairs for revenue and over-crowding greens, it deprives Whangarei and Kensington players of their club days.” These statements, made by Mr S. Lowe (Kensington) at the Northland Bowling Centre annual meeting last night, caused a lively discussion. Mr Lowe was speaking of a questionnaire from the Kensington club which had been sent to all clubs through the centre, and to a remit asking that open revenue-producing tournaments conducted by the centre be not held on Saturdays. The tournament could be held on week days. Mr Lowe contended. Unfortunately, Hikurangi had not been represented on the centre last year, said Mr W. E. McGruer. The club had applied for three tournaments, but two had fallen through. The third had been allocated on the same day as the centre pairs, and Hikurangi had received a poor return. “The centre is here to help all clubs, big and small,” said Mr McGruer. “My club has two greens, but, unfortunately, at the present time is only a small club.” OVERCROWDING ■ "Perhaps it was not right for the centre to run a tournament on the same day as one allocated to a club." said Mr W. Brydon (Kamo). “However.” he continued, “to play it on a week day would confine the game to the idle rich. Most club members are workers and it would be penalising them.” Mr J. R. Mcllraith: It is more a question of overcrowding the greens.

Mr A. Whitham: On those days when the greens of the major clubs are in use, the opportunity could be taken to have inter-club play on other greens.

Mr G. Wilding: The two major clubs each run tournaments, which run for a week, and other tourneys besides. They keep their own players ofi' for about 12 days in the season. Now they are growling at the centre for taking two days. The discussion then lapsed.

Mr J. H. Marwick said that he “had a sneaking regard" for the remit but he would like to see it operative on four Saturdays. He considered that it should not he restricted to the Whangarci area, but should be spread over the whole centre.

Mr Lowe: As far as Kensington is concerned we are only applying for one graded tourney this year. We found that not more than 20 per cent of the Kensington members were keen on tournaments.

“I feci that a lot of bowlers would like to enter into friendly club play —play without a ‘pof at the end of

“Something should be done to get the scheme going,” continued Mr Lowe, “then other districts would probably follow."

Mr Marwick then moved that four playing Saturdays be set aside during tlie season for inter-club play, and that no tournaments be allocated on those days. This resolution was carried and it was left to the match committee to bring down a scheme of zoning and the allocation of the Saturdays. CHAMPION OI CHAMPIONS.

A recommendation from the Kaitaia club suggesting that (lie 1950 champion of champion pairs and singles be started on a Thursday and continued on Friday and Saturday, was adopted. The competition date for the Buxton Shield was put forward from January 29 to the second Saturday in February, on the recommendation of the Kaitaia delegate '.Mr J. R. Mcllraith).

On the motion of Mr C. Young iMaungutapcrc. a condition in the rules of the annual intermediate tourney for the B. G. Smith Cup. was altered. The condition specified that each team must contain a graded lead. This was altered to read:

“That each team must contain one first or second-year player."

Officers elected were: Life member. Mr T. 11. Steadman: president. Mr F. R. Webster: vicepresident. Mr A. Whitham 'Portland': secretary and treasurer. Mr E. J. Dingle 'Whangarci'; auditor. Mr B. P. Hopkins; match committee. Messrs R. Waterhouse 'Whangarci'. A. Whitham. J. H. Marwick and G. Wilding 'Whangarci': emergency committee, president, vice-president and secretary.