AMATEUR ROWING ASSOCIATION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5532, 6 April 1896, Page 1

AMATEUR ROWING ASSOCIATION.

: .. , ; ; : ■!■"■■ ">"• v- ; /PICT6n, August 5.. The special; meeting of delegates to the , Npw^ Zealand Amateur Rowing Association, . which' was held last evening, occupied nearly fim hours. There was . a large attendance, only a few of the smaller clubs, being unrepresented. Mr John Duncan, of Picton, oeeupied the. chair. , . . The proposals in regard to the inter-' colonial four-oared and sculling contests were discussed at great length. On the motion of Mr Biss. (North Shore Rowing Club), .seconded, by Mr Connolly (Blenheim), it was unanimously • resolved—"{That a crew and sculler representing the New Zealand Amateur Rowing Association be sent to Sydney to compete in the f6r. the amateur four-oar and sculling championships of Australasia." Considerable.,difference of opinion existed

'. as to the appointment of a delegate to , represent the New Zealand Association at '. he conference of delegates from the l various Australasian Associations, to be L held at Sydney in May, and the appoint- ■ ment of a manager of the New Zealand i crew. The matter of expense entered '■ largely into the question, particularly as > the honorary Secretary . informed the . meeting that subscriptions were falling ■ short of expectations, and the sum of ,£3O i was- still required to meet the expenses of ■ the crew and a sculler. Mr Field (Star • Boating Club) moved — " That this Assoi ciation approves of the proposal of the New • South Wales Bowing Association to hold i a conference of delegates from the various '■ Australasian Rowing Associations, and ' appoints as its delegates Messrs A. S. Biss and E. D. Hoben." After a long discus- . sion, the motion was carried by a large majority, on the understanding that if funds did not warrant it Mr Biss's expenses would not be paid by the Asso- ; ciation. " . [ Mr A. G-. Johnson (Timaru Rowing Club) i moved— " That no manager be appointed, and that the money to be expended by the i creW and sculler 'be handed by the secretary of the Rowing Association to. the secretary, of the respective clubs, the latter to be responsible for disbursements by the club's representatives during the tour." This was agreed to almost unanimously. The question 'of the selection of the New Zealandrepresentatives provoked akeen discnssion. With regard to the Blenheim Bowing Club's motion, "That the winner of the Championship Pours on Easter Monday be. sent. to represent' thp colony," it was pointed out that if this were carried no provision was made in the case of a crew 1 securing a win by accident to other boats, when, perhaps, one of the weakest crews in the race -would .have to be sent, as the motion gave the Association no other choice. Proposals to have combination fours and admit challenges found very little favour, the general opinion being that the crews competing on Monday would be the strongest combinations obtainable under present circumstances and surroundings. Eventually Mr Fell (Picton Bowing Club) and Mr Field (Star) moved as an amendment to the Blenheim Club's motion— "That the question of the selection cf representative fours be left to a Select Committee, consisting of Messrs J. Toeman (Queen's Drive Club >„ G-. B. Richardson (Blenheim), M. Kegan (Wanganui Union), N. Galbraith (Star) and A. J. Bishop (Wellington). It was understood that • this committee would meet immediately after the Fours were rowed on Monday. The feeling of the meeting :was that, in the event of the race being fahiy'rowed and won, the winners should be selected to represent the : colony. On a division, the amendment was carried by 3*T votes to is. : : • \. ■'• ..':.■■• ■;■■ ; •■'■ . .■_' .. The question of the selection of a representative sculler was left to the same committee. '■. .-■.,. ; . A motion by the Napier Rowing Club that interprovincial fours should be instituted at future championship regattas and that the winning crew should be sent to Australia to compete in' -the intercolonial fours lapsed for want of a seconder. With regard to instructions to delegates at the conference it was decided practically to leave-themafree hand, but^ecommenr., dations -tfere carried, (1) furging ifiiem to refuse to accept 'any terms for future contests -which would bar manual labour amateurs and (2) asking them to support the distance for future contests being fixed at three miles. On the motion of the Napier Club the Council of the Association was instructed to draw up a schedule of measurements of "a convertible double- sculler and pair oar ; clinker boat snitable for club -work or for regatljas. . Mr Wilson (Queen's Drive), spoke very strongly in favour 'of the reinstatement of \ Palamquntain, the southern sculler, as an '. amateur, but as the application did not appear on the order paper, the Chairman ruled it icould not be considered without '. the unanimous consent of the meeting, [ and this the meeting would not give. > The new rules, as proposed by the Rule 3 Bevision Committee, were next considered, and passed through, with the following I material alterations :— The proposal to ; make championship events open to crews of clubs affiliated to any recognised Australasian Amateur Rowing Association was > struck out, the feeling being that championship events should be confined solely to I New Zealand competitors ; the definitions i of junior oarsman and sculler and of > maiden oarsman and sculler were separated, ; to enable a competitor to win a sculling i race without affecting his classification as j an oarsman, or vice versa. r The following colours were adopted r for the representatives in intercolonial i contests :— White --jersey with maroon 3 facings, and maroon fern leaf worked 'on i left breast. . . j A proposal to row maiden fours on fixed l seats instead of . sliding seats was thrown ; - out. 8 It was decided that the rules as carried 3 should become the rules of the Associa- ., tion' rffter their confirmation at the next s annual general meeting of the' Associai tion., .