OTAGO ROWING CLUB

Evening Star, Issue 24008, 6 October 1941, Page 2

OTAGO ROWING CLUB

OPENING OF SEASON APPEAL TO OLD MEMBERS Although war service has greatly depleted the active ranks of the Otago Bowing Club, there was a heartening muster whoa the club held its official opening on Saturday afternoon, some of the stalwarts of the “ old brigade ” mingling with an encouraging influx of new blood which augurs well for the success of the club in the coming season. . . The president (Mr S. G. Styche) expressed the pleasure of members at having with them Mr , and Miss Barclay, father and sister respectively of Keith Barclay, their former club-captain, who was now a prisoner of war. The season -was opening under similar circumstances to those of last year, said Mr Styche, and. the club was to be congratulated bn the way it had pulled through last year. With the assistance of the new members and some of the older members, it had gone through the season with very great credit, and there was no reason why it should not do the same this year. There were about 20 new members already, and Mr Styche said that if it were possible for regattas to be held it would bo an incentive for oarsmen, but he urged them all to carry on, not merely for the sport, but for their health’s sake. Mr Styche congratulated the committee which had been working at the boat house, and said he had never seen the plant looking so well on opening day. He referred with regret to the deaths during the year of their patron, Mr F, W. Mitchell, and of Mr W. F. Edmond, who had also done a great deal for the club. Mr Styche extended the sympathy of members to Mr W. L. Hooper on the death of his wife and also in his own illness. The club's patron (Mr J. McGrath) said that the club, like all other sports bodies, had had its ranks sadly depleted by the war, but the younger members had done their part and carried on very well. When these dictators, who had their little day, were gone and forgotten he ventured to say that Oxford and Cambridge would still be rowing their races in England. Wishing the club a successful season, he urged the younger members to take up rowing as much for their health’s sake as anything else.

Mr W. J. Wilson, representing the Queen’s Drive Club, congratulated the club on the number of young men present at the opening. Otago was one of the oldest clubs, being formed only four months after Port Chalmers. Otago had, however, apE eared at a regatta before Port Chalmers ad. Mr Wilson said that his club had only five or six members left, but it was not going to die of that. Mr Werges had' recently suggested that old members could assist by coming back to their clubs, and there was no reason why races over short distances might not ho put on for the old members, whose presence would help to maintain the interest of the younger men. Mr Wilson said that the Otago Club wasfortunate in being able to call on eucli men as Messrs F. Brough. J, Werges, T. Wheelwright, and C. McPhee to help it to carry on, and said that the matter of prize money was a secondary consideration, so long as it was possible for regattas to be held during the coming season. Mr E. V. Fairburn, representing the Oamaru Club, said that Oamaru was going through^a lean period, and it also liked the suggestion made by Mr Werges and would do everything possible to get older members to take an interest in the club, possibly not so much for competitive rowing: as to keep the sheds open. Mr F. McKillop, a former Southland representative oarsman, now residing in Dunedin. conveyed the good wishes of the Inver-' cargilt Railway Club and said he would bo pleased to help the younger oarsmen in any way he could. Mr F. Brough, president of the Otago Bowing Association, said that be had not seen so many new faces among the members for many years, and this was due to the efforts of. the present committee. At the annual meeting of the association a notice of motion had been brought forward that the president and secretary should conduct the business for the duration of the war, but this had been cast oat, and with the keenness shown by the delegated of the various clubs it was clear that the association could carry on its business as a body. Mr Brough referred to the fact that Noel Williams, a member of the club, had been awarded the D.F.M., and Ralph Allan, also a member, had distinguished himself in the happening in the Mediterranean in which, but for bis efforts and those of others, many more would have been drowned. Mr W. T. Beveridge (the club’s secretary) appealed to someone to take over the training of coxswains and also paid a tribute to the club captain (Mr R. B. Baird) for the work- be had done on the boats. Mr T. O’Shea (North End) and renresenlatives of the Port Chalmers and University Clubs also conveyed their good wishes for a successful season. WALTER FOURS. The season being declared open, t lie Walter Fours were decided, this resulting: K. A. Muir, L. Newton, I. K. Parrish, G. Biird 1; W. T. Beveridge, C. Johnson. W. Werges, R. B. Baird 2; A. E. Lysaght, R. Geddes, E, S. Jones, and J, R, Caradus 3.