RAETIHI

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 248, 19 October 1937, Page 10

RAETIHI

PERSONAL. Miss Ida Rogers, daughter of the Mayor of Wanganui, was the guest ot Mr. and Mrs. D. F. Scarrow, of Pukekaha during the week-end. : Mr. and Mrs. C. M. Turner and i their infant son left on Friday ’evening for a holiday to be spent in 'Palmerston North and other parts of tire North Island. CHESS CLUB. i Some keen and skilful play was seen at the weekly meeting of the chess club on Thursday 'ast, when the ladder results were as follows:—K. C. Guthrie beat K. Huddleston 2 —o; L. Guthrie beat R. Ogden, 2 —l; D. Scarrow beat B. Weldon, 2 —l; L. Strange beat Mrs. Bearsley, 2—l; A. C. Bearsley beat A. E. Voelkerling, 2 games; J. S. McDonald beat A. E. Voelkerling, 2 games; J. S. McDonald beat A. C. Bearsley, 2 games. Next Thursday night the ladder games will be played, and there will Ibe keen interest in the outcome of the competition. TONGARIRO TRAMPING CLUB. The following is the first annual report which is to be presented at the annual meeting to be held at the Plunket rooms, Ohakune, on Wednesday next:— Membership.—The club closed its year with a membership of 73, comprising Ohakune-Rangataua 35, Rae-tihi-Horopito 38. Owing to no provision being made in the rules for members joining in the latter part of the season, those members joining in the Last two months have been given membership until September, 1938, and their membership does not figure in the year under review.

Club Trips.—The official club trips organised during the year were 28, comprising 17 tramping trips, 8 ski-ing trips, and three special trips. The average attendance was 19 and for the three latter trips 30, 22 and 13 respectively. The attendance on several trips has been governed by the transport available. Owing to the necessity of the club in its infant stages feeling its way, the trips in the main have been confined to the Tongariro National Park. Three ascents of Ruapehu, one of Tongariro and one of Ngauruhoe were successfully accomplished. A notable improvement executed by club members has been the poling of a line from the end of the Erua Bush Track to the summit of Hauhungatahi, a task that has already proved of value in aiding a party, befogged on the mountain, to safety.

Ski-ing—lt is to be regretted that such unfavourable conditions prevailed over most of the ski-ing season, and members have been, to some extent, disappointed in their first experiences of this branch ot our activities. Eight trips to Scoria Flat grounds have been conducted with an average attendance of 11 members. Trips were run weekly during August and September. The main handicap has been the lack of snow, that on the lower grounds on most occasions being too hard for learners and on other occasions too sticky. Some progress, however, has been made toward a certain amount of skill at the sport and several, with but little more practice, will be in the competition class.

Club Hut.—A matter that has been much in the minds of the club has been the desirability of erecting a club hut. A committee was appointed to go fully into the matter and several trips have been made into the suggested location. The location under consideration is very desirable, within easy reach of both Horopito and Ohakune, being 6 miles from the former town over an easy track and but a mile from Ohakune. To finance the building your committee has worked out a scheme whereby members are asked to advance fl each, either as advance yearly subscriptions or as advance hut fees, or preferably as a donation. With the grant made from the general fund and the donations already in the club has sufficient in hand to erect the two rooms it has been agreed to commence with as soon as permission is finalised. The final building will have two bunk ro 'ms, a store room and allying room. Lecture Evenings.—A series of evenings have been organised at Rae-

tihi, at which capable speakers have 1 addressed members on the history of 1 the park, mountaineering, the uses of 1 rope and ice-axe .snowmanship, the rudiments of ski-ing, leadership, and 1 informal talks on experiences on the 1 mountain and on the tramp. . ■ Social Activities.—A matter for the consideration of the incoming com- ■ mittee will be the formation of a r

social committee. It is most desirable that some regular form of entertainment should be conducted at which members from the different towns might fraternise. The only evenings of this type held in the year under review were two on which popular members were farewelled and through the generosity of the vicepresident and his good lady excellent gatherings were enjoyed. Club’s Conference.—Your Club was represented on both occasions at the tramping club’s conferences held in Wellington to discuss the formation of the Tararua Ranges Centennial Memorial Park. This club is very definitely in favour of the project and voted acocrdingly, but saw fit to differ in the matter of policy. We think that in order to gain the consideration and the sympathy of the powers that be for the scheme some reading and facilities must be provided other than that which seemed to be desirable by the majority of delegates. Federated Mountain Club. The

club is affiliated with the Federated Mountain Clubs of N.Z. and is kept in touch with the very fine work that they are doing for mountaineering and ski-ing. The club secretary has on hand copies of the federation’s booklet, “Safety in the Mountains,” copies of which are obtainable free of charge.

Branches. —ln May of this year a branch of the club known as “The Raetihi Camera Circle of the Tongariro Tramping Club,” was formed and is in a flourishing state. The circle has been instituted with the idea of field days and photographic competitions as well as the dissemination of knowledge of photography In all its branches. Several well entered competitions have been conducted and a series of lecture and demonstration evenings have been well attended. Much interest has been taken in the formation of a brach of your club in [Taihape, but owing to difficulty being

met with regarding financial arrangements and the desire of Taihape to concentrate on the Ruahine Ranges it was thought better that they form their own club.

Deputations.—Early in the year a deputation from your club waited upon the Hon. Minister for Lands and Tourists (Mr. F. Langstone) with regard to the site for the club hut and with reference to roading over the Waiere Ridge from the desert road to the Chateau, and on both matters received a sympathetic hearing. The matter of reserving an area of bush on the Parapara Road threatened with destruction was taken up by the club and, we understand, has been satisfactorily settled. The club moved in the matter of having trout fry liberated in the National Park area as a further inducement to tourist traffic, and members will be pleased to hear that permission has been granted to do so and the local society has the matter in hand. Bulletins.—The thanks of the club are extended to all kindred clubs who so kindly forwarded their magazines and bulletins. The committee hopes at the commencement of the new year to be in the position to issue monthly bulletins in order that there might be better co-operation beween cutlying members. Thanks.—The club desire to express their thanks to Messrs. Holt Timber Company for permission to use and to open their Horopito Mountain Track. To other landowners who have allowed members to traverse their properties, to Mr. Rolston jnr., for kindnesses in transport arrangements, and to all who have fiancially and practically assisted us in any way, we tender our appreciation. Club Badge.—Some delay was experienced in the issue of club badges owing to the committee’s desire to get them done locally. Supplies are now to hand and may be procured from the secretary.