OPUNAKE RACING CLUB.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 1 September 1919, Page 6

OPUNAKE RACING CLUB.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

The annual general meeting of the Opunake Racing Club was held on .Friday. There was an attendance of 18 .members. Mr A. Good, president of the club, presided. The annual report and balance-sheet lor season 1918-19 stated, inter alia, that the annual race meeting, held on March 17, was in every way a success. The club was favored with fine weather and a large attendance,, which resulted in increased revenue from the totalisator and gates, as disclosed by the balance-sheet. The Ground Committee proceeded with the grading and forming of the new racing and training tracks immediately,, after the meeting, and both of these' are now down m grass. Great difficulty has been experienced in procuring fencing material, and an order placed in May for posts has,, not yet been completed. The Dew racing track is over one mile in circumference, and owing to the favorable nature of the ground should develop into one of the finest, tracks in . the province. The matter of the new grandstand and. other appointments is receiving attention, and plans have been submitted to the committee by the architects. It is to be hoped that the club will be able to complete the improvements before next March;,, but the railway embargo on everything but essentials, and labor difficulties, may carry the undertaking entirely out of its control. The balance-sheet disclosed a satisfactory position. On the motion of Mr ,J. Young,, seconded by Mr J. M. Hit-key, the report and ' balance-sheet were adopted ■without comment. Mr E. L. Thorpe moved the motion i standing in his name, viz.: That the present rules and regulations of the club be rescinded, and a new 'schedule be adopted. , This was seconded by Mr 33. S. Forsyth and carried unanimously. It was decided on the motion of Mr J. Young, seconded by Mr S. Richards, that the president, Messrs E: L. Thorpe, E. S. Forsyth, and the club's secretary, be a committee to formulate ■a modern set of rules and regulations. It was decided to give effect to the request of the Minister of Internal Affairs, that the club should make additional regulations under the Gaming Act, 1908, in the direction indicated ,by the Minister. i y I Election of officers- for the ensuing ■ year resulted as follows: President, ' Mr A. Good-; vice-presidents, Messrs M.J. Brennan, G. Barr-Brown, J. M. Hickey,. and J. .Young; judge, Mr N. 1 Morrin; hon. timekeeper, Mr J. Bennett; assistant timekeeper, Mr R. , Baker; hon. treasurer, Mr A. Clarke; auditor, Mr D. Markhana; hon. surgeon, Dr Watt; committee : Messrs G. Barr-Brown, A. Clarke, J. Young, F. Julian, E. S. Forsyth, E. L. Thorpe; G. Hammond, S. Richards, and D. Campbell; clerk of the course, Mr G. Newsham. The following new , members were elected: Messrs K. Vincent,} J. Dunn, and A. R. Moore. < Messrs Duffill and Gibson, architects to the club, submitted the plans of proposed new buildings and alterations1: at '.the; course ;• also, estimates for buildings to be erected in concrete. A lengthy discusison ensued, and it was ultimately decided to go on with the erection of lawn grandstand in con-e-rote. The. following motion, proposed by Mr G. Barr-Brown, and seconded by Mr E. L. Thorpe, was carried without dissent: That the grandstand scheme for law-y^be proceeded with, provided 7o per cent of approved members sign a joint and several, and provided, furthci;, that the bank will provide the ivocessary finance on such joint and several. It was .decided that Messrs G. Barr-Brown and F. Julian be a committee to .wait on members for signatiire and approach the bank to jcive effect ,to the above proposal. It was decided to accept the tion of the Racing Conference in the direction of remunerating the judge,' the, foe for. the coming meetfhg being •fix&l at £7 7s. Meeting of Committee. A meeting of the committee was held subsequently, at which the following business was transacted: Mr E. S. Forsyth1 was unanimously eloetcd chairman of committee, and accounts totalling £169 10s 2cl were passed for payment. Mr S. Kraetzer was engaged as race detective at a foe. of £12 12s. It was decided to support Te Iviuti Racing Club in its efforts for restoration of .second day permits to country clubs. The following gentlemen were appointed a Course Committee: Messrs "E. S. Forsyth, D. Campbell, S. Richards, and G. Barr-Brown. It was, decided that one ton of special grass manure be procured for topdressing, the course.