BOWLS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2504, 3 July 1915, Page 2

BOWLS

WELLINGTON CENTRE'S' (ANNUAL' s i MEETING. Tlie annual meeting of the Wellington Bowling Centre was held on Wednesday evening in the -AVellington Bowling Club's pa,viliou." Mr. E. J. Hill, (president) presided over a 1 full attendance of members. The annual report recorded continued progress. There is a credit glance, at^tho l)auk.of'£3s 9s. lid. The club'sr affiliated iiow 'number seventeen, with a total membership of over 1200. The executive tenders its thanks to the directors of the : Wellington Bowling Club for the use of a room for centre and executive meetings, and to the various clubs for the use of greens for tournaments and centre championship games. The ieport and balance-ihcet were adopted after a brief discussion. The election of officers resulted as under President, Sir. H. J. Palmer (Pet-one); vice-president, Mr. F. Meadow, ci'oft (Kelburn): lion, treasurer and secretary, Mr. J. J. Roberts (re-elected without opposition); executive, Messrs. V. Dimoclc (Thorndon), T. Richer (Eastbourne), G. Hendrey (Hataitai), G. Allport (Lower Hutt), S. Hill (Upper Hutt), J. A. Plimmer (Khandallali), F. R.. Johnson (Kelburn), W. C. Cooper (Karori), W. H. Morrah (Lyall Bay), S. H. Underwood (Newtown), Churchward (Otaki), A. Coles (Petotie), W. H. Green (Seatoun), E. J. Hill (Te Hiwi), W. Berry (ICarori)J and J. S. Keith (Victoria), and the' Rev. F, H. Petrie (Jolinsonville). Mr. J. W. Kiimiburgh was re-elected honorary auditor. Mr. W. H. Morrab moved that clnbs witli a membership of, up to 79 ■ shall play two rinks home and two links away in Pennant games. The motion was seconded by Mr. iVy Dimock. Mr. J. J. Roberts moved as an addi> tion that the proposed rule should apply only to clubs in A division. ? Tho amendment was. lost, and the motion was agreed to. Mr. J. S. I'Ceith moved to amend by-law 2, so as -jo provide that each delegate shall have one vote for every forty members or fraction of forty members, as its representative on tae centre, but no delegate shall have more than three votes. His desire was, he said, to sea that the representatiresof a olub shculd not ho put to the humiliation of being representatives nominally and having no voice,in the proceedings. It would be better to have one represent ativo with a decided standing than tc have several representatives of whom only one had a standing. After some discussion, the motion was carried. Mr. Keith pointed out that the alteration would_ liavs to be submitted to the Dominion Bowling .4 sso--ciation for confirmation. Until ther. it would have no iffeot. . The Hutt Club wrote _ proiestii-g against the practfce cf seuding selected teams to oompote in Mio champion'of. champion tournament.. In answer it was urged that in some clubs.it was almost impossible to send a oliainpion rink or j pairs or singles player as the result of s a' club competition, and that in any case it frequently happened that substitutes had to ho played. It was' decided not to make any alteration in, the existing system. Tho meeting resolved that' the Pen-, liant matches commence on November 6. f ' - , ' . KELBURN .CLUB'S 'ANNUAD REPORT. Tho directors of the'Kelburn Bowling Club., in their fifth annual report and balance-sheet, state that the past two years have been tho most critical period in the club's history, and the directors are pleased to be in a position to report that most of the difficulties which havo beset the club in the past have been satisfactorily overcome. : For years the impossible task was' attempted of finan-' cine on borrowed money a block of valuable building land devoted solely to the purpose of health-giving exercise and enjoyment. Tho corollary of keeping such valuable" land "idle" in a thickly populated aroa was, of course, to be loadedwith a further incubus in the shape of heavy rates. After consideration, the directors decided to seek relief in the direction of obtaining a lease of an area of suitable land, thereby avoiding the enormous costs incidental to a freehold. To that end an application was made to the City. Council for a leaso of a section of the. Town Belt adjoining the University. The council met tho club in a fairly liberal spirit, and a leaso was signed giving tho club certain rights and privileges, for which they contracted to pay rental and rates, .Md ftk? iffpro.ro aad beautify ' thgj

property. What this latter item hag involved may be gauged from the fact that no less a suiu ttiaii £470 14s. 3d. bas been spent up to the present in levelling, formation, and fencing, and more will bo dono during the current .year, including planting and covering bare places. . While this improvement is primarily in tho interests of bowlers, citizens generally clearly must ill tho boneiit, derived from the transformation of a hilltop and gully into an attractive level space, surrounded by ( Howera and foliago oE growing trees. Access to the property lias been pre-, served to the public during the time play is in progress; and in any case visitors will always receive the cordial welcome on Kelbum green met with on all bowling greens. Tho directors in, December last let a contract for a twostoried pavilion, which was finished in February. The freehold sections in Kelbunif Parade liavo all -been soldi the average rate per foot being £17 135.. lOd. The net ellect of the cnange e has been to provide tho. club with a new. green, which will very soon be equal to,' or better than the old one,, and with' very much more picturesque' surroundings. There is also now a handsomo and commodious pavilion. Instead of having to find interest on a debt o£ ! over £2400, tho club has in future only, to meet the liability, including share capital of all description, of about £750. All outstanding interest on'preference shares has been paid, together with all other liabilities of the club. Tho future prospects of the club are therefore rosy in tho extreme; and only one more transaction requires completion to place the club on a sound and solid footing—, viz.. the conversion of the bank over*' draft into interest-bearing of £5 each, repayable by. lot as th<» finances permit. . ;

Despite all the disabilities, under which the club suffered during the year,' Mr. M. lloutley proved the winner in tho Champion of Champions Singles contest inaugurated by tuo Wellington' Centre. The club's junior singles con- 1 test wa3 won by Mr. P. Oakes. The thanks of tho dub are duo to all tlia bowling clubs in and around ton for their unbounded hospitality to Kelßurn in the direction, of accommodating and entertaining members when > they lacked a green. The new green is now looking well, and in tho opinion of experts should prove to be all that' can be desired at no very distant datoj The directors who retire by rotation; this year are: Messrs. Meadowcroft, ' AViddop, Manley, and 'A. Johnstonj They are all eligible for re-election. Atishoo! That's a warning to you. Time .for "NAZOL"—that never-falling conqueror of colds and influenza. Thou«' sands praise it—so will you.—Advt. Tsar Nicholas of Russia is an honor-s ary Admiral of the Fleet ,in tlie British Navy. The Kings of Norway and Sweden are also honorary. Admirals, I i