AMATEUR ATHLETICS

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 124, 22 November 1932, Page 4

AMATEUR ATHLETICS

DIFFICULT PAST YEAR

SPORT IN DOMINION

.Apartirbm. routine;, business, . matters, desjt' witn'at, the for.ty-iH'sf:' annual meet: ing of the' New-Zealapd 'Amateur Athletic Assdciatipu' last evelWig.incly4?d the qijeS' tiou of cycling .-control, the desirabilityor otherwise of;'Juiyipg a visit froro an pverseas. team.: of %■ athletes, this season, the .en* couragemerit-^of track-'arid-.field ■athletics in1 the schools, and uniformity in the start* ■ijig of events. . ilr. H. W, MeVjlly -presided, und, tlie other members of the new council present were Messrs, p. B. Allan and L. A. Tracy (Auckland),; V..Hugo and G.',S. Leader." (West Coast, North Island),, J. o'Sullh'aiv\(Wellington),.:H,.-I, Austad and I. S. Hill: and F, U. Keiil (Otugo). Messrs, -A... C. Kitto (Wei. lington) ■ and :V: < Aisher (Palinerston North),, vice-presidents/ together with Mr; 11. D. Bennett, a member of; the New Zealand Amateur Cycling Council, also -attended. //.: \.. . '"-.' The annual report and statementof accounts, details of which, have been published in "The Post.'.'.were adopted. In moving -their- adoption Mr. MeVilly congratulated--■ the V secretary, Mr. Tracy, on his work m .connection with the report, particularly in, regard to the compilation of the Valuable records it contained. He referred to the performances of the New. Zealand representatives at the Olympic Games at Los Angeles, and said -he thought that though they had not all returned champions-they ■ bad- not let the country down. It had been recognised for a long time that athletes from a eonntry "•here grass tracks prevailed started off with an initial handicap when they had to compete on cinder tracks. Up to the present time neither the grounds nor the funds had been available to jjrovide cinder tracks and other appurtenances' which would enable contestants from New Zealand to compete overseas on a better footing" But notwithstanding. New Zealand's athletes at Los Angeles did quite well, and they could;-congratulate themselves that in J. W. Savidan New Zealand had the champion long-distance runnel' of the British' Empire; ■ ' ■ . 0 DIFFICULT PAST YEAR. As the report the past year had been a difficult one.- It had~to be appreciated,' of -.course,'that- the country,: and indeed th'e'wQrld, had been going through difficult times;'- and. it would.Jje s too much to expect;, the results; associatedwith .'more, prosperous-times. ■■■>"- ■■ ;v.\;;; ;V'r ;/irt■'. V-s« Mr. McVilly dealt .with. the>ppsition' in regardto the cbntrorofIcyeUng,'.;andpaidig,; high tribute to the' services of -\Mr: vHi :~Di Bejn)ett,:,-He.;6aid that-Mr, Bennett, like themselves,:was,theie for the/good:of^the sport and to See. that matters were hand*, .led iii-'-a ■constitutional, way.. ; -,-'■:.,"» '7 ~ .'-."c£ •It;was-very gratifying, said Mr.MeViUyv that the sport' of athleticar was -making, cbnsiderable headway in tbe.sthopls. Bjip iiig'the past -few days . genie-wonderf uj. pgiv .formances'/.had; !.been'J registered.'/ \vT-h6] N.Z.A-.'A.-A.'- {recognised: • that Ttlio:,. athletes'' of the-future must come :fr6m" the schoolboys of to-day, and what the association hadtg do was. to, eoiiCQutrate its. efforts as far as practicable on keeping the amateur spirit aTive in the schools. If it did that, he was sure it need have no fear as to tbe future of tlie sport. , Mr., JJcyjlly dealt with the financial position,'and stressed' the importance, of the centres fulfilling their obligations to the council iv regard to the payment of subscriptions and the remission of registration fees. The Rose Trust Fund was in a satisfactory position,''and he' hoped' that it would not be disturbed. : THE AMATE>B#J SPIRIT. ■ In seconding the motion for the * adoption of the report and balance-sheet Mr. Austad said that in the pastl, year clubs and centres had no doubt experienced a good deal of trouble in meeting their obligations, and at the same time adopting a progressive policy. He thought that in sport it -was probably a good thing that there were bad years as well as; good years. Circumstances last year had shown the sport in New Zealand to -be--purely amateur. ,Mr. Ausiad, also spoke tin the question of encouragement, of j.amateur athletics in the schools, and suggested the formulation of a policy whereby the association might do-even niore in this connection. ~ -'" " . . -.■;■ - ; Mr. Tracy ejpre^sed the council's appreciation to thervtvustees and secretary of the Rose Tru^tiPtttid for their fiction in assisting to make.vit-j<possible for:;J. E. Lovelock, the Scholar, to: be included in';New,:-Zealand's vplympic'team. I .Mr. Kittb ■suggested .tliat consideration j Bhould be giyen;-Withe question of ing the f "affiliation-• fee.payable, by; clubs, and makihie^>3f(^^^Qi^^'.i^ei^gistra-JioHJees^.tp-^cli^i^^tJ'e'SEOb^iH^o re-;cwM':tbJ.-Be;^^ij»^ljiß3w^;''tyClp"ftitres to 'li^lp. defray./e'^enseg'pf'represeatatives to the •: New-i .'Zcals'nUKtraw; aiid ■ pipushipa>.aiij(;;(ffie'-.NeW:;:--Zealarid';''-cross-CQimtry ■ championships; ."-■ ■ Mr. Aieher.said his : centre was'of the .opinion, that the.'nilß relating;to.registration fees possibly;;;would create some difficulty. . ~ ■.•■" '.'',.: ■''.■■- ■ ■',"-•' Mr. McVilly said ho did not see:how the association at thia juncture could entertain the' suggestions made by Mr. '• Kitto. ' Mi-; "Tracy said ' his view was that the registration fee should not be tampered with. It was contributed by the athletes, and the more that was contributed the lighter would be the'burden on'centres and the council in sending teams abroad. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The following officers were : elected:— Patron, His Excellency the GovernorGeneral, Lord Bledisloe; president, Mr. E. \V. McVilly, M.V.0.; vice-presidents, the presidents of the different centres; chairman, Mr. H. I. Austad; hon. secretarytreasurer, Mr. L'Y A.: Tracy;' hon. auditor, Mr. G. T. Kellaway; administration committee, Messrs. R. W. McVilly, H. I. Austad, L. A. Tracy, V. Hugo; reinstatement; committee', Messrs. F. M. Reid, V. Hugo, J. O'Sullivan; finance committee, Messrs. R. W. McVilly, H. I. Austad, V. Hugo; overseas representatives: England, Dr. A. E. Porritt; Canada, Mr. M. M. Robinso)ij South Africa. Mr. I. G. Bmerjr; Australia;: Mr. E. S. Marks;. United States of America, Messrs. C. G. Krogness, sen. and jum\; delegates to . Olympic and British Empire Games Association, Messrs H. I. Austadi.F, M, Reid,vV. Hugo.-Shon, secretary-treasurer.-; to'"Boise'! Trust . jiini Trustees; •Mr; ;^H.:7l^ ;Austad;i;-.;'.?■■ ■;>-% ::■:. < ■■■ The ■ track, ichampionshipg if op: . the .■,1933-34v^aHon':.>r^re.!' allocated .--to :.:,tT>W •WelliiigtqnjG.eiitrf/VaJid^-tH^'>-N'w'.)Zsjala'»3' .fcross-coiintry chamxiionshipV-for 1933^t0 the West ;ooasr (North;lsland):;Centre.-' SJS4 '.'The :.fplloyrtng' reinstatements-.were approyed:^; ■ I>;' Rjid', (Napier) yJCtW; Rogers, (Riyerton), C. ;T.: George (Invercar-giU)V-A.-G.'reiarfc-KMaheno), W;> D.'-Yorsi •.ton: (Maheno),ViT. A. C. .Bowick - (Te Kuiti),, A. B.;. Canibie (Rotorua), J;- : Feni airigton ■ (Rotprua). ■■*-■ -..- ;, ■■■•-,. J-. >;,..-;! Mr.^Tracy■■'was voted nn : horip^arjum/of fifteen.':.guiri'eas'.':an.d! a!r. further.;'allp'W'ance ,fos.:Bpecial.'.'sen^c'es'ite,'Wiiig.':'the?aiabij.jilt up ,to i£so. High' appreciation" of his!;wo'rk' was voiced. -""' ■'«::.- ''■'''■..'.i'.'^'i,''-:'-- '■'■■ ';"[ v STARTING RULEji' ' : Reference was made by-Mr..'Austad .to the .fact' that apparently .at ithe "Olympic Games. ; the , wo.rds "get, ;' not : 'get ready/,, as..laid- do\vn. 'under. ■'the' International.. Federation rule's/were' used in. starting events... The- association's rule had been altered "to conform fto the federation rules, and' if,, as ;he.had been informed, -jthe. rule was not'followed at. the Olympic Games, and apparently at other big gatherings overseas, he suggested that the question should be .taken up with the International federation/. ■ . ■■■•:■' - The meeting agreed .to this course. .: . /Another:suggestion made by Ml-. Austad and supported-by Mr: Hugo was in -the direction of placing athletes anS schools; particularly primary, schools,'.--under the care of clubs with the Idea of providin" free junior, membership to at least i'ijiinv'' be'r of,.the. jnost promising^ boys! ;-: -1.----'.The view taken; was that"th'e;.;suggestioti opened vp ;a..big question, aria it'was' decided to take>;no; definite- actiori!pending the' report pf-j- a sub-committee appointed' re'cent^.ltp, vde'al,;with';-th'e Vmatter''';.:6f'= athletics:.for; r boys "between the■ iies- bf-'9 and :15.*' 3' *: •■■■-..-■-, -..;.,. -....-..,,