DUNEDIN AMATEUR ATHLETIC CLUB.

Evening Star, Issue 12881, 2 August 1906, Page 8

DUNEDIN AMATEUR ATHLETIC CLUB.

The twenty-first annual meeting of the above club was held at the Waratah Tea Rooms last evening. The event practically took the form pf a social gathering, m consequence of which there was a large attendance of both sexes. The president {Mr P. S. K. Macassoy) was absent owing to indisposition, and his official position was for the nonce -filled, by Mr S. Jacobs, president of the Otago Centro. The Chairman in his address said ho would not be able- to give a resume of the club’s career during its twenty-one years of life, owing to the absence of the president. The record would not bo one of the rise and fall of the club, but rather of their fall and rise. He recollected that some two or three years ago, though the club could not bo said, to be in deep water, they were not far off it. Hearty thanks were due to the pioneers for the trouble they had gone to in the past, and for ungrumblingly sustaining the pecuniary loss they had. The club now had a fairly decent, sum to their credit, owing to the efforts of the management and the loyal ■ support accorded by kindred clubs. Nothing was likely, to succeed without hard work, and. amateur athletics were fortunate in possessing good workers. It gave him considerable pleasure to refer to the admirable services rendered not only to the D.A.A.C., but also to all sister clubs in town and countiy, who had all had a share in making amateur athletics such a success in Otago. The chairman then preceded to present the prizes won during the season. ■ In responding.,, to the toast of “The Otago Centre, N.Z.A.A.A.,” Mr S. Jacobs said that, like all big working bodies, they did not always work harmoniously together, but he felt sure they were always actuated by the best of motives as far as amateur athletics were concerned. Whatever the Centre had undertaken to do in the past they had done well, and he would only like to see them have a freer band than they had at present. If they had not to appeal so frequently to the parent body he was sure they would be able to do a great deal more than they had done. The toast of “The D.A.A.C.” was proposed by Mr A. Marryatt. He congratulated the club not only upon the recent successful season, but upon the amount of success which,, had attended them during the past twenty-one years. There were two reasons for this.;-, the management’s insistence upon a high standard and clean sport, and the fact that although the D.A.A.C. for many years was . the only club in Ot go and the only provider of sports in Dnredin, yet when other clubs were organised they took up a very sportsmanlike attitude. They threw open their doors, as it were, and allowed other competitors to come in on the same-terms'as their own members. He considered; that the dub stood second to none in the oolonv.. Other toasts-were honored and spok°n to by Messrs J. T. Hamann, Bohnen, Thomas, Melville, Gordon, and Dansey, while an attractive programme of songs was contributed. .