ASHBURTON COUNTY HUNT CLUB

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1454, 12 January 1887, Page 3

ASHBURTON COUNTY HUNT CLUB

Tiie auniril genvrul meeting of the above Club was held at the Conimorci.il Hotel last evening, twenty mombors being present. Mr Upton was voted to th<j chair. 0 "RRKSPONDENCE fter tho" hon. tre.isurer, Mr C. W. Wroughtoo, had. read the notice calling and explaining the business, and the minutes of the p^evioun meeting had been road and confirmed, lett'-ra of apology for unavoidable abaeuco wore read from Messrs M. Stitt, G. Rutherford, (J. H. Alington, find VV. P. Chupraan. The gpnthimen named expresar-d a hope that the Club would be carried on, Mr Huthor ford complimenting tho members on tho creditable conduct of affairs, and tha "straight going" of lust season, Mr Hntherfoid intimated his intention of again subscribing £5 sa. and Mr Chapman also announced that ho would repeat his last subscription of two guineas. RBFOKT AND BALANCE-SHEET. The hon. treasuror then read the annual report and balance-sheet, the Committee giving the members the following account of list season's business .— Your Committee have very much ple«Riiivi n atjaio congatulating the members upon tho rinnnc'ai position of the Llub r'< It hough tho present balance 6heet Bows a mnoh smaller sum at credit than at tho i at annual meeing, owing to the loss of some £25 on the last Ktueplechasea, but, when also taking into consideration the great depression existing, the finances, on tbe whole, mnst be considered satisfactory.

Your Committee commenced tho year just ended with & credit balance of £37 13a Id, and now afrer payment of nil

liabilities m connection with the Club*

(oxce. tine: £3 to Racing Club, and the expenses of calling thin meeting) are able to r> port a credit balanc of £12 19a 4d, with several email atnoun s s ill to he ctll;cted, tha r may re»Bonably be cone durecl good, and forthcoming s'lotly. Th« total expenditure covered by the prtßent statement of accounts is £298 8s 9d, as again*? £257 14* 5d la«t year of which former sum £166 10<* is on Hunting account (including £ 19 transferred to Steeplechase account to meet deficiency therein), and £131. '8' 1M onSieeplechaee accoa t.

The Hunting account shows a surplus of receipts over expenditure (including balance from last year, £38 13» 2d) of £12 10« 2i T»e Steeplechase nccon it shows a loss (including balance fr m last year of £6 Is lid) of £19, or a net loss on last meeting of £25

Members, 115, with subscript! ns amounting to £137 5s Od, this year, as against mem 1 ' era, 116, with subscriptions amounting to £131 55, for previ»us year, showing a decrease of 1 member, with subscriptions £6 m excess of the sum received from the same source last year, a result which must be regarded as highly satisfactory, considering the times.

In connection with the Club during the winter v concert, concluding with dance, vr-s held on May 24 ; a Hunt Club Bnll on August 18, and a complimentary dinner to the non-hunt ng farmers, whose property had been crossed > -tiring the season' was held at Whittle's Hotel on the 3rd August. All of t^eae undertakings r>roved most eojoya le, as w^H as beneficial to iha

funds to the extent of some £8 odd, and your Committee consider that tho thanks of tho meeting are due to the many ladies and gentlemen who so ably and cheerfa'ly rendered their assistance, m some casoß at great expense and pernonal inconvenience, as it was entirely owing to their co operation that iheße events were bo successful ; m the case of the Hunt Club ball the ladies connected with the Hunt su^p'ying the supper gratuitously. The dinner to tho farmers was also well attended, and will no doubt help to make (he tlub more popular with them Mr John Smith tguin acted as Huntsman and the hounds were hunt d regularly three days a fortnight during the months of May, Jono, and July, Bhowing fair 6port, considering the great number of hareß met with, which proved r great drawback to rea ly good sport Most of th» active members, however, expressed themselves well satit-fied

The usual Steeplechase Meeting was held on 24th Augu t laet, the Stewards finding it necessary to postpone until that date owing to the very wet weather, and notwithstanding that the day was a really beautiful one, your Committee regret to have to report that the nveting financially proved a loss to the Club of some £25 The fields, however, were very good, and the sport on the whole quite up to pre vious meetings Nominations and acceptances together show a deorease of £12 ss, and privileges £15 8s 6d, as compared with the taktngß from these sources a* preceding meeti'g.

Your Committee have only purchase^ two hounds, which were under offer at the time of tho last general meeting, but owing to the great loss of young hounds (souse 20 m number) chiefly through distemper, nly three will bo available for entry thiß season. Beveral of th» older hounds will prove rather slow for the rest of the pack, and should got rid of The oth' r buninoßß this evening will be the election of officers and the consider! tion of routine and other matter. Tn tonclusion, your t.'omnvtteebe^ t" thank the farmers nnd others who so eh erfully forwarded 'ho interests of the Olub by placing coun-ry at their disposal, and otherwise assisting the Committee m the discharge of their duties and propose that a hearty vote of thanks be accorded to the retiring Secretary, Mr Samuel Saunters, for the interest he has »o long shown m the "ffairs of the Club, aa well as all*other sports m the dktrict, and wish him him overj succors m hia present position of sporting editor to the Canterbury Times

'1 he balance-sheets showed as under : — Hunting account: Receipts — Balance brought forward, £31 13a 2d ; members' fubscriptions, £137 6a ; sale of hound, £2 ; net proceeds concert and ball (Muy 24tb), £3 17s; ditto ball- (Auemst ISth), £3 18a ; ditto dinner (August 3rd), 7s ; total, £J79 os2d. Expenditure—Huntsman, £125 ; registration, &c, £11 ; ex peoses attending nvJOting^ at a distant, £3 14h 6d ; printi- g and advertising 1 , £6 5s 4d; sundry accounts, £1 10a 2d ; amount advanced to Stopplechsse account, £19 ; balance m Bank, £12 10a 2d ; total, £179 0s 2d Steeplechase account. — Balance brought forward, £« 1b lid ; nominations and acceptances, £43 0s 6d ; totalißator, £25 3s ; g*t*s, £17 09 6H : paddocks and stands, £14 ; publicans' and confectioners' booths, £2 Us 6d ; cards, £5 6a; amount transferred f»om Hunting account, £19 ; total, £132 7s lid. Expenditure — Stakes paid, £88 IBs ; Ashburton Racing Club, on acount, £19 ; printing and advertising, £9 14s 9d ; oundry payments, £14 9a : balance at Bank, 9s 2d ; total, £132 7s lid. The statement of assets and liabi'itiea showed a credit balance of £19 13s4d, not including the value of the pack. j Dr Leahj r , i ■ proposing the adoption of I the report and balance-sheet, referred to tho loss on the steep' echasee, attributing bucli loss to the small amounts oharged for nomination and acceptance fees. Mr It<>uß • s°conded tb» motion, which was carried without diseeilj ELECTION OF OJVIOUBB. The following officers were then elected for the ensuing year, it bei:ip unanimously resolved to" curry on the Club :— Patrons, lion J. McLean (re-elected), and Vtr G f Rutherford ; President, Mr F. G. Wright, (re-elected) ; Vi^e-Presidentp, D- Leahy, find Me-srs J Grigg, W. B. Denshire, G 11. Aiington, and I). McLean; Master, Mr M, Stitt, (r '.elected) 5 DeputyMaster, Mr Upton, (re-elected) ; SeTi^ary and Treasurer, Mr 0. Jephson ; Com ipitteej Messrs 0, W, Wrooghton, J, 0.

Gritrg, Julia" Jaokson, A. J. llnid

Dixon, C. Hti*'ich<:y. U Milner, A. iJun 1m?, J, Corb?-tt, H. Hum, J. Hunt, t\

Kii-,s(ll, T, McDowftl, W. R, Allon, W. P Oh pnirin, W, Rouse, R. MoOwon, M. Scot', G. E. W. Bowyer, and p:. Cookson.

Mr Wroughton was strongly urg.;d by thrt meeting to ag'un acct-pt tlie office of Tr>^aßii'-er, Meesis Up : on -nd McOwen speaking m high t.-rttn of hi« earneetnesß and ability on behalf of the Club,

Mr Wrcughton tuanke-i those present for their flattering remarks but while prom sing to assis f . the Oiub m future ar, far as possible, expressed his inability to

g >ia t;ike f.flioe, c-win^ to waut of timo, Hiid tha Josb invi.'lved m lio'diot mob aoaitioa.

Soma difficulty was experienced it filling tbe v c»Lci«a m the oihe • of secre taiy and treaauror.

Mr McOneen suggested th.*t the ofiices ba onmbiaed, ths gentl. ruen holding the>na to be offered an honcrarintn of, say, ten guineas

Dr Laahy concurred, and it was resolved, ou the motion of Mr Wroughton, i: That Mr O. Jep'iaon bj naked f,o fill the positions, remuneration to be a5 the rate named " Meß9«a A. Bar.jing and B. J. P^ul were elected auditors. VJIES OF THANKS. Hearty v:>tdt» of i.hiinks wire aoco7d<>d to the ladiea aud gonfemtn who had itßiisted at the eouce t aud ball; to the farmers whoie lands had been hunted over ; to the retiring Committee, and to the late (secretary end treasurer. I -. aeoonding the vote to Mr Wroughton the Ohilrrnan Baid the members of the Club had no idea of the amount of work the late treoiuror had rouo through on their behalf. Tho present Hatiofaotory position oi the Oiub was, without the \en*t doubt, duo to Mr Wrough,on's aud the only consolation the Oiub had la )iia reeig-.atlni was tha he had promised to continue -;o aasi.it thorn

Mr Wrouih;ou vvaa p'ens^d thwt h* h.d Kivon atsf^ctio'-, and ho regrtttsd his inability to a.^ain aooept office. Thero waa, he said, a !o of work attached to tht) position m getting m come of the -übscriptions, And ho hopad hia socceitor, Mr Jepißon, wjuld not h»ve bo mucH diffioalty. HUNTBMAW. A discussion took place with reipeat to ensragiug a huntsman for the ceaeon, Mr -mth'e time boiog up on the 14th mat. — It was ultimately rcaoivad — '' i'h»t t »ndern be cilled— in ih^ l«Hbu v.. Mail and i Referee, for hun'ing the hounds during the eusuiog season, and that the Seoreury m^ke arrangetnenta with the present huntsman for keeping houoda until date of fresh appointment ; tenders to close on Tuesday next, 18 :h inst., and be 'P>ned and decided at a Oommittee meeting to be held on that date."

A voto of thunic* to the Chairman erminated the proceeding*.