PATEA SPORTS ASSOCIATION.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 117, 30 September 1895, Page 2

PATEA SPORTS ASSOCIATION.

The annual general meeting of the above Association was held in the Borough Chambers on Friday evening last, when Mr Hope Gibbons, President of the Association, occupied the chair. Minutes of last general meeting read and confirmed.

Letter from Rev C. C. Harper, one of the vice-Presidents, was read, apologising for his absence, rendered unavoidable by his being in Wellington on the date of the meeting. The President then read the following report and balance-sheet; HE POUT. Gextlemex,— Your committee have to report for the past year’s operations the following results:—

The sports on Boxing Day wore very well attended, and the various items were keenly competed for. The Patea Brass Band not being .available, your committee engaged the services of the Hawera Brass Band, and they materially helped to make the sports a suco( s

Your committee had great difficulty in arranging for the annual concert, as it was intended to engage outside talent; but this the committee found impossible to do (considering a limit should be placed on the cost) ; and wc cannot congratulate ourselves on the result of what outside talent was engage J, as the local talent was far more appreciated. The result of the concert was not nearly so successful from a financial point of view as on previous years.

Comparing the various heads of receipts of 1894 with those of 1893, they are as follows :

The committee have called the annual meeting earlier this year to give the incoming committee time to make any necessary improvements to the track. Attached is the annual account of Receipts and Expenditure for the season 1891 95.

With the adoption of this report your committee and officers go out of office, and you arc now called upon to elect their successors.

For the Committee, Hope Gibbons, President, Statement of Receipts a*nd Expenditure.

EXPENDITURE. £ S d

Assets & Liabilities.

LIABILITIES. Nil. On the motion of Mr T. E. Hamerton, seconded by Mr G. Williams, the report and balance-sheet were adopted. Mr H. Gibbons said they usually went rather outside the proper routine of business and elected new members before office-bearers, so as to allow all members a voice in that election ; and if there was no objection, that course would be continued.

There being- no objection, Mr Gibbons proposed Messrs W. Maim, A. W. Newton and J. Paterson as members. Seconded by Mr E. McKenna, and carried. The election of officers was then taken, when Mr E. McKenna proposed Mr Hope Gibbons as President. Mr Gibbons at once declined, ss, while thanking his proposer for Ins good wishes, he expected to be leaving Pa tea for good on the Ist December, which was, be considered, a complete disqualification. Mr E. McKenna then proposed the Rev C. C. Harper as President. This was seconded by Mr A. Sergeant, and carried unanimously. Mr C, Hamerton proposed, and Mr A. Sergeant seconded, Messrs G. V. Pearce and W. Nairn as vice Presidents.

Mi Nairn stated that being almost a stranger amongst them, he would rather not accept the position, us he thought older members should be awarded for service by such positions. After some little complimentary discussion, the name of Mr E. McKenna was substituted for that of Mr Nairn, and the motion carried unanimously. On the motion of Mr. Sergeant, Mr Kiely was unanimously elected secretary ; and on the motion of Mr H. Gibbons, Mr Nairn was unanimously elected treasurer. On the motion of Mr Gibbons, the following members were elected a committee ’.—Messrs J. B. Atkins, W. Boyle, J. Holtham, Mitchell, Newton, A. Pearce, J. Paterson, W. Powdrell, and A. Sergeant, all office-bearers being ex officio members of the committee.

On the motion of Mr T. E. Hamerton, seconded by Mr G. Williams, Messrs G. V. Pearce and J, K. Mitchell were elected judges of running events, and Messrs Sergeant and A. Pearce judges of jumping events.

On the motion of Mr C. Hamerton, seconded by Mr E. McKenna, Mr 0. Ilavvken was re-elected starter; and on the motion of Mr Kiely, Mr T. E. Hamerton was elected timekeeper. On the question of handicappers being raised, Mr J. Paterson said he thought an outside hamlicapper should be secured, such as Kivoll, one who kept abreast of all athletic meetings, and was conversant with all performances. The local handicappers, no doubt, did their best, but they

generally managed to let a dark outsider best them and skin the pool. Mr Sergeant objected entirely to outside haudicappers, as the local men had hitherto done just as well as where professional men were engaged, and quo'od Hawera as an example. Mr T. E. Hamerton supported having a professional handicapper, like Mr Kivell, as it not only removed any feeling as to local partiality, but he thought it would raise the status of the club and increase entries, as strangers would have more confidence in placing themselves in the hands of an acknowledged handicapper, whose public reputation was at stake, than in placing themselves in the bands of local amateurs, whose interest and experience were almost confined to the local meeting. Mr Kiely proposed, and Mr E. McKenna seconded, “ That Messrs G. and A. Pearce and A. Sergeant be handieappers.” Mr J. Paterson proposed, and Mr J. Burke seconded, “ That Mr E. H. Kivell be handicapper,” Mr H. Gibbons supported the idea of having an outside handicapper, and said that there was no doubt the weight of feeling amongst the conference of delegates, held at Stratford, was in favour of having one handicapper for a whole distre".

Mr Sergeant said if the Association meant having an outside handicapper he would rather see Mr Copeland elected, as be was better known amongst the men who usually competed at our meetings, and handicapped for Feildhig and Waverley clubs, and would be more valuable to us than Kivel).

Mr Nairn seconded the proposition pro forma, so that it could be brought before the meeting. He was in favour of an outside handicapper, but was indifferent as to who should be selected.

Votes were then taken, the result placing thorn—Kivel’, Ist; Copeland, 2nd ; G. and A. Pearce and A. Sergeant, 3rd. The lowest were struck out and another ballot taken, which resulted in favour of Kivell, who was declared elected.

The consideration of the programme was then taken, and l ist year’s programme adopted with, the following alterations ; Nominations for Forced Handicap reduced from os to 2s 6d ; a Maori Race, substituted for the Sack Hurdle Race; the money prize, in addition to the cup, for the District Race was increased to 355. On the motion of Mr Sergeant, seconded by Mr Pearce, Vaulting with. Pole was struck out. The programme as altered was then adopted. The question of an entertainment for the evening was then discussed, and on the motion of Mr Pearce, a committee, consisting of Messrs C. Hamerton, Kiely, Mitchell and Sergeant, was appointed to arrange for an entertainment.

A vote of thanks was then recorded to past officers, and on the motion of Mr C. Hamerton, seconded by Mr Sergeant, a hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr W. T. Larsen for his donation of a valuable cup as first prize in the District Race.

Mr Hope Gibbons said, in returning thanks on behalf of the past officers for the vote of thanks just passed, he would take the opportunity before leaving the chair of thanking the members for the hearty manner in which they had helped him in every way while acting in the capacity of President. The committee and officers had all worked well together, and bad done first rate, and many who had not been seen prominently, bad assisted, if not with material, with advice. A good step forward was made when they forme 1 the Association, as before that matters were not so well conducted ; but since then they bad had first class sports, and the Association had got a good name all round. Years ago mem • bers of the committee had also been prominent competitors, and this, he thought. was very bad, as it gave outside competitors an opening to suggest favouritism to those competitors who were also committeemen. He bad, while President of the Association, steered clear of all that sort of thing, and he hoped they would continue to do ao, as they would find it much better. He was naturally sorry to leave the Association ; but he was not going to tell a “ cram ” and say he was altogether sorry to leave the place, as he was going to a larger business in the hopes of bettering himself; but he would always do all he could to help the Association, and probably being in close proximity to large institutions of the sort, he might be of use to them. One thing he should like to mention, he had. of course, done so before, but he wanted them to try and get a stand of some sort erected on the ground so that ladies could go down and see the sports comfortably. One thing struck him while thinking about this, but he did not at all know if there was room, as ne had not been over the ground to look, but he thought if a racecourse could be made round the lake, with the finish brought up near the Domain, possibly a stand available for all purposes could be erected, and it would then be useful for races, sports, cricket, football and all such things. He thought it was worth thinking about. Some members of all the clubs where present, and they bad a surveyor amongst them, and could easily find out what could be done, and all the clubs and associations pulling together could soon make things comfortable. He would not keep them longer, but would again thank them heartily for the kind support he had at all times received from members.

Mr T. E. Hamerton said they were all sorry to lose Mr Gibbons from their Pre - sidency, as he had at all times worked heart and soul in the interests of the Athletic Association and of all athletic sports. He thought the Association should put on record its appreciation of those services in something beyond the mere formal vote of thanks to outgoing officers, and in order to give an opportunity for so doing he would move, “ That in order to place on record this Association’s indebtedness to, and full appreciation of, his valuable services since its formation, Mr Hope Gibbons be elected a life member. ”

Mr Sergeant, in a few complimentary words, seconded the motion. Mr E. McKenna, vice President, spoke in favour of the resolution, and alluded to the great services rendered to athletic sports generally by Mr Gibbons, and to the groat loss the Association would suffer by his leaving. The resolution was then put by the vice President, and carried by acclamation.

The usual compliment to the chair closed the proceedings.

189:3. 1894. £ s d £ s d Nominations and acceptances .. 25 G 0 19 8 0 Privileges .. .. 7 0 0 10 15 0 Subscriptions .. 20 1G 0 23 5 0 Gate . 24 5 0 23 4 6 Concert .. 14 0 0 0 0 0 £91 7 0 £76 2 6

KECEi ITS £ s d Balance 1st October, 1894 7 2 S Subscriptions 23 6 0 Nominations & Acceptances J9 S 0 Gatos 23 4 6 Privileges 10 lo 0 Proceeds of conceit 14 3 6 £97 IS 8

Prizes 47 2 6 Advertising 11 6 3 Hawera Band 8 10 0 Concert expenses 11 lo 0 Luncheons 2 10 0 Domain Board, fee for ground 1 0 0 Children’s prizes 1 18 0 Bonus to secretary 2 0 0 Petty cash 2 0 0 Miscellaneous 8 4 ( Balance 1 12 11 £S)7 18 8

£ s d Fixed deposit 30 0 0 Plant 5 0 0 Cash in Bank 1 12 11 £30 12 11