ATHLETIC UNION DINNER

Taranaki Daily News, 17 January 1931, Page 6

ATHLETIC UNION DINNER

ENTERTAINMENT OF DELEGATES “BUILDING HEALTHY NATION.” Following the serious work of Thursday night, when those weighty matters peculiar to Dominion conferences received consideration, delegates to the New Zealand Athletic and Cycling Union, together with representatives of Taranaki sports clubs, r.ssembled at a smoke concert given by the. Taranaki Centre in the Stratford Town Hall last night in honour of the visiting delegates. Mr. J. A. Hansen, Manaia, president of the centre, presided over a good attendance. After the loyal toast the toast of the union was proposed by Mr. T. Kirkwood, who traced his connection with sport during 40 years and said that the union in encouraging young men to train and keep fit was building Up a healthy nation. It was the object of the union to foster all sports, and he knew the same good work would be tarried on in the future.

The president of the union, Mr. R. B. Meek, urged members of clubs to forward to the Dominion executive their ■suggestions for the improvement of sport and its control, as the executive welcomed constructive criticism. Mr; Meek said he was pleased to see the ■amateur body represented. In Otago, he ■said, the centre of the union and the ■amateur body were not on the friendliest of terms. There was little difference in the objects of the two bodies, for the so-called professionals were not professionals in the true sense of the word. There was no man in New Zea- . land to-day who was making his living from sport. “We are actually cash amateurs and the only difference between us and'the aihateurs is that we compete for cash whereas they run for •trophies,” he said. Mr. J. Kennedy (Geraldine), secretary of the union, traced the history •of the union 1 from its inception and gave a resume of its activities up to ■the present day. Various bodies in the early days, he said, had been at loggerheads over the control of their respective sports, but since the union, representing the several branches of sport, had secured control all trouble had disappeared. i He thought the Taranaki Centre had done more than any other to further ■the interests of sport, sa.id Mr. G. E. Perkins (Greymouth). Those who held executive positions on the centre were men with an intimate knowledge of ■their work and each had a record to he proud of. Responses were made by the chairman, the secretary of the centre, Mr. A. Melville (Kaponga), Mr. S. George (Waitara), and Mr. Kirkwood, all of whom stressed the point that the ■centre endeavoured to keep the sport as clean as possible and to exercise efficient control without hampering the activities of the individual clubs. Other toasts honoured were: Kindred ■Sports (proposed by Mr; ,J.- O’Neill, IPukengahu, and responded to by Messrs 'D. J. Malone and R. V. Kay,-Stratford), Local Bodies (Mr. E.,H. Young, Strafford—Messrs A. Nelson, deputy-Mayor, and N. B. Fletcher, Borough Council). Items were given by Messrs H. Gal-, lagher and T. Philpott, Kaponga (songs), and A. J. Hhrper, Stratford ■(monologue). Accompaniments were played by Mr. J. Scott. . PERSONAL. Mr. H. Murray, Eltham, has returned from a holiday at Stewart Island. Pari of the time was spoiled by wet weather. Reference to the deaths of Messrs. A. A. George, Hawke’s Bay and Polworth, Otago, was made at the annual conference of the New Zealand Athletic and Cycling Union at Stratford on Thursday night 'by the president, Mr. J. Collingwood (Wanganui), who said that both men had been valuable members of the union with its interests very much at heart. Motions of condolence with the relatives were, passed. Mr. and Mrs. J. McLinden, Palmerston North, are spending a week at Stratford. Mr. McLinden, who is a processor on the staff of Massey College, \vas formerly Government veterinary .surgeon at Stratford. '

OPUNAKE SWIMMING

HANDICAPS ANNOUNCED.

COMPETITION IN LOWER LAKE.

The first carnival to be held by the Opunake Surf Life-Saving Club for two years will take place to-day at the Power Board’s lake. The entries are good and the straight fresh water courses should prove very interesting. Handicaps have been announced as follows: —

The handicaps for the two boys’ events, the 33 1-3 yards and 50 yards respectively, are:—R. Tito scr and scr, S. McCullum 2sec and 2sec, D. Burton Isee and 2see, M. McNae 2sec and 3sec, M. Barraclough 2sec and 3sec, L. Watt 3sec and 4sec, G. L. Webb 3sec and 4sec, J. Carson 3sec and ssec, J. Dudley 4sec and Seec.

P. Smith 33 1-3 50 Pt. 100 to Pt sec. ... sc 6CC. 1 sec. 2 sec. 4 M. Wilson • •. sc 2 ’ 4 10 L. Brown ... sc l 3 6 W. McCullum . . . AC 2 4 8 S. Anderson ... . •. sc 1 2 8 I. Jobson ,... sc sc SC 3 S. Spiers ....... .... 1 2 3 S P. Spragg .... 1 1 3 6 V. Spragg .... 1 2 3 6 D. Ekdahl .... 1 3 5 8 N. Nelson 2 •4 6 10 L. S. Donnell v .. 2 4 6 11 P. Burton 2 4 n 10 B. S. Dudlev ... o 3 4 0 A. Sinclair 2 2 3 6 J. Greich ....... ... 2 3 4 8 T. Robinson 9 4 6 12 M. Hickey ... 3 7 15 L. Harvey ... 3 4 5 12 ... 3 -J 6 14 W. Willis 5 7 14 W. Watt ... 4 o 6 14 D. Johnson ... 4 6 8 16 C. H. Marcroft . ... 4 6 — •