CANADIAN BOWLERS WELCOMED TO WANGANUI AS GOODWILL VISITORS

Wanganui Chronicle, 28 January 1948, Page 4

CANADIAN BOWLERS WELCOMED TO WANGANUI AS GOODWILL VISITORS

The touring team of Canadian bowlers from British Columbia arrived in Wanganui yesterday and Were extended a civic reception at Foster’s Hotel. To-day the visitors will play matches against Wanganui teams on the Wanganui Bowling Club's greens and further matches will be played to-morrow. The team arrived from Wellington yesterday. The personnel of the party is:— Mr. A. D. Grant (captain), Mr. W. Harris (vice-captain), Mr. W. Cullin (secretary), Dr. B. F. Keillor (games manager), and Mrs. Keillor, Messrs. A. L. McWilliams, S. Fulton, W. R. Scott, J. H. Clements, W. Rickson, P. Turton, H. C. Le Patourel, G. D. Scott, W. Partridge, W. Cross, J. Sutherland, and C. E. Smith, Mr. A. R. Spence and Mrs. Spence, Mr. J, Sinker, Mr. T. Moorcroft, Mr. M. Sutton and Mrs. Sutton, Dr. F. A. Keillor and Mrs. Keillor, Mr. G. Morrison and Mrs. Mprrison, Mr. W. Simpson, Mrs. Simpson, and Miss Simpson and Mr. R. Adam. The Hon. W. J. Rogers, M.L.C., Mayor of Wanganui, said that it was a pleasure for him to welcome a team of bowlers from another part of the Empire The people of Wanganui had watched with interest the progress of the visitors during their tour to date and were pleased that they had Included Wanganui in their itinerary. The game of bowls, he said, was renowned for the marvellous spirit of comradeship that it created and for the manner in which it brought all sections of the community together.

“You will find that in Wanganui we are just an ordinary group of human beings just like in any other part of the world,” said Mr. Rogers. He hoped that apart from the games which they would play, the visitors would find something worthwhile in their visit to Wanganui. He hoped that their memories of Wanganui would be happy and lasting. Mr. G. N. Boulton, vice-president of the Wanganui Bowling Centre, welcomed the visitors on behalf of the president, Mr. C. H. Clinkard, who has not yet returned from the Dominion championships at Dunedin. He explained that the centre extended from Taumarunui to Marton and that it was one of the 21 similar bodies in New Zealand which controlled the sport. Bowls was one of the most sociable if not the most sociable, games in the sporting calendar and was more so when one was playing away from home.

The captain of the British Columbian team, Mr. A D. Grant, said that the welcome in Wanganui was similar to the wonderful welcomes they had been given everywhere during their tour. He offered felicitations to the bowiers of New Zealand from the Canadian Bowling Council and the British Columbia Bowling Association, and promised On behalf of these organisations a warm welcome to any New Zealand bowlers who visited Canada.

Mr. Grant said that the members of his team were not top-flight bowlers but just ordinary players were were keen on spreading goodwill. Mr Boulton presented each member of the visiting team with a Wanganui Bowling Centre badge ana the Mayor presented pamphlets dealing with the beauties of Wanganui.

The party will leave Wanganui on Friday for Napier. From there they will stay until February 6. The next visit will be to Whangarei for three days and from there members will return to Auckland. After several days in Auckland, vsits will be made to the Waitomo Caves and Hamilton.