Important Changes In Control Of Whangarei Rugby

Northern Advocate, 30 March 1938, Page 6

Important Changes In Control Of Whangarei Rugby

v Reason For Change.”

Feeling that the union, as at present. constituted, was progressing very V.v'. well indeed, Mr S. J. Wood, of the Hlkurangi Club, said his club had ! T instructed him to oppose the motion in its present form. ■ “A few years ago, when the uijion ‘ was constituted largely upon the lines to which it is now proposed to return, ■ there was not a very happy relation- ; ship between country and town,” Mr V'; Wood said. r : t “the country clubs felt, on several occasions that they had been given a very raw deal. We feel that parochialism may creep in < : ' again if club delegates are dis- , pensed with.” ),*' Mr R. J. Morrison, delegate from the Referees’ Association, was quite in accord with cutting down the numbers ' on the management committee, and ' believed that senior clubs were not • receiving the say they should in the -.administration of the game. With •isolated junior clubs, not affiliated with seniors, he considered that the - formation of a junior advisory board to manage the affairs in that grade 1 should be contemplated for Whangarei. v This would allow closer adherence to the constitution of the Auckland management committee—one delegate from each of the eight senior clubs, and one representative each from the primary and secondary schools and ;the Referees’ Association. Funny Things Had Happened. The president, Mr L. C. Garry, speaking with a knowledge of Whangarei Rugby since 1907, said that previously, when the management committee had been constituted on the lines .now proposed, some funny things had transpired from the players’ point o£; ( view and there had been a lot of , dissatisfaction among country clubs. ■■ ' The union had been functioning j and satisfactorily, and to interfere with the constitution would be unwise. /

.j ritebutting an implication that an elected management committee might for townsmen only, Mr Stewart pointed out that country clubs, at annual, meetings, would have a preponderance of voting power in electing :the committee. In the event of dissatisfaction arising concerning the working of the committee which they themselves had elected, the remedy Iwotild be in their own hands, as they "cqiild summon a special meeting of ■delegates and give instructions as to of policy. the union has progressed Lduring the past two or three years,” Mr Stewart said, “but the whole 20 members of the management committee can’t take credit for that. When there has been work to do it has been left to a' few, who. have found it difficult to bear criticism from other members who were doing nothing.”

Another Proposal. In a proposal advanced by Mr W. Berry, rather similar lines were fol- ■ lowed, i It provided for the appointment of one committeeman for a' junior committee to be formed, one from senior B clubs, and a Maori member to act in an advisory capacity. This, he pointed out, would give junior clubs very fair representation. The president, treasurer and referees’ delegate would be impartial, the representatives of the primary and high schools would be particularly interested in fostering football in the lower grades, the junior and senior B teams would each appoint a delegate directly, and at least three of the four senior teams fielded junior sides. Mr Berry’s amendment was defeated by 10 votes to eight Final Attempt Fails. In a final attempt to preserve the present constitution, Mr Wood moved that at the first meeting of permanent club delegates an executive of six be elected, to form, with the president and treasurer, the management committee. He also proposed that a general meeting of all club delegates be convened each month to receive a report from the central executive.

Wants Control in Hands of Clubs. v> ; While there was room for revision, Mr F. H. C. Cowan said he would not like to see the .control of Rugby pass out Of the hands of clubs. Senior clubs, fielding three and four teams, v should Have more voice-than at pressed- The present position was that junior clubs were over-represented. Mr K. M. Hayr said that a central executive could only carry out the policy as laid down by the general meeting of all club delegates. There .■was nothing to prevent a general meeting being held monthly, at which the central executive could report and be criticised. Policy measures rarely emerged from annual meetings, of the union, Mr Wood said. Big questions had to be met as they arose by the management committee. He could not see why the constitution should be changed so drastically. Admittedly, the management committee, as at present, was too unwieldy, but this could be overcome in other ways. The proposed change 'gave too much scope for business to be done pn the street, and he was afraid that history would repeat itself.

Mi* Gumming expressed himself a believer in democracy in sport, and, for that reason,, preferred to see clubs and helpful organisations directly represented. There was just as much danger in a small committee as there was in a big one. Mr Garry said the amendment gave the right to country members to come in once monthly. As it was, few of those far distant from the town could attend weekly meetings regularly, but they would appreciate the opportunity of keeping in direct touch. Mr Stewart pointed out that any member of an affiliated club had the

J IMPORTANT ALTERATIONS IN THE CONSTITUTI I OF THE WIIANGAREI RUGBY UNION WERE MADE AT A SPECIAL MEETING OF DELEGATES HELD LAST EVENING. THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THESE, AND A MATTER AROUND WHICH A LIVELY DISCUSSION CENTRED TOR OVER TWO HOURS, WAS TO MAKE THE MANAGEMENT COM MITTEE AN ELECTIVE BODY, INSTEAD OF ONE DIRECTLY REPRESENTATIVE OK THE AFFILIATED CLUBS AND ORGANISATIONS AS AT PRESENT. At the annual meeting of the union next week delegates will be required to elect five members, who, together with the president and treasurer and one representative each from the Referees' Association and the primary schools, will form the executive. Discussion opened with the moving of a motion, of which he had given notice, by Mr T. H. Stewart, that the committee comprise president, one vice-president (there are now three), treasurer, together with five members elected by, but not necessarily from, delegates attending the annual meeting.'-;':) “Our constitution is top heavy,’' Mr Stewart said. “Last year the management committee comprised between 18 and 20 club delegates and representatives of other organisations, and yet .on occasions it was difficult to get a quorum, of five present. Not many of tne committeemen took an active ■interest in. the game, and with a smaller executive of keen men there would be less waste of time and more work done.”

Mr Stewart’s Original Intention. Explaining a point in the discussion, Mr Stewart said, his original intention had been that the executive be confined to members not directly associated with any club. Being treasurer of the union, and, therefore, an ex officio member of the management committee, he had withdrawn from all positions with the City Club, in order that he might not be accused of partisanship. Every member of the Auckland Management Committee, Mr E. C. Gumming said, held executive office in his own club, but this did not prevent the union from being a highly successful administrative body. He was opposed to any organisation working in the interests of Rugby being cut out of direct representation, Mr E. Gunson (Waikiekie) expressed the opinion that from five to eight members constituted the most effective working committee. Amendment* Carried. An amendment, as moved by Mr Morrison, that the management committee comprise president, treasurer, five members elected from delegates attending the annual general meeting, together with appointed representatives from the Referees’ Association, the primary schools and the Junior ’Advisory Board, when, and if, formed, was then put and carried. It then became the substantative motion. Mr Wood moved a further amendment that the committee comprise a representative from each senior A club, two from the junior Clubs, and appointees from the Maoris, the Whangarei High School, the Referees’ Association, the primary schools, and the president and treasurer, the election to take place at the first meeting of permanent delegates to the management committee. Nothing, he claimed, had been said to warrant an alteration in the constitution, but by his proposition the committee would be reduced to a reasonable number for the conduct of business. . N Mr T. Stewart pointed out that the senior B teams would receive no representation. The amendment was lost by nine votes to five.

right to attend meetings of the management committee and could speak with the chairman's consent. The amendment was defeated, and the substntative motion carried, on a show of hands, the Hikurangi Club recording its vote in opposition. Several machinery changes to rules were made in conformity with the new constitution of the management, committee. Mr, Stewart’s Aim. At the conclusion of the meeting, Mr J. Wood spoke of the appreciation of the members of the union regarding the work given by Mr Stewart in preparation of the suggested amendments to the rules. Replying, Mr Stewart said he had aimed to serve the best interests of Rugby. He wanted to see Rugby improving in the North, improving as it had improved in the past few years, and he considered that the new. constitution would make for brighter Rugby in the future.