The Roslyn Bowling Green.

Otago Witness, Issue 1911, 6 July 1888, Page 27

The Roslyn Bowling Green.

"Jack," Editor Bowling Notes, — Sir: As a constant reader of the Witness, and — being a bowler — of course a reader of your usually interesting articles on the game, I take the liberty of replying to your notes in last issue regarding the Roslyn Club. I am quite sure the club will feel grateful for the lengthy article on their annual report ; and as you " await an explanation "of one of the clauses in the report « with much curiosity " as well as anxiety, I feel it my duty to reply with as much haste as possible. As to the clause referring to the election of honorary members, ifc is simply th c result of the club's experience up to date So far the introduction of honorary members has not been a success. In the first place, the subscription is only one-half the amount paid by ordinary members — not " double the amount," as you say is usual ; and as to " their not giving further trouble," that is exactly where the trouble comes in. Say one is wanted to make up a rink, and an honorary member is present, he is asked to play, and five minutes afterwards a full-paying member comes in, and in consequence loses his game. As a rule no one would care to ask the honorary member to retire in favour of the other, and also as a rule we rarely found tbe honorary member offering on his own account to do so. This of course did not tend to make things pleasant to the ordinary members ; and as the number of honorary members was very few, the club thought it advisable to discontinue their election for the future. With regard to the clause referring to future matches having five or six rinks. arranged for in order to Introduce junicr players, I can assure you this was only arrived at after having recftived very careful consideration. Notwithstanding your arguments about " untamed colts," kc., &c, I feel quite :onvinced that your ideas of classifying the players into first, second, and third class, or perhaps more, would prove unwork»ble, and would also be highly repugnant to the feelings of a large majority of bowlers It might possibly work in large clubs situate in large towns, but in ordinary suburban clubs I am convinced ft will never do, and I think I may take the liberty of stating that the Roslyn Club would be totally opposed to any such arrangement. It would undoubtedly kend to do away with that genial friendly feeling of equality amongst members when meeting, and would most likely result in a considerable diminution in the number of members. You can well understand that suburban clubs cannot afford to run that risk.

I am glad to note that you are pleased with some of the clauses in our report, and I must not forget to refer to your very complimentary remarks re the Roslyn green. I can assure you we had not the slightest idea of " blowing " or " tall talk" when stating "that " it may now be reckoned as second to none in the South Island." We referred to quality, Sir — not quantity, as you put it; and with all due deference to your opinion, I must adhere to the correctness of the report in that particular. As to its " bareness after a few days' dry weather," I have not heard any complaints in that direction during the past season ; and as to a " bowl running its full length by ito own volition," I •hould take. that to be a good sign of the excellent condition of the green. Keen. Sir, keen — that's the ward. It would certainly not be oaeoked by any, of those " gentle undulations " t^ be ,mefc with on certain other greens — you could doubtless name some ; neither have we $ftc| ft hollow pitch at each end of the rinks of

the size of a dining-table, and about as smooth as the surface of a stone quarry, for the bowls to fall into. Another thing I might mention is that whenever our caretaker has had occasion to mow the green ho has not once found it necessary to call into requisition the services of a boat to effect that object. Perhaps, Sir, you have been accustomed to one or all of these things, and as "habit is second nature" you imagine they are essential to the good keeping of all bowling greens. In this I must beg to differ with you, and in conclusion assure you that the Roslyn Club will endeavour to keep their " twopenny-halfpenny arrangement" in the best possible order, both for the pleasure of themselves and of that of future visitors.

I may as well say that I am not writing this officially, but simply making an attempt on my own account to reply to your criticisms of last week. — I am, &c ,

S. R. B. C.

Roslyn, June 26.