THE SPORTS' EFFORT.

Northern Advocate, 15 December 1920, Page 4

THE SPORTS' EFFORT.

WHANGAfRiEI QUEEN CARNIVAL.

ITS PURPOSE EXPLAINED

(Contributed.)

iAs there seems to be some doubtin the minds of a number of people regarding the objects for which the Queen Carnival is being run a few facts regarding the sports concerned may make the objects more clear and induce the public to support the scheme in t!he manner it deserves. The scheme Was first" mooted about 12 months ago, with the object of providing a shed for the. Whangarei Rowing Clulb in keeping with standing of the club and the dignity of the town. The Whangarei Rowing iClub was formed about 17 years ago, and anyon e who has followed its career during that period will know that it has worthily upheld the standard of sport for the town. The club has always triad to :be self-support-ing and has generally been alble to go ahead without appealing to the public. For a number of years the accommodation provided has Ibeen totally inadequate, and the matter of a new shed was being discussed when war.broke out, but the idea had to be abandoned for the time, as practically the whole of the. aietive members enlisted for overseas service, and it was left to a few who were unaole to get away to carry on and keep the club going as well as ipossible until the boys returned. T,he membership is now rapidly increasing, and it is felt that the time ie ripe f° r putting the club on a solid footing and making it the splendid asset to the town that it should be. With regard to hockey and cricket, both Associations have carried on the. games under very adverse circumstances in past years', and the position is ibe-coming increasingly difficult each year as the open spaces are gat--tng built on. Both ithesa Associations have had to rely on the generosity of private persons for grounds to play on. The Cricket Association has been putting down pitches' in various places for years past, but by the next season the ground is either cut up or the owner acquires it for some other purpose, which means that the hunt for playing grounds starts all over again, with its attendant expense of laying down new pitdb.es.. The Hookey Association is in a similar position, continually relying on someone's 'generosity to enable, it to carry on. Hockey iwas started in Whangarei about l<6 or 17 years ago, and after flourishing for about two years died out, for want of playing grounds. The game was revived some years later, but the same old trouble of grounds was ever present. Hockey (was dropped during the war, as the majority of the players responded to the -call of Empire, but it has been revived during the last two seasons. The Association, however, is still up againts the problem of grounds to play on, and it was only through Mr Lupton's generous action in allowing the use of the High School grounds that the hockey iplayers were able to keep going last year and have such a successful season, Winning the White IHorse Cup again. The sports are now making a strong effort to overcome the difficulties of all three kinds of sports. They want to raise enough, money to provide an uip-to-date rowing shed and permanent grounds for sport, and fit is with entire confidence that they appeal to the public for their support. The improvements that are contemplated will not only be of immediate, benefit to the actual sports concerned but will also Ibe a permanent benefit to the town and to (future generations. j