RECORD OF RECORDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23599, 8 September 1938, Page 9

RECORD OF RECORDS

A BOWLING CHAMPION TRIBUTE TO TITAN IN GAME MR W. CARSWELL HONOURED There are few sports or pastimes, indoor or outdoor, to which their de-votees-can pay homage for half a century and still gain and regain the title of champion. It may be possible in croquet, but off-hand it is difficult to recall any other, with the exception of bowls. The fact that it is possible in the serenely ancient game of bowls was attested by a gathering of local champions and enthusiasts in the Dunedin Bowling Club’s pavilion last night, who met to extend congratulations and good wishes to Mr William Carswell, of the Taieri Bowling Club, who is celebrating his fiftieth year in whai might be termed first class bowls. It was an enthusiastic and jovial function, presided over by the president of the Dunedin Bowling Centre (Mr S. Devereux), and during the course of the proceedings Mr Carswell was presented with a well-filled wallet of notes as a testimonial from the bowling fraternity of Dunedin. Uninterrupted Successes

Proposing the toast of the guest of the evening, the chairman said he regarded it as a privilege as a bowler to commend the performance of such a player as their guest. His 50 years of uninterrupted successes was a great achievement. Mr Carswell had begun in 1888, when he played third in the New Zealand rink championships. Fifty years later he had won the champion of champions singles. To compete with such a player embryo bowlers must have style, concentration, temperament, a good eye, vitality, competence, drive and draw, and the luck of a Chinaman. The speaker then went on to refer to Mr Carswell’s succession of triumphs as a feat that would probably never be equalled. It was almost unbelievable that a man could go on in such winning vein for half a century. If they did not feel like paying the necessary tribute to his skill let them but look at his record. It was as follows; 1888.—First Rinks New Zealand championship (Dunedin) and third Singles,

1889. First Singles Adrian Bowling Club, Stirlingshire, Scotland. 1890. —Returned to. New Zealand; did not play that season.

1891. —First New Zealand Championship Rinks (30-guinea cup), Christchurch, and had to retire in Singles in last eight, and also in North and South Cup—a rink competition—by being in all three events on last day. 1892. —First Singles New Zealand championship (marble clock), Dunedin, and did not play again until 1899, having taken another hobby. 1899. —First Singles New Zealand championship, Christchurch; first Pairs New Zealand championship, Christchurch; second Rinks New Zealand championship, Christchurch, beaten by one shot; first Singles Handicap (gold medal), Taieri Bowling Club. 1900. —Second New Zealand champion, Dunedin, beaten by one shot (Rinks).

1901. Did not compete at New Zealand championships. 1902. —First Rinks New Zealand championship, Dunedin; first Pairs, New Zealand championship. Dunedin; got into last eight in Singles, beaten by one shot: first Pairs. Easter tourney at Invercargill. 1903. —Did not compete at New Zealand championships; held Pairs (challenge feathers) Taieri Bowling Club for 14 games in succession, and lost the fifteenth game by one shot. 1904. —First Consolation New Zealand Championship, 50 entries, Dunedin; third New Zealand Championship Singles, Dunedin; second Singles Championship, Taieri Bowling Club, beaten one shot.

1905. Did not compete at New Zealand championships. First Pairs, Taieri Bowling Club; second Singles Championship, Taieri Bowling Club, beaten one shot; third Rinks. Easter tourney, Invercargill. 1906. —Did not compete in Rinks or Pairs, New Zealand championships. First Rinks, Easter tournament, Oamaru, from 64 rinks.

1907. First Rinks, New Zealand championships, Christchurch, Exhibition year; first Singles Championship, Taieri Bowling Club; first Pairs Championship, Taieri Bowling Club. 1908. First Rinks, New Zealand championships, Dunedin; first Rinks. Easter tourney, Invercargill; first Pairs. Easter tourney, Invercargill; 1909. —First Singles, Easter tourney, Ihvercargill; second Pairs, Easter tourney, Invercargill. 1910—Won Rink section, New Zealand championships, Dunedin; first Pairs Handicap, Taieri Bowling Club. 1911. First Pairs. Taieri Bowling Club. 1912. —Second Rinks, New Zealand championships, Dunedin (Taieri first and second in this); participated in the win of the Four-rink Championship for the second time (a valuable snuff mull). It then became the property of the Taieri Bowling Club. Did not bowl again until 1915.

1915. —First Singles Championship, Taieri Bowling Club; second Champion of Champions. Dunedin Centre. 1916. Third Champion of Champions, Dunedin Centre; first Singles Championship, Taieri Bowling Club; first Pairs Handicap. Taieri Bowling Club.

1017.—First Singles Championship. Taieri Bowling Club. 1918. Won three interclub games In succession by 72 points. 1919. —First Singles Championship, Taieri Bowling Club- first Champion of Champions (gold medal). Dunedin Centre 1920. —First Pairs, New Year Tourney. at Invercargill. 1922. First Rinks New Zealand Championships, Dunedin; first Singles Championship. Taieri Bowling Club. 1923. —First Singles Championship. Taieri Bowling Club. Did not compete at New Zealand Championships. 1924. First Singles (and did not lose a life). New Zealand Championships. Christchurch, and gof to the twelfth round in Rinks and went well through in Pairs: second Singles Championship, Taieri Bowling Club beaten by two shots.

1925.—First Singles Championship. Taieri Bowling Club; second Champion of Champions. Dunedin Centre. 1926—First One-rink Championship. Dunedin Centre.

1927.—Second One-rink Championship. Dunedin Centre beaten bv one shot.

1929.—Second Singles Easter Tourney. Dunedin Centre.

1933.—First Singles Easter Tourney Dunedin.

1934. First Singles New Zealand Championships Dunedin. 1935. section and qualified in Rinks, New Zealand Championships, at Auckland, and got to the eighth round in Singles. 1937.—G0t to the eighth round in Singles, New Zealand Championships at Wellington, and the winner of the competition lost the sixth round to Mr Carswell 27 to 12. 1937.—Second Singles, Easter Tourney. Dunedin.

1938 First Single.-, Championship Taieri Bowling Club; first Singles Handicap, Taieri Bowling Club: first Champion of Champions. Dunedin Centre. Mr J. J, Marlow, seconding the proposal. said that the game in Otago owed a lot to Mr Carswell, and he felt that no bowler need hesitate to seek his advice. Mr Carswell had had a lot to do with providing the game with an A 1 bowl, and it would be many years before his influence on bowling would be forgotten. His was a unique record To few men was it given to be associated with a sport for 50 years and to remain a leader in it at the end of that time. The calibre of the bowlers who were doing him honour that night must be a great compliment to Mr Carswell, and he could assure their guest that the tribute that was being paid to him was a genuine one. In proof of this he had great pleasure in handing over a wallet of notes from his bowling friends. The gift was a

spontaneous one. There had been no canvassing, and every contribution to the fund had been a willing one (Applause.) Mr Carswell’s Reply

Mr Carswell, in reply, said he thanked the members of the Dunedin Centre very much for the interest they had taken and the bother they had gone to in negotiating and bringing that affair to a successful issue. He also thanked all the bowlers in and around Dunedin for the very kind interest they had shown and taken in the function. He felt extremely gratified by the good spirit in which it had been arranged. They could not have bestowed on him a higher honour, even if they had voted him to Parliament He was delighted with the feeling that they had shown, and that his bowling career had been popular. Bowling without popularity would be very tame. They had also made him feel that he had done some good in the bowling world, and it was his ardenl wish that he would be able to do still more for the game of bowls Bowlers in New Zealand ranked the highest in the world. Just recently they had won almost everything in Australia, and also in Fiji. The Dunedin Centre bowlers held their own well in New Zealand. He would just like to be the team picker, travelling the world with the bowlers that were in the building that night. It would not be a matter of, Did they win? It would be. How many did they win by? Continuing, Mr Carswell said he would like to say something about the ladies. They were making the game more Interesting in every way. Men could not do the catering as weil without them. They came and watched the matches,' and got quite excited with enjoyment, and when a good shot was played, clapped their hands and cheered. He did not thin's there was a better game for women. They could dress up. old and young, and play the game. He had said 30 years ago it was a suitable game for women, and he was quite pleased that Dunedin was the first to introduce ladies’ bowling. They were shaping well, and he thought they could take top honours in the game. The Taieri Club had a game on its green 30 years ago with men and women mixed in honour of” a rink win at Oamaru at Easter, and he remembered well how they enjoyed the game. Mr Carswell said he was indebted to the press for the kind interest it had taken throughout his bowling career. It had always given him full measure in praise when he happened to win. Without the press, they would lose a lot of enthusiasm and enjoyment in bowling. It was good indeed to open the papers and see all about the games. The press should be supported well by bowlers. It gave good advice in all bowling matters, and the bowling editors in the local papers were bowling experts who had proved it by wihning good competitions. Speaking of the Taieri Club, Mr Carswell said it had been going for about 47 years, and had had its ups and downs. It began with a small membership, and he was sorry t(D say it had a small membership still. It had turned out some splendid < players, almost too numerous to mention. It had a unique record of haying won more New Zealand championships than any other club in New Zealand, having had that honour 15 times to its credit. The club was in a very healthy position, as it had a nice freehold and a good pavilion all free of debt. It wanted only a few more members to make it perfect.— (Applause). Other Toasts Other toasts honoured during the evening were “The New Zealand Bowling Council,’’ proposed by Mr James Allen and responded to by Messrs W. Connor and J. Forster; . Past Presidents of the Dunedin Bowling Centre,” proposed by Mr J. J. Davis and responded to by the Mayor (Mr A. H. Allen) and Messrs J R. Glover and J. H. Matheson; “Champion of Champions,” proposed by Mr T. Smith and responded to by Messrs C. J. Payne, J. Veitch, W. Forster. D, Cormack. J. D. Best, T. Sanders, S. Hutchison and J. McFadden; and “ The Veterans,” proposed by Mr J. B. Hinton and responded to by Messrs J. G. Bentley and O. Balk. During the evening a programme of entertainment was provided by Messrs J. Devereux, G. Currie, Arthur Macdonald and Stewart Falconer. Mr M. Tyrrell acted as accompanist.