NEWTOWN BOWLING CLUB

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 544, 26 June 1909, Page 6

NEWTOWN BOWLING CLUB

AN ANIMATED DISCUSSION. TOURNAMENT METHODS. ■; -The sixteenth' annual meeting of the NcWy! Y '•' town Bowling Club, Ltd., was held in thtf 1 . pavilion last evening,: about 80 members.;at- ' tonding. Mr,- T; Bland (president) was ia tho ohair. -.*:■'■■ ,-, ' The recommendation of a'year ago, ihat the club should bb brought, under' the TJn-' classified Societies Act was referred to, and : ' the chairman stated that the directors had considered the proposal.',' It was an eijKXt-:'■.: sive and difficult matter to wind up a company if it bad any liabilities, and, in view . of the £750 mortgage on'' the company's\ property, the directors had not ■ made any : attempt to'carry out the rcconinieudation. stop might not have been practicable, . because the mortgagees could nave-raised objections.' '.-' : ,' .-. •'•.;■;■•:.. ■ Mr. J: W. Kinniburgh remarked that the ''.\\ Incorporated Societies Act,; of, last year, offered better facilities for. registering. -.. - - The directors, in./their annual, report,, congratulated, the club on the high position it'-''• bad attained during tho season just dosed. ■■•''; For the previous two-years,- it'had occupied second position, for what mifihtbe termed '..- tho Blue Ribbon of bowling,' but! this year it had succeeded in putting up : a record which, . possibly, had ■■ not been eqnalled by any cliih in the World. They had to their credit two tournaments,' "' the Senior'and Junior Pennants, and &rc«i inter-club competitions. •; Tho' Pr'osidcnt'r Pours had not been continued this season,.' : owing to the -difficulty of getting playerß" to attend regularly. The winners of the club - competitions ,were:—Championship' l Singles: Mr. G. E. Prince; Senior Pairs, Mesßrs. J. , Kerr and.A. J. Pollock; Junior Pairs, M. G. Grenaide,,and H.: Sanson: Junior Singles, Mr. J. Sexton • Colts' Trophy (Mr. Ranson's prize), Mr. E. W. Watson; Wednesday Pairs ' (Mr. Castle's Jirize); Messrs.- H. L. Bryonton and? W. Wylie; ; Wednesday - Handicap Singles (Mr.. Hosie's prize);, Mr. W.Wylia. Prizes had been paid for out of the year'i ■ • revenue. .Twenty-one new members had. joined t3ie club, and the membership stood ai 104. A new caretaker had' been : appointed ■ during the year, and had proved a useful officer. 'A-cash balance of £51'6s;'o<Lwa», shown, which/would bo largely absorbed by • expenditure before.the opening: of the.next ' ; season; ..■ The assets' exceeded liabilities'by £1284.195; 9d., and the value of tho" cfab'i. property was' £1689.'. V ;;', •".,;.,...;•.'■ -. ;>, The chairman, in moving the adoption of' the,report and balance-sheet,' said thai tb* club regretted the loss. by death of Mr. H. J.i ■■ '■■ Underwood, who had been a popular and re-. spocted member. \The club had pot up '*■■■:■■ splendid record during the past season'. Tho,/ . incoming directors had a-creditable balance Y." with "which to commence another season.' Tha '■'. \ retiring directors had worked heartily ia'th*':>,'■ interests of the club.-. : :,:..i ; ■•..■.'•"■'.■>,!■'■,'

: Mr. J. MTjoan seconded the motion, com- V; • plimenting tho club on. its sound financial '.;>'; position and its prospects for the future. '■'.' ', ,'. Mr. A: Campbell' 'did "not agree , with , tiio references' made to thie', • work : of: the. directow.•'•'. They were said: :, to have brought;down the largest credit bak •''.'■; ancevyet.obtained) |but he wished to point i I out. 1 that,:had they, boon required to.pay » ; fun year's i salary.'to .'the, caretaker, -tiioyi ; would i have: h»d«.a debit.'..;. Moreover,' tho ' directoVs hail- left necessary, works to bo done ;•'. during the coming, year, and .they.;had ■; • more money,vin.painting nnmbero. on' the lockers tbanVwould have been: required to,/' paint the; twice; .oyer. -.•", Membor* ' of other (clubs';had declared: that 'Vtheogreon : wssiri a worse state:last:year than for.fiv*; or six years previously. ' Members of tho ~, / club had not had a fail' share of the friendly' .'.-.'. games with other clubs. He, personally, had! been asked to play only onoi game ;and others had fared even .worse. .The directors had • also been lax regarding the ladies, who had not_ be<m';Mnvrtod as ofteii,;and, as .coi>' '.-, dially; as'''they'" should have" been" to' sbaro in: the: WvaH^^'-'of f Vt|lß}6tab;:;]^.'.C«in> o ,:' ; - , bell also, the r circnms£ancoa. whion ?: ''■' had prompted tho compilation; of '.the 'Ire- ■'•', '.'■- form ticket." -.^•■■kj:..>■■•. •■■:.. .:?:.:■

Mr. Goorgo Prineo considered that the club shonld'be proud" of its''balaficc-sbe6t and its playing rocord during tho past year. He looked back to tho ,time when the club commenced with a packing-case, instead of a pavilion, apd.bo thought tho directors ought ■ to bo congratulated on their work. Mr. Kinmburgh said that it had boon averred in bowling circles that, the Newtown Club was a " dose corporation" for bowls. It was not right, that a score of the members should have a good time, and put up records at tho expense of other playing and paying members. Mr. W. H. Edwards asked: If a» ere>. Beat directorate has been' so , satisfactory' but year, how do yon account for the tmroet sad bad feeling among the membaarf Hie Chairman: Ilonw of none. ' Mr. J. J. Roberts said that a record card shonH hare been, kept, and every member I given a fair share of the play. I The chairman stated that the dlreeton 1 had had no'desire to create a balance, but I they wished &e mooming directors to bo spared from having to obtain an overdraft. (Applause.) "Tbe. opposition party" had mado a lot of frivolous statements. The 'caretaker bad boon appointed by a majority ' of tbo directors. , \ Tho following officers were elected for iba • year:—Directors: Messrs. T. Bland (reelected), A. Campbell, J. Martin (re-elected), J. M'Leon, J. Pollock tTs. Powell (re-elected), and G. PriDoa; hon. secretary, Mr. Q. Soott (rc-olccted); hon. treasurer, Mr. J. W. Salmon (re-elected). • Mr. Q. E. Prince moved the 'following (of which he had.given notice): — That, in regard to tihe conduct of Northern Bowling IBoornanionte, tho present tnvo-rink syrtem be abolished, and entries bo received from all who wish to enter;.that pairs bo included in tour-. | naments;' that the champion fours bo 'abolished, and a general tournament substituted, to be bold alternately in Auckland and Wellington; that no charge bo mado against clubs; that tho tournamonts be Be-lf-supporting; and that tho charge against members ink- . < ing part shall not oxecod 10s. por< man, excluding entrance fees; the decision of the club W bo forwarded to - tho secretary of tho NJ3.A. . / Tho secretary stated that a resolution, passed by tho' directors, had been sent to, tho N.8.A., urging that the tournanienti' Bhould bo self-supporting, Members suggested that the club should ' withdraw from ,tho association if tho open tournament was not decided upon. Mr. Crewbs pointed out that tho club did not make it a throat that, if .the association would not agree, they would" come out; it was a condition: if tho association would abolish the levy, the club would, stay in. (Laughter.) The motion was carried unanimously. Winners of the Eastor Tournament pre. sontod tho club with a framed photograph of the team, and tho chairman presented too trophies won by members i during tho sea. son. A veto of thanks to the directors, the donors of prizes, and tho press concluded tho mooting. '