A bespectacled White, looking far younger than his 80 years, says: "A prime reason why this club established itself was to contribute to the community."
Adds club president Greeks: "The club had been stagnant for years so amalgamating the club years ago means we can inject exciting tournaments and things."
The President's Day tourney is a beacon of that renaissance for Bowls Napier, which is a merger of the defunct Marewa Bowling Club and Napier Bowling Club in 2000.
"Ken's role as president is very important in the direction the club has taken," White explains.
The woolbroker, who retired at 65, firmly believes "socialising bowls" is the way for the code to succeed and entice new members. Effectively, the club is working on a blueprint to massage rules to enable people to play an abbreviated format, joining the revolutionary bandwagon akin to Twenty20 cricket, sevens rugby, speed golf, golf croquet and Fastnet netball.
"We need to get off our backsides to be innovative to find new ways to play the game. A lot of people are clinging on to the old ship," says White, adding the club is prepared for an influx of a different breed of members.
Greeks says breaking shackles of "old habits" is imperative.
"We want to get a good cross-section of people," he says, alluding to a successful business house tournament the club embraced more than a decade ago.
White, a member of the club for 35 years before the amalgamation, is a former president of the club (1989-91).
Bowls Napier now boasts 90 playing members and as many non-playing social ones.
He will miss tomorrow's tourney because of an injury.
Says White: "What was good 10 years ago is not good enough for us to survive today."
The recreational dollar, he emphasises, is the common denominator in keeping Bowls Napier afloat.
The Napier South fourth division soccer club also use the club premises for after-match functions on Saturdays during winter, contributing to the club's coffers with sales from food and beverages.
Greeks says they also hire out the clubrooms for functions.
That is not to say Bowls Napier is averse to the notion of championing success in the code's traditional formats.
Greeks points out the parent regional body, Bowls Hawke's Bay, last year named them top club and member Dave Stevenson clinched the top player honours.
"That keeps us in the past.
"Things have to change but we still want to be the top club and we have the top guy as a member."
Bowls Napier claimed 22 centre championship titles last year (Page 28, results).
Their junior bowlers, Chris Telford and Michelle Robinson, won singles and pairs championship centre titles, respectively.
White is a man of sober habits, not letting a drop of liquor pass his lips for more than a decade.
Asked what was the secret to his youthful looks, a jovial White replies: "Living a good life."
Then he does a U-turn: "Don't say that because because I don't do any of that."
Humour, no doubt, is an ingredient in the elixir of exuberance.
When he started becoming long in the tooth, White gravitated towards bowls to sustain his sporting life.
The former Napier Technical Old Boys premier club allrounder (seniors in his heyday), found traction with bowls after 15 years of the summer code in whites.
"I did it too late," White says, revealing he was like countless others who looked from the outside only to dismiss bowls as a sport the middle-aged and old often dabble in.
"I was completely wrong."
He also has coached bowls, among other sports.
His technique in mentoring evolves around a philosophy that golfers advocate - play the game between the ears.
"It's about putting into practice the inner strength, that is the mental side."
Tomorrow, 42 teams will descend on three greens.
Among them will be the defending champs, "The Gnomes" - a composite side of Ken O'Neil, brother/lead Pat O'Neil and Kevin Ives.
Greeks reckons the Gary Allerby (Waipawa), Bruce Stewart (Bowls Heretaunga) and Craig Faulkner (Bay View) skipped teams will give the Gnomes a run for their money.
Oh, and the Greeks-skipped host unit ("I don't want to be boastful") fancy their chances, too.
The dark horses, he says, are the side with ex-Wairarapa rep Brian Johnson (Havelock North).
Greeks hastens to add Stewart skipped a side to victory in the New Zealand RSA fours tournament, involving 68 teams in Tauranga last weekend.
The Bowls Napier tourney will have hetero (mixed male-female) teams as well. He picks the Judy Richards-skipped (Bay View) all-women team to throw down the gauntlet to the blokes.
Grinning from ear to ear, he is at pains to mention the Graeme Fulford-skipped combination have a chance but their leader has his work cut out.
"He'll have to improve because he's had a bad run of losses lately."
