Club Officers

Those few become green supervisors and are constantly forced to listen to criticism or advice from all the other "experts". Some manage to continue with a consistent policy. Others break under the strain.

Each club in turn has had successful seasons with good greens and their green supervisors have been hailed as having "Found the Answers". Each club in turn has seasons when the turf refused to grow well and the mana of the supervisor declined. It must be stressed, however, that all the criticism is not destructive. The supervisors of all greens have met on many occasions to discuss their problems.

The history of this club must include several sad stories of the fate of green supervisors. When the new greens were being prepared in 1922-23 no one was more active than Alfred Wilkinson. He was made a life member in 1923 (the only life member elected between 1919 and 1932) and he was President in 1925.

However, he was not always happy and the minutes of the Committee meetings at that time are sprinkled with complaints from Wilkinson that he was not selected when teams were picked.

On 25 May, 1923, "Mr. A. Wilkinson wrote advising his intention to give up supervision of the new green. The action was due to petty slanders, boycotting and intruge by members".

Now about this time some bright spark decided that he would play better bowls if the heavy roller (which is long gone), but it was an immense tank filled with water and this used on the green after the turf had been thoroughly soaked.

Wilkinson did not agree but on 1st March 1927, a Special General Meeting was called after a petition signed by 27 members asked to have the green heavy rolled after rain. It was decided to instruct the green's Committee to have the green heavy rolled. Wilkinson resigned.

However, he was persuaded later to continue his work which included taking care of not only the greens, but the gardens, the clubhouse (that is the three storied building now called Lynton Lodge), the billiard table etc.

After periods of uneasy peace including false accusations that Wilkinson had profited financially when the clubhouse was bought in 1923, he finally wrote on 5th February, 1929, asking that his name be erased from all the club records and honours boards and that at his death no mention be made concerning him.

We can only imagine what the poor man felt, living across the street and trying to disregard the activity at his beloved Club. On 5 July, 1932, a letter of sympathy was sent re the loss of his left hand. In May, 1938, members of the Club attended his funeral and a wreath was sent.

Walter Carter was very upset when, after he had given 5½ years of service as green supervisor it was proposed to set up a Committee to tell him how to do the job. The resulting argument split the Club in half. This is how it happened.

At the AGM on 7 September, 1938, (note the date) Alan C. Rout came with a carefully prepared motion "that a Committee of three be set up to supervise the greens, and a committee of six be set up as a grounds or garden committee". This was seconded by A.W. (Bunny) St. John and carried.

Several members including W. Carter, were asked to join the Committee but declined. Nomination was accepted by H.G. Kingsland, R.N. Fletcher and N. Rout. The President, Hugh Crawley, thanked W. Carter for his services and hoped that the Club would not lose his support.

However, there must have been some dissatisfaction because the next day the Secretary, Bob Stiles distributed a printed notice dated 8 September, calling a Special General Meeting on 14 September to consider "rescinding the resolution passed at the AGM relative to the appointment of a green committee and to request Mr. Carter to retain the office of Green Supervisor".

On 14 September, forty members turned up and the President opened by reading a prepared speech appealing for harmony and good will. ".....there is a very serious danger of the Club becoming divided against itself".

However, the debate concentrated on whether or not the meeting was legal as only 6½ days notice had been given instead of the statutory 7 days. When a motion was put that the meeting proceed, there were several dissenting voices and the President closed the meeting.

It was a fortnight later on 28 September, when the general committee held its next meeting. There was a letter from Norm Rout as Secretary of the green committee stating that Harry Kingsland was chairman and asking for a list of duties.

The Club Secretary, Bob Stiles, stated that he had taken legal opinion from Glasgow, Rout (i.e. Cyril Rout) and Cheek; their reading of the rules of the Club was that the green committee should be appointed by the General Committee so that the appointment by the AGM was not valid.

The President admitted that he was in error by allowing the motion to be put at the AGM. He then moved the appointment of the green committee, that had been proposed at the AGM.

This was passed and W. Carter resigned. He said "the AGM had done him a great service - he was now a free man". Harry Kingsland became green supervisor.

During the next ten years "Bunny" St. John was green supervisor for some time. He died while working on the green on 23 February, 1952. However, Harry Kingsland had taken over from him again in 1948 and was reporting "bitter opposition" to his attempts to improve the green.

Eric Moss was supervisor 1953-60; Norm Adamson 60-62, when Phil Vining took over.

The Club owes a great debt to Phil Vining. He was responsible for many improvements to the facilities of the Club: the bridge from Examiner Street into the upper storey of the pavilion; the bird bath on the front lawn; the fence on the north of the lower green; the concrete banks of both greens; assistance with the modernising of the clubrooms etc.

He was greens supervisor from 1962 to 1973 and during that time he made the greens of the Nelson Club the envy of the district, in demand by the Centre for all its fixtures, and reported by visiting turf culture experts as equal to the best in New Zealand.

Nevertheless there were some who thought the greens were not good enough for them. In particular they wanted the turf cut shorter. extracts from the minutes of a meeting of the General Committee on 9 February 1971, "Mr Vining complained about the mower being altered after he had set it and Mr. Morrison stated that in his opinion it would appear that the greens committee were not working in with the greens supervisor".

Phil Vining made several offers to resign, but was persuaded to continue until 1973. There were no offers to take his place and eventually Andy Hedwig became acting supervisor, He sought advice from men who had been successful with cotula greens; Frank Smith from the Riverlands Club in Blenheim paid several visits; Eddie Beatson from the Tahunanui Club came regularly for a couple of seasons; Max Inwood of the United Club often looked in.

Lou Atger was employed as greenkeeper 1974-78 and worked hard to produce good playing conditions.

Stewart Easton took over from Any Hedwig as greens supervisor in 1978. The various steps taken to improve the greens are detailed in a later chapter.