AQUATICS

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XI, Issue 609, 18 September 1902, Page 7

AQUATICS

The annual general meeting of the Ponsonby Begatta Club is called for this (Thursday) evening in the club room, Ponsonby Club Hotel. Through the energy of the old committee, the club has been placed in a sound financial position, and there is every reason to believe that the present season will be one of continued prosperity. The Club has lost the services of last year’s secretary in the person of Mr W. Brooke Taylor, who has gone to reside in Wellington, and the vacancy may be somewhat hard to fill.

The annual general meeting of the Ponsonby Cruising Club will be held on 25th inst. The business of the evening is the annual report and balance-sheet, the election of officers and committee for the ensuing year, and the annual subscription, which the outgoing committee strongly recommend to be raised to ten shillings and sixpence. • • ® «

The crack yacht Bainbow is to return to Auckland again, she having just been purchased by Messrs Gray Bros., the late owners of Kotiri, from Mr Mills of Wellington, who purchased the yacht from Mr A. T. Pittar last year. Yachtsmen generally will be pleased to learn of the Kainbow’s return to her native city, and in the hands of her new owners she should soon get into her old racing form. Messrs Gray Bros, state that the yacht will be sailed up to Auckland. Nothing definite has yet been settled as to the date of Bainbow’s arrival in Auckland, but it will probably be about the middle of October

The formal opening of the new rooms of the New Zealand Yacht Squadron in Smeeton’s Buildings, Queen-street, took place last Friday evening. There was a large gathering of members, and the social' room was gaily decorated with bunting. The commodore (Mr 0. P. Murdoch) presided, and cordially welcomed the members and their friends on a the occasion of the opening of the new rooms. A very interesting programme of songs, recitations and musical items was gone through during the course of the evening, all the items being warmly received. The rooms consist of a secre-

s | tary’s room, social room, billiard room, ■ . reading room, and general committee ; room. All have been comfortably fitted , for the comfort of the members by gifts ' from the members and their friends, in- ! eluding a number of ladies. Thereading- - room is a very comfortable looking place, I with a reading table and stuffed cane I- ' chairs, and a writing table, fitted with the necessary acce. series for the i-se of the members. The walls of the room are j decorated with a series of yachting and I other pictures, some of them being valu- | able works of art. Taken altogether the i 1 rooms are all that could be desired, and -! the committee who had the arranging of ; the details are to be congratulated upon I the success of their eflor s. f # * * * ; Holmes made another effort to swim i the English Channel on Thursday last. Started from Dover but had to abandon ; che attempt after two hours, owing to ! squally weather coming on ■ * 5* * I The eighteenth annual meeting of the ' West End Bowing Club was held in the boathouse, St Mary’s Bay, Ponsonby, ■ last Friday evening, there being a very large attendance. The chair was taken by Mr D. B. McDonald (one of the vicepresidents). The annual report congratulated the members upon the continued prosperity of the club. There had been 35 new members elected' during the year, whilst 15 had resigned, the total membership now being 227. The balancesheet showed that the amount received for subscriptions and entrance fees for the past season was £156 18s 6d, as against £ 127 10s for the previous year. The gross receipts, including the balance from last year of £7 12s 4d, were £250 4s lOd, and the expenditure £203 8s Bd, leaving a balance to credit of £36 16s 2d. The assets are £lOO7 Is 2d, and the liabilities nil. The report and balance-sheet were adopted unanimously. The election of officers resulted as follows :—Patron, Mr T. Peacock ; president, Mr Murdoch McLean. A large number of vice-presidents were elected. Captain, Mr C. Wilson; deputy-captain, Mr W. A. Graham ; hon secretary, Mr H. A. English; hon treasurer, Mr J. C. Gallaher; auditors, Messrs R. Baxter and T. U Wells ; delegates to the New Zealand Amateur Bowing Asso- 1 ciation, Messrs M. McLean, J. B. Gibbons, and Neil McLean; General Com- I mittee, Messrs Cossar, Stephenson, Mason, Mitchell, Court, Lowry ; Selection Committee, captain, deputy-captain and Mr G. 0. Stephenson. Hearty votes of ( thanks were passed to all who had assisted . in promoting the interests of the club j during the past season, particularly to , Messrs Peacock, M. McLean, J. Kirker and A. Kohn. ’

» The Ngaruawahia Rowing Club held • their annual meeting last week. The reI port and balance-sheet were submitted I and adopted. Owing to the purchase of • a new clinker outrigger, reroofing part of i boathouse, and heavy regatta expenses, j the balance-sheet shows a deficit of £7 j 13s sd, the receipts having been £62 6s | 4d, and the expenditure £69 19s 9d. To j meet increased expenditure, it was dej cided to increase the annual members’ ■ fee to 7s 6d. The club was represented at three regattas during the past year,

and secured the following successes:— Two firsts, one second, and one third, out of six starts. Trial pairs were held on three occasions. Officers were elected for the following year as follows:—President, Mr F. W. Lang, M.H.R. ; vicepresidents, Messrs Davies, Morris, Wells, Guthrie, Warren and Simmelhag; committee, Messrs Bathbone, Moore, Hinton, Hall, Cavanagh, Hutt, Paterson, Marshall, Loekie, tiaulbrey, Myles, Gillander, Park and Kay; executive, Messrs E Rathbone, L. Morris Cavanagh, Loekie, Saulbrey, Sage and Myles. Sixteen new members were elected for the new season.