Rugby in Feilding

Manawatu Times, Volume LVI, Issue 7103, 11 March 1933, Page 3

Rugby in Feilding

OLD BOYS CLUB ANNUAL MEETING

The annual meeting of the Feilding Old Boys Football Club was held last evening, Mr. C. Pcarse presiding over a good attendance of members. In moving tho adoption of the annual report, the chairman stressed the financial position of tho club, saying that unless fees wero forthcoming at an early date the club would not be able to enter teams in the competition. At least £8 was required to cover registration and insurance and the speaker could not see the union prepared to accept less than the amount necessary to meet tho commitments. Tho club’s, membership was strong enough numerically and there appeared no reason why subscriptions wero not forthcoming. Mr. N. J. Penney seconded the motion and also spoke regarding the members failing to pay their dues. The fee was only 5s per member plus 2s (id for insurance and if the twenty uuu members paid up regularly the club would have no cause for complaint. Had it not been for the dance surplus last year the club would be without funds.

Mr. G. Fitzpatrick paid a tribute to the performances of the club, stating that the Feilding Old Boys team always drew the hugest “gate” and that was a compliment to the club. The report and balance sheet were adopted.

The election of olticcrs resulted as follows: —Patron, Mr. L. J. Wild; president, Mr. D. Whisker; vice-presidents, Messrs Wm. Bramwcll, H. Stewart, W Nesbit, G. J. Fitzpatrick, J. Penney 11. Jaggard, N. Bramwell, M. A. MacLeod and J. G. Eliott; club captain, C. T. Pearse; hon. secretary and treasurer, Mr. i\ T . J. Penney; committee, Messrs S. Bramwell, J. Uewe, A. Trass, G. Mitchell and V. Whitehead; hon. audi tor, Mr. G. Rosoman; delegates to annual meeting of Manawatu Rugby Union, Messrs G. Pearse, N. Penney and N. Bramwell; club coach, Mr. S. Hewitt Discussing tho matter of practice games, Mr. N. Penney said that the club had in view a match against Wanganui and one against Hawera. He announced that Hawera had guaranteed £5 towards the travelling expenses of the team and he would like the meeting to make a decision. The match against the Wanganui team would be played in Feilding. The meeting agreed to recommend to the committee to arrange for the two matches referred to by Mr. Penney.

Mr. Whisker appealed to players to pay their dues and expressed the hope that a real effort would be made to place the club in a strong financial position.

It was pointed out by Air. N. Penney that a member was not entitled to insurance until he had paid his full subscription. The payment of tho 2s (id insurance fee did not quality the player for insurance unless he also paid his club subscription of ss. In regard to the nominations for the forthcoming competitions, the president said that there was no doubt about a senior team being nominated but he was doubtful about nominating a junior team. The reason for that was that the average junior team was maue up of matured men, while the material available in. the club for junior representation was not physically strong enough to stand up to the bumps. In his opinion it would be better to nom•nate a third grade team instead of a junior.

Mr. Pearse was of the some opinion and said that the junior team couid not stand up to the weight of the average junior team in the competition. It was from the ranks of the juniors that the senior team looked for its replacements but if the younger players were to be subjected to an unequal buffeting (hero would be no players available for senior rank. He approved of cutting out junior representation for a year and entering a third grade team. A suggestion was made by Mr. Eadc that a composite junior team be made up of Old Boys and Feilding players and from the surplus material form two third grade teams. Members thought that such a thing may bo possible but there remained the difficulty of settling the name of the junior team. It would be all right if the proposed team was called Old Boys.

After further discussion it was decided on the motion of Mr. Pearse to call a meeting of all junior players o.t tiic club to discuss the question. Votes of thanks were accorded the retiring officers, committee and the Press.

On the motion of Mr. G. Fitzpatrick it was decided to convey to Mr. Colquhoun, president of the Manawatu Rugby Union, the club’s sincere appreciation of his services to Rugby and regret at his retirement from a position which lie had filled with distinction. THE FEILDING CLUB MEETING Mr. T. Collins (president) presided over the nunual meeting of the Feilding Rugby Football Club held last evening. Moving the adoption of the annual report (already published), Mr. Collins remarked upon the training activity displayed by members last season and expressed the hope that the coming season would be equally enthusiastic in this very important Tcspcct. Referring to the points scored, Mr. Collins said the total of 20.1 which the Feilding seniors had compiled had been very satisfactory and but for a little hard luck they would have been at the nop of the ladder. As the report had stated, the seniors had not been true to form during the season and this was attributed to the fact that in their first match of the season with Apiti they had come up against a stiff proposition and had sustained a few casualties. It seemed that it was a matter of history that the amber and blacks were fated to lose the first three matches of the season, but the speaker hoped that the coming season would reverse the past order. Touching on the form the juniors had displayed, Mr. Collins could not understand the final position of the team in tho competition. At the outset the juniors had had the making of a good team and that they had not fiomo through, the season with a better

record was perhaps due to the fact that later in the season the players had not put their hearts into the game. Mr. ’ Collins recalled that the only footballer in Feilding to warrant nomination as a member of the North Island team was the captain of the Feilding seniors —C. Ilight—and that he did not eventually become a. member of the team was no reflection on Mr. Eight’s play. Mr. Collins eulogised the response the club members had made to his appeal last year for the prompt payment of their subscriptions, the manner in which the members had paid their dues being reflected in the financial position of tho club. He hoped that the forthcoming season would find the same happy state of affairs repeated. The report was adopted. Officers were elected for the ensuing season as follow:—President, Mr. T. Collins (re-elected); vice-presidents, Messrs T. Pagan, J. G. Eliott, C. E. Taylor, D. AV. Reid, H. Hope, G. Bartholomew, E. Brewer, A. It. Miers, E. Fair, R. Bcvin, G. Adsctt, J. L. MacReynolds, D. Barrett, AV. N. Jones, jyl. Bowler, G. Darragh, Itev. Mr. Broughton, M. Durie, AV. C. AVilson, V. Jti. Smith, T. Clark, J. Miller, T. S. Goldsmith, E. M. Hare, H. G. Hare and Hon. J. G. Cobbe; club captain, Mr. G. Fitzgerald; hon. auditor, -Mr. A. H. Maguire; committee, Messrs J. Plank, V. Adsett, C. Higkt, H. Leek, J. Thornley, A. R. Miers, A. Pearce; hon. secretary, Mr. T. C. Collins (ro-cleet-ed); temporary selection committee, Messrs C. Hight, C. Stevens, J. Plank, T. Kelly, J. Thornley. Tho medals donated by Mr. Macßeynolds for the most improved forward and the most improved back were held over for consultation with tho donor before the awards were decided upon. Messrs Pagan, Miers, Macßeynolds, Collins and Bowler were appointed the club’s delegates to the annual meeting of the Manawatu Rugby Union. Tbs meeting placed on record its ap-

predation and thanks to all those who made donations during the year. The question of nominating the number of teams for the forthcoming season was referred to the committee. Messrs Macßeynolds and G. Fitzgerald were appointed coaches for the senior and junior teams respectively. The first practice night was fixed at the first Tuesday in April. It was decided to write to the Apiti and Sanson Clubs asking them to arrange return matches with Feilding. A match with the Kaicrau (Wanganui) juniors was also decided upon, the matches to be played at Feilding. It was also decided to convey appreciation of the work of Mr. J. A. Colqukoun, the retiring president of the Manawatu Rugby Union, for Rugby interests generally and in. particular for the country clubs.