MAJOR PROJECT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19698, 2 August 1938, Page 14

MAJOR PROJECT

NEW WAIKANAE PARK DEVELOPMENT SCHEME 30,000 CLUB'S SUPPORT £IOO DONATION PROPOSED A decision to make thf development of the new Waikanae Park the major activity this year was reached at the annual meeting of the Gisborne Thirty-Thousand Club, held last evening, when it, was proposed that the incoming executive should consider an immediate donation of £IOO to the funds for developing the park. In the absence of the president, Mr D. W. Coleman. M.P., the chair was taken by Mr. Jas. Chrisp, chairman of committee. There were also present Dr. H. Goulding Rice, and Messrs. J. W. Fergie, R. O. Morse, B S Bree, W. E. Chamberlain, A. J. Cox, A. H. Lange, W. M. Jenkins, J. H. Hall, and W. Oakden, secretary. In moving the adoption of the report, published in the Herald yesterday, Mr. Chrisp expressed the thSnks of the club to the social committee of the Gisborne Returned Soldiers' Association, and the management committee of the Poverty Bay Rugby Union. The balance sheet, read by the secretary, placed the income for the year at £283 13s lOd, which with the amount brought forward from last vear, £314 19s sd, gave the club A fund of £598 13s 3d. Of this. £333 13s 5d remained in hand at the close of the year. Satisfactory Finances The chairman briefly reviewed the items of expenditure, giving details-'of the various functions on which funds had been spent. The financial position, he considered, was very satisfactory. The devotion of part of the year's revenue to the development of the new Waikanae Park had helped to give an initial impetus to the campaign to provide further facilities of a revenue-producing nature at the Waikanae Beach. The chairman also mentioned that the executive of the Waikanae Beach Improvement Society had agreed to allow the Thirty-Thousand Club -to conduct this year's Guy Fawke's Night function at the beach. Mr. J. W. Fergie considered that the artificial lighting at the beach was of paramount importance, and that if the club colud give any assistance in that direction, it should do so.

Mr. W. Oakden pointed out that while a tentative scheme of lighting had been evolved, its materialisation had been delayed pending the completion of the general improvement scheme.

Lighting at the Beach

The chairman felt that the policy Of the club should be to conserve its funds until they were sufficiently large to effect substantial donations for specific purposes. If the money was put out in small driblets, it would not be as effective in results. Mr. Morse mentioned that .the Poverty Bay Electric Power Board's engineer, F. W. Matthewson, had begun wprk on the lighting problem, and it should be possible to do something definite this year, even if it were only a part of the scheme. The club should go on with the work if it could finance it, he thought.

The chairman considered that it would be really helpful to know what the cost would be. The club had agreed to earmark the proceeds of last year's carnival at the beach for the lighting plan, and there was no doubt that the money would be expended on the project. The report and balance sheet were adopted without further discussion. Executive Appointed An executive of 20 members, comprising Drs. A. L. Singer, and H. Goulding Rice, and Messrs. J. Chrisp, W. M. Jenkins, R. O. Morse, H. Holmes, A. J. Nicol, T. G. Johns, J. W. Fergie, H. R. Heiford. K. S. Waite, B. S. Bree, H. B. Tyerman, J.. O. Musgrave, H. L. Primrose, C. S. Bruce, M. J. White, A. J. Cox, I. J. Quigley, and J. H. Hall was elected for the ensuing year. Mr. C. A. Smith was re-elected hon. auditor, with an expression of appreciation of past services in that capacity. The chairman pointed out that while several sections of the club's work were now in hand, the major effort for the year, in his opinion, should b" the development of the new Waikanae Park. Dr. Rice endorsed the opinion of the chairman, stating that the Waikanae Park scheme was of major importance, and that immediate allocations of funds to its development wouH be welcome. The Park Development League was actually in danger of having to ston essential work for lack of immediate funds, and he recommended that the meeting should consider a donation at once. Mr. Cox suggested that £IOO should be donated from the club's funds. to keen the work going nending results from the campaign recently launched. Concentration of Effort Mr. Fergie placed before the meeting photographs of Napier and Timaru. stating that the develooment of foreshore facilities in thosp towns had resulted in their becoming the leading watering-places of New Zealand, with thousands of visitors drawn annually by beaches which, in their natural state, were no better, and possibly not as good, as the Waikanae Beach. He wholeheartedly supported the Drooosal fcr a donation from the Thirtv-Thousand Club's funds towards the development of the new Waikanae Park. He was preoared to move in that direction, recommending that the incoming committee consider a donation of up to £IOO to the immediate'needs of the park. The motion was seconded by Mr. Jenkins, who considered' that the club certainly should make the Wnikanae Park develonment scheme its maior project for the coming vear. It was not wise, he held, to have too. many irons in the fire, and to dissioate its enemies and funds on a variety of projects, to none of which cou'd any effective contribution be made. The motion was carried unanimous-

ly. Two delegates, Messrs. J. Chriso and A. J. Cox. were appointed to act. with the Poverty Bay Hockev Association's tournament committee in makine proDnrationc for receiving and entertaining visiting players during the New Zealand women's championship hockey tournament.