Tennis Figures Up Again

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31764, 22 August 1968, Page 17

Tennis Figures Up Again

Both membership and finances of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association appear favourable from the association’s annual report to be presented to the annual meeting in Wellington next week.

Membership has risen to 42.662 from 41,816 last season, the fifth increase in succession.

However, the report expresses disappointment over the lack of support from some areas, with tbe result that the decreases in some associations offset the rises elsewhere.

In May, the national association decided to circularise all non-affiliated clubs and sought their names from provincial associations; some had not supplied the lists. “Here again we record some concern that our efforts have not been fully supported,” the report says. Auckland has the biggest membership, 9207, compared with 9167 last season, and Canterbury is next, with 6500, compared with 6164. Otago has shown the biggest numerical increase of 405 2254 to 2659—and Canterbury is next The greatest decreases were in Hawke's 8ay—1432 to 1154—and Wellington—--3908 to 3717. The biggest proportionate rise was Poverty Bay-East Coat—2B6 to 465.

A graph with the report

shows a peak national membership of 45,031 in 1949, and a drop to 35,431 in 1962 before the recent rise. The association has set a target of 50,000 for 1970.

The accounts for the year ended May 31, 1968, shows an excess of income of $1176.63, compared with $444 for the previous year. The report says that overall spending shown in the account is reduced but this does not indicate a lessening of activities, some of which appear in the overseas tours account Because of continuing BP sponsorship of the New Zealand championships, the very useful income from the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Trust and the invaluable S.T.E. Fund grants, made it necessary to write off only $446.41 to the income and expenditure account for 1967 and 1968 tours.

Coaching expenditure was $3043, comprising principally grants to associations made possible by the Shell Company grant of $2600 for the fifth year in succession. The

report says there will probably be a new scheme for the coming season but this had not yet been decided after discussions with the company.