Timing of tea break top of the agenda

It’s funny times in bowls when the time of a tea break takes up more discussion than the worrying financial state of the centre.

And that’s what happened at a marathon Bowls Manawatu annual meeting at the Palmerston North club yesterday.

Of all the items on the agenda, it was the midweek Skoglund Triples competition that attracted the most interest, with lengthy debate over changing the number of teams, next summer’s format and, most importantly, when the tea break should be taken.

The centre announced a deficit of $8623, way down from last year’s $12,702 surplus, but that barely raised a murmur from the floor, whereas the remit over when tea breaks should be held in the Skogs got the crowd talking.

Palmerston North, who put the remit in, wanted the break to be after 10 completed ends, which constitutes a game, to maintain the social side and give players a break on hot days.

Some wanted the tea break optional, some thought the visiting team should decide and others wanted it set in stone at one time.

After a while Manawatu president Tony Woodley summed it up best. ‘‘We’ve spent five minutes on a financial report that had an $8000 deficit and now we’ve spent half an hour on a cup of tea,’’ he said.

The rigorous discussion meant those at the meeting needed a smoko, but it was eventually settled that afternoon tea would be after 10 ends, or at the end of the day’s play.

Manawatu manager Vern Sixtus spelled it out clearly why the money had gone down.

‘‘Our biggest problem this year was there was virtually no sponsorship,’’ he said. ‘‘We never got any grants from anybody.

‘‘We got sponsorship of our men’s and women’s four [about $500]. But the rest was down dramatically from the previous year by $15,000, which makes a big hole in the balance sheet.’’

This was also without Sixtus again declining to take his manager’s salary for the year.

Membership has declined from 730 to 661 which, along with the deficit, meant affiliation fees had to be raised from $24 to $27.50.

Manawatu are looking to cut expenditure in the next year and may employ someone to help find sponsorship.

Costs of representative teams was brought up and whether rep players should cover more expenses of going to tournaments to help the centre.

Despite financial concerns, the Skogs were the most popular item in the other remits.

It was decided team numbers will change to be a team of six (two teams of three), rather than nine players.

Some clubs were having difficulty getting numbers together to have nine players, so six was agreed on, and they will still be able to enter combined club teams.

The other remit regarding the Skogs was about the format, which took a while to thrash out. After a lot of talk it was decided the tournament sub committee would decide the format before the season.

Ashhurst wanted to make the Manawatu five-year-and-under singles event a restricted tournament, so players from outside Manawatu can’t enter, but it didn’t pass a vote.

It was also decided Manawatu will now have four selectors rather than two.

There will now be one men’s selector for seniors and masters, and one for eight years and under, as well as the same for women.

Woodley was elected unopposed for his third term as president and Carolyn Puett (Kimbolton and District) was voted in as vicepresident.

Eric Cairncross (Palmerston North), Lyn Elphick (Northern), Flora Hirst (Bulls), John Mitchell (Foxton and Beach) and Graham Black (Northern) were all voted on to the board.

The other members are Norah Bacon (Hokowhitu) and Ailsa Lindsay (Terrace End).