ROWING

Evening Star, Issue 23092, 19 October 1938, Page 5

ROWING

NEW SEASON'S PREPARATIONS MR MAGKIE PRESIDENT OFO.R.A. [By Coxswain.] Harbour oarsmen are again busy, and preparations for the 1938-39 season are well under way. The’mild weather during the past month has been quite enticing, for followers of -acquatic sports, and work in local clubhouses has received an impetus. From all quarters come reports of renewed activity,, and the indications are, whatever strides for the better were made last year; there should be even more popularity for rowing during the'coming,season, j . . ■ .At most clubhouses signs of early training have been shown, and tfith all clubs now well under way oarsmen should obtain a flying start. AH four harbour clubs' report satisfactory openings, while new members at most boatsheds are- not lacking.. Competition should :be- keener this season also, because the Varsity, boys ’have at last obtained their own shed. A big increase in membership is reported, and, it is predicted that the light blue colours will be seen in harbour and- local regatta events this season..,

Personalities On Parade. At the helm of the'O.R. A. this year is Mr T. F. Madkie, .whose good work for; rowing has received:due recognition. Member of'the Port Club for. 28 years, he has filled the position of secretary, and captain at one, time or another j and is now an ,honorary life member: In his own words,, he has had every- job except ■ that. ■ of ' president. Well known in other sporting spheres,' he makes an excellent successor to Mr S. G. Styche.' ; . During the latter’s terra,as president he has i seen rowing fortunes in the' province. fluctuate, but his' excellent work for the O.R.A. has been acknowledged by all oarsmen. His election to, life membership is ,a deserved l honour. Twenty-seven years of service he lias given on the O;R.A. committee, taking his .seat there in 1911. During the war period he w'sis elected president, being reappointed at: the end of his term in 1918. In 1923, when he vacated the chair, he took on the onerous duties of honorary secretary and treasurer; serving in, that capacity until 1933, when he was elected a vice-president. Two years later He was again steering the association as president, • and until his retirement at the annual meeting he had served in that position. Among his other rowing honours he can count that of the N.Z.A.R.A., being' elected president in 1930. : V “ Watty ” Glengarry’s place as secretary has been taken by A. Frame.', Vice-president, ,is ,F. (“Mick”) Brough, whose ■ appointment will be heartily endorsed ; * Delegates under Mr Mackie’s rule are Messrs W. Glengarry, F. Eggers, 0. Butterfield (North End), E. V. Fairbairn, J. Turnbull, A. Frame (Oamaru), W. Robinson. Cooke, J. Ramsay (University), W. J. Wil son i T. Porter, T. Matheson (Queen’s Drive), J/ Abernethy. T. F. Mackie. J, Solomon, G. Thorn (Port), and; P. Vallis, F. Brough, P: T. Jack (Otago). Club captains areW. Loftwich (Drive), j. Abernethy (Port)W. Binnie (Otago), and F. Eggers- (North End). . “ . . ' •N.Z.AyR. A..; Conference. . The -annual* conference of ■ the N.Z.A.R.A.’s Council will be held-on October. 27. Mr W:" J. Wilson, who was appointed to represent; the association at : the annual conference of the New Zealand Amateur. Rowing Association, advised the adjourned annual meeting, which was held last night, that he would be unable to make the trim Mr T.'Porter is the association’s delegate.

Council Splashes. The Melbourne Regatta Association has advised' the council that ,it is uftr able to offer any assistance towards the travelling expenses of competing, crews. The regatta (the Australian Henleyl will .be held this year on November 26. The matter of the local associations being allowed to retain 10; per cent., of the levy collected by them, a matter brought forward at the' last annual meeting of the N.Z.A.R.A. by- the Southland was-discussed at the last .council meeting. It was decided that no action be taken. The question of travelling expenses of delegates attending the annual conference was another matter;discnssed at the last' council .meeting.,. It- was pointed out that there was'a proposal to reduce the lew this vear. A motion was. carried: “ That the council after discussing the matter of contributing towards the expenses of delegates visitingl Wellington for the purpose of attending, the annual meeting, agrees to recommend tb that meeting that the sum of £2O "be allocated for this> purpose,: to he distributed pro rata on the basis of actual expenses incurred. The recommendation is', ■' however, contingent oh the levy remaining unaltered. Clubhouse'Chatter.

A commendable suggestion is Hr J. Solomon’s- proposal that; life members should be presented with some form or badge in recognition of their services. The association is acting, and steps have already been taken. An attempt is being made to revive the old Kantane regatta. Apparently the stumbling block is the question,or railway fares, buif the, O.R. A. has,,appointed a sub-committee to investigate. January' 3 is' the date suggested, when tides are right, but to some extent the date clashes with the Bluff fixture. The whole matter is still more dr _ less; in the air at present, but the addition of another fixture to the Christmas and New. Year , regatta roster would do no harm. ."•/■, Queenstown has sought -the , assistthe O.R.A. in.obtaining for it the interprovincial eights, or some other fixture. As was pointed out by delegates, it , seems unfair to ask visiting crews to travel that far,but a suggestion well worthy of consideration is the bolding of the Otago-Southland Edmond Challenge Shield- annual on Lake. Wakatipu. It is understood that Mr Edmond granted permission for tKe event to he held there, if desired. - The University Club, which has now moved into its new boathouse., has been assigned the task of repairing the Lower Harbour eight. Work necessitated includes scraping, painting, new bolts, and the installation of plates to go under the riggers. The club sought a ruling on" what colour scheme to paint the boat, and although a-sugges-tion was made at last night’s adjourned annual • meeting that -it should- he painted the ’Varsity colours no finality on the point was reached. "Quite a few cross-currents flowed at the adjourned meeting last night,. when a speaker introduced; the question of Lower-Upper Harbour care of the eights. -One,delegate started the ball foiling by Suggesting' that ‘ the Lower Harbour Clubs-had. not done all that was necessary during last season to keep their eight in proper trim, aaug-

gestion which 1 immediately ■■■ brought! Lower Harbour representatives to their feet. The fireworks were stopped by the chairman (Mr T. Mackie) stating that “in previous years both boat* have been neglected. . The University eightroar championship will be held at Dunedin this season.’ ■ ‘ V v The Otago Club ja now conducting a “ Learn-to-Row “ campaign., 1