Rowing Notes.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 14039, 23 October 1909, Page 3 (Supplement)

Rowing Notes.

(By Sliding Scut.)

Again tliis year I am going to try and write some notes every week fur the benefit of rowing. The local club held their general meeting at the end of September. Immediately after the meeting the secretary called the committee together and decided to hold a committee meeting the nest evening. The committee arranged to start club racing right away, and an entry sheet for the Trial Fours was placed on the board when . members responded very satisfactorily, the sheet showing twenty-eight names, : -which will make tip seven crews. It was decided that the strokes should Ih> called together to select their owu crews. This was done, and a more even, lot of crews have never been drawn before. It would be hard for anyone to pick the winner at present. All crews are going out regularly now, but it was some days before every stroke was able to arrange for liis full crew to come down. Some of the crews have had slight alterations made in theni. Maben has hod to substitute G. E. Bradley for Kilgour, Malthus, TV. Hart, for Findlay: -Nichols.. Blackie for Smiley.. This year the club have appointed Messrs. P. Bradley, J. Smith, and G. Watson as coaches for crews selected for outside regattas. These men have aiso been asked to confer with the selection committee tin picking the crews. The selection committee are the committiee in a body. This latter is a grave mistake, as most of the committee are members who are eligible for regatta crews. I should suggest that a sole selector be chncon and that ho should confer with the coaches.

The • crew selected to represent tlie dab-against Oamaru this year comprise Messrs.; H. H. Fraser (stroke), G. G. Priest-J0), K. Mayo (2), and J. G. Morrison (how). Stroke lias represented the cltib four times, this making his fifth, Mr. Priest- is in the crew for the first,time, the same with Mr. Mayo; Mr. Morrison rowed (2) in last yeas*s crew. This crew on paper is very solid and should give a fair account of themselves. To make the inter-club race more-in-teresting, a Youths* race has been placed' on the programme, and it it to be hoped that this race will he an annual fixture between the clubs. The youths to represent the Timaru club are — Messrs. Bea champ (stroke). Ericson (3), Berry (2), Sutton (bow). ' T llok to great things from this crew. Thev liave been nnder the able hands of Mr. Smith for the last two. weeks, and he Has worked wonders with them. Tliev may not win on a first occasion, but" later on they should prove a very good combination.

Mr. Bradley has again taken on the senior crew training for Oamaru. The club this week landed from th<» Dunedin Rowing Club three boats, all clinker-built —A clinker four, a pair, and a single sculler. The lot was purchased for £22 10s. The single sculler has been bought for private use, so I am told. If this is so. what rent are they to pay to the club for housing the boat? T should make it fairly lieavy. The club did the rieht thing in sending down Mr. Bradley to inspect the boats on their behalf. The reason why Dunedin wanted to sell these boats was to make more room for the new ones they have bought. The clinker four is un-to-date except that slie has been built to a weight limit, and as this has been taken off by the N.55.R.A., the bont is no good for regatta purposes. The local committee thought it would lie a very good opportunitv to get a cheap practice boat thereby saving their new clinker.

The treasurer of the eltib would like to remind members of the rule re Ruhscriptnons. This rule. I believe has been posted to all members. _ As the <dnb is in need of money, it is to he hoped that all members frill make an effort to pay up all their dues by the end of this month. Hearty congratnlations to Mr Priest on being elected club captain for the season. I am glad to see Mr. Eraser takes on the secretaryship again, and the club have made a good selection in appointing Mr. Majjo h°n. tresurer. Next week I hope to deal more fully with the crews training for the Trial Fours. This year the local regatta is to be held on the 16th December, and miuhfc I suggest to members of the Rowing Club that thev should all help in making this gathering a success. Two races have been placed on the programme for the club members. Also a ladies race. For this latter race, an entry sheet has been placed on the notice board. Members wishing to coach ladies are requested to place their names on the sheet'. The committee have decided that all Indie* crews must be on boar»l at the landing steps at the Main or Moody Wharf.-