Softball fund not to be used

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32677, 5 August 1971, Page 14

Softball fund not to be used

An attempt by the Canterbury Softball Association’s executive to have a sum of money withdrawn from a memorial fund for the promotion of clubs’ suburban ball parks, failed at the association’s annual meeting last evening.

It was proposed to with-iffi draw $lOOO from the Allan ~ Steele Memorial Fund, to be st distributed to clubs by the executive at its discretion. Explaining the conditions governing the distribution of Jc the fund, the president (Mr J. Gibson) said that the Canter- st bury association had been seeking a ground of its ownljj for many years, but despite It! several possibilities in the|p: past, had not been able to', acquire one. ti The Papanui club had de-1< veloped a fine park and other J clubs were interested in doing the same. He said the n association had previously given financial asisstance to 1 clubs from its own working L funds. c “It would be frittering the is money away,” Mr M. Bell saidjs speaking against the motion. “I v feel that such use would not be s in the spirit of the original idea b of the fund.” a The fund had been set up to e help finance permanent head- b quarters for the association. “The strong clubs don’t need f the assistance and smaller clubs * wouldn’t know how to administer J It,” said Mr T. Hanson, a J trustee of the fund- „ After further discussion, Mr ■ R. Marshall (Papanui) said that 1 his club had instructed him how ® to vote but that he and his - fellow club delegates needed c time to decide on the matter. i After a short interval, a vote * was taken and the remit was lost by a unanimous decision. SOMERFIKLD'S BID A remit from the Somerfieid club, which sought to allow one ■ of the top teams of a lower

rade—instead of the top team -to play in a promotionlegation game to gain higher talus, was carried.

“We are interested in gaining senior status at some stage,” Mr Bell (Somerfieid) said. His club Jained second position to the oint winners. United and Richmond, both senior clubs already, in the senior second grade last season.

Mr Ball said that as the by-law concerning promotion-relegation in any grade now stood, only the top team was eligible for (promotion.

Another remit, introduced by the executive, which sought (at the discretion of the executive) to prevent clubs which did not make their senior teams available for John Lennon Trophy or Dustin Cup national tournaments from travelling outside the province to play fixtures in the same season, was lost.

Smaller ball.— The meeting recommended to the incoming children’s committee that it institute an under 12 or primary school grade for boys and girls, with games to be played with a smaller ball. The normal sized ball is 12 inches, but the appreciably smaller HMnch ball would enable younger players to gain better fundamental skills. K (actions.— President, Mr J. Gibson; vice-president. Mr R. J. Mull ally; secretary-treasurer. Mr D. Lay; executive, Messrs G. Hilder, R. Storer, J. Rochford, and Mesdames K. Noonan, A. Caddie and B. Brown; children's committee. Mr A. Austing, Misses J. Lee and R. Palermo, and Mesdames F. Smith and Palermo.