FOOTBALL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15706, 7 March 1913, Page 8

FOOTBALL

ALHAMERA CLUB. 'Die annual meeting of the Alhambra Football Club was held in. the Trades Hall last evening. About 40 meinbors attended, and bho chair was occupied by the president (Mr J. King). In moving tho adoption of the report and balance sheet the chairman, in speaking of the play of the past season, said members would notice tlmt the club's record was nothing like what it should be. In the first place the club had not had the material, and, in the scconil, in tho lower grades members had not taken tho interest in the game that they should—that was in the direction of training... Without training no player could expcct to attain any repute upon tho football lield. The First Fifteen, he understood, had trained fairly regularly and, aa the report said, it deserved a better position than it obtained. The Second Fifteen had,_ ho thought, got a very good record considering the way it was ..drawn upon to fill the ranks of t'he First Fifteen. The Third Grade team had about the best record of the wholo of. the fivo teams, and had evidently been training in the dark somewhere to attain the place it did in the competition. He did ndt know much about the Fourth Grade, but he understood that the lower grades had. net trained as they , should have done. The Fifth Grade team was mostly composed of lads who had just left school, and he thought tho incoming committee should make sure of getting a Fifth Grade team, even if it did not get a fourth. It was by getting lads when they were leaving school that the strength of the other teams was kept un. He went on to refer to the Easter and other matches and to social functions, and in speaking of the outgoing committee £oid that some of its members had not taken tho interest in the club that they ought to have taken. In reference to'finance, he pointed out that if members had all paid their subscriptions the club would still show tho same credit balance as it did last year. Mr F. Given seoonded tho motion, which was carried after a brief discussion. Tho Chairman moved, and it was carried'; "That notice of any amendment or alteration in the rules of the club, with the name of the proposer of every such amendment, ?hall be given in writing to the secretary at least__ seven days before the club meeting at which such amendment or alteration is intended to be proposed, and notice thereof shall bo given in accordance therewith."

I'iie Chairman also moved "That tho General Committee be empowered to recommend for life membership anyone who has previously served not less than five years on the General Committee of tho olub, audi person to be elected by tho members at a general meeting of the club, Such honour shall entitle the holder to the same privileges as a member of the General Committee." The motion was carricd with tho deletion of the words "as a member of the General Committee," and the substitution of " as an active member of the club."

The following were elected office-bearers for tho ensuing year;—Mr J. King, president; Messrs John Morrison, J. J. Clark, 0. E. Briggs, C. T. Young, A. Restieaux, M, Higgins, 11. Whytc, and J. Mitchell, vice-presidents; Mr G. S. Wilson, secretary; Mr G. A. Nelson, assistant secretary and treasurer; Mr G. S. Wilson, delegate in connection with the Footballers' Accident Fund; Messrs George Davidson and J. T. Ilamann, auditors; Messrs G. A. Nelson, R. Bennet, and J. King, delegates to the 0.R.F.U.; Messrs J. Sutherland, F. Givon, R. Bennet, and M. Feely, committeo; Messrs R. Bennet, J, Sutherland, and P. Williams, temporary match committee. Half a dozen new members were eloeted. Mr A. E. Bcissel was elected a lifo member of the club, tho chairman and others referring ill eulogistic terms to Mr Beissel, and to the good service ho had rendered the club. It was resolved that the fixture with the Merivale Club be discontinued, a difficulty boing experienced in obtaining teams. The president intimated that he had pleasure in presenting to the club a merit board bearing the names of life members, provisionally that it bo hung up in the olub's pavilion, It was decided .to open tho season on Saturday, practice to take place on tho ground in tho vicinity of the cement works, Pelichct Bay.