Bowls: Club meeting over green

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The Gonville Bowling Club members will meet on Thursday evening to decide whether the 103-year-old club should continue with two playing greens while also discussing pulling together for their future.

Notice of the special general meeting was sent out last week.

While Wanganui's number of active bowlers is spread across many different clubs of various sizes, Gonville president Brian O'Dea said their club's membership was still strong enough that they did not have to consolidate with anyone else.

Gonville has 40 active male members and 20 women.

"The financial position of the club is strong, but the amount of events that require two greens is probably down to two events per year," O'Dea said.

Therefore the costs for maintaining the second green was adding up.

"It's one of those 'nice to have' things, without a great many benefits."

O'Dea, who is looking to step down from the club presidency at the end of the year, said the second meeting item about the club's future was to address finding those who wanted to do a little more to help out.

After the country went to "seven-day shopping" a few decades ago, meaning that today many 40-50 year olds have weekend commitments other than social or sports clubs, Gonville now needed people able to take on more responsibilities.

"There are one or two clubs that have done very well at recruiting younger members Aramoho and Wanganui East," said O'Dea.

"Age can be quite punishing. It's fair to say that getting sufficient members to pull their weight is a problem.

"[The notice] gave those people cause to have a think and have a cause to do more."

The club was founded on Caius Avenue and first opened a green in 1911.

George Richard Saunders had named the spot when he sold some ground for urban development in 1898. Thursday's meeting starts at 6pm.