“Action In Swimming’s Best Interests”

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31086, 15 June 1966, Page 18

“Action In Swimming’s Best Interests”

A declaration that he was acting in the best interests of the sport in his handling of developments stemming from the election of Mr A. J. Donaldson as swimming section manager for the New Zealand Empire Games team is made by the deputychairman of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association’s council (Mr G. S. Brockett) in a report on the matter.

Mr Brockett was directed by the council to make a report to all centres concerning the appointment of Mr Donaldson in view of complaints made principally by Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay, Bay of Plenty and Waikato centres and supported in some degree by the Nelson-Marlbor-ough, Otago, Auckland and Canterbury centres.

A copy of the report was received by the management committee of the Canterbury Swimming Centre last night. In his review of developments following the election, Mr Brockett said the Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay centre had demanded the cancelling of the appointment and the holding of a further ballot. Bay of Plenty had also taken this course of action and Waikato had objected on a question of principle. “I accepted the letters as direction to councillors, but I did not call a meeting because in my opinion the Waikato centre letter was justification for not upsetting the appointment at that stage as: “(1) It would make our association look foolish in the eyes of the British Empire Games Association. “(2) That as the technical committee was meeting in Christchurch on the Saturday and also that Mr Doidge was in Christchurch for the Saturday and Sunday for briefing on the Empire Games team preparation I considered it not worth it to endeavour to secure the attendance of 60 per cent of the council to form a quorum for a special meeting.” Mr Brockett said it appeared to him that only two centres were attacking the

person of the chairman and that Waikato was attacking the principle. “At the meeting last Tuesday night it appears now that the Waikato centre, through its delegate, is not of this opinion,” he added. If anything was to be done about the matter of nominations, the right place for it was the annual meeting of the association, said Mr Brockett. “. . . for the benefit of swimming. whatever the personal thoughts might be, I was not prepared to cause our association public embarrassment and make us a laughing stock among sporting associatons,” he said. “This association has progressed too far and is now too strong for this.” “Damage Done”

After reading the report to the meeting last night, the president of the Canterbury centre (Mr S. Williams) said he felt Mr Brockett was a little late in attempting to save the association embarrassment.

“In my opinion the damage has already been done.” he said. Mr Williams said he was in an unfortunate position because he had been one of the last three in the ballot for the position. “It is extremely difficult to ask me to comment at this stage as it lays me open to ailegatons of sour grapes—and I am not prepared to do that.”

Mr Williams said when the matter reached the light of day—perhaps at the annua! meeting of the association—he did not think it would bind swimming people together “Right throughout the country there is a tremendous feeling of ill-will over this thing," he said. The meeting supported a suggestion by Mr J. H. Drummond that the report from Mr Brockett should be put aside for consideration at a later date.

“This matter is obviously going to be a contentious one. and we should be prepared to express an opinion at the annual meeting,” be said