MEETING OF N.Z.A.A.A

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 128, 27 November 1923, Page 4

MEETING OF N.Z.A.A.A

THE AMERICANS 1 VISIT

QUESTION. OF A TITLE.

The annual meeting of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association was held last evening. Mr. A. T. Davis presided, and the delegates present were: Messrs. S. S. Dean, F. Campbell, B. Connop, A. B. Sievwright, J. Taylor, 0. 0. Mazengarb, F. Wilton, H. Amos.

.In opening the meeting the chairman said- that though the season- was not likely to be so busy aB the last two seasons there was still much to do with the question of sending competitors to the Olympic Games and also the Außtralasian championships at Hobart. Last season was probably the most successful on record in-New Zealand. From the athletic point of view 'the success was due largely to the presence of the very fine team from America. The performances of that team proved the members to be athletes of the first order. Wo previous team had left a better record. The financial result of the tour was such as had never before been accomplished. Though the expenses ran into four figures, the profit ran into £200. The previous American team had toured all Australasia, but in each State visited there was a slight loss financially. A word of. special praise was due to the enterprise and local patriotism of Gisborne for the all-round success of the visit of the Americans to Wellington. The attendance at the New Zealand championship meeting, with the Americans present, was the largest on record. The financial position to-day was very satisfactory, and it was a question whether they should not allocate a portion of the credit balance to the various centres which had participated in the tour.

In seconding the motion to adopt the report and balance-sheet (already published), Mr. S. S. Dean said that the money in hand should be conserved for the assistance of teams competing outside New Zealand. The policy .of-the council should be, like that of the New Zealand Rugby Union, to build up a fund for the assistance of New Zealand athletes competing outside. The visit of the American team had done a world of good for amateur athletics in New Zealand. He believed they. should compete with a team—even if it were. a small team—in the Australia-New Zealand championship meeting at Hobart. Some of the council's funds should be earmarked, for the purpose of helping a team to Hobart.

Mr. A. B. Sievwright deprecated too much optimism financially. Apart from the American tour, the position financially showed a loss last year. The Wellington Centre had contributed. nearly half the total receipts of the American tour. He agreed that the funds should be conserved for sending New Zealand teams overseas and bringing overseas teams to New Zealand. New Zealand Bhould be represented in the field and on the ■ track. (Hear, hear.) He thought a good representative team could be sent to Hobart for -a reasonable sum. The Wellington Centre would support any progressive move for the betterment of athletics in New Zealand, ,'-- The report and balance-sheet were adopted.. -„. ..;,.. ... The election of officers resulted as follows .-—Patron, His Excellency the Governor-General; president, Mr.-A. T. Davis (re-elected); vice-presidents, Messrs. S. S. Dean and H. Amos; hon. secretary and treasurer, Mr.; Victor Hugo; delegates to the- Olympic Council, Messrs. Davis and Sievwright; hon. auditor, Mr. R. W. Shallcrass; Reinstatement Committee, Messrs. Sievwright, Wilton, and Mazengarb. CHAMPIONSHIP MEETING FOR ' OTAGO. In regard to the venue of the next New Zealand meeting, Mr. Mazengarb moved that the meeting be held in Otago. Applications were read.from Auckland and Wanganui, as well as Otago. The chairman said the date must not be later than the middle of January. Wanganui's application was supported by Mr. Campbell and Mix Connop. . The council finally decided to hold the championships in the Otago. Centre. '■ The president added that, perhaps i next year or the year following, the I championships could be held in Wanganui, which had made a great success of its previous championship meeting. An application from the Turnbull Library for copies of the association's reports and records was granted, and the opinion was expressed that this procedure should be adopted annually. • The application for affiliation of the Onehunga A.A.C. was granted. THE TERM "AUSTRALASIAN." 'A question was raised by Mr. Dean at an earlier meeting that the term Australi asia be deleted and the words AustraliaNew Zealand ■ be substituted wherever it occurs in the constitution of the association. This Mr. Dean moved as a remit to the conference at Hobart. ■-.■ The chairman asked how the substitution could meet the case of the "Australasian" record. The Athletic Union was the Union of Australia and. New Zealand. Mr. F. Wilton suggested that a more suitable name would be ""Anzac." This preserved the identity of New Zealand. Mr. Mazengarb said it was unfortunate that the word Australasia had' ever been coined. ' The chairman said that the time was coming when New Zealand would have a quite separate identity in such matters. Teams should represent Australia and New Zealand and not separate Australian States. No doubt, this would come before the conference. Until this was consummated, he did not think the word "Australasia" would be superseded. r Mr. Sievwright pointed out the cost of always having to send teams to Australia, which sent a team to New Zealand only about once in a dozen years. Mr. Mazengarb suggested that where practicable the word should be superseded. Mr. Dean agreed to the motion that it be a recommendation to the Board of Control that, where practicable, the word Australasia should be superseded by Australia-New Zealand.

Mr. Sievwright suggested disaffiliafaon from the union and triennial meetings between Australia and New a Zealand, alternatively in each countryNew Zealand v. Australia. The profits of one meeting would pay for the expenses o£ sending a team over for the next meeting. The chairman ruled any motion at present on the question of disaffiliation out of order. j. ¥ r"- :P ) ean>B motion in regard to i'Australasia was carried. CKOSS-COUNTKY RACING: It.was decided to grant a silver medal ■ to the second man home in the New Zealand cross-country championship race at future events. The question of limiting the number of runnera in the cross-country cham-

piouship to a team of five from each centre was raised in a letter from Otaeo. •Mr. Mazengarb suggested that the number be limited, say, to eight runners, a team of five and three others The question jyas held over till "the conference of delegates at the time of the New Zealand championships.