AMATEUR ROWING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23954, 1 November 1939, Page 8

AMATEUR ROWING

NEW ZEALAND ASSOCIATION’S MEETING OLYMPIC DISTANCES FOR TITLE RACES CPer United Press' Association) • WELLINGTON, Oct. 31. Delegates to the New Zealand Amateur Rowing Association’s annual meeting In Wellington to-day decided that in future the distances for championship races in New Zealand shall be Olympic distances. Mr D. R. Menzies (Auckland), moving the adoption of the report and balance sheet, said it was unfortunate that the , weather for the New Zealand Championships at Wellington had been unfavourable. If the council went on with the proposal to invite a crew from Australia it should be able to finance It with tihe grant of £SOO from the Art Union Advissory Council. Mr C. G. Herdman (Auckland) referred to the goqd work done by the, secretary and treasurer (Mr T. M. Hinkley) and said that all oarsmen regretted he was vacating the office. Mr Hinkley said he felt he owed the association an apology for giving up the office of secretary after having held it for only one year, seeing that his predecessor (Mr A. D. Bayfield) had held the office for 32 years. Extra work caused by the outbreak of war, however, had convinced him that hd could not do justice to the position. Mr T. Watson (Wellington) moved that the question of abandoning the championships during the war be finally considered at the end of December, 1939, Mr Herdman moved an amendment that for this year the championships should be carried on, and after this year they should be postponed till the war was over. The amendment was carried by a larrge on, behalf of the Wellington Association, moved that the visit of an Australian crew should be abandoned. Mr E. J. Grotty (Wanganui) moved that It should be a recommendation to the council that the invitation to an Australian team should be •proceeded with. Mr Hinkley said that the last advice he had had from Australia was that the matter would be considered at the September meeting. If the New Zealand Association was enthusiastic about the visit it was pretty certain that a first-class Australian crew would come over. Mr L. E. Brooker (Auckland) moved as an amendment that the matter should be left in the hands of the council, with a strong recommendation that the invitation should be proceeded with. The amendment was carried. A remit from the Auckland Association—” That rule 22 be repealed and the following substituted, * the distance for all championship races shall be Olympic distances ’ ’’—led to a long discussion. The remit was carried by 12 votes to 5. A Wellington remit—“ That rule 62 be altered to read, 'the judge or judges for the championship regatta shall be .appointed by the local association, under whose jurisdiction the regatta will be held, subject to the approval of the council,’ and that a new rule be Inserted to read, ’ The umpire and starter officiating for,the five championship events at the championship regatta shall be appointed by the council ’ ’’—was carried. It was decided that if the championships are held Is a head only of the levy be called up. The election of officers resulted:—President, Mr W. J. Gaudln (Wellington); vicepresidents, Messrs A. Kirk and A. A. Whiting: council—Messrs A. D. Bayfield, M. A. Turner. S. 1. Kidd, D. R. Henries, A. G. Cockroft, A. Ross, T. M. Hinkley, and C. E. Bridge; secretary and treasurer, Mr R. J. Tregurtha: auditor, Mr W, S. Wheeler: trustees, Messrs J. G. Duncan and W. Simm.