VICTORY BALL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 210, 5 September 1934, Page 2

VICTORY BALL

PATEA FOOTBALLERS HONOURED TARANAKI SHIELD PRESENTED. PATEA, Sept. 4. The Victory Ball held last (Monday) night at Pat.ea, under the auspices of the Patea Football Club, was well named. It was a triumph and did full honour to the victory of the senior football fifteen in the Taranaki championship. Just as the footballers had excelled themselves on the football field, so did the committee of local ladies who assisted the club executive in the arrangements for the ball. The ball marked the occasion of Patea’s first win in the Taranaki championship, and footballers from all parts of Taranaki were present to honour the team. Nearly three hundred couples took the floor, which was in wonderful condition for the dancers. Wills’ Melody Makers of eight instruments supplied the music in all the variations of the modern dance programme, which included on Alonday night waltzes, military two-steps, valetta, and many other old favourites. Over the heads of the dancers a canopy of blue streamers had been ■hung, the blue being the club’s colours. Around the walls were hung shields, fourteen in all, bearing the club’s colours and the colours of the club it played against each week, with the scores. On only one of these shields was a loss recorded, and two drawn games, and this testified to the splendid record put up by the team during the | season. Seldom before has the supper room presented such an attractive scene. Decorations were carried out in clear blue, again recalling the club’s colours. Overhead was an entire canopy of blue with large blue hells shielding the lights. Beautiful white may. cemellias, and bulbs formed the uoral table decorations, while on each table were miniature goal posts and crossbar, with a tiny brown hall just topping the bar in the typical “Paddy Bourke” style. Two standards of blue paper at either end of the room complied the supper room decorations, but the. loaded tables of sweet and savoury edibles were another example of the splendid generosity and energy of the ladies’ committee. Air. and Airs. D. Ansley, Mrs. Alasters, Misses Carey and Honeyfield, were responsible for the decorations, and are due great praise, and in particular to Airs. Al. Carey, who originated the idea and carrying out of the goal posts and balls. The ladies of the town and .country excelled themselves in the supper arrangements, the Mayoress (Airs. F. Ramsbottom), Mrs. L. Hunt (wife of the chairman of the club committee), Mrs. F. W. Hamel, were ably supported by a band of helpers who spared no thought or energy in their work.

During the dance programme before supper, occasion wa staken to present the Taranaki Championship Shield, the AlcAlasters Shield, and other trophies won by the club, and this presentation was made by Air. J. O’Sullivan, president of the Taranaki Rugby Union. In congratulating the Patea Club on its very fine standard of football during the season, Air. O’Sullivan stated that he had first started playing football with the Patea Club, and he had met tht night several of the old timers of those games. He expressed the thought that the town and district had given wonderful support to the team, without which, he felt sure, the team would not have done so well. It had had a great deal of travelling to do, and the public had given willingly. He had great pleasure then in presenting the AlcMasters Shield, which had first been presented in 1902, to the Patea Club for the first time, and Mr. Claude Gudgeon, captain, came forward to receive it amid resounding cheers. Other cups to be presented were the Drysdale Cup, for the third grade South Taranaki champions, and the Afills’ Cup for the. Alanaia 10-a-side tournament, both of which were won by Patea, G. Oakley receiving the first and Claude Gudgeon the second. Air. O’Sullivan, in presenting the Drysdale Cup, said it augured well for the future of the senior Rugby in the splendid standard of play of the lower grade playery. Air. D. Murphy then presented his

cup for the player scoring the most points for the team during the season, Mr. Paddy Bourke receiving this amid cheers. Apologies for non-attendance were read from Messrs. J. McLeod (chairman of the Taranaki Rugby Union), S. E. Neilson (secretary to the Taranaki Rugby Union), A. Guy (Taranaki selector), Walters 6 (Stratford), R. Wilson, C. Brown (Taranaki selector), Dan Malone (Stratford), J. Goodwin and Alex. Hunter (Hawera). Prizes for the madhatters were also presented as follows:—Most original (ladies), Miss P. Bourke (whose headgear represent a small football field); most attractive (ladies), Miss H. Simmons): most attractive (men), Mr. R. Watkins; most original (men), Mr. K. Honeyfield.