BOWLING.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLV, Issue 16, 19 October 1910, Page 9

BOWLING.

Auckland Club and the Northern Rules. THE BAK SINISTER TO SOCIABLE BOWLING. A special meeting of the Auckland Bowling Club, the president (Mr J. Thornes) in the chair, was held in the clubroom last week to deal with several matteis of interest. The first hau reference to the new club by-laws. In order to comply with statutory requirements, it was found necessary to insert in the new by-laws a dissolution clause, and the following clause, previously agreed to, was confirmed:—•‘Twothirds of the members of the club present at a special meeting convened for the purpose, by seven days’ clear notice by advertisement in two local newspapers, may resolve that the club be wound up, and in that case, or if the club cease to exist, or if for a period of two year* the trust premises shall cease to be used for the game of bowls, the trustees shall hold the premises and any other land held by them under the trusts aforesaid in trust as a recreation ground for the inhabitants of the City of Auckland, and may transfer the same to the local governing body of the said city in trust, to be befit as a recreation ground for the said inhabitants.” It was resolved to have the new rules printed forthwith. The next matter dealt with was the proposed alteration in the constitution and ru.es of the Northern Bowling Association. b .* s^ cti l on c of clause 4, stating that athhated clubs shall not play with any club “?L al “ lla i, ed to an association without the c nsent of the council of the centre, was the subject of strong comment. Mr. J. ailaw expressed his decided opinion on the drastic and arbitrary nature of the propol.. t i2V , i and he move <l that the club’s deleft es be instructed to oppose the clause at the meeting of Auckland Northern Bowling l^ C . iat l° n , to I,e held 1“ tl>e nd ' llb s pavilion on the evening of d *’, ynne t, October 14, so that some concerted opinion may be expressed when the question of the proposed revision of the re 1 ' co ™cs up for consideration at tne lull tournament of the N.B.A. R ' Todeb <>Pe expressed the opinion *7 at ? or a gaule aud recreation they were surrounded with a plenitude of rules, and he objected in toto to the introduction of more rules with which to hedge them round. .?° inted out tbat Jt "as proposed v thC whole constitution, and after dls ™ 3slon , Mr - Carlaw's motion coulv nin '’ sub-clause 6 was carried unaniinouswhioh* 11 -, 1 tlause discussed was clause 5, in rt„ pr °P° sed to divide the Asln,° ce »tres. Mr. Carlaw o? on/ L h,S voke against the adoption nn me S PtaPosai- To his mind such an innovation under the N.B.A. would be fund y »°H he detrlraeut of bowling in Auckathe.1 ’ ,et there lie a Dominion AseeStrl .’k . local associations at each on V> P ” ls > n> e t 0 tbe P ar e n t association bowler'* r » nly ,/’ f genera * interest to the bowlei:, of the Dominion at large. He objected to such power as was proposed being A^sociit'l" hat P ractiea 'iy a Wellington tmnortV ’ • " bich " a * of very much less importance in Auckland than the A.P.B.A. He moved that the club delegates be inwas C earried ° PI>OSe the clause ' Tbe motion +nf\ e T?o eSidebt ! gave !t 03 bis opinion that the vhole spirit of the proposed coustltu.w,as " , ' I ODg ai > d opposed to the best principles of liowling. The vetoes were such that a club could not hold a little holiday tournament and invite a few friends without incurring pains and penalties. Several other members also expressed themselves Strongly on the point. Mr Thornes, accordingly, moved “That our delegates be instructed that in the opinion of this meeting tbe spirit of the proposed constitution of tbe Northern Bowling Association is opposed to the social and friendly feeling that has always prevailed amongst bowlers, and though such rules might be suitable for games where gate money is charged, they are not desirable for bowlers.” If the constitution were adopted, it meant that of the 27 clubs belonging to the A.T.8.A., nineteen of them would be ostracised by the N.8.A., as only eight Auckland clubs were affiliated to the Northern Bowling Association, which did not recognise the Auckland Association said Mr. Thornes. ’ The motion was carried unanimously. The president (Mr. Thornes) and Messrs. .T. Carlaw and A. J. Black were appointed delegates to represent the Auckland Club at the meeting to be held on Friday. Messrs. Morgan and G. A. Buttle supported the suggestion that a New Zealand association be formed with subsidiary associations for each province, but this matter was allowed to stand over until something definite had been decided on the more immediate question.

Northern Bowling Association The annual meeting ot the Northern Bowling Association was held last week. The following officers were elected:—President, Mr. William Elliott (Auckland); vice-presi-dent, Mr. J. Keith (Wellington); secretary and treasurer, Mr. C. 11. Dixon; honorary auditor, Mr. F. Allen. Affiliation was granted to the Devonport Club. It was decided that the next tournament at Auckland shall commence on January 9, 1911. Colonel Collins and Messrs Roberts, Bary, Urunskill, Bush, and Prince were appointed to draw up a tournament programme to- be submitted to the council of the association. Selection of Bowls. Considering the keenness of colonial greens, it is surprising to find so little attention paid to the sizes and weights of bowls. Yet the weight of a bowl is a most important factor to consider if the player aims at success. A light bowl on a windy day is a serious handicap, and in a forcing game the heavy wood invariably tells. Probably no phase of the game receives such a small measure of attention. One has only to express the intention of buying bowls to be inundated with suggestions or flooded with offers of discards at a small price; and, more often than not, even experienced players when pushed into a corner can neither state positively the size nor the weight of the bowls they have used for years, and are using still. They cannot tell you why light woods are made. They cannot say whether the makers advise the use of heavy woods. They cannot tell you the scheduled sizes of wood on the market, nor can they say the weights they run. Each one-sixteenth of an inch increase in diameter adds about 2oz to the weight of a wood. The makers tell you that light wood is intended for use on crown greens. They also advise you to use the heaviest wood you can handle comfortably on level greens. Three pounds eight ounces is the maximum. Clearly enough, if guided by the maker's advice, players should use 5 1-8 or a 5 3-16 bowl, if practicable. If they cannot handle them, So much to their disadvantage. The point is that not one beginner in a hundred is so advised. The first he knows about it is when he gets home with his bowls and finds the maker’s instructions in the box. He also finds that he is saddled with light weights owing to bad advice. It is safe to assume that the makers know what they are talking about. It is common-sense to believe that*the heavier a bowl is the more it knocks the light weight about, and the less it is disturbed when played first; and it is no less true to say that heavy wood is less influenced by the wind or by obstacles large enough to vary the Hight of light wood. As a matter of fact, the roll of heavy bowls is, even to a casual observer, less bumpy and more reliable in the draw. Less “mulls” are made in delivery—a heavy bowl takes the grass from the hand more readily. In a firm shot or in a drive its weight holds it up. Either shot can be played with greater accuracy. Light wood resting on the pack will roll three feet away from an ordinary draw shot when struck. Reverse the positions, and the light wood meet sufficient resistance to glide off or stick fast and lose the shot; a heavy bowl will score every time. If of ordinary stature, you do not know you cannot play with heavy wood until you try. And the only way to prove that a bowl is true is to roll it up. The quality depends on the price you pay; buy good wood. Any player will send you heavy wood try what you want. Always start on the heavy end and work down. Never ibegin with five-inch wood. Start on 5 3-16. If that is beyond you, come down to 5 1-8. If that is too large you made a mistake in leaving off marbles to begin chasing your ‘ tow” at ■bowls. And buy no discards —a bowler never sells what he wants himself; not more frequently, anyhow, than a Noble or a Trumper parts with his pet bat.