HOCKEY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 70, 24 March 1937, Page 25

HOCKEY

COMING': SEASON

INSURANCE SCHEME

The affiliation. of' five teams from Wellington College..was ■ favourably commented upon oy the chairman, Mr. C. P. McKenzie, at the annual meeting of the Wellington Hockey Association last night, 'me association had received a great deal of encouragement from the headmaster and. start, said Mr. McKenzie. It was now necessary for the association to give some coaching to the teams, and a suggestion had been put forward, that "ciubs should take the responsibility of coaching the boys. One of the displeasing features of the year had. been that they had been unable to arrange the! schoolboys' representative game. If the boys were given a eh ance of representing thfiir grade, it would • give them encouragement, which would helo with their subsequent careers on the hockey field., ';:

Referring to the question of umpires, Mr. McKenzie said that the- situation was serious. For the last two years the numbers of umpires had been dwindling, and from what could be ascertained the position was going to be difficult this year. He appealed to clubs; who .had ex-players. in ; their ranks to endeavour to persuade them to join the Umpires'" Association. It was the duty of a m ah; when he had finished active participation in the game, to take the'whistle:and' assist those coming pril "'-": ,~ :v ' ."'; 'MrJ R. Campbell:1 The season look* as if it will .start with seven umpires. We need af least thirty umpires. The position is serious. A letter was received from the Warriors' Club, Upper Hutt, stating that it was trying to induce the Upper Hutt Borough Council to form a-second hockey field at Maidstone Park. ,The club asked if the Wellington Hockey Association, would subscribe to the upkeep of the ground. If was stated that a ground in" the home town would be a big factor in the progress of hockey in the district. The ground at present used, for1 hockey was for the use of the women's hockey club,, and the Warriors'■ Club had to get permission from them and from the council for the use of it- Very often thß practice nights clashed. Mr. R. Campbell,-on behalf of the umpires, said that they would b<J definitely against a new ground in the Hutt Valley owing to the distance from town. '•■■ •■. ■■•■ :'.':. ' ■ ' Mr. A. M. Macfarlane pointed out that possibly an umpire could be found who lived near the grqund and would be willing to referee garne^ each Saturday. ; ..■...-. . : ■'■■■.•'.. PROTECTING THE PLAYER. It was proposed- to circularise all clubs with details of several insurance schemes for players, said Mr. 'McKen- ■ zie. Something had to be done to insure the players and also to reimburse them for loss of wages due to absence from employment, on account 'of injury; The matter had • been ' raised some time ago and had-been .brought up' at.■■the"-recent -conference .;.of ; thff N.ZiH.A. It was;;,theh: decided not to adopt a general scheme, but leave the various associations! to work 'out,their own schemes. Clubs would have the details, of the .schemes—there^'were three—placed before.them, arid ;|would later-be asked to decide which to adopt. A question that; would have, to receive serious consideration iwas that nf compulsory insurance. To insure the stability of such -a scheme all must participate, thus enabling.the premium to be reduced to the lowest possible figure. .. ■'■" . ■"' Officers were elected, as follows:— President Mr. W. T. Richards; vicepresidents, Messrs. F. Martin Luckic,, R Hardie Boys, and W. A. Scott; life members/Messrs. W. G. Morpeth, C. S. Falconer, R. L. Thompson, W. J. Organ, C. P. McKenzie, L. S. P. Butcher, A. A. Kirk, S. Burnell Browne, J. L.. MeAlister, arid P. A. Joblin; '"delegates7 to New Zealand Hockey Association, Messrs. G. .Stracrc and S. Burnell Browne; executive committee, Messrs. C. P. McKenzie Cchairman), O. K. Perrin/ O. Wheatley. W; S Butcher, C. W. Wahren, A. M. Macfarlane, C. S. Falconer, -.F. L. Newcombe, and P. E. Webb; hon. secretary, Mr. I. Mackersey; hon* treasurer, Mr. J. Petherick; hon. .auditor, Mr.. C. W. Miller; trustees, Messrs. W. G: Morpeih and L. S. P. Butcher, ~ ..>•-■,,