GREY COMPETITIONS SOCIETY

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 October 1939, Page 3

GREY COMPETITIONS SOCIETY

annual meeting held. The annual meeting of the Greymouth Competitions Society was held in Wesley Hall, last evening, Archdeacon J. A. Jermyn (President) presiding oVer an attendance of 22 members. The President explained that, following upon the incorporation of the Society, it was necessary for members to be proposed and elected, before they could vote, and, if they desired to withdraw, a resignation in writing was required. ' Eighteen of those present were then elected members of the Society, and also 12 not present. The annual report, as published in yesterday’s “Star,” was read by the President. The secretary (Mr. 0. C. Joyce) submitted the following income and expenditure statement and balancesheet for the year ending October 31, ]939: —. Expenditure: Printing and stationery £5B/8/9; judges’ fees and expenses £53/10/3; other fees £l4/2/3; prizes and trophies £44/15/-; hall rents £l4/10/-; . advertising £lO/17/6; general expenses £1 12/11; balance, being excess of income over expenditure for year £l9/9/10; total £223/6/6. f Income: Door takings and season ticket sales £lll/9/-; programme sales and advertising £47/1/11; entry fees £43/13/9; proceeds concert £lO/1.7/10; donations and subscriptions £l.O/4/- : total £223/6/6. Liabilities: Sundry creditors D 17/9; excess of assets over liabilities £2B/10/6; total £3l/8/3. Assets:

Sundry debtors £l3/14/6: cash in bank £l7/13/9; total £3l/8/3. In reply to a question the secretary said that the actual cash in the bank totalled £2B/10/6. No provision had been made in the l statement for a.secretary’s honorarium. ’lhe report and balance-sheet were adopted, on the motion of Messrs R. Guthrie and W. Ford. The President said he wished to re-, cord how much he' appreciated the splendid work done by the committee. In all his experience he had never known a better nor a more hard working committee. 'They had spent a lot of time in prior arrangements and on the festival, and all had worked splendily. In. fact, it had been a great pleasure to have been associated with the men and women on the executive. Ho hoped that the Society would have as good an executive next season. Referring to the work of the secretary, the President said that no honorarium had been paid, but no payment that they could make could compensate Mr. Joyce or his staff for their work, and i all appreciated the efforts of Miss Harvev. All regretted that Mr. Joyce had been called away in the middle of the festival by a bereavement, and it spoke- volumes for his organisation that the work was carried on as well as if he had been present. He (the President) suggested that, some proviI sion should be made for a honorarium, and remarked that Mr. Joyce would deserve every penny of it. Mr. Guthrie, in moving that the sec-

retary’s honorarium be fixed at 25 guineas, said that. Mr. .Joyce’s work was much in excess of any previous year, and it was due to Iris efforts that the- expenditure had been ent down. They had seen his wonderful organisation and, if the Society could afford it, the honorarium should be. greater. The motion was seconded by .Mr. S.

Shuttleworth, who said that Mr. Joyce had been more than keen on the job, and his other business had been pushed into the background. The Society was very fortunate in having a man of his capabilities as secretary, and it was quite beyond any man or woman on the committee to take on the job, which was a difficult, full-time one. The motion was carried.

Returning thanks, Mr. Joyce said that he was fortunate in having an excellent staff, and Miss Harvey, inparticular, had worked long hours' during the festival. The support he had had from the committee had been wonderful. There was no friction, and the results were largely due to that factor. TEACHERS AND COMMITTEES. When nominations were being taken for the 19 positions on the Executive Committee, the names of several dancing, music, and elocution teachers were put forward, and Mrs. C. K. Millar asked whether there was a motion on the books last year that there should be no teachers on the committee.

The-President: No. It was disucssed. but no motion was passed. Mr. K. E. Balchin: I think we are treading on rather dangerous ground in bringing teachers on to the Committee. I think that, it” one teacher is brought on, all should be. Mrs. Trott: As the teachers provide all the competitors, 1 really think they should have some say. t The President (referring to the nom-j inations received): These people have! been nominated, and it is a mattei, for the meeting. I Mrs. G. Manning asked if it was ■ right to propose teachers who were i not present. ! Mr. W. Ford said that he thought if one teacher was to be on [he committee, all should be, and if any one proposed for membership of the Society (prior to nomination) declined to pay the fee, he would assume responsibility. . Later, when nominations lor the committee had closed, Mr. W. H. Baird asked, “Is it quite in order] for mo to say a word before wej vote?" I The President: It depends what thoj word is. i Mr. Baird: It is quite apparent that] there is a bit of feeling . i The President intervened to rule Mr. Baird out of order, stating that names about, to go to the ballot could not be discussed, and the election was proceeded with. ELECTION OF OFFICERS.

The election of officers resulted as} ; follows: — j Patron: The Mayor, Mr. F. A. Kit-, ( cliingham (re-elected). j ( President.: Archdeacon J. A. Jermyn. (re-elected). . I Vice-presidents: Messrs \\. Hamilton, R. Roper ami E. R. Moss. { Secretary-treasurer: Mr. (). C. Joyce) (re-elected). ) Executive Committee: Mesdames C. K. Millar, T. Hornsby. 'l'. Kiely. (Misses F. Harvey, M. Moss. L. Brown. Messrs S. Shuttlewortli, J. Gallagher. R. E. Guthrie, W. Ford. K. E. Balchin, G. G. M. Mitchell, D. Saunders, R.| Woodhouse. T. Joseph, N. Kilgour. \V. Richmond. R. J. Sansom, T. Anderson. (Thirty nominations were received,, and the above were elected on a ballot). . 1 Returning thanks lor Ins re-election, unopposed, the President, said that he I would be very pleased to do what he- ; could. If they had the same hard-’ working committee as last year, the

success of the competitions was assured. ft was decided that the question of the date of the festival and the appointment of judges early in the year be left to the incoming Executive. Mr. Balchin suggested that the Executive should handle the sale of honorary members tickets. It was decided that the membership fee for this season be 2/6. On the suggestion of Miss L, Brown it was decided that it be a recommendation to the incoming committee to approach the churches and schools for entries in the choral sections at the festival. Miss A. Bush wrote expressing her thanks to the members of the committee who were in charge of the stage at the recent festival. A letter of appreciation for the courtesies extended to him was also received from Mr. Alan F. McSkimming (elocution judge). I A vote of thanks was passed to the | outgoing members of the committee, : Messrs Balchin', Shuttleworth and the President paying tribute-, to. their work. A vote of thanks was also passed to the Press.