HUTT VALLEY TENNIS

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 21, 24 July 1936, Page 8

HUTT VALLEY TENNIS

i ■ — i (To the Editor.) Sir,—Would you please allow me I space in your columns to correct some of the statements made by a member of a tennis club affiliated to the Hutt Valley Lawn Tennis Sub-association, who uses the norn de plume "Play the Game." The Hutt Valley Sub-associa-tion has only once made application for direct affiliation to the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association, and that was seven years ago. The affiliation fee payable by all clubs of the subassociation is Is 9d per member, 9d of which is paid to the Wellington Lawn Tennis Association, who in turn forward 3d to the. New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association. This leaves Is per member for the Hutt Valley Sub-asso-ciation, part of which goes to our grounds fund reserve account. The Wellington Association does not interfere in any way in the affairs of this sub-association, the ; control of which is entirely in the hands of its management committee. This letter is merely to correct certain statements made by "Play the Game," who has evidently been misinformed. I will Lot'reply' to any further correspondence!—l. am, etc., HONORARY SECRETARY, Hutt Valley Lawn Tennis" Subassociation. (To the Editor.) . '. ; Sir,—As a tennis player affiliated to the Lower Hutt Valley Tennis Subassociation, and one who has followed the progress of tennis right- from the early Hutt Valley Junior Lawn Tennis Association (consisting of about six1 clubs in Lower Hutt) to the present-! day sub-association, I think that "Play the Game" has rushed into print before he stopped to consider what he was saying; either that or else he has never had any executive position in a tennis club, otherwise he would have given the: correct'figures. : "Play the Game" refers to the dictatorial attitude adopted by the Wellington Association. Now this may have been so by a few members of the Wellington executive in the early days, but for the past few years the Wellington Association has looked very kindly on the Hutt Valley Lawn Tennis Sub-association. First the association had to alter its constitution, to allow a sub-association to affiliate at a reduced fee of Is per member, and later, on representation from the subassociation, this was reduced to 9d per member. Now the affiliation fee for town clubs is 2s Cd per member, so "Play-the Game" can see that the subassociation is given a consideration for managing its own affairs. The subassociation charges its own affiliated clubs Is 9d per member, which I understand is made .up as: follows: Ninepence to the Wellington Association, 3d to the Hutt Valley grounds fund, and 9d for the management of the subassociation, and I think "Play the Game" will now realise how much the' subTassociation has , done for tennis players in the Valley when they have been given all the benefits of the town players at a lesser cost per member. "Play the Game,".in .his final paragraphs, gives the. impression that he plays a game of tennis for his own enjoyment, never mind about the management of the club or the sub-associa-tion as long as there is a tennis court available when he wants it. I do not think this applies only to tennis; it happens in every sport, and it is always left to a few who v have the interest of the sport at heart to carry oa the management and receive all the kicks for their efforts. At the annual dance and presentation of trophies of the sub-association held on June 22 of the 1050 members supposed to be affiliated there were barely two hundred present. What encouragement is this for the sub-association to run further social activities? Was "Play the Game" there? In conclusion, I would like to point out to "Play the, Game" that to my knowledge there has never been any bad feeling between the officials of the associations.-—I. am, etc., ASSOCIATION^ SUPPORTER.