BOWLERS UNDETERRED BY RAIN.

Shannon News, 11 October 1929, Page 4

BOWLERS UNDETERRED BY RAIN.

NO PLAY, BUT SUCCESSFUL OFFICIAL OPENING.

INTERESTING REMARKS AT LEVIN CLUB’S FUNCTION.

After the very liberal downpour o£ v rain experienced Wednesday,, it seems\ as though nothing short of a waterspout would have dampened the ardour of members of the Levin Bowling 'Club, for they went right ahead with the opening of their season in the afternoon; not that they attempted to play their favourite game, but they did hold a ceremony—and a highly successful one. The gathering was quite satisfactory, comprising a representative'assemblage of members, their lady folk, friends, and a rink from the Terrace End club (Palmerston North) and two rinks from Foxton. The weather must have been a source of keen disappointment to the visiting players, as their own localities were free of rain at the time of their departure for Levin. The local green was in nice condition, but will be even better as a result of the soaking which the warm earth is receiving; and if drier weather supervenes before . the end of the week, then Saturday players should have some enjoyable games. Yesterday was stated to be the first wet opening day -since the club xvas incorporated, eight years ago. (

- The bowling season, like the -present spring, 'has come in with a rush, and club openings are prominent among social attractions tills month. Several clubs in the district are already under way, and to their openings the Levin club received invitations, also to that of the Shannon club, fixed for Saturday of this week, and of the Manawatu club and the Terrace End club, both of which are to take place on the following Wednesday. Apologies for absence from the Levin opening were received from the president (Mr Blackwood) and members of the Shannon Club, and several members of the Levin club.

THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. The rain ceased for a few minutes, shortly after two o’clock and the club president, Mr C. Sherwood, addressed the gathering in the pavilion. He extended a very hearty welcome to all, and said he would make no apology lor the weather—they had to make the best of a bad job. lie was pleased to see quite a representative gathering of the ladies, who were a very necessary asset to the opening and to tdic club generally; it was an honour to have them as guests of the club. He was sorry that the players who had come from outside clubs would have little return for their trips on this occasion, there being-no prospect of a game. A hearty welcome awaited them, however, and he trusted that thc-y would make the most of a depressing day. The'pro tide at then called attention to ilie honours board, a handsome article made and presented to the club by a very esteemed member, in the person of Mr J. K. .Allen. The club was deeply indebted to him for his very generous gift. Tlie board contained the names of all the presidents since the incorporation of the club in 1921, also of two life members, the list being as follows: Presidents. —1921, E. S. Lancaster; 1922', J. D. Brown,-1923, W. Bull; 1924, M. j. Suhan; 1925, C. H. Pykc; 1926, E. Durham; 1927, E J.' Foss; 1928, J. D. Brown; 1929, C. 11. Sherwood. Life Members. —J. Mclntyre, IV. J. Kirk. Mr Sherwood expressed -regret that ind lferont health prevented the attendance of Mr Kirk, who was the donor of a valued trophy, the Kirk Ferns. He welcomed the Mayor and Mayoress (Mr and Mrs Blonkhorn), and asked His "Worship to address those present and afterwards declare the season open. ANCIENT AND HONOURABLE PASTIME.

The Mayor referred firstly to the weather, and raid that a facetious member had remarked that this opening was rather a "washout." They might remedy this misfortune, though, because at afternoon tea bowlers were always a cheerful crowd, and he trusted that everybody would be well entertained. His IVoinhip went on to say that he was not an active member of the Bowling Club, and for various reasons he had no hope that he would become one, although he would very' much iika to do so, because lie had always found bowlers to be among the

Luckily, there are still many who value form and colour before rarity, and who will not spoil the balance of their garden to find room for more plants than it can hold. The tost of a "good” plant to them is not whether they are the only possessors of it, but whether it is likely to be an ornament to the garden. Let ns have our collection enthusiasts, provided they are always very much in the minority. They have their place in horticulture, and an important one, for it is they who first try new plants, and oftentimes provide the lover of form and colour with something new and desirable. The true garden lover with artistic taste enough to appreciate form and line and colour, we must have; their influence is needed to correct the present day tendency to mnseuniise our gardens. The two mentalities are seldom found in the same person, and it is only the latter typo who can be relied on to judge a plant solely for its garden value, and how beautiful a garden is, that shows masses of one kind of flower or shrub, in preference to one plant of each kind of weighs it ssupposed benefits. He ga-th-flower it is possible to secure.

most sociable and friendly of frater nities.

HIS WORSHIP AN OLD-TIME BOWLER.

A member suggested that the reason for the Mayor's abstention from the game was that he was not old enough. “It is an ancient and honourable game/' Ilis Worship responded, “and we can say that the members are likewise ancient 'honourable /men." He added that lie thought lie had just about qualified to be a player, if other activities would permit. About twen-ty-five years ago he was a member of the \Kelburn Club, in Wellington, and had rsally cffjcyed Hie game. There had been :som,e jold and well-known New Zealanders in that club, «±' which he was a member for two or three years and in which he had never lost an opportunity of having a game. If not the first, it was one of the first bowling clubs in the Dominion to have lady members; those ladies ran their own section., of the club, and it made things quite bright and happy. Alongside the Levin Bowling Club was the Croquet Club, which probably served a similar purpose. HISTORICAL FEATURES.

His Worship then, spoke of the history of the bowling art. He said he had been surprised to find that it was one of the oldest British sports, ranking with archery. Authentic records cf it went back to the 12th and 13th centuries. One manuscript, dated 1299, was illustrated in a very spirited but —to present-day ideas —crude fashion, depicting the bowlers in the very eccentric atitudes which they still adopted.

A member: That is why the ladies cannot play. HiS ! Worship: I found that they could play, and very well indeed. Continuing Iris description of the past of bowls, the Mayor said that in those early times the game became so popular that' the King and the Legislature thought fit to ban it, uecause it interfered with the practice of archtry, which was so essential to the welfare of the country. In later days it fell under an interdict for other reasons; it became purely and simply a gambling glare, and the greens gained a-somewhat ill repute. A great revival characterised it in the early part of the 19th Century. The Scotch formed the first Bowling Association, and W. W. Mitchell, who was born in 1821, was deputed by the Scottish Association to draw up a code of rules, which

were |pradticaHy isame ias 'those existent at the present time. From

the time that those rules were laid down, the game had suffered no check. It had spread through all the Dominions, and it .was pleasing to note that, like football, it had helped to draw the Empire together. Teams from various Dominions visited each other. A member of this club, Mr M. J. Sulum. took part in a world-wide tour by a New Zealand team Inst year, and probably came back with more enthusiasm than ever. i ABOVE ALL, SOCIABILITY.

“It is the most sociable game that I know," Ilis Worship alddqu. “I have come very frequently ir. contact with bowlers, and on the green 1 have never heard a word showing iil-feei-in'g between or.e member and another. A game that lias those characteristics •must flourish and be an asset to the community. .We have our little frictions in business, but on coming to the green all those things are forgotten and we look fonvard from one playing day to another for a game. The older people' merely exist through the winter, but they live during the'bowling season —and they are always going to retire when the season is over. I hope they will live many years to enjoy the game, that the club will have a bright and happy season, and'that this day will be'one of the very few when you will not be able t:o play. I wish you every success, and formally declare the season open.” INFLUX OF NEW PLAYERS. The President stated'that ' the club had received about a dozen new members, and if any of the/i were present he extended to them a very hearty welcome and hoped that their stay would be one of enjoyment to .themselves and distinction to the club. He 1 rusted that the season would be a happy and prosperous one.

JACK AND FIRST BOWL. By this time the rain had come down again, and, as' there appeared to be no .immediate prospect of its clearing, it was decided not to whit, but to have the green technically opened by' the delivery of the first bowl. Protected by an umbrella held by the President Mrs Sherwood. rolled up the jack, securing an excellent length. The Mayor was invited to send up the first bowl, aitd, ias 'might' have been (eixpected, from the wet -state of the green, its bias was negligible, but His Worship, judged the distance with a bowler's

accuracy. He congraDilated Mrs Sherwood on the business-like manner in which she had rolled up ‘‘Kitty,” and then expressed his pleasure in declaring the green open. A sumptuous afternoon tea was served by the ladies, and a happy social hour was spent.