Disaffiliation threatened by table tennis body

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33804, 29 March 1975, Page 20

Disaffiliation threatened by table tennis body

Canterbury will call a special general meeting of the New Zealand Table Tennis Association before November 1 to discuss an intended substantial increase in levies. If a meeting is not held before then, Canterbury will take steps to disaffiliate.

The ultimatum came at the annual meeting of the Canterbury association last evening when delegates strongly objected to the substantial increase that associations and sub-associations will be forced to pay from next year. Mr A. B. McCallum, a vicepresident of the New Zealand association, said that the increase was passed at the New Zealand body’s annual meeting on the voices, although he had scarcely been able to differentiate between the ayes and noes. “It was noticeable that those strongly supporting the increase were members of the executive who would not have had the same voting strength as associations in a ballot,” Mr McCallum said. AFFILIATION FEES Previously, the affiliation fee has been on a team basis, the Canterbury association having paid $2.10 a team. The new levy will mean that Canterbury will pay $8 a team and subassociations $6 a team. The Ellesmere subI association delegate (Mr H. Chatterton) said that levies [previously totalled about $7O la year. “Now, with an affiliiation fee to Canterbury of [sl and $6 a team to New ■ Zealand, we would face a bill [of $2BB. There would be no way we could manage that—we would fold up,” he said. Mr J. I. Urquhart moved that the meeting strongly condemn the substantial increase in fees levied by the New Zealand association. “It is considered imperative that the New Zealand association convene a special general meeting before November 1 to review these fees and if the new scale is not suitably reduced the Canterbury association and subassociations will have little option but to withdraw from (the national body,” he said. Mr McCallum said that he saw merit in a special meeting. “If we are to take steps ■to disaffiliate, it has to be [ before November 1, as that is the end of the New Zealand 'association’s financial year,” [he said. “The more the fees 'are loaded, the less teams we I will have playing.”

The meeting supported the motion without dissent — and advice of the proposed action will be sent to other associations. LIFE MEMBERSHIP Mrs E. M. McCallum, who retired from the executive last year after 12 successive years of service, the last 10 as secretary, was elected a life member of the association. She becomes the fifth person to gain the honour and joins her husband. Mr A. B. McCallum, in this select group. Entry fees for the winter inter-club will be $17.50 reducible to $l5 if paid by the closing date (April 11). An endeavour will be made to start matches at 7 p.m. instead of 7.30 p.m. at present. However, two members of a team must be present at 7.30 p.m. or it will be defaulted. It was agreed that the executive member on duty enforces defaults for lateness. Officers elected were:— Patron. Mr G. R. Shearman; president, Mr R. W. R. Mercer: vice-president, Mr J. I. Urquhart: secretary, Mr R. G. Hart: assistant-secretary, I Mrs K. Brown: treasurer,. Mr IP D. McLean; executive, [Messrs H. F. Taylor, D. R. ! Adamson, G. R. Adamson, V. [N. Brightwell, G. J. Rhind, W. jT. Scott, Ling Nan Ming, T. IR. D. Flint, A. B. McCallum, [Mesdames T. Adamson. J. Flint. L. Flint, J. Murphy, and N. Stackhouse: selectors, Messrs Flint, Mercer. McCallum; lower-grade selectors, Messrs S. Shepherd, D. R. Adamson, and B. A. Littler.