DUNEDIN CYCLING CLUB.

Otago Witness, Issue 1915, 3 August 1888, Page 26

DUNEDIN CYCLING CLUB.

The annual general meeting of the club was held in the club room, Octagon, on Saturday evening last. Twenty-one members were present, and great enthusiasm was shown, giving piomise of a good season for tbe club. The condensed report from the Times which follows will be better than the voluminous screeds which the secretary and treasurer read, and will save valuable time and paper.

" The annual meeting of the Dunedin Cycling Club was held in the club room at Mr Melville's establishment on Saturday night. Mr A. G. Melville occupied the chair, and there was a good attendance.

"The annual report stated that the first meeting was held on 17th September 1887, in the Coffee Palace, when 18 gentlemen were present, and it was decided to resuscitate the old Dunedin Cycling Club. The opening meet was arranged for Saturday, Bth October, and passed off very successfully — 63 bicycles and tricycles being present. At tbe DuDedin Amateur Athletic Club's meeting on 9th November tbe first racing of the season took place, and, though the track was bad, showed that the club could turn out some good racing men, notably Mr Steadman, late of the Irish Champion Club, who had joined this club. Several members went to Christchurch at Christmas to attend the Pioneer Club race meeting. The only one of our men who shone was Steadman, who, unfortunately, met with an accident which spoilt his chance of success in the big events. His plucky riding after the spill gained the admiration of all present. At a meeting of the men present at Christchurch it was agreed to try and get up a meeting in Dunedin a few weeks later, and invite Wood and Brown to compete. On 4th March the race meeting was held on the Carisbrook ground in the presence of the largest crowd ever seen at an amateur sports meeting in Dunedin. Wood and Brown (English riders) were present. The Christchurch riders came down ia force; the racing was good; the day was perfect, and last but not least the sports were a success financially. In spite of the heavy payment to Wood, and the fact that the club did not ask for a single prize, we succeeded in pulling off our first race meeting of the era with a small balance on the right side. The road riding during the season has been a feature worth noticing. There has been more real riding done this season than ever before, and if the club only keeps up asithas begun it must gain in popularity amongst the real riders — men who use their machines for something more than pottering about. The thanks of the club are due to the gentlemen who have so kindly assisted in various ways. Mr James Allen (the president), Messrs Buller, L.' O. Beal, and Dr Brown (vice-presi-dents), Messrs W. H. Cutten, H. Fulton, Crerar, Hyams, Hislop, and Edmond for their assistance at the race meeting ; and also to the managers of the several papers. Special thanks to Mr Hyams, Mr Infield, Hon. R. Oliver, and Mr W. Melville for unsolicited donations to prize fund, and to the latter for his great assistance in the matter of the club room.

" The financial statement showed receipts for the year amounting to £17 ss, and there was a credit balance of £6 16s 7d. The receipts from the sports gathering on February 4 amounted to £137 Is Id, including unsolicited donations from the Hon. R. Oliver, Mr F. Hyams, and Mr J.

Infield. The expenditure amounted to £140 16s Gd, including a presentation to Wood and, prizes amounting to £77 17s.

" The two reports were adopted.

" The following officers were appointed :—President, Mr James Alien; vice-presidents — Dr Brown, Messrs S. Myers, W. H. Cutten, W. Dawson; captain, Mr E. H. Burn; deputycaptain, Mr A. J. George ; hon. secretary, Mr J. Stone, jun. ; treasurer, Mr M. F. Sbaw ; committee — Messrs W. Crow, A. G. Melville, W. E. Bastings, H. Hooper; auditor, Mr E. Howison.

" Nine members were elected. A resolution was passed that in future honorary members would be elected at an honorary subscription of ss. A vote of thanks was passed to the retiring officers."

Our touring representative, Mr Stone, has again been away, this time to Romahapa and thence to Lawrence, but unfortunately the rain caught him in Lawrence and rather spoilt the riding home.

The postponed parade and skate race at the Palace Rink comes off on Thursday night. There are 16 riders for the evolutions and nine skaters in the mile race. The handicaps are): — Stone, Hooper, and Hinton, three laps; Burn, two laps; Mitchell, Reid, and Haynes, half a lap; Low and Mackintosh, scratch.* A good deal of fun is expected, as some of the men ' find the corners difficult to negotiate at top speed. There' is good news for the racing men this season, for the Caledonian Society intend enlarging their racing track and making the ends oval. The society cannot in the interests of running mea bank the corners, but the enlargement of the track and easing of the corners will at any rate so improve it that there should be some good racing this year.

When the Caledonian Society show themselves so anxious to promote sport, they well deserve the thanks and encouragement of all classes of athletic men.