WANGANUI BARRED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 90, Issue 20, 24 January 1946, Page 6

WANGANUI BARRED

MARCHING CHAMPIONSHIPS IN TIMARU THIS YEAR RUT WITH N.Z. ASSOCIATION A virtual state of war is said to exist between the Wanganui Marching Association and the newly-consti- • tiled New' Zealand Marching and Recreational Association. Girls’ marching teams in Wanganui are barred from competing at the New Zealand championship meeting in Timaru this year, open only to associations alliliated with the new' organisation, and this state of affairs causing disssatisfaction. To overcome this, the Wanganui Marching Association is reported to have organised its own “open championship” meeting, which will be known as the North Island champion- hip. I’he first move 1o form a national association was made at Wanganui after the New Zealand championships here a year ago. A 1 that meeting of delegates a committee of Wellington men was formed io draw up a constitution to present to a later general meeting of interested organisations at Wellington.

Wanganui appointed Messrs. D. A. Almond ard L. E. Wright Io go to Wellington for that meeting. They jointly rejected proposals concerning finance; of the new association there, and consequently Wanganui Association is not to-day affiliated to the national body il sponsored, and is therefore no; eligible to send representatives to the national championships of the sport it introduced to thy Dominion a few years ago.

When Mr. Wright was approached concerning the rift, he explained that Wanganui delegates could not agree i hat the New' Zealand Association should be permanently domiciled in Wellington, thal each alliliated association should pay a £5 5s entrance fee to compete at national championships, that the parent body should have the right to make a levy on gaits at aII dial cd associations’ local displays and contests and that the association should have the right to take up one-third of the association's profits. Questioned concerning the altitude of other associations, Mr. Wright said he underlsood Wanganui and lhe East Coast Associations were the only bodies not affiliated to the new Wellington body just now. There was an indication that New Plymouth would withdraw- from the New Zealand Association and a rift had appeared in lhe relationship of he Palmerston North Association and the national body. Delegate* had gone to Wellington

expecting the new body to be put on a sound fooling. Wanganui had caused a sensation, however, by “throwing a spanner in the works, and delegates left not knowing what to think about the step,” he said. Open championship meeting being arranged at Wanganui w ill carry trophies which are the properly of the Wanganui Association. The main trophy to be competed for is thal now held by the Hawera team that won the 1944-45 New Zealand marching championship at Wanganui.