LAWN TENNIS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 76, 27 September 1938, Page 17

LAWN TENNIS

UMPIRES MEET N.Z. ASSOCIATION "It is with pleasure that we are able to record the formation of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Umpires' Association to which body will be affiliated 1 all provincial associations," said the ; report of that association presented at '. the first annual meeting held last ! night. Mr. D. A. Syme presided. ; Soon after the formation of the Wel- , lington Association it had been felt , that, as Auckland were already in full operation and Canterbury were about to set their association in motion, there ' should be a body to which all would ' be able to refer and from which would come uniformity in ruling and interpretation, said the report. With that ■ thought in mind the Wellington Association had formed a New Zealand Assocation and drawn up a suggested constitution. A meeting of delegates had been held and full support to the New Zealand Association guaranteed by all present. . , So far there were only three ur- j pires' association in New Zealand —! namely, Auckland, Wellington, and > Canterbury—but efforts were t being , made in other centres to have associations formed. Supplies of New Zealand umpires' badges had been ordered by each association and would be issued to those entitled to hold them as soon as the New Zealand Association confirmed the recommendations of the provincial associations. At the recent annual meeting of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association the Umpires' Association's application for recognition had been received and granted. BADGE AND BAR? Discussion took place as to the advisability of presenting a bar with the umpires' badge to those candidates who got 95 per cent, in the examinations as is at present proposed. Members took the view that it would be a bad policy to differentiate between umpires.. Some umpires, said one member, might be excellent at the practical work, but because they did not do so well in the written questions . they would not obtain the bar. Also,, the bar. had the word ."official" engraved on it, and this might be misleading. It was considered that there should not be two classes of umpires, but that all those who obtained 75 per cent, should be given just the badge. It was decided to recommend to the management committee that the Auckland and Canterbury Associations be written to for their opinions on the matter. It was suggested the "official" bar could be worn by members of the management committees of the local associations. The management committee is to be recommended to ask for copies of the examination papers of each association, details of the examinations, and the percentage required for a pass to be submitted for approval. The object of this is to get uniformity in the examinations. Officers were elected as follows:— President, Mr. J. F. Harrison; honorary secretary-treasurer, Mr. H. N. Sturrock; management committee, Messrs. L. Donovan, E. Reeves, D. Syme, W. W. Stirling, and R. G. Wilson; auditor, Mr. H. L. Wise.