PIPING AND DANCING DISPUTE

Southland Times, Issue 23988, 1 December 1939, Page 4

PIPING AND DANCING DISPUTE

To The Editor Sir,—From conversations which I had recently with several members of the Highland and National Dancing Society, it is clear that most of its members wish to comply with the rules of the Piping and Dancing Association as the Dominion controlling authority. Members are foolish to allow personal feeling to stand in the way of concord. The remedy is for members to move that the society from now on shall always comply with the competitions rules of the association. If the leaders are still obstinate, the members have the remedy in their own hands. The association has always shown eveiy .desire to live amicably with the society. But Mr C. W. Wilson, president, has stated on several occasions that his society will hold competitions when and how it pleases in spite of tile association and the athletic unions. He and the parents of competitors should remember , that this would mean Dominion disqualification for the “little children, mostly little girls,” about whom Mr Wilson was so exceedingly sympathetic in his statements at the annual meeting. Mr Wilson declared on another occasion that no society should be forced against its will to affiliate with ihe association. Neither it is. The affiliation of any society is purely voluntary. If a society desires not to affiliate, all it needs do is obtain a permit. The association prefers societies to affiliate because they then have the right to take part in the management of the association.

I have beep greatly entertained the last few evenings by delving into newspaper files of previous meetings of the Dancing Society. For the edification of your readers, I quote the following extracts from 1 The Southland Times of January 4, 1935, reporting the first meeting to form the society: “With a view to forming a society which it was proposed would ’' take complete control of dancing in all its phases in the Southland district, a number of dancing enthusiasts met in Mr A. Sutherland’s rooms last evening.” Please note carefully the words “complete control.” I wonder how the societies would like that? It is quite clear why practically every one of them prefer to remain under the association, which does not interfere with the working of societies.

Next comes an extract from The Southland Times of August 25, 1936, reporting the first annual meeting of the Dancing Society. Mr Wilson repeated his pronouncements of 19 months previously, that “all competitions would be under proper and expert control”! Is the bursting' of that bubble the main reason why the leaders of the society are now so bitter' against the association?—Yours, etc., CALEDONIAN. November 29, 1939. '■