Early AGMs 1897-1915

1897 Annual General Meeting (Globe Hotel, Paisley)
  It was agreed that the meetings of the association would be held in a central location, so Paisley it was. For many years the AGM was held in the Globe Hotel, in the High Street. It was also decided to correlate the Challenge Cup results from the same place. The meeting in the Globe Hotel, Paisley for the presentation of the cup in one of the earlier years was more novel than elevating, more acrimonious than courteous.

The state of affairs was initiated by a modest protest by a club from the Greenock area representative against the winners securing the cup on account of an alleged infringement of the rules by playing a skip out of position and a similar protest was made by a Johnstone club. Instead of the secretary simply, as an official taking note of the protest and leaving his committee to deal with it, he questioned the right of the two representatives to make the protest and the after proceedings were – well least said the better.
The rule was as follows: In the case of a driver (skip) being unable, from any cause, to play as directed, he will not be permitted to fill any other position or take any part whatever in the game for that year, and a substitute must be provided by his club to take his place. A player who is a member of more than one green is not permitted to play on either bowling green. To save any further controversy it was decided that the rules should be drawn up and circulated to every club in the association, because at this time it had never been done.
The following year, one of the protesting clubs won the cup, and the winners from the previous year refused to hand the cup over to them. In the meantime as the original club had not been disqualified as should have happened, they were dropped from the next Renshaw Cup draw. It took several meetings and almost a year for the cup to be handed over to the rightful owner.
It had been proposed that prize money should be added to go along with the cup to bring a little more interest into the game, so in 1904 this duly happened, the prize being £2 2/-. Fortunately the clubs in the association were only too happy to go with the increase in subscription.
As Lochwinnoch Bowling Club had managed to win the cup in 1904 and 1905 which was a feat in itself as Lochwinnoch did not have a green to play on, as their new green would not be ready for another year, so under the rules of the competition they would now be the proud owners of said cup. Mr Renshaw had been informed and said he would be delighted to give the association a new cup for the 1906 season run under the same conditions as the last one. Lochwinnoch being the seat of cabinet making, they presented the association with a beautifully polished mahogany case for the new cup. At a meeting in 1906, consideration was given to a champion of champion’s competition as representatives thought that this would create a greater interest in the association. After all agreed, the inaugural game would take place in 1907.
Thomas Taylor bowls makers were approached for sponsorship and they agreed to supply a pair of silver mounted bowls to the winner, but only for the first year. The champion’s game was greatly received by the clubs. The Paisley clubs did agree to allow Renshaw singles ties on their greens. The first Renshaw singles was played in 1907 and the champion was Mr William Clewes (jnr) from Bowfield which was a great tribute to his club as at that time they only had 12 members. The 1908 Challenge Cup competition was played on 27th June this year, with Barrhead winning it for the second consecutive time, making the cup theirs to keep. Sir Charles Bine Renshaw, Bart., was advised of this at the time and replied that he would gladly give another cup to be competed for such was his interest in the game of bowls.
The winner of the 1908 champion’s game was James Wallace of Barrhead defeating John Smith of Blacklandmill 21-14, winning the 2 guineas prize money put up from the association funds. Once again in 1909 it was proposed that each club should enter three rinks for the cup game instead of two a present. This motion was defeated, status quo. It was also related that Langbank were with-drawing from the Association. In this year R. G. Lawrie, bowls makers donated a pair of silver mounted bowls to be given to the winner of the champion of champion’s single handed competition being Robert Aitken of Elderslie Wallace defeating Robert Neil of Old Kilbarchan by 21-15. The winner thought it would be an idea for the prize to be presented at the Elderslie Wallace presentation of prizes. The association were only too glad to agree to this.

Committee Meeting 16th June 1910
 A letter was read from Mr Henry Mechan, Scotstoun, who was the prospective Unionist candidate for West Renfrewshire offering at this date four gold medals to the highest up rink in the Renshaw Cup competition, which was gratefully accepted. The Renshaw cup was won this year by Old Kilbarchan who also had the highest up rink, winning in a play off at the second attempt as the weather put paid to the original game on Elderslie Wallace green against a Bridge of Weir rink that also had finished 23 shots to the good. The highest up rink was the Old Kilbarchan four of Walter Houston, Matthew Blair (sen), William Gibson and George Gibson skip.

R G. Lawrie said they could not put up the first prize for the champions game this year, so the secretary was instructed to find a new sponsor. If one could not be found then it was proposed that an extra 2/6d be levied on each club. This was agreed by all clubs, reverting back to the 2 guineas prize money.
An application for membership to the association was received from Woodend BC (Jordanhill) and also from Inverkip. It was agreed that the clubs would be admitted. Again it was proposed that three rinks from each club should play in the Cup game. Motion once again defeated so no change to the number of rinks for the cup game. In 1911 the gold medals for the highest up rink were won by the Inkerman rink of James Orr, Thomas Gray, G. Buchanan and W. Chalmers skip, being 25 shots up and the champion was Alex Johnston from Lochwinnoch beating Allan Stirling from Barrhead 21-10. The final in 1912 was between J. Beveridge of Neilston and George Craig of Johnstone, the former carrying off the 2 guineas prize.

1913 Annual General Meeting(Globe Hotel, Paisley)
In this year Hawkhead Asylum Bowling green applied and were accepted for membership. The gold medals for the highest up rink presented by Mr Henry Mechan from Scotstoun went to the Lilybank rink composed of Hugh Jamieson, Arthur McDonald, Allan Stewart sen, and John Richardson. The champion of champion’s was C. McEvoy, Lilybank, defeating J. Dunlop from Woodend 21-20.

1914 Annual General Meeting(Globe Hotel, Paisley)
Letters were read from Woodend BC withdrawing from the membership of the association, and one from the new Kilbarchan green making application for membership, which meant that two Kilbarchan greens were now entered into the association. This application was accepted. It was also agreed that the prize money to the runner up in the Champion of Champions game would be raised to 15/-. The meeting felt that because of all the extra work involved, the Secretary’s honorarium would be increased by half a guinea.

The gold medal winners for the Renshaw Cup highest up rink went to a rink from Inverkip made up of Peter Gray, James McLean, William Hutchison, and James McCumiskey being 23 shots up. The champion this year is Matt Blair from Kilbarchan defeating John McDonald from Elderslie Wallace 21-11.

1915 Annual General Meeting (Geo. Temperance Hotel)
This was  the first year that the George Temperance Hotel was used as a base for the association. A consensus was taken due to the unusual circumstances prevailing at this time by the war, regarding the continuance of the competitions this season. It was agreed to continue at this time. The gold medals for the highest up rink went to a rink from Bridge of Weir; the team being William Weir, John Pinkerton, Robert R. Telfer, and John Findlay, skip. Owing to a large number of Neilston’s players being with the colours that club was unable to compete but still retained its membership.


This was the George (Temperance) Hotel
2 Smithills Street