RUGBY REFEREES

Evening Post, Volume XCIX, Issue 70, 23 March 1920, Page 11

RUGBY REFEREES

MEETING OF ASSOCIATION,

There was a fair attendance of members at the ajinual meeting last night of the Wellington Rugby Referees' Association. Mr. D. M'Kenzie was in the chair. Tho annual report, which has already been published, was taken as read. The balance-sheet showed cash in hand £2 14s 6d. The Chairman formally moved the adoption of both the report and balance-sheet.

Mr. J. Moffit complained that the younger members had not been given sufficient encouragement. It behoved this incoming committee to see that the younger members were given a trial. The older members had not taken snflicient interest. A classification and examination committee should bo set up straight away. Mr. Nicholson took exception to the paragraph in the report which referred to the lack of interest taken in theaffairs of the association during the year by tho younger members. He contended that, it was the younger members who had attended and the seniors who had been absent. He moved to expunge that paragraph from the report. The Chairman said "the disappointment was that co few members had attended the meetings, and when ho put forward an examination paper he found that out of eleven members who attended six were senior members who need not undergo an examination. They were not going to have a Referees' Association until they had an examination committee. How could they give the younger men a chance unless they saw them in action and by way of examination? Uuless the association could satisfy itself about, tho qualification of its members they should not send them out to referee. The solution of the problem lay only with an examination board. He also objected to.the criticism passed by fellow referees. The only place where refercs should criticise one another was at the meeting of the association. That was the proper place to discuss matters—and the only place. The real object of the association, was to find out who was qualified to referee and who was not.

Mr. W. Lennan seconded Mr. Nicholson's amendment, which was lost, and the report and balance-sheet were adopted. . ' ' Tho election of officers resulted as follows:—President, Mr. \T. Perry; vice-presidents, Messrs. A. Campbell and G. _C. Fache; chairman, Mr. R. T. Bailey ; vice-chairman, Mr. S. S. Dean ; executive, Messrs. H. Paton, A. E. Neil,son, G. and 0. H. Cleland; vice-presi-dent to New Zealand Referees' Association, Mr. L. Simpson; hon. auditor, Mr. A. C. Kitto. ' It was moved that the Rugby Union be asked' to leave the appointment of referees in tho hands of the association. The motion was carried unanimously, and a sub-committee of the association was appointed to wait on the management committee of the llugby Union on the subject.