OLD BOY ATHLETES

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 16, 13 October 1932, Page 6

OLD BOY ATHLETES

Formation of New Club MR. KITTO APPREHENSIVE Apprehension at tbe formation of an Old Boys' Amateur Athletic Club for expupils of the colleges was expressed by Mr. A. C. Kitto, tbe president of the Wellington Amateur Athletic Club, at. the annual meeting last evening. Mr. Kitto suggested that the meeting might direct tbe club's delegates to tbe Wellington Centre of tbe Amateur Athletic Association as to how they should vote when the new club's application for affiliation came before it, but. it was decided to leave the question to their discretion. “If it continues as a success it might kill the majority of city clubs,” Mr. Kitto said. "I take it that 90 per cent, of boys to-day go to a secondary school or”college. The provision of this club is not. going to do just, that amount of good that the promoters think. "The application for affiliation of the club is now in the hands of the Wellington centre to be passed on to the New Zealand Amateur Athletic ami Cycling Association. It might be for this meeting to say whether it should go on to the association with a recommendation or without.” When the matter was brought up later in the meeting Mr. KHto said that tbe step did uot seem to him to be one in tbe right direction, in that it was almost bound to affect, each of tbe already important clubs. It ought to tie formed for the old boys of one. school, Wellington College or St. Patrick’s College, and uot. all the secondary schools throughout the Dominion, as it was bound to have a detrimental effect on the clubs with a membership. Mr. T. Wiggs thought otherwise. Where did tile footballers from the college go to? lie asked. They did not all go to the Old Boys’ club. Mr. Kitto: That's because they can’t get into teams.. There was Wellington College Old Beys’ Amateur Athletic Club and n Marist Brothers’ Old Boys Club, but. they both fizzled out. Mr. M'iggs denied that they could not get into a team. Mr. C. H. Jenkins said that his experience had been that college boys were not particularly influenced by the joining of any particular club. He did not think that the new club would have the effect that the promoters hoped.

Other speakers declared that there were too many clubs in Wellington, at the present time. A motion that, tbe club's delegates should be instructed to vote against tbe affiliation was proposed and seconded, and then withdrawn, the decision being to give the delegates a free hand.