PICNIC AND SPORTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2762, 20 February 1907, Page 17

PICNIC AND SPORTS.

On Saturday the annual picnic arranged for tho delegates of the Congregational Conference was held at Tahun\ Park. There was a large attendance of visiting representatives and member* of tho local churches, making altogether a gcodly number. A ■strong north-easterly wind which was blowing throughout the day was a source of no <mall inconvenience to the picnicker*, but in spite of this drawback the outing was \ory enjoyable A rcw departure was made this year m the shapo of the introduction of amateur athl^t'C sports for the young men of t'i" local ehu r ch°s of the denomination, apd provt d an unqualified success. o\er 30 runner-, doing battle for their churcho*. The t-ports which were held undei the patronage of the 0tc.70 Centre of ihr> X Z.A A. A., were run on champion-ship Inid. point* being awarded in lieu of prizes, the i< am ~<_O''ine moot point* to hold the competition shield for one year The object cf the mer-t.ng na< in the fiivst place to form a closer bond of interest among the young men, and. secondly, to footer in them a love of clean and manly snort, and both th«*o objectives may he <^id to have been Ptlained. The result of th" afternoon's contest wd-. the placing of the Moray Place Church team in a position of indisputable si'fci loiity, that team gaining 54- points out of a po-.*ib!o 100, with Port Chalmers and King Street eqwal for second place with ]5 point* cTch. anJ Si. Clair and Kavensbourne hkowi->o <yinor for third place with 8 points each. Out of 10 events Moray Place, secured first position in s-econ, their be-i athletes being W H. Xieol. C. Gilray, and C. Darling. Two members of the Otatro renrr-ontati\e team competing at the amateur arhletie chammonships at Christchurrh were among-t th" competitors in th« per=ori<, of C (Jilrav and T Overtoh. and oach met with sureo 1-*.1 -*. A large measure of ti r ai*o 1* due to Mo*sr«. H. Mitchell, A. Bulk C. C)ok<r, P. Scort. and others for valuable a-11-taneo rendered as officials.