BOWLERS' FRATERNISE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 216, 31 January 1913, Page 5

BOWLERS' FRATERNISE.

I VISTTOBS ENTERTAINED. I \ I Bowlers—their numbers' were legion—" ! fraternised in Messrs. May and Arrow- [ smith's rooms last night, a'very pleasant I evening being spent in song, story, and I smoke, with a little speech-making sandj wiched in. Mr. A. Goldwater (President of. the TaranaM Bowling Association), was in the chair. It was a typical bowlers' "smoke 0," brimming over with evii dences of that spirit of camaraderie, ! which seems peculiar to the order. A | lengthy toast-list, interspersed with j I songs, recitations and the like, was gone I j through. - ~ : A In proposing the toast of the "Visit-* | Ing Teams" the chairman said that as' I president of the Association he had weM I corned the visiting players on the open- | ing day, and he was then amazed at the large congregation. .He knew the numfoer of rinks coming, but he had no idea of the big crowd they would make. A bowler should be as loyal to his brother bowler as to his king. The heart of every bowler was open and,.he -(the speaker) was ever ready to put his hand in his pocket when a fellow bowler had fallen on hard times. He trusted that the present tournament was only a fore--Tunner of equally as large,' if not larger, one at New Plymouth next year. 'He regretted that there were not more country teams in the final. The Shield had gone vound from club to cTub for seven years, and had been held bv five i different clubs. Response was made by representatives of the various clubs. A point was made by Mr. Parkinson (president of the Haw'era Club), when he impressed upon members of clubs the necessity of considering very car-s£ally -before the "open-door" policy. 'Tndc'v the new regulations he thought it extremely probable that Taranaki would be made a centre. Mr. Surrey (Tnglewood) spoke o" ihe general good management of the tn.rnament. and the unbounded hosp'.rality. As an individual player, he pointed rut to senior clubs that picking a few of the best men and letting the remaining *•) ft for themselves was not going to curse the greatest satisfaction. It -vould be better for clubs to distribute their "tcp- > notchers" over their various rinks.

Mr. James (Waverley) also urged the clubs to give their voting players a chance in the tournament, where tiicv would learn more in a year than in three to four years on their own club's greens. Without exception the representatives of_ various other clubs-, in responding, laid stress nn the very excellent way in which they had been entertained at New Plvmouth. Mr. George Grey proposed the toast of the "President and Officers of the Association." The success of the tournament was in- itself a tribute to the good work of the Association. There was no doubt that New Plymouth was the only town at present' that ,could provide the requisite number of greens for the rinks competing in the tournament. Personally, he was in favour of the suggested "open-door" policv, and he outlined several reasons on its behalf. Touching on the appeal of previous speakers for the young players, Mr. Grey said that his experience was that the match committees did not- always know the good players, and therefore could not pick them out if they wished to. > Tn reply. Mr. Goldwater said the Association was formed five years' ago, when there were nine clubs." now they were well into double figures. In fact, at present there were from 700 to 1000 followers of the game in the province. There was no doubt that numerous small clubs would, within the next few years, spring up and join the ranks of the Association. Incidently, he said that it was evident that business could have no (.hue where bowling was concerned. He then went on to say that these tournaments brought the northerners and southerners into friendly contact with each other once a year, but he thought that this was not sufficient. The northern clubs should pay individual visits-to their southern brethren. He thought that, they should drop the "prize business," and play simply for the Shield. The game of bowls should be played for pure love and honor. Concluding, he said that during the present tournament, he had not heard one murmur or dispute, the umpires* decisions never being questioned. On the entertainment side contribu-" i.tions to (lie programme were given bv the. Rev. A. H. Colvile and Messrs. J. TTaslam. W. IT. Hawkins, C. Weston. Tunbridge, Christensen (Patea), H. Johnston, IT. Brooks, J. Bennett, and Mr. W. Perry, who also presided at the piano.