OTAGO LAWN TENNIS CLUB.

Evening Star, Issue 8050, 29 October 1889, Page 4

OTAGO LAWN TENNIS CLUB.

The annual meeting of the above was held at Wain’s Hotel last night, Mr Allan Holmes occupying the chair, and sixteen members being present. The Secretary (Mr C. W. Chamberlain) read the annual report, which stated, inter alia :—

The Committee are very much gratified to find that tho efforts made to render tbe club attractive to tennis players and also to their friends have been so fully rt cognised and so successful, and congratulate the members generally on the popularity which the club has attained, and the more active members cn their victories in the various matches played by them. In the Otago Association meeting the championship was won by Dalziel, and the men’s doubles by Borrows and Todd, all of this club; while in the interclub matches, also initiated by the Association, the Otago was viotorioni in all the matches played. The club was defeated only onoo during the season viz., in a private match with the Oarisbrook lawn Tennis Club, after a well ■ fought and interesting contest on tho grounds of the latter club, on which occasion, thanks to the excellent arrangement and kind hospitality of their hqats, members of this olub spent an extremely pleasant afternoon. The Otago Club’s championship last year was won by A, Borrows, and the ladies’ championship by Miss L. Mackerras, The handicap matches were won as follows: Ladies’ doubles, the Misses Callender, Combined doubles, Miss Horner and Mackerras. Men’s doubles, Richardson and Ridings. Some good play was shown in this tournament, which it is hoped may be even improved upon this year. The coming season should be a voty interesting one for tennis players, as the open meeting of the New Zealand Association will be held at Dunedin in December, when, it is hoped, good players from other colonies, as well as the best of our Now Zealand men, will put in an appearance, and we shall no doubt see tho best tennis that has yet been played in Otago. Turning to matters more immediately connected with tho club, the hearty thanks of members are again due to those ladies who have so kindly and so liberally ministered to our comfort bn Saturday afternoons, etc., and whose efforts mainly rendered tho club’s opening days so successful; to Mrs A. W. Morris, Mr Gillies, Mr Allan Holmes, and others who have presented various useful articles to the club, and to those gentlemen who have given or subscribed for prizes, etc. The improvements to the asphalt courts have not been made out of the ordinary funds of the olub, but by a special subscription among members. The work already done has been paid for, and when a few more subscriptions come in the Committee will be enabled to eo on with another much needed work —viz., the extension of tbe two lower courts at each end. The annual balancesheet is now laid on the table, and shows a decided Improvement in the club’s finances, the receipts from all sources having been L2CO 3a, and the current expenditure L 233 4s 9d. There is one other matter to which the Committee wish to allude, that is the necessity for more attention being paid by regular players to tho e members, especially ladies, who do not often come to the courts, and who in consequence sometimes find themselves rather “left out in the cold ” when they do come. Tho welfare of the olub depends as much on these members as on the more constant players, and it is hoped the latter will not get into tbe habit of playing entirely amongst themselves, but will look well after their fellow members, more especially on Saturdays, when the courts are pretty full, and it is difficult for outsiders to get a set.

The Chairman moved the adoption of the report and balance-sheet. All matters referred to therein were dealt with fully and exhaustively, and it was therefore not necessary for him to say anything further about them. Of course, the principal matter was the finances of the club, and it would be seen very clearly what the result was. The year was started with an overdraft of L 34 17s, and that amount had been very considerably reduced during the year. He hoped that the club’s position would be still further improved, so that some necessary works in connection with the courts might be proceeded with, Mr G. L. Denniston seconded the motion for the adoption of the report and balancesheet.

The motion was put and carried unanimously, The following officers were elected for the ensuing year President, Mr J, M, Ritchie

(re-elected); vice-president, Mr Allan Holmes; secretary and treasurer, Mr C. W. Chamberlain (re-elected); committee— Messrs 6. L. Denniston, F. 6, Dalziel, A. A. Finch, A, Hogg, C. C. Kettle, J. Logan, J. P. Ridings, W, T. Todd, J. Watson, and T. W. Whitson.

A letter was received, signed by several members of the club, objecting to the present mode of electing the Match Committee, After a discussion, the Secretary read a club rule, in which ic was stated that any change such as that proposed in the motion must be intimated to the secretary three clear days before the meeting, so that notice of it might be given. In this case suoh an intimation had not been made. —It was ruled by the Chairman that the objection contained in the letter was out of order. Votes of thanks were accorded the secretary for the energetic manner in which he carried out his duties last year; and to the chairman for presiding.