EFFECTIVE MARCHING DISPLAY BY SIX TEAMS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22825, 21 December 1948, Page 8

EFFECTIVE MARCHING DISPLAY BY SIX TEAMS

That now-popular form of recreation, combined marching, was capably and attractively demonstrated in Gisborne on Saturday afternoon when six girls’ marching teams took part in the Gisborne Marching Association’s marching championships at the Childers Road Reserve. In blazing heat the teams marched from Peel street to the reserve, en route being judged for street marching, and at the reserve waited their turn to march over a previously laid down course. This year’s rules differed from those of former years, in that all turns and movements had been stipulated by the New Zealand Marching Association so that each team was not only required: to follow a complicated course involving counter-marching, diagonal marching, changing files and formation, but was required to use a previously laiddown method of making the change. These stipulations covered about-turns, counter-marching and similar movements. No orders were given, each member of each team being directed by a whistle blown by her leader, and therefore being required to memorise the complete course. Awards were made as follows: Visiting team: Frasertown, 1. Street march: Wise’s (140 .marks), 1; Midway and Owen’s Cadets (138 marks), equal, 2; Adair Bros, and Frasertown (135), equal, 3. Best cositumc: Owen’s Cadets (42), 1; Midway and Wise’s (37), equal, 2; Adair Bros. (36), equal, 3. Slow March: Owen’s Cadets and Frasertown (77), equal, 1; Wise’s (73), 2; Ward’s (72), 3. Quick march: Wise’s (593), 1; Frasertown (580), 2; Ward’s (559), 3. Best Leader: Wise’s (46), 1; Ward’s (44). 2; Owen’s Cadets (42), 3. Aggregate Shield, Wise’s. The Frasertown’s placing in the judges’ estimate is shown, although as a visiting team it was not eligible for competition for any tronhy except that for the visiting team. Bands in attendance were the ;City Band. P.B. Highland Pipe Band, and combined Home Guard and Wairoa Citizens’ Band. The marshal of the parade was Captain L. R. Stitchbury, and the judges were Messrs. J. A. L. Bradley, J. F. Forster, R. M. Sloan, W. L. M. Anderson, R. I. Crafts, R. R. Finlay, J. J. Jones, H. A. Askew, and F. A. Richardson. The teams were to have included three other Wairoa teams and a Hastings one, but, as was explained by the Dresident of the association, Mr. A. Keats the fixture had been postponed because of weather and transport diffi* culties and sickness had also been a cause of the absence of the visiting teams. He welcomed the visiting team and declared the competition open. Trophies were presented by the Mayor, Mr. N. H. Bull, at a ceremony in Peel street in the evening.