PIGEON SOCIETY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVI, Issue 12573, 7 August 1901, Page 6

PIGEON SOCIETY.

The fourteenth annual meeting of the Christchurch Homing Pigeon- Society was held last evening. Mr A. Smith presided, and there was a good attendance. The annual report stated that fifteen races had been flown during the year, there being 591 entries fbr, the season. A record had been established ffoni Invercargill, 292 miles', Mr A. Stewart’s Endure flying the distance in 7 hours 31min.. . There had also been a successful race from Wanganui, 299 miles; -it had been won by Mr F. Chambers’s Minuet, in 10 hours 2min. A prize fund amounting to £l4 5s 6d had been!established. to' murk the Jubilee of Canterbury. Races had been, arranged from Seacliff,' Clinton, Invercargill, and Ngapara. The young bird races toad been exceptionally successful, record entries having been received for the three Derby Races, which were flown in favourable weather. Thanks were due to Messrs Reece and Saunders, to subscribers to the Jubilee Race Fund, and to. Mr A. E. Lawrence for having presented diplomas. It was urged that a special effort should be made from the north this year to retain the reputation of flying the longest distance in New Zealand. There was owing on Jubilee Race Funds the sum of £6 12s 3d, which '.would be flown for this season. It had been suggested that a cup or other trophy should be offered for competition among members, to be awarded for the belt average, velocity for races flown throughout the year. The balance-sheet showed that the receipts had been £7B 17s Id and the expenditure £74 6s 3d, leaving a credit balance of £4 10s lOd. The following officers were elected : Patron, the Right Hon R, J. Sedd'on; president, Mr S. Saunders (re-elected) ; vice-presidents, Captain Mather and Messrs Macquarrie, A, Smith, W. E. Eamshaw, L. Hardie, E. D. Rees, T. Hopkins, J. Hopwell, A. Gapes, and W. W. Collins, M. ; honorary treasurer, Mr F. Wilson (re-elected) ; honorary secretary, Mr F. Butterfield (re-elected); assistant secretary, Mr F. Kingsford; committee,’Messrs F. Unwin, A. Stewart, A.. Holmes, E. Smith, C. Cooper,, and F. Chambers; auditors, Messrs A. Stewart and C. Cooper. It was decided to fly a Derby Race from Oamaru in May. next year, and an Oaks Race from Culverden.