ATHLETIC JUBILEE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19141, 9 October 1936, Page 7

ATHLETIC JUBILEE

! AMATEUR ACTIVITIES BACK TO THE EIGHTIES AX ANCIENT MINUTE ROOK 1 Discovered in refuse turned out of nn office, there has come into the hands of the Oisborne Amateur Athletic and Harriers' Club, through the offices of Mi'. C. E. Brown, nn interesting memento of Hie I early days of amateur activity in this district, in the form of a, minute-book'. The book records the commencement and early meetings of the Oisborne Amateur Athletic Club, and contains a considerable amount of interesting information regarding the participation in athletics of men who, to the present generation of athletes, represent a period hardly suspected of a keen competitive .spirit in track and field events. The first entry in (lie minute booh records Hint :i meeting was held on December 9, ISSO, to consider the for maiion of nn amateur club in the district, Mr. Alfred W. Croft being voted to the chair, and the attendance being encouraging. The formal decision to institute the club, and to adopt, witli slight; amendments, l.lirs rules under which Ihc Hawke's Bay club was operating, did not take much timo once the meeting settled down, and there were plenty of offers of as sistnnce to the new organisation. OFFICERS AT INCEPTION. Tbo first election of officers resulted as under: President, Captain Geo. Winter: vice-presidents, .Messrs. W. F. Crawford, A. W. Croft, .1. W. Nolan, A. C. Arthur, and E. Dufaur, honorary secretary, Mr. A. \V. Fees; honorary treasurer, .Mr E. . commit tee, Messrs F. Morgan, T. Mor gan, H. E. Pavitt, J. If. Coiebourne. and F. Tyler; honorary auditors. Messrs. G. A. Bourne and W. Kenny. About 00 names of intending mem bors were handed to the secretary liefore the meeting adjourned, and at a later dale the list 01' active and financial members included the following: Messrs G. R. Rogers, A. J. Barnard, P. J. Rvsnnr, E. Brown. L. L- Roes, A. W. Roes, A'.' If. Booth, G. 11. Staile. J. T. Dunlop, I''... F. Sage. A. Barnes, J. H. Colebourne, W. Harrington Miller, 11. G. Tucker, F. Teat, G. A. Bourne, E. Rawson, L. P. Bullen, F. T. Morgan, Harry Bull, A. De Costa. E. O'Menni, X Primrose, W. C. McLean, R. G. Wilson ,T C. Woodward, T. Morgan, W. ,T. Green, O. J. A. Johnstone, O. J. • Winter. A. W. Croft, V. 0. Day, W. A. O'Meara, W. Good. W. Kenny, P. 11. Bourko, J. W. Nolan. A. X. Williamson A. McDonald, Colonel Simeon. Messrs V. Louden, A. C. Arthur, A. Graham, C. A. de Lautour. .1. Lines. IT Pollen, and .1. W. Matthews. To 1 this list was subsequently added the ( names of Messrs. W. 0. r,ysnnr, J. I Parker N. 0. Voale, A. Somers, I',. Langford. R. Ballantyne, W. Eraser, and I. IT. Onto, the last-meat ,o„ed being a Napier resident who proposed lo lake part in the club's sports gatherings, and many others. A TUCKER TRADfTCON. Those were held on Tucker's paddock, a well known resort of Ihc- day. ami invariably placed at. ihc service ol any public, -institution by its ?™- l,lp >' " Captain Tucker. Mr. 11. O. tucker, who

in later years has exemplified his public spirit by his great- generosity towards the L'overty Bay A. and P. Association, was in those days carrying his smaller share of the burdens of j)ublie organisations, for at one early meeting he volunteered to provide the stakes necessary for marking out the courses for running, lieid events, ami horse events, all of which included in tin; programmes of early sports gatherings. That the community spirit was even then fully developed is instanced by the fact that a great number of those named above as members of the club took part in working bees 10 prepare the grounds for the ga the ring*. The establishment and early activity of the (dub was not without its interesting sidelights. The initial meeting was called by one well-known Oisborne hostelry, and for some lime tlie meetings of the committee were held there. Then came a change, and the annual meeting- was convened at n rival licensed establishment, There were those, .probably friends of the deserted publican, who raised qui -;• ticms ns to why the change had been made. CLUB 'S MEETING-PLACE. The entry in the minutes concerning this matter docs not reveal more than that "a member then askoifc the secretary why the meeting had been called at the hotel, instead of at the hole!, as formerly. It wan .asserted that the committee in meeting assembled had expressed a desire that the present meeting should be held at this hotel. After a rather animated discussion, in which several members spoke, the ma tier dropped. "Not for long was it neglected, however, for the minutes of the next committee meeting record furl her reference to the matter. "A long discussion took place as to the place for holding general and oilier meetings. The respective merits of Hie —— ami hotels were discussed and a motion in favour of Ihe latter was lost wher put lo the meeting. The —— hotel is now the meeting place of ine eluh," the minutes record with a barely perceptible lira! of satisfaction. Tl must not be |,o believed by latter-day athletes thai the vinous ami spirinioiis features of Iho respective hosieries could linen had any bearing upon tlie choice, since it is probable thai one honsn was fully as well equipped in these mat tors as the other. THOROUGH LE.YWHTTER. If anyone should loubt that Mm athletes of the early days in this district lacked keenness for the business of running and competing in other events the doubt should lie dispelled, by reference to the financial .obligations of membership. Adult active members were charge! 7s Od per annum subscription, and schoolboys paid 5s per annum. On tip of-this was a charge of Is per member for registering the individual atllete's colour:*—number wore still in Ihe future as n means of ilisl inguishiig Ihe competitors—and a. further ciarge of 2s per entry in anv event conducted by the club'. One pleasing memory stirred by ti perusal of Ihis miniilebook is that ol the old. combination cf forces which was effected from limelo lime to enable the Hospital Sports Committee lo stage, a meeting thoroughly repre-en-MaGve. The amateur silo of athletics was well catered for in Ihose days, and so busy were the vounger members of the community in competing thai Ihe conduct of the meetings I'd! upon the shoulders of 'he older citizens. A schedule of a lospilal sports meeting or a CaledoninnS.oeioiy meetling on the sporlsground right up to I the turn of the century contained a

catalogue of mosl of ihe business and professional men of ihe district, named as judges, handieappers, stewards, or donors of Irpphies. One such handbook preserved will) Ihc Amateur Athletic Club's early records held no fewer than i'd pages of advertising, in addition In ihe usual official inl'oi' maiion.