LAWN TENNIS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2051, 15 June 1893, Page 33

LAWN TENNIS.

NOTES BY NET PLAT. The annual meeting of the Kaituna Bowling and Lawn Tennis Club took place at the Graud Hotel on Thursday last. The club was shown to havij made great progress in tennis during the past year. Although almost in its infancy it was able to send more than a dozen players to the Otago Association meeting, and the players gave a fair account of themselves, Miss Martin winnirjg the Ladies' Handicap and Mr J. MVK. Henry being runner-up in the men's similar event. Miss Martin, Messrs Payne, Hoddinott, Hislop, and Arlidge were appointed a teunis committee. I notice a writer in the Daily Times of the 12bh_, signing as an " Otago Player," takes exception to the Kaituna Club claiming the match against Carisbrcok. The whole matter is explained by the careless wording of a letter from the Otago Association's secretary. During the match in question a mistake was made in reducing the odds owe 15, owe 40, to owe 30, which should have been owe 15|-. The Carisbrook Club appealed to the association to have the set played again, but the association preferred not to allow the set to be counted. Iv writing the association's decision the secretary's letter could csrtainly b3 read as refeiring to the whole match Carisbrook v. Kaituna, and I can quite understand the error arising, but I don'fc exactly see that it is a matter for an " Otago Player " to rush into the press about. THE KAITUNA BOWLING CLUB. The annual meeting of the Kaituna Bowling and Lawn Teunis Club was held in the Grand Hotel on Thursday evening. Mr Horsburgh (the retiring president) presided until the officers for the ensuing year were elected, when Mr Davies (the vice-president elect) took the chair. ANNUAL REPORT. Mr J. C. Stephens, the retiring secretary and treasurer, read the balance sheet, and also the annual report, which contained the following clauses :—: — Financial.— The position of the club had somewhat improved in this respect during the last year, but it was stated that there was still room for more members "both on the balance sheet and on the ground." Bowling. — The matches played were 11, of which seven were .won and four lost, that against the Taieri Club being lost by only 2 points. If the success of a bowling club depended on the number of matches won by its members, the club had no reason to be ashamed of the past season. The Selection Committee had tried during the year to put into the field teams as strong only as the occasion seemed to demand, and had thus endeavoured to give all the members (so far as was possible) an equal chance of representing the club in matches. The club had entered two rinks for the competition for Messrs Briscoe's trophy, but were put out in the first round by one point, and also one rink in the annual tournament of the N.Z.8.A., which was not successful in carrying off any of the prizes. The club, and especially its secretary, might lay claim to introducing the system of "colts" matches, and judging by the enthusiasm displayed by the colts of this and other clubs, the innovation had come to stay. Only two matches had been played so far, "honours were easy_," the match against the Dunedin colts having been won by one point, and that against the Caledonian colts lost by one point— the latter after a tie at the twenty-first head. The various prizes had been won as follows :— President's prize, Mr Dall; vice-president's prize, Mr A. Tapper; new players' prize, Mr C. Vivian ; riuk prize, Messrs Mitchell, J. W. Smith, Ferens, and Parker. It was also stated that Mr Mitchell had donated the value of his prize to the club, and that Mr Dall, afrer winning one of the two semi-finals for the president's prize, had generously withdrawn, being content with having won the president's prize. Tennis. — A marked improvement has been shown both as regards numbers and play as compared with former season?, some of the younger players particularly having made rapid strides as a result of regular attendance and consistent practice, and they will no doubt come to the front next season. As a member of the Otago Lawn Tennis Association the club was w presented in five matches— viz., against the Carisbrook, University, Otago, ex-High School Girls' and Milton Clubs, winning those against Carisbrook and the High School, and losing the others. The match against the Milton Club was played at Milton, the Kaituna team receiving a very pleasing reception ; and as a result of the visit the Milton Club, when in Dunedin at Easter, vUyed a. return match, which was much enjoyed. The club was also drawn to play against the Balclutba, Anderson's Bay, Sylvan, and Oamaru Clubs, but ib was found impossible, chieily through the default of its opponents, to arrange to play them. The club was represented by the Misses Martin at the tournaments arranged_ by the New Zealand Lawn Tennis A;- ofvlinn, which was held at Carisbrook in Uhj i-uji 11 week, and although those ladies madi- Uw ■ first appearance at such a gatt crn „ t ! t y pave a very good account of them; oU' In the Otago Association's tournament the «■! ■ i> was largely represented, having cqntiiimti d about 30 entries by 13 players In this ("immmeat the members were remarkably succ> ful, Miss Martin being the winter of the Ladies' ' !,u. rlicap biugles and Mr Henry the runner-up in 1 1. > Mou'h Single Handicap. Other players showed vi ry quod form, aud would no doubt be rnoie biiccs^ful in future tournameuts. A club tourmunent was arranged in January, and resulted in the ladies' prize— a handsome album presented by Mr John Mitchell— falling to Miss Martin and the men's first prize being won by Mr Henry and the second by Mr D. Cooke. General.— Mr S. P. Stevens had resigned his position on the directorate, owiDg to his removal to Christchurch. The directors passed a resolution expressing the indebtedness of the club to Mr Stevens for his great services to it, and appointed Mr W. Davies to iill the vacancy. The membership had increased, and the directors expressed their gratification at the former lady rxiembers having returned to tho club, and mention was also nmrle of the indebtedness of the club to tho ladies who had so generously provided afternoon tea every Saturday afternoon throughout the seafon. Since tho season closed the gieen had been carefully top-dressed by Mr Sanders (the cai elakor) aud his assistant, and the directors expressed their satisfaction at, the way Mr Sanders had carried out his duties.* 'Jhe thanks of the club were also i-tated to be duo to Mr A. G. Watson for the gift of two seats for the bowling green. Tha Chairman moved the adoption of the report; and balance sheet, which after a short discussion (in which several members, both bowlers and tenpv. players, referred in eulogistic terms to the services of Mr Sanders)

were adopted, after which the prizes were presented to the winners.

ELECTION OF OFFICEBS. The following were elected as the officers for the ensuing year :— President, Mr R. M. Clark ; vice-president, Mr William Davies ; hon. secretary and treasurer, Mr A. H. Crawford; directors— the president, vice-president, and secretary, and Messrs James Horsburgh, G. B. Dall, J. W. Smith, E. Cook, A. Tapper, and James Rattray; auditor, Mr James Hislop; delegates to New Zealand Bowling Association — Messrs Fynmore and Dall ; tennis secretary, Mr C. D. Arlvdge; tennis committeeMiss Martin, and Messrs Payne, Hoddinott, Hislop, and Arlidge. -Votes of thanks were passed to the ladies who had provided afternoon tea, and to the retiring officers— a special vote being passed to the secretary. Mr Davies, in returning thanks for his election, stated, as one of the founders of the club, that one of their ideas was to make goodfellowship amongst the members one of its leading characteristics, and nothing had given him greater pleasure than to listen to Mr Tapper's remark — that when he first joined the club, whenever he entered the gate he was made •welcome and felt perfectly at home, although amongst comparative strangers.