ATHLETIC CONTROL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 13, 16 January 1932, Page 6

ATHLETIC CONTROL

CENTRE “GOES WEST” IT’S LIFE REVIEWED AIR L. COHEN RETIRES Amateur athletic affairs in Wanganui, Taranaki and Manawatu enter another phase of control following two meetings last night in Wanganui. The first was a meeting of the Wanganui Centre, the final meeting of that body. Affairs were wound up, and the Wan-ganui-Taranaki Centre now no longer exists. Tho second meeting made a recommendation for the adoption of prepared rules and a constitution of a new centre which will comprise Taranaki, Wanganui and Manawatu. The secretary of the Taranaki Centre is to call a meeting of representatives of the Manawatu and Wa. ganui Centres as soon as the Wanganui Centre has been brought into being by a meeting of delegates from all clubs in the Wanganui area. With the passing of the old Wanganui Centre, the president, Mr L. Cohen, chairman of both meetings, announced his retirement from active participation in the control of amateur athletics after serving many years as president of the Wanganui -Taranaki Centre. “This is tho concluding meeting of the Wanganui-Taranaki Amateur Athletic Centre, and a short retrospective survey of the affairs of that centre might be relevant on this occasion,” said Mr Cohen. Looking back over the many years of the cxistance of the centre, daring the whole of which he had been president, he uould not but have it on record that the wonderful work done had been due to the enthusiasm, vigour and application of those who had been connected with the centre. Individuals who had played a part in amateur athletics had become significant men in the community later in life. They played, a significant part in tho management of athletics in the area covered by the centre, extending from Waitara to the Rangitikoi River and to Taihape on the Main Trunk. There would not be the demand fur heavy work made on the new centre, under which there would be three subcentres Wanganui, Taranaki, and Alanawatu. Each of those centres would have direct control and management of tho affairs relating to clubs in that centre. He was wholly in favour of tho formation of the sub-centres having that jurisdiction. The subcentres would have an intimate knowledge of the district. It was amazing that secretaries had been found in the past who, out of the love of amateur athletics, had undertaken that vast amount of work which had come before the centre. Their work had been a source of great appreciation from members of the centre. The men associated with him had been a pleasure to work with. Regarding their work he could say that he could not recall a single incident that had disturbed the harmony and the friendly relations of the men working on the centre. It was because of that that he would say that their work had been so well done, and associations had been such a pleasure to him. After all those years, said Air Cohen, he could be pardoned if he felt that it was time for him to retire from active control of athletics. He felt pleasure and pride when he thought of his connection with amateur athletics. That connection had brought him into contact -with some of the finest men in New Zealand. Tho championships of New Zealand, held several times in Wanganui, bad been well conducted, and they had brought together men who had control of that wonderful enterprise—the control of amateur athletics in New Zealand. He did not begrudge handing on any controlling interest he might have had in connection with amateur athletics. He would extend his warmest thanks to all those who had been connected with the management of athletics in the Wan-ganui-Taranaki Centre. From his connection with amateur athletics he had received a greater dividend than he had ever been able to bestow on anybody else. He wished the new centre all success, and hoped, that their work would be attended with tho same happy relationships and the same measure of gratification which had characterised the work of the Wanga-nui-Taranaki Centre. Alossrs F. C. Atkinson and F. Stott, added their appreciation of Air Cohen’s work for amateur athletics during the time ho had held the presidency of the centre. Special mention was made of the excellent work which hud been done by former secretaries, Messrs Edmondson, Stott and Dillon being named.