Sports Society Reviews Its Activities Since Its Establishment

Wanganui Chronicle, 25 May 1948, Page 2

Sports Society Reviews Its Activities Since Its Establishment

The success of the Queen carnival, promoted to raise funds to purchase a sports hall, and the subsequent decisions to create a sports centre at Centennial Park, were deait with by the chairman, Mr. E. V. Calkin, in a report presented at the first annual meeting of members of the Marton Combined Sports Society last night. In reviewing the 15 months’ activities since the inception of the society, Mr. Calkin stated that one of the first proposals was the purchasing of the Druids’ Hall for the purpose of equipping it as a gymnasium and training centre. All the equipment ordered had not yet come to hand, but the hall had already been extensively used as a training centre. To provide shower rooms and make the hall more suitable £278 8s lid was expended. Owing to power restrictions, a permit to install hot showers was withheld.

The promotion of the Queen carnival, said Mr. Calkin, was for the purpose of raising funds for the sports hall and to establish a fund to assist sport generally in Marton. As a result of the success of the carnival, sports bodies were invited to state their needs, and as all answers were of a purely domestic nature the committee decided to create the sports centre. With the co-operation of the Marton ’’ Borough Council and the Rangitikei Women’s Hockey Association this work was now in progress. Already two full-sized hockey grounds had been levelled and laid down. Five hard tennis courts had a’so been laid down which would provide three basketball courts. Plans had been prepared for a pavilion sufficiently large for indoor basketball, badminton and other indoor games. However, added Mr. Calkin, beyond being able to secure a permit to erect conveniences and perhaps one dressing room, the completion of the pavilion wou.d not be for some time.

Grants had been made to the Rata Ladies’ Hockey Club and the Rata Football Club as they were unable to take advantages provided in the sports hall, said Mr. Calkin. At March 31 the society had a credit balance of just over £1692, while the sports hall freehold property was valued at about £lOOO.

The committee, said Mr. Caikin, had not lost sight of the fact that extra dressing facilities were sorely needed at Marton Park, but owing ro the intended alterations being solely of reinforced concrete, a permit had not been granted for this work. Mr. Calkin expressed a hope that the new committee elected would carry out the work already planned, bearing in mind the matter of a posible Government grant, the completion of draining and laying down of grass tennis courts and croquet ground- and the establishment of a children’s playing area on or near Centennial Park and the fostering and welfare generally of all sport in Marton. Officers elected were:— President, Mr. E. V. Calkin; vicepresident, Mr- R. W. Williams; secre-tary-treasurer, Mr. R. G. Kingdon; committee, Messrs. L. Mcßeth, E. Pickford, A. 'Gracie, G. Signal, and J. Jensen; auditor, Mr. R. L- Holmes. OLD MABTON IDENTITY PASSES AWAY AT HAMILTON

One of the ear„y settlers of the Marton district, Mrs. Louisa Maria Schultz, died recently in Hamilton at the age of 95. At the time of the borough jubilee in 1929 Mrs. Schultz was tne oldest resident in Marton. For the past ten years Mrs. Schultz had lived in Hamilton.

She was born at Rosedale, near Adelaide, on July 7, 1853, and came to New Zealand with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Heinrich Goile, ana brothers and sisters in the sailing ship Peter Gottfried. On arrival at Wellington, Mr. Goile his sons left Mrs. Goile and her daughters on the sailing ship while they inspected land in the TUtaenui district. Mr. Goiie and his wife and family came to the Marton district along the sea coast as far as Scott’s Ferry in a trap and two horses. The remainder of tne journey was made in a bullock dray. On the trip from Wellington the trap was conveyed across tne rivers on canoes by tne'Maoris, the horses being left to swim across. The emigrants crossed the flooded Tutaenui Stream at Curl’s Bridge, the bu.lock dray capsizing. The party arrived at Marton on May 18, 1860, and took up 200 acres of rough land on the Pukepapa Road. Roads had not been thought of then, and the land which Mr. Goile secured was covered with flax, toi toi, manuka and bush. Mr. Goile’s first home was a fourroomed clay whare with a floor of toi toi. This served for eight years, when a new home was built from pit-sawn timber. The only meat in the eany days was wild pork, and on this the family subsisted for five years. As they had no cows during the first eight years of their pioneering, tea and coffee had to be drunk without milk. From one cow the herd was gradually brought up to 20. The butter was put into 501 b barrels and five barrels a week was sent to Wanganui. For this Is 6d per lb was received. The journey to Wanganui was made in a bullock dray and took three days. The 200 acres was later sown in grain,, wheat, oats and barley, and potatoes for the cows. For years the grain was cut with a sickje and the sheaves were tied with stalks of grain. Maoris were employed for the harvesting work and 20 men and their wives all lived in the one manuka whare. Mrs. Schultz’s husband died ten years ago and she is survived by a son and two daughters. There are nine grandchildren and ten greatgrandchildren. NEW HEADMISTRESS APPOINTED FOB ST. STEPHEN’S SCHOOL Mrs. Grace Morton, who for the past, two years has been on the staff of St. Mary’s School, Stratford, has been appointed the new headmistress of St. Stephen’s Parochial Day School in Marton. She succeeds Mrs. C. Childs, who has resigned, and will take up her new duties on June 1. Mrs. Morton received her training at Wynaud House, London, and Homerston College, Cambridge. She has taught in England, France, Shanghai and Czechoslovakia. While in the latter country in 1939 Mrs Morton worked with the underground movement, rescuing people from the Nazis. In the end she was only just able to escape from the country—without her personal possessions. RANGITIKEI PLAYERS TO TRAIN FOR WANGANUI REPS. The Rangitikei selector on the Wanganui Rugby Union, Mr. J. Hartley (Rata) named, last evening, the following six players (three forwards and three backs) to train in view of the pending selection of two Wanganui representative teams to play

Taranaki on Monday, June 7:—H. Rowley (Hunterville), R. Stevens (Rata), P. Shannon (Rata), forwards; G. Sherlock (Bu Is), W. Kingi (Rata) and T. Goldsmith (Marton Old Boys), backs. The teams will be chosen next week-end. MOBILE X-RAY UNIT TO VISIT MARTON NEXT MONTH

Sponsored by the Marton Junior Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the Wanganui Lay Tuberculosis Association, the mobile X-ray unit will visit Marton on four days next month for the purpose of examining residents of both the town and country. These examinations are purely voluntary and are available to all persons over the age of 15 years.

The unit will be in Marton on Wednesday, Thursday, Tuesday and Wednesday, June 2,3, 8 and 9, and appointments for examination can be made at the Marton Borough Council office between the hours of 10.30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. and from 1.30 p.m. to 2.30 p.m. tomorrow, Thursday and Friday. The sponsors are hoping that about 650 patients will avail themselves of this opportunity of being X-rayed. It is and established fact that early detection and prompt treatment of chest weaknesses are most important factors in preventing the development of diseases, such as tuberculosis, and in effecting cures. The time required off work will be only a few minutes, as six persons are taken every ten minutes. HUNTING APPOINTMENTS FOR JUNE

The Rangitikei Hunt Club has announced the fol.qwing hunting appointments for June:—Wednesday, June 2, Power Station, Pukepapa Road; Saturday, June 5, “Omaha," Bonny Glen; Wednesday, June 9, Curl’s bridge; Saturday, June 12. "Ngamara," Fern Flats, Wednesday, June 16, Brightwell’s corner; Saturday, June 19, "Shirley,” Bonny G.en; Wednesday, June 23, Somersal Lane corner; Friday June 25, to be advertised; Saturday, June 26, Waverley point-to-point; Wednesday, June 39, “View Halloa," Crofton.

The Rangitikei Hunt Club ball U being held in Marton on Thursday, July 15, the point-to-point steeplechases on Saturday, July 17, and the Rangitikei Hunt Steeplechase race meeting at Marton on Saturday, July 31. MARTON LADIES’ GOLF CLUB The medal match played last week on the Marton links resulted: Mrs W. W. WilSon, 95, 31—64; Mrs R. A. Church, 100, 35—65; Mrs N. Knox, 97, 24—73. RESULT OF BAND SOLO COMPETITIONS Thirteen members of the Marton Municipal Brass Band entered tne solo competitions in the Parish Hall on Saturday night, nnd after the adjudicator. Mr. W. L. Francis, B.Mus. (Palmerston North) had commented on the various performances, trophies were presented to winning bandsmen bv Mr. H. J. Hignam. "For bandsmen 13 years and under, live young players took part playing “O Lovely Night." L. Moloney (tenor horn) was awarded first place with 73 points, and F. Flowers fcornet) with 70 points was second. In the senior bandsmen's section, A. Currie (baritone) with 80 points was first and J. Coleman (cornet) 76 points was second. Mrs. S. Hurley acted as adjudicator's assistant, and at the social and dance which followed music was supplied by Mr. D. Down, and Mr. Hurley acted as M.C.