WOMEN’S DRESS FOR BOWLS

Taranaki Daily News, 29 January 1934, Page 9

WOMEN’S DRESS FOR BOWLS

THREAT OF DISQUALIFICATION. ARGUMENT AT MELBOURNE. The controversy on the question of what style of dress is suitable for sports wear has spread to bowls, says a Melbourne newspaper report. Mrs. F. O’Connor, a member- of the Alphington Women’s Bowling Club, complained to-day that she was threatened with disqualification in the semifinals of the Victorian Women’s Bowling Association’s B pennant games at the Toorak green yesterday because she appeared in a White dress of war silk, cut in a V, six inches down her back.

“I have worn this frock all the season,” Mrs. O’Connor said, “and at no time has any objection been raised until yesterday, at afternoon tea, the secretary of the association (Mrs. J. S. Winter) said that she could have me disqualified for wearing the dress. “I was amazed at first, then took the matter as a joke, until one of my club members warned me while I was in the middle of my game. “My opponents were in sympathy with me and one gave me her jumper to put on while I finished the game.

“The trouble did not stop there,” Mrs. O’Connor added, “because when I returned to the clubhouse Mrs. Winter said to me that she was there to see that players were decently attired. My dress actually conforms with the rules of the association, as there is no mention of the cut of the frock. “I will continue to wear the frock unless officially informed that it is not the correct uniform.” REASONS FOR ACTION. Fortified with a book of rules, Mrs. Winter gave her reasons to-day for having warned Mrs. O’Connor that her frock cut low at the back could result in her disqualification. “There are 630 women bowlers -under the association’s control,” Mrs. Winter said, “and they’re not a lot of children. If short sleeves are not allowed, who would allow frocks cut half-way down the back ? The rule distinctly says that all players must wear white or cream dresses with long sleeves and white shoes and stockings. “The point is that every club has to be dressed in uniform. We decided against short sleeves because they would not look well on a lot of elderly players. But how can you have uniformity if all the pldyers except one are properly dressed, and the remaining one is not ? It’s absurd !

“When I told Mrs."O’Connor yesterday —which was not the first time I have spoken to her about it—l told her quietly, when there was nobody there but her own players.” Whether the secretary acted correctly in threatening to -disqualify Mrs. O’Connor will .be officially decided later. Members of the executive of the Victorian Ladies’ Bowling Association were notified that the matter would be discussed at a meeting of the full executive on the basis of Mrs. Winter’s interpretation of the rule regarding uniform worn by women bowls players. “WITHIN HER RIGHTS.” Following the meeting the matter will again be discussed at the next meeting of the Alphington Ladies’ Bowling Club, to be held on the first Tuesday in February. Because of this impending official argument, officials of the Alphington Ladies’ Bowling Club were reluctant to discuss the question, although they said, unofficially, that Mrs. Winter was apparently quite within her rights in applying the rule regarding uniform as she did.

“As a dress,” said the president of the club (Mrs. A. J. Stevens), “Mrs. O’Connor’s outfit was quite all right, but since the rule demands that all members of a club shall be dressed uniformly, it seemed to be a deviation. Mrs. O’Connor was the only one there with a half-backless' dress, and it was rather conspicuous.” The secretary of the club ,(Mrs. L. Hamilton) said that the question of correct dress was one that had constantly engaged the attention of the executive. At its latest meeting the executive had been called upon to decide on the protest of a team which had been beaten by a home side playing a member wearing a coloured dress. The woman in question was .an emergency player who had arrived at the club at the last moment, and the protesting side had readily agreed to her playing. • . On the* basis of the rule, said Mrs. Hamilton, the executive was obliged to uphold the protest. Mrs. Hamilton, who is a member of the executive, said her position in x the matter was "horrible.” She would have to accept the decision of the executives and would then to defend it before her .club members at their next meeting.