Softball In Jeopardy

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31750, 6 August 1968, Page 19

Softball In Jeopardy

Men’s and women’s softball in Canterbury has been placed in jeopardy by the reluctance of its players, club administrators, and supporters to serve on the executive of the provincial association.

If there are too few nominations to fill the executive positions on the Canterbury Softball Association by August 19, the date of the next meeting, steps will be taken “to wind up softball in Canterbury.” This was unanimously decided by the two executive members (Messrs D. W. Lew and R. Mullally), the president (Mr R. Marshall) the vice-president (Mr M. Jackson), the secretary (Mrs M. Gray), and the treasurer (Mrs A. Caddie) last evening at what was supposed to be the first meeting of the new executive committee since the annual meeting. No Quorum The meeting was unable to start on time because a quorum of five was required. Fortunately, the fifth member arrived after about 20 minutes, and the first action of the executive was to elect Mr Mullally to its ranks. The intention of the motion, moved by Mr Jackson and seconded by Mr Mullally, is to force clubs into providing sufficient persons to organise the sport in the province. The “winding up” clause is to ensure that a special general meeting will be called if are too few nominations. “It is a pretty harsh sort of a step but I think we have

got to take it,” said Mr Marshall afterwards. Clubs would be sent circulars immediately and asked for nominations in “pretty strong words.” “Unless everybody turns up we cannot even have a meeting,” said Mr Jackson. “It is impossible to run a whole season’s softball the way we are,” he said. “Until such time as we have a full executive we can have no softball.” Last season the executive had started two short, and had found it very difficult to

find persons to fill those positions. It was five short this season and he, could not see the vacancies being filled through an appeal by circular to clubs, said Mr Jackson. “The letter goes to the secretary, he puts it on the mantlepiece and forgets all about it. Nothing gets done. “If we don’t get enough I will resign," Mr Jackson said. An emergency committee, Messrs Marshall and Jackson, and Mesdames Gray and Caddie, was elected. Mrs Gray told the meeting that the inter-zone final of the John Lennon Trophy for men would be held in Christchurch on February 8. The women’s zone final for the Dustin Cup would be held on February 25.