STAR BOATING CLUB

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11662, 29 October 1923, Page 10

STAR BOATING CLUB

WAR MEMORIAL TABLET

UNVEILING CEREMONY BY ACTING PREMIE it.

IMPRESSIVE PROCEEDINGS,

A simple but impressive eeremonv was the unveiling of the war memorial tablet at the Star Beating Club <>n Saturday afternoou by the ActingPrime Minister (Sir Francis Bell), who is president of the dub. There was a large attendance of members and friends, including a number of ladies. The momorial takes the form of a brass tablet, inscribed with the names of the SI members of the club who fell in ihe Great, War. This is mounted on a handsome polished piece of Now Zealand timber and attached to the Club-house wall. At oire' side lianas a <onall glass cabinet containing the beautiful solid silver Memorial Whale-boat-race Cup; while and around the two TrrTfig portraits of the members of the club who served at the front. Nearby, framed glased, appears the Star —blue on a white silk ground—which was sent to Samoa m 1914, and was signed in ink by all the members of the club who were present that year at the Christmas Dinner of the S.nnonn Contingent at Apia. SIR FRANCIS BELL'S SPEECH “IN MEMORY OF OUR HONOURED DEAD.” Jn unveiling the menori.il tablet; Sir Francis Bell said: r “Comtades of the Star Boating Club, I ladies and gentlemen: Surely it is not | unfitting that our tribute to our comrades who fell in the Great War suuuld ] be unveiled on the afternoon when the i ciub intends to proceed with the contests in the manly sport in which our i dead comrades delighted when alive. I Surely, it is ae they would have wished I that we should plan, in honour and | remembrance of them, to eoiabhsh ie- | cords of the pursuit of the ises in . which they themselves excelled in lire, and which is the special reason that this memorial of them is kept within those wall 6.

“It is an inspiring remembrance still to recall those four years of war. Alore to us than their gallant deeds, more even than the cheerfulness and courage with which our lads bore the sordid squalour of the trenches, more even than their eager rivalry to be first at the enemy over tlit top, conies the exultant sense that the spirit, of patrio tism is inherent, is inborn, in our rare. You will remember with me that at the outbreak of war the youth of this Country, without teaching, without ven study of history, sometimes against adverse pressure of parents, some of them ever, antedating their births in their spontaneous enlistment, sprang to arms. “If, as is the case in nearly every household in this country, there is for us here sorrow for the loss of dear ones who pa<eed away before their tune, that is almost dimmed and assuaged by the feeling that the splendid strain of our race has ibeen carried down by our men into our day.

“Some 150 men of our club served their country in the war. Many ol them came home again; but thirty-one, whose names are here recorded, will never come back home. Their fate forbade that they should see the end of the strife, or join in the 'triumph of victory; but this tablet records their comrades’ determination that their, memory at least shall he preserved. And so it should bo; for in their lives they were of us, and in their deaths we shall not be severed from them.

‘‘l do not forget, and I dare say that all of you will remember with me, that there are friends present who have even a closer and more intimate sorrow than ourselves, in that they mourn the loss of relatives, sons and brothers Well, the club, surely, may not unfit tingly offer them a sympathy the sin cerity of which need not be doubted, since the loss they grieve over is on« that we share also. But they share with us the proud memory of the srrvice of their sons and brothers who gave their lives for tlieir country; and they share with us, too, the happier memories of the days when our dead comrades were alive and amongst us. And so I think I speak for all the club when I say that we are glad that there should be these present to join with us in -our tribute to the memory of our dead.

“It is quite possible that the walls on which this tablet hangs may not long endure, and that some other place will have to b 9 found fitting for the continuance of the record. But so long as their comrades of the club live, bo long there will be for them a mo morial more lasting than brass in the memory that we hold of them and in the pride and affection we have for them and for their services in the war. “I unveil this memorial, which the club has placed here to the memory of our honoured dead.” With the words, Sir Francis removed the L nion Jack, which up to then had concealed the tablet; and as he did so all present rose to their feet and stood for a minute or so in silent tribute to the fallen brave.

Mr A. D. Bavfeild, club captain, said that the club was carrying on the Memorial Whaleboat Races that afternoon. That memento had been really inspired by the returned soldieT members of the club who bad fought side by side with those whose names were on the memorial tablet. Their dead comrades had most of them been keen competitors in rowing, especially in the whaleboat races, and that was why the memorial cup had been given for that competition. The cup can never be won outright, and will thus always remain the property of the dub; but the names of the winners each year will be engraved on it as a record for all time.

AIEMORIAL WHALEBOAT RACES. After the ceremony, the whaleboat race was rowed, and resulted in a win for McGowan's crew. The heats rowed Were as follow, and showed some very good finishes. The first heat, after a good start and a neck-and-neck race, was won by half a length by Major E-vatt (contain), F. B, Anyon (str), T. Davis (4), "P. Hinge (3) A. H. Barradough (2), J. McKinley (bow), from Lieutenant Cowles (captain), F. AI. Johns (str), W. Steward (4) A. V. Gordon (3), H, McLean (2), H. Vile (bow). The second heat resulted in an easy win, Herd’s crew winning from Diehl by two lengths. The crews were as follow: Captain Holmes (captain), H. R. Herd (str), AV. F, Alarris (4), A. Whitaker (3). B. Nicholl (2), Haines (bow), and Lieutenant Lawson (captain), E. Diehl (str), J. Bentley (4), E. Cudby (3), Tayloj- (2). J. Wanch (bow).

The third heat, between McGowan and Carroll, resulted in an easy win for McGowan by three lengths.’ The crews were ns follow: Captain A. Mack (captain), W. P. AJoGownn (str), D. Newton (4), West (3). Woodcock (2), Curtis (bow), and McGrath (captain), AI. Carroll (str), E. Zobrab (4), I.

Pearce (3), Kelly (2), and de Tourette* (bow).

The semi-final resulted in the closest race of the day, and the decision went to Herd’s crow by half a length. This was a very close and gruelling race, and showed well the keen desire for a win displayed by the crews. The race was between Alajor Evatt’s crew (stroked by F. B. Anyon) and Captain Holmes's crow (stroked by H. R. Herd).

T he filial of the whole race was rowed between Captain Holmes's crew (stroked by 11. R. Herd) and Captain Alack's crew (stroked by AlcGowan), and resulted in an easy win for AleGowan’s crew. The other crew seemed to have had to go through too many races, and wore completely done at the finish.

The captains of the various crews were all members of the club who had served at the frofit.