MOUNTAIN CLUBS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 144, 20 June 1931, Page 15

MOUNTAIN CLUBS

TARARUA AFFILIATES

The executive of the Tararua* Tramping Club, said the president (Mr. £>. E. Hoggard) at the club's annual meeting last night, had not taken the opportunity of joining the Federation of Mountain Clubs. The committee was quite in accord with the question of federation, but considered the representation . offered not sufficiently democratic. . . Explaining the objects of federation, 'Mr. F. W. Vosselcr said that since the foundation of, the Tararua Club, some twenty other clubs, representing thousands of trampors, had sprung into being. It was felt that federation would enable concerted action to be taken for the benefit of all trampors. The officials, of the Tararna Club, he believed, objected to the voting basis.' The representation decided on by the federation was one for the first 100, two for those under 200, and three for clubs over 200. The levy was 2d per member. He detailed the voting systems of other .sports bodies, and said '.that the1 federation's system was equally fair. Large clubs should not desire to dominate the rest. There was no money to grab, and no honours to gain; the chief aim of the club was, after all, tho preservation of Nature and the cul' tivation of the love of outdoor life. Thd federation kept a full list of tramps, huts, and trips. Eecords of climbs wero also kept. It was endeavouring to find out unexplored parts of both islands. Such ; matters as the Government levy of 3d per member could be much more effectively tackled by federation than by clubs. The federation would go ahead in any case, but ifc ' should include clubs such as their own.

Mr. Lathey said that the clnb might be outvoted by four votes to'three by four clubs of only 25 members. There fras also a possibility of the levy being increased to 6d per member.

The president said that, no trouble would have arisen had it not been for the unfair basis of .voting, which disfranchised a great number of members of large clubs. He could not see why the more democratic basis suggested by tho Tararua Tramping Club had not been adopted.

It was suggested by members that a Bide issue such as,representation should not debar members from the benefits of federation, and that in standing outside the federation and attempting to alter its rules, the club was proving itself autocratic instead of democratic.

After a lengthy discussion it was docided, on' the motion of Mr. K. Christophers f to affiliate with the Federation of Mountain Clubs.