A COUNCIL OF SPORT

Chronicle (Levin), 8 October 1946, Page 4

A COUNCIL OF SPORT

FORMATION AND AD V ANT AGES There is a move among a number of sports clubs to form a council of sport in Levin. A preliminary ineeting was held in ^August, the attendance at which was widely representative. .The aims and objects of a council were explained and the delegates pres,ent were asked to report back to their clubs and ascertain whether or not they yrould support the movement. Last |veek a further meeting was held to receive the decisions of club:?, but owing to the very wet weather |he attendance was sm.aH. It was accordingly pqstpoped and will now be held on Tuesday, October 15, in gh Mary's Hall. It is hoped on that occasion that all clubs will be represented in a movement which should bring about a great •improvement in sport and the. facilities for them. Beiow are giye'na few topical notes on a council's formation and work. A provincial council of sport can ibe formed by simply calling a meeting of all sports bodies, adoptting a, constifution, and applying for' ^ffiliation to the New Zealand Council of Sport. It has long been recognised by ^,11 sporting bodies- that certain difficulti.es, some of them peculiar fo an individual sport but most of them common to .all, are more easily overcome by a concerted efiort pn the part of the various adminisfrators. Insufficient playing areas, iack of adequate dressing accompiodation, exorbitant ground rents, equipm'ent deficiencies, clashing of dates! recalcitrant players, and so pn, have always presented majjor jproblems, and always will unless the sports bodies get together and present a united front in an honest endeavour to iron them out. After all, all sports have a common view— all are working for the good pf the community, and' all believe that by doing so they are improving jthe physical and mental well-being of the people. Furthermore, it canpot be denied that they are righfc! Sport is definitely a real social service and has prov.ed of incalculable value in the great struggle overseas. Unfortunately, however, it has been left to a few enthiisiasts ■to organize and develop it as it exists today. A council of sport -is a getting-together of these same enthusiasts with the idea of doing an even better job, and is merely a logical development of the guiding principle — service to the community, and better recreational facilities for all of the people. The constitution of the ccuncils definitely states that if a council is formed there will be no interference with individual bodies, and in ■any case no sports body as a member of a council is bound by any of the council's decisions. It is a voluntary association. There is no necessity to join the prpvincial council and the sports will still participate in the share of _sports goods and grounds. As a imatter of fact, two of the bodies for whom the greatest amount of work has been done, the New -Zealand Rugby Union and the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association, ;are not^ affiliated. The objects of the council are to help all sporting bodies. There is no control of any kind and naturally funds are always under the control of their owners. Any recognised provincial controlling body can join, and in a number of districts where there is an overlapping of any sport in its provincial control, then individual clubs can join; one affiliation fee is payable for one code in this instance. The civic authorities in the various centres have recognised the fact that when all sports bodies join together for their mutual good and assistance, this "combination must be recognised. The Government has intimated that the New ■Zealand Council of Sport is officiqlly recognised , as a body to £xpress an opinion and to be consulted about sporting matters. The action of the Government in permitting the setting up of the Central Advisory Sporting Requisites Committee, under the chairman of the New Zealand Council of Sport, for all the handling of sporting ■requisites through the New Zealand Council of Sport gives one instance of official recognition. At present there is no other body formed to .present a united case to the Government about the needs of sporting bodies, although for many years there have been attempts to unite sporting bodies to pool their information, and to present a case which would bear the united weight of all organisations. The New Zealand Council of Sport is trying to bring this about. One only needs to read the various pronouncements of the Government to realise that they desire sporting bodies to help themselves; they will naturally consider assistance if they are asked. The members of the provincial councils are •most jealous of their independence pjnd would not be party to any regimentation; which the members .of the New -Zealand Council are Assured never has been and never will be contemplated. There is nothing in New Zealand like the National Playing Fields Trust in- England, but one of the functions of .the New Zealand •Council of Sport is to see that all -reserves and playing fields are retained for that purpose, and that facilities are extended for the needs of all sport and forms of recreation.