HOCKEY

Southland Times, Issue 22293, 7 April 1934, Page 15

HOCKEY

(By

“Half-Back.”)

Items of general interest from any source regarding local hockey activities will be welcomed by the writer and should be forwarded to “Half-Back,” C/o The Southland Times, not later than Tuesday in each week. Hockey season opens. The shutters taken down. J. A. Doig president of Men’s Association. J. Holland occupies presidential chair of Ladies’ Association. Men’s competitions commence next Saturday and ladies’ games on April 21. On retiring from the office of president of the Ladies’ Association, Mr D. Burrell, who at the end of last season indicated his intention of not seeking re-election, was made a life member of that body at the annual meeting last Tuesday night. During his four consecutive years as president and his five previous years as a delegate, Mr Burrell always did his utmost to further the sport in these parts and the honour conferred upon him was wellmerited. His views may not have always found general favour with his executive but at least they were honest opinions and he fully believed in his arguments. As a delegate this year from the Southern Sub-Association, he will still remain a member—and, one has no doubt, a useful member—of the executive. I think it will be generally conceded that in all sports bodies the office of president should rightly be a rolling one; in fact, custom in the case of many bodies decrees that it shall be so. Those who give long and valued service on the executive either as vice-presidents or committeemen can reasonably expect the honour of being elevated to the major position. No matter how good a president may be he should not remain so long in office that others, whose service to the game are no less worthy, continue in subordinate positions for unreasonable periods. It can also be argued, with the same force, that no one should expect to be made either a vice-president or a president unless he or she has served for a reasonable length of time either on the executive of the association or in a major administrative position in a club. The foregoing comment has no particular reference to any person nor is it confined to the sport of hockey. The men’s association—a healthy body—is having a bad run of luck in the matter of its respective secretaries to the executive. In turn it lost Arnold and Darracott and now Morgan is away to the West Coast. Maloy (Technical College) has consented, under pressure, to act as permanent secretary for the new season. The actual number of teams entered in both the men’s and ladies’ competitions will not be known definitely for a few days yet, but present indications point to the stick game, especially among the men, being more popular than ever this season. New blood of a good type is drifting down from Otago and at least two of the men players from “over the border.” who have beetr transferred here, should go far towards strengthening our likely representative ranks. Each ladies’ club this season has been fortunate enough to enlist the interest of a good coach. Miss Guest is again coaching the Ex-High players and Mr Kidd will once more have the Collegiate girls in hand. Then Mary McIntyre, the well-known ex-Southland and Eastern rep., has consented to coach both the Union and the Technical College teams. The value of good coaching cannot be over-estimated. Mary Mclntyre, by the way, may be donning a Union Club’s uniform this season. It is to be hoped that now she is settled in Invercargill once again she will take the field, as her presence in the Union team would undoubtedly strengthen that eleven. The game is booming among the Technical College girl players who, if my information is correct, are making up four teams. Only one, the writer understands, will take part in the competition but the remaining three, composed chiefly of beginners, should prove a useful recruiting field for the future. Prominent lady representative players who will not turn out this year are K. Breen (Collegiate). L. Heaps (Ex-High) and M. Balch (Union). L. Heaps is no longer in these parts; M. Balch contemplates matrimony while K. Breen is retiring from the sport. Each of these girls proved a valuable link in the 1933 Southland team at Dannevirke and their absence this season will not make the task of the 1934 selectors (or selector) any the easier when it comes to choosing the representatives from the likely aspirants. The attendance at the ladies’ meeting was disappointing. Some of the delegates, too, showed too marked a disinclination to express their views on the matters under discussion with the result that two or three found themselves "holding the floor” all the time. It is to be hoped that once the new delegates accustom themselves better to the business routine at the meetings they will frankly voice their opinions, for they are sent by their clubs for something more than merely scoring out names on ballot papers. A healthy expression of opinion is not alone welcome but often helpful. This is undoubtedly an age of machinery! During the last two or three years the men players, armed with spades and other formidable looking implements, have always had to shed their coats and mark out the grounds at the park by dint of hard labour and the sweat of their brows. This season, however, a plough has been recruited for the job, the only task falling upon certain enthusiasts being to help guide the ploughshare to the correct measurements cf the respective fields. “Whatever you do you will find that the Southland Men’s Association will help you all it can and it certainly v/ill not hinder you.” This assurance given by the president (Mr J. A. Doig) to a deputation representing the Eastern —Northern players (Messrs R. Hanning, K. Kershaw and L. Ferguson) which waited on the Southland body last Wednesday night was fortified by approval of each and every member of the executive. The deputation sought enlightment on certain matters that would be in issue should EasternNorthern decide to affiliate with Southland instead of forming their own association and the discussion assumed the nature of a round-table conference conducted in a most cordial manner. While naturally desiring to retain its powers as a parent association, the Southland executive, sensible also of its obligations should the sub-association come into being, met the deputation’s requests in a manner that one hopes will be regarded by the EasternNortherners as both amicable and equitable. No decision has yet been reached and the matter is thus sub judice as it were, but it is certainly to be hoped that Eastern-Northern will declare itself a chip of the old block and not break away into a separate body. The introduction of new blood into any controlling body is always welcome, for new delegates bring—or should bring—to the meetings fresh views worthy of consideration. Mrs J. S. Royds (president of the Ex-High Club) has been elected a vice-president of the Ladies’ Association while another useful club delegate who, renewing his interest in the sport last season, now finds himself elected as a member of the 1934 executive is Mr A. Kidd (Collegiate). Recognition of the loyal support always given to the parent body by the Southern District Sub-

Association is reflected in the reelection as a vice-president of Mr R. A. Cox (the Southern sub-associa-tion’s president). Southern enthusiasts worked particularly hard towards raising the touring funds necessary to send the Southland representative team north last year, for they contributed some £3o—a fine response. Mrs Royds, who will be better remembered as Miss R. Geddes, an exSouthland representative, has always come forward each year to help raise money by means of an evening or so, and it is hoped that now she is an of-fice-bearer she will take a more active interest in the sport. Vice-presidents should appreciate that by taking a voice in the executive’s deliberations they can render real assistance to the game. Office-bearers should be something more than mere “figure heads” as has been the case with several in the past. “Unity is strength” and ladies’ hockey needs behind it a strong executive to prevent is from slipping. Mr L. Holmes may be unable to referee this season owing to business reasons. Fortunately, however, he is still retaining his interest in the sport and finds himself re-elected as a vicepresident of the Ladies’ Association. An outspoken officebearer with the courage of his convictions Mr Holmes should again prove a valuable executive member.

By the recent death of the Rev. E. G. Evans, of Fortrose, the sport, on the ladies’ side, lost a stalwart. Always a keen enthusiast, the late Mr Evans was mainly responsible for the introduction of ladies’ hockey into the Southern District and for the founding of the sub-association, while for many years he held the position of sole selector there. Although not a member of the sub-association executive in more recent years, he always retained a keen interest in the sport and the wellreasoned criticism of players in that district, which was frequently published in the Southland Times under the heading, “Southern District Hockey Notes,” was from his unbiased pen. He was a man who, while always shunning the limelight, accomplished much in furthering the welfare of the sport.

With a view to endeavouring to reinstate ladies’ hockey both in the Southland Girls’ High School and in the Western district, a deputation from the association is to wait upon the lady principal and a meeting of Western district players respectively at an early a date as possible. The Girls’ High used to always place in the field a strong first eleven and a promising junior team and certain members were singled out for representative honours. During the last two years, however, the girls have not taken on the game, but it is to be hoped that the deputation will meet with a favourable reply from the lady principal to its representations.

The Western district position is pregnant with difficulties, but a roundtable conference might yet see the subassociaton there reinstated. Out at Nightcaps and Ohai, the writer understands, there are two or three teams likely to be formed this season, and even if they alone decided to form the sub-association, that would be a start. Then it might well be that Thornbury, Orcpuki, and so on, could also assemble teams to join up. When all is said and done, the Western district is part of Southland, and in these days when, numerically, the sport is not nearly as strong as it was, a determined effort should be made to woo players to the game. The greater the number of players affiliated to the Southland Association the more favourable opportunities will the selectors have in assembling the strongest provincial team possible. It seems clear that distance and expense stand in the way of the country teams far out taking part in the city competitions. What, then, is the position of a promising girl, say at Ohai, who cannot afford to come in to Invercargill each v/eek? Her likelihood of receiving representative honours becomes prejudiced because of reasons—perfectly reasonable—almost beyond her control. That is unfair. If the Western players formed their own sub-association the Western v. Town trial games could be reinstated while the selectors (or selector) would, one has no doubt, frequently visit the district lb get a line upon any likely material.

There was much force, too, behind another important suggestion brought before the annual meeting by Miss Woods (Ex-High). She urged that an effort should also be made to re-in-troduce the sport to the girls in the primary schools. Unpalatable as the truth may be, there is no doubt that unless the association endeavours to foster the game among the younger players the time must come when ladies’ hockey will slip very far down in the realm of Southland sport. Recognizing that the schoolboys arc to be the mainstay of the teams of the future ,vhen the “veterans” drop out, the Men’s Association has been pursuing an aggressive policy in the primary schools for the last two or three years, and several of the lads have graduated into junior teams and revealed not a little promise auguring well for the future. Adopting Miss Woods’ suggestion, the executive appointed a deputation to wait upon the Primary Schools’ Association. This is a belated step but one certainly in the right direction. A recommendation, not without its merits, was that placed before the annual meeting of the Ladies’ Association by the Collegiate Club when it suggested that the association, rather than the individual clubs, should launch activities at an early date for raising the 1934 touring funds. For the last three or four years things were just allowed to slip until the last couple of months when there was a desperate endeavour made to find the necessary moneys and almost to the very last week no one could definitely determine whether the representative team could tour or not.

Such a state of affairs is fair neither to the selectors, the clubs nor the representative players themselves. The players, when chosen to tour, should have their minds free from social activities of a money-raising nature and so be able to concentrate on their practices.

The matter has been held over until the next meeting and the delegates will, in the meantime, be able to ascertain the views of their respective club members.

This much should be made clear at the very outset —if the association, which, after all, is really the clubs and the players, means to undertake the money-raising, it will have to run functions right throughout the season instead of the last month or so. Further, it is useless appointing a social committee of drones. It means work and a committee of three or four determined workers is infinitely more advisable than an unwieldy body of Rip Van Winkles. If the delegates decide in favour of the association taking the main hand they should be able to pledge, then and there, the loyal cooperation of the clubs they represent; if such support be not guaranteed then far rather should the obligation of finding the money devolve upon the clubs individually.

Further communications in reference to the proposed tour of New Zealand by the Australian hockey team this season were discussed at a general meeting of the New Zealand Hockey Association, when it was decided that associations be invited to forward applications for matches against the visiting team before April 26. The tour will probably extend over four or five weeks in New Zealand, and early applications are necessary in order to finalize the itinerary.