COUNTRY RACING CLUBS' CONFERENCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1851, 17 August 1893, Page 31

COUNTRY RACING CLUBS' CONFERENCE.

A general meeting of delegates from country racing clubs in the South Island was held\»t Christchurch last Friday evening, when there were present — Messrs H. Friedlander (Ashbur'ton Club— in the chair), B. R. Macdonald (Geraldine Club), W. N. Cathro (North Canterbury Club), F. Busch (Ellesmere Club), R. Friedlander (Fairlie Creek Club), G. B. Starkey (North Canterbury Steeplechase Club), R. Rutherford (Albury Club), W. B. Denshire (Reefton Club), Dr Tweed (Wyndham Club), and Mr E. Saunders (hon. sec.) The draft rules were considered, and adopted as follows :—: — <

1. That the name of the association be the South Island Country Racing Olub Association, and shall consist of delegates— viz , one delegate from each duly organised bona fide countiy club in the South Island of New Zealand, being duly affiliated and paying an annual subscription as provided by Rule 2. Delegates must be appointed under the signature of the secretary, president, or chairman of the club they represent, and must be approved by the association before taking their seats as delegates. Any affiliated club neglecting or failing to hold a meeting within 12 months from thq date of its affiliation, and one meeting during each subsequent year, shall cease to be affiliated ; and no club shall be entitled to representationon the association by delegate until its first meeting has been advertised. The association or committee shall have power to refuse the affiliation of any club. 2. In order to provide the necessary funds to carry on the work of the association, each club which may set aside any day or days in the year for the purpose of racing shall pay an annual subscription to the association of one guinea for each meeting held during the racing year. 3. The association shall meet twice in each year, in the month of August at Christchurch, and February at Dunedin, 14 days' notice to be given to each club affiliated, by publication in the official calendar. The annuul meeting of the association shall be -held in August in each year, when a report of the year's proceedings and balance sheet shall be presented. The officers for the ensuing year shall be elected a*, this meeting, and the previous officers retire, but shall be eligible for reelection. At all meetings of the association seven

delegates shall form a quorum. Special meetings may be called by the president, or, in his absence, by the secretary, on the written request of at least seven delegates, or by the committee, of which 14 days' notice must ba given to each delegate by publication in the official calendar or by post. The notice to state fully the business for which the special meeting is called to consider. 4. The association Bhall, at its annual meeting, elect from the delegates a president, a treasurer, an executive committee of 10 delegates, and an auditor or auditors, who phail hold office until the next annual meeting. JChe executive committee so elected, of which He president and the treasurer shall be members ex officio, shall meet at the office of the" association monthly, or at such times as circumstances shall require, to conduct Buch business as requires to be. dealt with before the next half-yearly meeting ; three members to form a quorum. Any member of committee failing to attend three meetings in succession without obtaining leave of absence shall cease to be member of committee, and the vacanoy shall be filled by the committee. The president shall preside at all meetings of the association and executive committee, but in his absence the member 3 present shall Eelect one of their number to take the chair at such meeting, and all questions shall be decided by the mayority of votes of delegates then present and entitled to vote (no delegate shall vote upon any question in which he is directly or indirectly interested in a pecuniary sense); the chairman shall have a deliberate vote ; and in case of a tie he Bhall also have a casting vote ; a delegate may represent as many clubs as choose to appoint him. -Any delegate whose club's subscription is iri*%,rrear for more than three months after due date— viz., the Ist August in each year— shall not vote at any meeting of the association so long as the subscription be in arrears. 5. The committee shall appoint a secretary, who shall take all minutes, attend all meetings, keep all records, and perform such duties as it may require, and for his services shall receive such remuneration as the committee may determine. The secretary shall hold office during the pleasure of the committee. 6. That the objects of the association shall be to generally watch over the interests of county 7. The committee shall have power from time to time to make, alter, amend, and repeal any by-laws for carrying out these rules and regulating their own proceedings, providing that such by-laws shall not be inconsistent with these rules. 8. No alterations shall be made in any rule of the association, except at a general or special meeting of the association, of which proposed alteration at least 14 days' notice shall be given. It was resolved that the Provisional Committee have power to give effect to the foregoing resolutions. 4

It was resolved, on the motion of the Chairman, seconded by Dr Tweed— ''That this meeting requests the metropolitan clubs in the South Island to forthwith give effe'ot to the resolution passed at the late conference at Wellington re election of delegates' from country clubs on the Racing Conference."