BASKETBALL

Southland Times, Issue 20445, 24 March 1928, Page 4

BASKETBALL

(By “Defence.”). As the annual meeting of the association is next Friday, it would be well to consider some points of the constitution. Each club affiliated to the association last season has as many votes as there were teams entered, irrespective of the numbers of teams which will be entered in the 1928 season. These votes may all be carried by one member of the club or may be used by proxy, but it is in the best interests of any club to have a delegate for each vote. A new club has one vote only. No player having already been registered with one club may play for another until a transfer has been obtained from the executive and the executive may not grant such a transfer until the player has a clearance from her old club. No club may play an unregistered player or play a girl in any grade lower than that for which she is registered without the consent of the executive. All clubs must register their costumes and colours, and if any club wishes to change its costume the new costume must be registered. If a club sends out a team in a costume not approved by the executive, the club is liable to be suspended until such time as the registration has been received. No club may play a girl who is not in costume, or is not wearing rubber-soled shoes. The referee has the right to disqualify from taking part in any match any player not in correct uniform. These rules may seem details of small importance, but their prompt observance saves the association a great deal of time and worry. At the final executive meeting for last season several remits for the annual meeting were discussed, and as they are of importance to every basketbailer here they are—“ That the executive shall consist of president, two vice-presidents, secretary, treasurer and three other members, no two of whom shall be connected with one club.” At present each club nominates one of its members to the executive, and this has in the past been most unsatisfactory, as the same member did not always come and the chairwoman felt that she had no definite persons on whom to rely, so that all the work was done by only two or three. If this remit is carried as the retiring executive hopes, it behoves every club to consider seriously whom it shall nominate for all the vacant positions. There is no use putting on anyone who will not attend meetings regularly and help with the general administration. There is a great deal of routine work which can be undertaken by members of committee, and there are very often important decisions to be made and if the president and secretary are worth anything they do not want to be responsible for all decisions. Therefore choose people who are enthusiastic basketbailers in every

“That there shall be a Saturday as well as a Wednesday competition.” This remit should be carried without opposition, but there can be no Saturday matches unless there are at least four teams. The association can do nothing further than offer to stage a competition; club members must do the rest. “That each club must provide a referee.” This remit will call forth groans from the majority of the clubs, but the position must be faced seriously this year. The association has three referees, and it is obviously unfair that these three should referee all the matches throughout the season, and the only remedy seems to be to make it compulsory for each club to send along a referee. “That a team which defaults a match without reasonable excuse be fined 5/-, and that a team which withdraws from the competitions be fined 10/-.” The reason for this remit is obvious. All clubs which have suffered from the bad habit of some teams of defaulting matches at the last minute will, I feel sure, be glad of such a rule. A general meeting of all interested in basketball will be held before the annual meeting when the president will relate something of the tournament held last September, explain the new laws and the changes in the rules and when you will be given the chance to say whether you want Southland to be represented at the next tournament in Auckland. So will every club be well represented both by its members and also by the members of its committee. This meeting will be duly advertised next week, but in the meantime everyone can be thinking and forming opinions on all matters to be discussed. The Collegiate Club held its opening a few weeks ago, and I was present by invitation. It took the form of a tournament in the High School grounds, with supper afterwards at the Rosewood. The evening was fine and cold, so that the games were thoroughly enjoyed by everyone except the onlookers. The personnel of the senior team will be very little altered from last year except that Nina Gimblett has had to retire owing to an injury to her knee. This club has a good coach and should do something worth while this year.

Makarewa had its opening a fortnight ago and I was invited. The day was not very promising, however, and I did not attend and have had no further word from this club. They have lost two of their most promising players who are transferring to Pirates Club, but I believe have others to take their place. Pirates Club invited me to their opening last Wednesday afternoon. This year they have the use of the grass court, in front of the Friendly Societies’ Hall, and are talking of getting a light so that they may practise there in the winter. Wednesday was a very warm day, but the club had a good practice and several members of their committee, including their president, Mr Jones, were present, and we all had a very welcome cup of afternoon tea. This club has several new members, including Misses Mary Webb and Audrey Abbey Jones, who, although playing netball last year are acquisitions for any club. They should field a very strong team. No other club has advised me of its opening, although I believe all the clubs have now commenced practising. The season as far as competitions are concerned commences immediately after Easter, and so I would advise all girls to practise hard, and as I said last week, get fit and keep fit. At a conference last week between the representatives of secondary schools and president of the Southland Association, it was decided that these schools would withdraw from matches with outside clubs. This means a loss to the association in money, grounds, referees and what is more important in girls, but it will make the arrangement of matches very much simpler for the association and will save the postponement of matches on account of holidays. At the same time the Secondary Schools’ Association was the nucleus of the Southland Basketball Association, and now it seems that one has outgrown the other. It is to be hoped, however, that the High School senior team will still be allowed to play in the senior association since this team has four Southland representatives, and there would be no game for these girls against the other schools. Claire Camm, who was last year a Southland representative, now lives in Christchurch and will play for Canterbury College this season. Betty Andrews, another exSouthland representative, also now plays for the same college. Marion Royds has left St. Johns and will play for Rata. Central Methodist Bible Class are entering a basketball team this year in the Saturday competitions. This is the only new club I have heard of to date, out there is a rumour that H. and J. Smiths are forming a club, and I hope that the rumour is true, because I always see so many girls there whom I know are basketbailers. Mrs H. D. Muir, a vice-president of the New Zealand Basketball Association, and president of the Canterbury Association resigned from that position on Monday night at the annual meeting of the Canterbury Association. Mrs Muir is leaving to take up residence in Wellington. It is due almost entirely to her enthusiasm that Canterbury has its own grounds on Hagley Park and its own pavilion—the only association at present in that enviable position.