PIONEER MOTORCYCLE CLUB.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20909, 17 July 1933, Page 6

PIONEER MOTORCYCLE CLUB.

CONSTITUTION AMENDED. NO TK.MJK MEMBERS ON COMMITTEE. An amendment to the constitution of the Pioneer Motor-Cycle Club, adopted at the annual meeting on Saturday evening, renders trade members ineligible for election to the motor committee. The amendment, which was carried unanimously. restricts membership of the committee to private owners, represented by the president, two vice-presidents, the captain, vicecaptain, and five others. Mr R. H. Parker presided over the mooting. Mr E. J. Bradshaw moved:

"That, rule ."» concerning the constitution of the Pioneer Motor-Cycle Club be amended to provide that in> trade member shall be eligible lor election as a member of the motor committee and that the membership of the motor committee be reduced in number to 10, which shall comprise president, two vice-presidents, captain, vice-captain, and committee of live.

"That for the purpose of this rule the definition of a trade member shall be as follows: principals of motor-car or motor-cycle agencies wholesale or retail, garages, workshops, and any of their employees (an employee being one who is employed on either a salary or commission basis'." Trade Interest Problem. Proposing the motion, Mr Bradshaw said he did not wish to be antagonistic towards aii3 r trade member of the club but he thought no one would disagree with him that right from the beginning trade interest had been a problem for the club. The trade, no doubt was a support, but the very word trade suggested business, and as a general rule in business nothing was given without something being received in return. Trade support was given with an object. A tradesman spent money on the spot, simply because he hoped to get something out of it. The trade was quite entitled to make a business deal out of it, but when its interest became an interest in the committee then 1 rouble came. Differences were liable to arise between two trade interests: one, say, with representation on the committee to one without. If trade interests were wiped off the committee then all firms would be on the same footing. Wins at race meetings would then carry much more weight. Cure for Club's IllsMr A. D. Tench, who seconded the motion, said that speaking as a trade member he thought there was a great deal to recommend it. There was a strong feeling in the club that a committee of private members was the only cure for its ills. Although the motion would exclude him from the committee he would still give his whole-hearted support. Mr R. Lovegrove said that it was difficult to get a number of private owners to take sufficient interest in the work of the committee. He knew of another club which had tried to do without trade members on the committee, and the experiment had been a failure. The presence of trade members on a committee made for more efficiency in the selection of events. He did not think it possible to cut the trade out of the committee and still run the club satisfactorily.

Position of Excluded Members. Mr G. A. Hayman said that he doubted whether the molion, it carried. would cure the club"s ills. Something would have to be done to conciliate those members who would be excluded from the committee. If their position was pointed out to them then all would be well, but at present the trade interests thought it a direct hit at them.

Mr Bradshaw claimed that full support could be expected from private members. As far as Mr Hayman's remarks were concerned, trade interests should see that they would all be on the same footing, and they could surely agree still to support the club under those conditions. The motion was then carried unanimously without further discussion. The annual report, a summary of which has already been published in "The Press," was adopted. Election of Officers. The following officers were elected: —Patron, Mr F. R. Jones; president, Mr E. J. Bradshaw; vice-presidents, Messrs R. H. Parker and F. P. Sprosen; captain. Mr V. C. Browne; vice-cap-tain, Mr E. H. Buckley; committee, Messrs H. S. Butcher, W. Lawrence, G. le Vaillant, \V. Rosengrave, and M. B. Grant. On the motion of Mr W. H. Benson it was decided to make a recommendation to the incoming committee to consider the control of the public at beach race meetings.

Appreciation of the servicer of Mr Parker as president was expressed by several members, and on the motion of Mr F. P. Sprosen lie was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.

Mr Parker has been a member of the committee for 16 years, and president, for 12 years.