Southbridge Amateur swimming Club.

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2698, 11 October 1905, Page 2

Southbridge Amateur swimming Club.

♦ A special meeting of the above Glub~ wa»- held m the - Library on Friday evening. There was a fair attendance of members, Mr T. A. Gates m the chair. Correspondence was read from Messrs Pyne and Co., accepting the position of Vice- President, and from Mr R. H. Rhodes, M.H.R., accepting position of patron, and enclosing donation of £1 is. A letter was read from the Town : Board, asking for payment of £2 | bonus due,__and setting forth the terms of letting the bath. Mr Penfold outlined what had been done by the deputation which had waited on the Town Board, when the question of paying the £2 bonus had -been brought up. He thought, and still maintained, that | the minutes of the Board bearing on the matter were hardly correct. Mr M. Riordan said the Club had been, charged with raising their expenditure m order to do the Board out of the £2 Mr Penfold moved that the Club accept the Board's terms for the uae. of the bath for the coming season, v ' z » £ 5» but cannot see their way to pay the £2, and if the Board insisted on the payment of it,- the Club would disband. Mr Hogarth seconded. Mr Chapman moved as an amendment that the Club give the last year's credit balance, £1 is Bd, m lieu of the £2. Mr Moore seconded. Mr Riordan moved a further amendment that the Club ignore the claim of the Board for the sum of £2, as the Club did npt owe the money according to their own minutes. This was duly seconded. Dr Withers here entered the room, and explained that one of the amendments would have to be eliminated to put the matter m order. Mr Chapman having withdrawn his amendment, Dr Withers went on to say that he did not like backing down more than anybody else. When he saw the attitude of the Board he had carefnlly thought the matter over, and had come to the conclusion that if they did not give way the Club was done for. He felt inclined to review the position he took up some time ago. He understood that there was to be a packed meeting for the purpose of carrying the vote re the question of paying the £2. He thought it a great mistake to stand m the way of J he success already achieved by. the r v U en a S ain » il was a mistake for the Club to refuse to acknowledge the fact that the Board had the whip band of the Club, and if the Board chose to use its authority, it could not only be the death of the Club, but could close the bath as well. Another question to be considered was the matter of the children ; they would have to suffer. 1 Very few children outside the district used the bath, so that those who would suffer were local ones, and that would be all the more regrettable. Some of the Board might say " Hang the children," but he (the Dr) asked them to look at the matter m a fair and Equare way. It would be a loss to the children and a loss to the bath. The £4 7s 6d paid to the caretaker could be increased, and if all the boys went, then there Would be a chance of obtaining subsidies. He would not like to guarantee that .the Government would pay a subsidy, but he saw no reason why they should npt. The closing of the bath would be a loss to the parents, children, and all those who took an interest m swimming. He was inclined to oppose the amendment. He had riot had much experience as what might be termed a " business man," but he always thought a busi- j ness man, m making up his balance sheet, did not take into account the previous year He did not think a business man would be justified m taking a previous year's account into tba following one. Personally, he favoured the motion, and was 1 prepared to back it up. He trusted that the members of the Club, if possible, would see their way to < climb down, If they could call it i iiiich. To his mind, it was not alto- '>

gether a climb down If they " got their backs up," they could see how it would go before the public. He trusted they would see their way to support the resolution. On being put, the motion was declared carried. Mr Penfold moved that the Club accept the Board's terms for the use of the bath during the coming season, viz., This was carried. Mr Chapman gave notice of motion to the effect that if the Board did not accept the offer made by the Club, the whole of the moneys m hand be placed, m the Sayings Bank, and jp the meantime the piub disband. The election of officers for the ensuing sports meeting was then proceeded with . It was agreed to have a tub race and greasy pole m place of the obstacle race. The programme of sports was adopted. On the motion of Mr Chapman, it was decided to hold weekly races the same as last year, and a proposal of Dr Withers to carry on the weekly races till the end of January was carried. ( The secretary was instructed to ! communicate with the Christchurch I Clubs on matters connected with j the Southbridge Club. l The meeting closed with a vote of , thanks to the chair. *