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Bowls

I.
THIS Association shall be called "NORTHAMPTONSHIRE BOWLING ASSOCIATION," and shall be composed of all the Bowling Clubs in the County, who shall intimate their willingness to join on or before the 1st day of May, 1906, and those Clubs who shall be admitted as hereinafter provided.

II.
Any Club desiring to join the Association after the 1st day of May, 1906, shall make application in writing to the Secretary, and may be admitted by the Management Committee called for the purpose of considering such application. The election shall be by ballot, but no Club shall be admitted except by a majority of two-thirds of those present and voting.

III.
The Association shall be managed by a Committee consisting of one representative from each Club, whose names shall have been forwarded by the Secretaries of the respective Clubs to the Secretary of the Association on or before the 1st day of June annually.

IV.
The Annual Meeting of the Management Committee shall be held on the second Wednesday in June to elect from the members of the affiliated Clubs a President, Vice-Presidents, two Trustees, Treasurer and Secretary, who shall continue in office until the next Annual Meeting, and to conduct the draw for the Cup. Five members shall form a quorum. The Secretary shall call other meetings of the Management Committee when necessary. Seven days' notice to be given in writing of any meeting. The Chairman shall have a casting vote at all meetings.

V.
Each of the Clubs joining the Association shall subscribe the sum of One Guinea Entrance Fee and an Annual Subscription of Ten Shillings, and the Management Committee shall purchase out of the funds so raised a pair of Bowls or such other prize as may be decided upon by them to be presented to the winners of the Cup. The Annual Subscription shall be paid on or before 1st June, and in the case of a newly-elected Club on notification of election.

VI.
The Management Committee shall have power, in the event of its being found necessary, to assess a small sum to be paid annually by each Club for the purpose of defraying any incidental expenses.

VII.
Any Club may withdraw from the Association by giving notice in writing to the Secretary on or before the 1st day of June in any year, such Club shall thereby forfeit all right and interest in the Cup and in the funds of the Association, and be thereafter in the same position as if it had never been a member of the Association.

VIII.
The Association shall exist so long as at least two Clubs continue to carry out the objects of the Association, and in the event of all the Clubs except one having withdrawn from the Association, or refusing to carry out its objects, the Cup shall be handed over to the two Trustees.

IX.
The Cup shall be played for annually on the third Thursday in July. On that day the greens of all the affiliated Clubs shall be placed at the disposal of the Association, who shall be entitled to select any or all of such greens on which the Cup shall be played for. Providing that only two Clubs remain in the Association, such Clubs shall arrange for the competition to be played upon a neutral green.

X.
Each Club entering for the Cup shall be bound to compete with 16 players, and the names of the players in rinks of four shall be sent to the Secretary of the Association on or before the 1st day of June annually. In the event of any of the players whose names have been sent in not being able to play on the date fixed for the competition, the Club to which such member belongs shall have the power of selecting another one of its members to take his place, but no Club shall have the power to change any of its players from one rink to another rink. Any selected player who shall play on the chosen green for his rink within one week of the date of the competition, except in a home-and-home match previously arranged or in a M.C.B.A. or B.B.A. competition, shall be disqualified.

XI.
At the Annual Meeting the whole of the names in rinks of four shall be drawn, arranging so that no rink shall be drawn against another rink representing the same Club, and that the greens to be played upon shall be drawn so that no rink shall play on its own green. No Club, whose annual subscription is unpaid, shall be drawn for the Cup.

XII.
The competition shall be played under E.B.A. rules, and each game shall consist of 21 ends, but an extra end shall be played, which shall be counted only in the event of a tie between two or more Clubs. Should two Clubs still tie on the extra end being added, they shall play off the tie on a day to be arranged by them, and on a neutral green chosen by the Management Committee. Two trial ends shall be played before the first end of the competition is played. All games shall be begun not later than 4 p.m., and any rink which fails to appear at the place arranged by that time shall forfeit the game, and their opponents shall count as many points as the other three rinks belonging to their Club have scored on the average.

XIII.
The winner shall be the Club which having won with all four rinks scores the greatest majority of points over its opponents. In the event of no Club winning with all four rinks, the winners shall be the Club which wins three and ties on the fourth rink; or should this not occur, wins three rinks and the highest majority of points over its opponents after the points down of the losing rink have been deducted.

XIV.
Each Club on whose green the competition is being played shall appoint one of its members to act as Umpire for the players, whose decision regarding any dispute shall be final. He shall also make arrangements to report the results of the games played on his Club green to the Secretary of the Association at the place arranged immediately they are finished.

XV.
The President of the winning Club shall have possession of the Cup for the yeiir, and shall be personally responsible for it.

XVI.
proposed alteration to each of the affiliated Clubs, so that it may be submitted to the Annual General Meetings of these Clubs; but no alteration shall be made unless approved by a majority of the Clubs represented at the Annual Meeting of the Association.

Any proposal to alter these Rules should be made through the representative of any one of the affiliated Clubs, who shall give notice thereof in writing to the Secretary of the Association not later than the 1st day of January in any year, and he shall intimate the proposed alteration to each of the affiliated Clubs, so that it may be submitted to the Annual General Meetings of these Clubs; but no alteration shall be made unless approved by a majority of the Clubs represented at the Annual Meeting of the Association.

The Rushden Echo 6th August 1915, transcribed by Kay Collins

Bowls – A handicap concluded on the Queen Victoria green on Monday was won by J. Rawson (5 start), 21, the runner-up being E. Linnitt (8 start), 18.

Rushden Echo, 14th July 1916, transcribed by Kay Collins

Bowls–Rushden Town Bowling Club team on Saturday paid a visit to Raunds, losing by four points. Scores: –Rink 1: Skip Mr. W. L. Beetenson (Rushden) 24, Skip Mr. W. Patrick (Raunds) 23. Rink 2: Skip Mr. R. R. Brown 16, Skip Mr. A. Lawrence 18. Rink 2: Skip Mr. A. Cox 14, Skip Mr. R. Harris 17. Totals Rushden 54, Raunds 58.


Rushden Echo, 26th February 1926, transcribed by Kay Collins

Rushden Bowling Club
Annual Meeting of the Estates Company - A Successful Year

Last night the annual meeting of the Rushden Central Estates Co. Ltd, was held at the Waverley Temperance Hotel, Mr T Swindall (chairman of the director) presiding, supported by Mr W L Beetenson (secretary to the Company).

Mr Beetenson gave the director’s report, and said that the deficit of £252 15s 11d had been chiefly occasioned by depreciation on the Company’s assets during the existence of the Company.

On the proposition of the Chairman, seconded by Mr A Allebone, the report was adopted.

The Rushden Estates Co Ltd, balance sheet showed on the expenditure side: Depeciation written off, bowling green, £12; new building, £16; fixtures and fittings, £4. A net loss of £30 0s 1d was carried to the profit and loss appropriation account, bringing the total deficit up to £252 15s 11d. (last year, £213 0s 4d).

The balance sheet was adopted.

The election of the directors resulted in their re-election. Mr Beetenson was re-elected secretary and Mr L G Roberts was re-elected auditor.

Town Bowling Green

The annual meeting of the Rushden Town Bowling Club was held immediately after, Mr Swindall again presiding, being supported by Mr B M Jones (bowls secretary).

An apology for non-attendance was received from Mr Owen Parker, the president of the club, who in his letter expressed satisfaction at the financial position of the club.

The annual report was given by the secretary, who said they had arranged 21 matches and 20 of those had been played, inclement weather making the playing of the other match impossible. Of the matches, ten had been won, one drawn, and nine lost. The shots scored had been 1,660 for the club, and 1,474 had been scored against them, leaving a margin in favour of the club of 186. That was a very satisfactory and encouraging result, but one they hoped would be surpassed. They congratulated Mr Allebone on being again elected as senior vice-president of the Northants Bowling Association, and also the seven members of the Club who had been elected to Rushden Urban Council and one to the Board of Guardians. The cup competitions had been taken up in excellent manner, the entries having been: Owen Parker Cup, 42; Allebone Cup, 42; Knight Bros. Cup, 36. The season had been a very satisfactory one, both from the playing point and the financial outlook. They had to thank the ladies for helping with the teas and at the whist drives and dances. The season had been a very good playing season. The outlook for 1926 was distinctly encouraging. They had a county match to be played on their green, and also the leather Trades Cup Competition. (Applause)

Mr Jones’s report was adopted, and, as Mr Jones was relinquishing his post, several members paid tribute to the splendid work done for the club by the secretary.

Mr Jones, in replying, thanked the members of the club for their support during his term of office, and said that the committee had helped him very much during his period of office.

The Bowling Club balance-sheet showed, among other items of expenditure: Wages, etc., £128 7s. 4d.; refreshments, teas £25 18s. 3d., bar £140 9s. 3d.; rates, £22 15s.; sand, manure and carting, £18 13s.; rent to the Central estates Co. Ltd., £48 5s. The receipts included: Subscriptions and donations, £141 3s.; competition fees, £9 17s.; refreshments, teas £37 15s. 3d., bar £179 10s. 5d., fruit £2 11s.; whist drive profits, £26 15s. 2d. the net loss carried forward was shown to be £13 1s. 9d. The balance sheet was adopted.

The election of officers resulted: President, Mr Owen Parker; vice-president, Mr T Swindall; captain, Mr B Ladds; vice-captain, Mr John Harris; secretary, Mr W H Marriott; treasurer, Mr Frank Tye; committee, Messrs R R Brown, A Allebone, W L Beetenson and E E Perkins, and the Rev C J Keeler.

Mr Jones then read the next season’s attractive fixture list.



Presented to

Spencer Park Bowling Club

Rushden

by

Alderman C W Horrell

1926


Photo Courtesy of Rushden Museum


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