ROWING.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 227, 25 September 1922, Page 8

ROWING.

WEST END CLUB. The annual report to be presented et tha thirty-eighth annual general meting of the I West End Rowing Club, to be held In th_ I boat house. St. Mary's Bay. Ponsonby. on i Wednesday, September 27, at 7.30 p.m., I states: — j The membership roll has been satisfacI torlly maintained. It, at present, consists 'of 140 active. 22 honorary, and n life members. As in past years the membership hai had a tendency to fluctuate considerably. j This may be attributed to reasons, th. majority "of which are insurmountable. It might be mentioned that in the rxI perience of your committee there appears !to have been a failure c.n the part of pre- : sent-day members to recognise the high i privilege attaching to membership of the I ,-lub. founded only after saortflcia' effort. on the part of a few devotees (some of whom still survive. and are numbered ' among our main supporters). This failure lon the part of some is manifested by a ■ laxity in co-operatiug with your committee. j with whom the promotion of their own well-being rests An improvement in the membership organisation might he effected, and perhaps I the following suggested solution of the dllficultv could be considered in the future. viz.':—The appointment of a Membership I Organising Committee. whose allotted 1 duties would be to specialise in the tuition !of new members: the development of th,I honorary membership list: promotion of friendship between one another: and to exercise attention to the general welfare of all members. The duties arising from I such an office would necessarily be of an j arduous nature, but should meet with timely results. The financial affairs of The club have I materially changed from tbe previous year. It will lie noted that the bank account is considerably overdrawn. This Is due to the. plant that has been on order for a period of three years coming to hand all at one time and' in addition through the purchase lof three skiffs from G. Norton, Wellington. I and also a large stock of racing oars. We I are of tbe opinion that the club is in a very prosperous position, and we consider that if the next two or three seasons are as flnunciallv good as the past one has been I the present liabilities of the club will be I liquidated. The members are fo be congratulated 00 having one of the finest plants In the Dominion. During the season the fleet has I been augmented by the installation of the ! following new boats: —One "Norton'" dlnj ker racing four, two "Norton*' clinker pracI tice stumps, one "Edwards'' clinker racing ! stump, two "Edwards" clinker practice fours, making a total of sii new boats. According to the lmest advice received from Messrs. Edwards and Sons. Melbourne, ihe remaining portion of our order, viz.. one practice four and one best and beet pairoar convertible, is vow on the water and should arrive shortly. In addition to the | above boats, the club has purchased a large stock of racing oars, sufficient for the next two seasons. Four sets of practice oars have been purchased ready for the newseason, and together with the practice oars already in use. should see the club well into next year. The whole of the plant has been thoroughly overhauled, and tha boats are in splendid condition for the As is usual, there will probably be alterations in the committee, io be elected at the annual meeting. We would like mem bers to think seriously over the selection of officers beforehand, and not to make a hurried choice at the meeting. We mention I this so that there might not be any dissatisfaction afterw-arrts. for once your officers I are elected, good or bad, you are in duty bound to support them. The club cannot I afford to have any dissatisfied members. llt must have al! taking an interest in it.* welfare, feeling proud of being connected ■ with su'-li a club, and with so clean and healthy a sport. Your past members, elder members, and supporters hare provided yon with a splendid boat house, and a fleet tbs: is equal to any in the Dominion. For ttuhonour of the clnb It behoves the present members to do their best to uphold Irs traditions, and strive to keep the W E R C well to the fore. Those taking office should accept same as a grave responsibility, fee; ling that they have a year's work before them, together wjth a great amount cf selfsacrifice; thus, dnd thus only, will they help the club along.