CHANGE MOOTED

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 87, 9 October 1935, Page 18

CHANGE MOOTED

N.Z. RUGBY CONTROL

DIRECT REPRESENTATION

MANAWATU PROPOSAL

. Proposals for amending the constitution of the New Zealand Rugby Union have been formulated by Mr. A. M. Ongley, a vice-president of the New Zealand Rugby Union, and president of the Manawatu Rugby Union, and steps are being taken to have them placed before the various Rugby unions of the Dominion. It is Mr. Ongley's contention' that the council or delegates had not sold the union's birthright, but had. actually given it away when it handed over to a management committee, to its own exclusion, the sole Control of its affairs and property. . In a circular letter to unions Mr. Ongley comments that the effect had been seen at the last annual meeting when all matters of importance—the appointment of delegates to the Imperial Conference, loans to unions, grants to unions to encourage tours and the broadcasting contracts—had all been withdrawn or withheld from the council or delegates. . . . NOT FINDING FAULT. "I am not finding fault with the personnel of the management committee," continues the writer, "for they have rendered good- service to football, but it cannot be seriously claimed'that'the appointment of. all managers . of. touring teams and all delegates to conferences, the making of all loans and grants to unions, and the arranging of all contracts should be for all tune in the hands of a committee on which no other part of the Dominion except the city of Wellington has direct representation. - "As the New Zealand, New South Wales, and South African Unions are pressing for direct' representation on the body controlling the world's football, so should, the unions be directly represented ,on the bod^1 controlling football ;in, New Zealand. I would suggest that, the defect be remedied by the alteration of rule 22, so that instead of the sole control being absolutely in the hands of the management committee, the latter body be subject to control by a resolution of the council. The only remedy I can see for the localised management committee is the division into two committees —a • management committee, representative bf:,the whole, of-New Zealand which would deal with policy matter and important business and would meet about three times a. year, and * a small executive to attend to detail business. "A question may arise as to the proportion of "'members -from: the North and .South Island arid as to whether each island ■: should- not "elect its own members to the- committee. These, however, are minor matters, the main consideration, in my opinion, being that policy matters should; be dealt with by a committee representative of the whole New Zealand." SUGGESTED CONSTITUTION. Referring to the alterations in the constitution of the union, Mr. Ongley suggests, inter alia: — .. . • ■ ."The management committee shall consist of- the treasurer ' and twelve members; who shall be .elected at the ; annual general meeting of the council,: seven to be elected, frotothe delegates, representing unions in. the North Island and five-from delegates representing unions, in the South Island. Seven . shall constitute a quorum at meetings of the management committee.v The management cdmmittee, or any'member thereof, may be removed from office on. the vote of. a two-thirds majority of votes recorded at a special general meeting called for the purpose, as provided by rule i 7. In the event of the removal of the management committee, or any member thereof, under this rule, the election of a new committee or member shall proceed forthwith. ; "All expenses incurred by members ill'attending-any meeting of the management committee shall be borne by the New Zealand Rugby Union. COMMITTEE'S FUNCTIONS. !The executive committee shall: (1) Investigate and report to the management committee on all applications for admission of new unions, alterations to boundaries, grants and loans from the funds of the union; (2) prepare draft programmes of all international matches and tours for the approval of ' the management committee; (3) deal X with all correspondence and accounts = and any other.- matters requiring atE tention between meetings- of the :" management committee; (4) exercise y special powers and deal with any 1 special business delegated to it from time to tune by the management coma mittee." . . . " . . . .