THE ATHLETIC CENTRE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 27 October 1924, Page 7

THE ATHLETIC CENTRE.

DISSATISFACTION 'W ITH CONTROL PROTEST FROM STRATFORD. Operations as at present carried on by the Taranaki Athletic Centre are apparently riot being regarded with unanimous favour (says the Stratford Post). * . ■ . At Friday night’s meeting of the r Stratford Athletic Club, Mr B. Saunders said that some alteration in the method was absolutely necfessairy. The annual meeting had been held at short notice, and''"•delegates had not been given a chance to. get there. The secretary lived at Kaponga, which was right off the maili line. There had been onlv one meeting held during the year, and that was an informal sott of affair, which had taken place on the around during the sports meeting: Mr Saunders thought some remit should be sent forward dealing with the question. Mr W. R. Folev said that with Mr T. Kirkwood'he had attended the annual meeting of the centre. They had to go at short notice. No balance-sheet, had been received bv tlie clubs, nor were copies provided for the delegates when they arrived there. The chairman had read it over, and that meant that there wiis no time to study it- m order that it might be discussed. Hoavever, the ■ finances of the centre, seemed sound, but the organisation Avas being run by the chairman and secretary. Some men had been reported from Stratford for non-payment of nomination fees, hut no action had been taken. In fact, the matter had not even been mentioned. He thought that the report and balance-sheet should he printed an’d circulated to the various clubs 14- days before the meeting, to (io. The matter of tlie defaulters was said that the matter under review was a very important one, and something should be done about it. It Avould be unfortunate if they were, governed by, people "wli o w*e re ti o t sufficiently inter - estrid to push the thing along. Mr. L. J. Fume deprecated the fact that there bad been only one meeting during the year and that it Avas an informal one on the sports ground. He thought they had enough influence to force something being done in the matter, and that influence should he exerted. If the Centre was Avorth its existence it should find ■ some business to do. „ , The matter of the defaulters Avas a a very serious one and should have been dealt with by the Centre. Mr. Fume of that phase. Mi’. Foley remarked that there were nine clubs AA'hich had not paid their affiliation fees, and still they were allowed to run meetings. There had been a lively discussion at the annual meeting of the Centre on that subject. Mr, T. Kirkwood, a vice-president of the Centre, also spoke in support. Mr. McMillan Avas of opinion that the publishing of the fact that there Avas dissatisfaction would haA*e the desired effect. Mr. Saunders said he was not satisfied Avith the secretary’s office being at Kaponga. There would have to be a “stir up” meeting in order to get the.place of meeting changed. It Avas eventually decided that the delegates from Stratford and surroundine clubs endeavour to take combined action and obtain a meeting of the Centre and force the latter to place matters on a. better footing.