PIPE BAND AFFAIRS

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 70, 26 July 1929, Page 4

PIPE BAND AFFAIRS

DISCUSSED BY THE SCOTTISH SOCIETY ONE ORGANISATION OR TWO? CONFERENCE TO BE HELD. The affairs of the Pipe Band were fully discussed at last night's meeting of the Taranaki Provincial Scottish Society. The troubles of the* Band in the past were gone into, and it was finally decided that the executive of the Society should confer with the members of the Band, to see if Band members would "become members of the Society, which should then control Band affairs. Chief C. Moore moved that there: be one secretary for both the Society and the Band, and only one bank account. Mr S. Macalister said the sysrtom. might work if the secretary could attend the practices of the Band. There had been misunderstandings in the past, but there was no necessity for them—all the matter g :"n dispute Avere easily capable of settlement. THE BAND'S VIEW. Mr E. Aldridge said the Band desired that the custodian of the, uniforms siloulu be the secretary of the Scottish Society. There had been a lot of misunderstanding. A recent order from the Scottish Society was that the drums sboili be stored n the ietys'outhfieScfwyp a stored in/the Socity's committee room. Mr McCormick thought the drums should be kept in the practice room. Mr T. W. Smith agreed that there should be a place at the: practice room for all the band gear. The. Society desired the Band to go ahead, and it must ba remembered that the Band was the Band of the Society. Mr Aldridge said the Band was not getting any further ahead. They had the nucleus of a bai:l and

there were other pipers jomiug en, but there would be no uniforms lor them. On thirty-di-hr. occasions the drummers had turned out without uniforms. Except fo the ob« ligation t 0 the Society the Band could have been rigged out with uniforms. OTHER FRIENDS. i Mr Smith said the Band seemed to have friend s who would help it if it severed connection withJ the Society. If the Band wished to break away, let them say so straight out. Mr Aldridge said the members of the Band wanted to progress. "What had the Society done for the Band? Mr Macalister: They bought the uniforms and all the gear, and got the; pipe-major for them. Mr W. L. Kennedy said that a good deal of money was required for the purchase of uniforms. The Stratford Pipe Band should be able to collect good sums of money, which should be paid into the Society's funds for the purchase of uniforms. Chief C. Moore said the £lO voted by the Borough Council should go' to the pipe-major, with a. further sum i s possible. RIGGER GRANT NEEDED. Mr Macalister said the, Society's grant to the Band last year had been quite inadequate, and in future the grant must be greater. If the motion before the meeting was carried there was a danger that the Band might buy the uniforms from the Society and break away a s a separate body. He rather favoured a conference between the Soriexecutive and the members < £ the Band. Mr Smith favoured a conference. If there was to be a burst-up, well and good. He would rather see a burst-up than a "half-pie" arrangement. Mr Kennedy thought the Band should have a- committee of its own to manage its internal affairs. After further discussion it waff decided to confer with the Band, as suggested. It was decided that the grant from the Borough Council be paid t 0 the pipe-major as an honorarium and that three guinea s be voted to the acting pipe-major. Mr W. Walker, acting pipe-major, said he would donate his honoraium t 0 the Society' s funds. A vote of thanks was passed to Mr Walker. *