John Carter has just been made a Life Member of Bowls New Zealand.
If that sounds like a big deal, it is. There’s only ever been 13 life members of Bowls New Zealand, and John is the 13th.
Five of them are still alive, and still regularly seen around the bowls traps: Jean Ashby (2002); Peter Bellis (2003); Martin Christensen (2011); Ann Muir (2019) and now John Carter (2021).
Although only recently badged with life membership at the Annual General Meeting in Dunedin on 10th September 2022, John’s had the ‘freedom of bowls in New Zealand’ for a year now, after his award ceremony was postponed because of COVID.
“It was a privilege and an honour … and to join other respected names of New Zealand bowls,” John said on the day. “It was very humbling.”
It was also deserving. John’s administration credentials in the game are second-to-none … when it comes to looking after the game, John is one of those guys that can truly say ‘been there, done that.’
Administration has always been in his blood.
In his career … first as an accountant with one of Deloitte’s ancestors - Watkins Hull Wheeler and Johnston … then rising through the ranks of the Titan Group to become General Manager of Titan Cranes before retiring in 2007.
And in other sport … where he was the first secretary of the Wellington Rugby Supporters Club; an executive member of the Lower Hutt Athletic Club; and an executive member of the Mitchell Park Squash Club. He was also a player … representing Wellington at senior second division rugby; achieving a place in the hurdles at the national athletic championships; and winning the New Zealand C Grade Championship with the Mitchell Park Squash Team.
But in bowls he became a renowned administrator at club, centre, national and international level … after what could only be described as an unheralded introduction to the game.
“My father-in-law ushered me along to an Open Day at the Hutt Bowling Club,” John recalls. “I enjoyed the experience. But it was the end of the season, so I couldn’t carry on playing even if I wanted to. However, they promised to ring me at the start of the next season. And they did. So I started playing in the 1980/1981 season.”
“I consider myself a better than average player. Over the years I’ve won a dozen or so club titles, and reached the final at centre level on a few occasions without managing to end up in the winning team. I’ve been a regular at the Taranaki Fours … usually qualifying for post-section play and reaching the final eight on a couple of occasions.”
Perhaps realising that John’s talents lay elsewhere in the game, in 1988 the club asked him to stand for the executive and become Match Committee Convenor. It was the start of John’s love of bowls administration and bowls administration’s love of John.
“I have filled various roles in the club over the years and in 1992 became the club delegate to the Wellington Centre.”
“Retired Police Commissioner Bob Walton was President of the Wellington Centre at the time. He called me one night a few months into my first term as delegate and asked me to stand for the Centre Executive. Bob was the sort of guy who didn’t take ‘no’ for an answer … he was commissioner during the 1981 Springbok tour and the prime ministership of Muldoon. So in 1993, despite my protestations I was elected onto the executive of the Wellington Bowls Centre.”
“They were busy times. The men and women were amalgamating, and bowls was being corporatized. I became first President of Bowls Wellington in 1997, and Chair of the new Bowls Wellington Board. As well as a Bowls New Zealand Councillor.”
By 1999, John held positions at club level (Selector), centre level (Selector) and national level (Member of the Executive representing the Central Region).
“I became President of Bowls New Zealand in 2003. But funnily enough, I never became President of my club until 2007, after being both centre and national President.”
During and following John’s national presidency, he was appointed to the board of Bowls Events NZ Ltd (2004); the board appointments panel for Auckland Bowls (2004); the board of Bowls New Zealand (2005); and Chair of the Bowls New Zealand board in 2006.
“In 2011, I was appointed to a World Bowls sub-committee to review its organisational structure and other related matters. That lead to me being appointed the following year to the board of World Bowls representing Asia and Oceania.”
But all this was just keeping ‘Bowling John’ amused.
‘Crane John’ was still Councillor, President and Chair of the Crane Association of New Zealand; Chair of the Power Crane Association Industry Training Organisations; Director of Crane Training New Zealand Ltd; and Employer Assessor of the New Zealand General Drivers Award (sitting across the table from recently deceased trade union icon Ken Douglas).
And ‘Charitable John’ had also managed to fit in stints as a church Accountant and Finance Committee member; member of the Primary School Home & School Association; member of the St Bernard’s College Board of Governors and Board of Trustees; and Secretary and President of the St Bernard’s College Old Boys’ Association including the organisation of the College 25th jubilee celebrations.
If all that was not enough, ‘Author John’ has crafted missives for the coffee table about the history of cranes in New Zealand and a history of bowls in New Zealand.
His contributions are staggering … and have been given some recognition not only as a Life Member of Bowls New Zealand, but the Crane Association of New Zealand (1999); Bowls Wellington (2006); and the Hutt Bowling Club (2015).
These days, there’s another new John … ‘Horseracing John’.
“I’m in a syndicate of Hutt Bowling Club members which has a share in 6 horses. There’s 34 of us in it. And we all pay $20 a month. It’s all pretty small time stuff,” he laughs. “and we haven’t cracked the big time yet but we have had 5 winners to date. But it’s a lot of fun following them around. Two of them are racing at Hawkes Bay this weekend.”
Great stuff, John. Thanks for everything.
