TENNIS ADMINISTRATION DISPUTE NOW SETTLED

Press, Volume C, Issue 29638, 7 October 1961, Page 9

TENNIS ADMINISTRATION DISPUTE NOW SETTLED

rpHOSE who had thoughts for the welfare of New Zealand tennis during the disruption to the national administration which lasted just more than a month must have regarded the result of this week’s emergency meeting of the council of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association with some relief. If the situation had gone on any longer the organising at the season could have been seriously affected. Messrs F. S. Ramson, S. Painter and J. D. Vickerman, the three members of the management committee who resigned almost immediately

after the annual meeting have been re-elected. Mr R. S. McKenzie, over whom the dispute arose as an executive in a sports goods firm, who was re-elected at the annual meeting but who resigned two days after the other resignations, is now off the committee.

Messrs W. D. Rawlings, J. T. Smith and E. B. D. Lusk were new members of the management committee elected at the annual meeting and Mr G. C. Reid is another new member elected at this week’s meeting.

So if the events brought little credit to tennis administration the main thing is that the breach has now been healed and tennis administrators may go on with their job with a full season ahead of them.

Solution The result of this week’s meeting has probably satisfied as many as possible. Those who held that it would have been a good thing anyway if a completely new management committee had been elected have the satisfaction of knowing that four of the seven members are new; those who held that it would have been a bad thing for New Zealand tennis to lose so many experienced administrators all at once and to lose all continuity will be pleased that three of the members are old members. Delegates to the annual meeting showed quite definitely that they did not like the way in which Mr McKenzie had been asked to go by the previous management committee; yet Messrs Ramson, Painter and Vickerman have achieved the withdrawal of Mr McKenzie and at the same time have been able to accept re-election to the committee with the early vote of no-confidence in their actions virtually rescinded. Difficult Month The newly-elected president of the association, Mr A. M. Hatch, of Canterbury, must have faced a more difficult first month in office than almost any before him, so he must share in the general relief.

It has been a pity that a man of Mr McKenzie’s integrity and enthusiasm for tennis has been the centre of such a dispute, and he must be severely disappointed. It is now necessary for some rule to be passed so that such a situation does not occur again. It is also necessary that members of a committee should not get into the way of thinking that they Should be members in perpetuity because of their great experience. Apart from these aspects, the whole affair should be quickly forgotten.