DUNEDIN BOWLING CLUB.

Otago Witness, Issue 2106, 5 July 1894, Page 33

DUNEDIN BOWLING CLUB.

The annual meeting of the Dunedin Bowling, Lawn Tennis, and Fives Club was held in Watson's Hotel on Friday night. Mr M. Sinclair (president) occupied the chair, and there was a large attendance of members. ANNUAL REPORT. The Chairman, in moving tbe adoption of the annual report and balance sheet, said he did not intend to enlarge upon them. The report was very clear, and covered the whole of the ground of the work of the club during the year. The treasurer's report spoke for itself. There was one matter he would like to refer to, and that was the position of the club as regarded the matches played. They would see from the report that they ody succeeded in winning a small majority of those played, and some people would be inclined to look upon this as a very great disadvantage, but he was inclined to differ. He did not think it was wise to make up a team so that they invariably won, and he considered that the Match Committee had done well in selecting players who showed good form to play in the matches. It was encouraging bowling, and created enthusiasm. He hoped that the same gentlemen would have the opportunity of arranging the men for next year's matches. They would see by the balance sheet that the club were slightly in debit, although as a matter of fact they were in credit, £25 having been paid off for debentures. In speaking of the services of the Green Committee, he said he would be wrong in passing over one gentleman who had applied himself so diligently to keeping the green in order : that was Mr Harrop, who deserved the thanks of the whole club for the energetic way he had worked.

The following is a pricis of the report, the adoption of which was seconded by Mr J. G. Moore and subsequently carried unanimously :

During the season the club played 12 interclub matches, seven being won and five lost, the club scoring 921 points against their opponents' 840. The champion this year was Mr W. Cowie, who also won the president's prize. The vice-presi-dent's prize was eecured by Mr C. Haynes. Fortyfive entered for the subscription rink match, which was won by Messrs D. Hutton, A. Black, J. Scoular, and D. Russell (skip). Thirty-two entered for the four-bowl subscription match, and this was won by Messrs W. Smith and A. Gillies. The cup presented by Mr T. Young was taken by Mr A. Fraser. A requisition, Bigned by 26 members, had been handed to the committee, requesting that as the club and the Roslyn Club did not belong to the association a series of games, confined to the two clubs, should be held on the Dunedin green during the Easter holidays. The committee acceded to the request, and some very pleasant matches resulted. The membership roll at present was 105 paying members and seven life memberß. 'Nineteen old members had left and 24 new enea joined during the past season. The balance sheet showed a debit of £18 0s 3d, and against that there were outstanding subscriptions amounting to £4- 14s 6d, reducing the debit balance to £13 5s 9d. Forty-eight debentures had been paid off, And there still remained 20 to be liquidated. Rule 16, regarding the jack or a bowl leaving the green, was amended. In accordance with a notice of motion, the Chairman moved — "That the club rejoin tho Bowling Association, and in doing so referred to the different lines on which the association was now formed. Mr A. Gillies seconded the motion. Mr R. Wilson intended to vote against the motion, and saw no reason for changing their previous decision, as there had been no alteration in the association so far as he was aware. He could not see why they should vote one way one year and the next year reverse their opinion. He did not object to the association, but he thought that the association, as they had had it, had not been a success from a bowling point of view. After discussion, in which Messrs Haynes, Young, Anderson, A. Thomson, the Chairman, and F. Peake took part, the motion was carried, Mr Wilson being the only dissentient. The prizes were then distributed. Dr Closs was elected president, Mr J. G. Moore vice-president, Mr T. Moodie treasurer, Mr D. Russell secretary, Mr A. Black auditor, and Messrs F. Peak and J. G. Moore delegates to the Bowling Association. The committee elected consisted of Messrs F. Peake, C. Manning, W. Thomson, C. Haynes, J. Hislop, and R. Wilson, jun. Messrs F. Peake, J. G. Moore, and R. Wilson, jun., were re-elected as a Match Committee. On the motion of Mr Cowie, it was resolved that the winner of the Champion Bowls in any year be at liberty, if he so wishes, to compete on successive occasions. Votes of thanks were accorded to the retiring office-bearers and to Mr Watson for the use of his room.