RUGBY FOOTBALL

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 73, 27 March 1934, Page 15

RUGBY FOOTBALL

REFEREES MEET

"CALM AND COLLECTED"

BUSINESS RESUMED

From a chaotic condition at the open : .ng session, the annual meeting of the Wellington Eugby . Referees' Assoeiatifla assumed a very orderly air -when resumed last night. Thei^i.was-any amount of discussion without any of the heated exchanges freely ikdulged ia last: week.. "Now.thatwe are all calm and collected we'; can deal with the matters thoroughly," said the president (Mr. D. Calcinai) during the course of (hscussidn last night, and that was expressive of theStorie, of .the meeting, which, however, had barely'half the attendance Of that recorded on the opening night. ;,-:.".-

Revisions of the association's rules and_ certain other matters formed the business of the meeting, and in one easejvhere a rule affected, a position on.•;the executive the. point-was raised 33 to whether the decisions took effect ininiediately.:-; It was explained by. the president that .whateyer? was done had to be coniirmed by ' the Rugby Union, and that the decisions <Tid not become operative until next year. .

Mr. B. Matthews: I brought this matter up last week and you over-ruled me. . The president: Oh, no; I did notl -. . .(But sjill, we could not take it at the; meeting previously. We had .to nave an '6rderly: meeting. \ Mr. Matthews: Are we. having next year's meeting now?

The president explained that the rules' :of; the association: iadbe'ell' re* vised, and such amendments arid additions as werenecessary v-vvere being, placed., before the /meeting; ' . They' would subsequently go on to the Rugby Union foi-. confirmation. "You eah see how. the business went last week—we i'ould not do any chopping and changing about," he added. SEATS ON THE UNION. A motion, of which notice had been £iven, was moved by 'Mr. B. Matthews as follows:"''That no member of, the Wellington Rugbyi Union '■ executive hold executive office'on the Wellington 'Kugby Referees'« Association." The motion was not in Mr. Matthews's name; but that member acted on behalf of the mover, and gave as the reason .for"it that "no man.-can serve two masters." , ~; , , , ....'. :.'.,. Mr. D. McKehzie raised; a point of order as to whether the member /could move- without -having his signature to the notice, Yj\:/ '] \;'.- - ,'.-■> ■■ ~. ' '.", The president:'Yes/:v;';\ However, to be sure'oh' the point, the meeting gave Mr. Matthews permission, to take,-the place, of the proposer. ■;._-MrV Matthews stated'that there were rimes when recommendations and requests went forward from the Referees' Association, to the Eugby Union, and a member of.-the association holding a scat on the Eugby Union w6uld be in the position of having, to decide between one body and the other.' A couiiict was likely, and the speaker maintained, that .the member, being on the union, could not serve the association at the same time. . ' : "The motion was seconded by ' Mr. Paris, -who contended that an association member on the union: would not be doing his job if he did not vote as-the association;.wished him to.1 . Mr. Wilson: Could the mover tell us this proposal came along? Is *bere anything thatJias ever happened to^aecouHt -rfoTr it? "I should -think it is .an elevating position for' this association to'have a member on the Eugby-Union. •We have got another on. there this> year, and the. more we set on the union the better. I do not think .'it is degrading to go on the union," and I would like to hear the reason for the motion. "TOO* ANTAGONISTIC." ; S|S,ting,that the ; motion ,w^s too'tlrastie,d;jjMT. Ajrvde Clifton fcontendedTthat every smSn**was . entitled 0 to 'At 'or any, ,body-to. >a'erv©..th'e- interests of the ganie, of Eugby foiotbaU. ■'•After all," he saia, "we are ouj, for the love of the game and to make the best of it. We have to reali.se that every member of the management committee puts in a lot of work, and all for, the good of the game. . . . I think-you ate too antagonistic towards the uhidn. You should drop this idea "and :let every man take his. chance." In the opinion 'of Mr. A. C. Kitto, it was an; honour for the association

to have a member's capabilities so recognised as to gain a seat on the Eugby Union. A man so elected, he thought, would have the courage to vote in the way that he considered -was best for the "game.

v Mr. Matthews: If a recommendation went through frdm this association, who is the man going to vote for? . Mr. J. Moffitt: We are only a subcommittee of the/ Eugby Union. ' .The president considered that there were;'not enough referees on the union. The- association-.inight be regarded as lucky in. having two members on there at present, but it niight get more. There were quite a number of referees on the -N,e\y Zealand Rugby Union, and he could not see why they, should be deprivei ofa seat on such bodies because they were members of the association's executive. It did not interfere with the association whatever. Where matters had to be viewed from two angles, ho was sure each case would be considered on its merits. ■;-' The motion was lost. •"KNOCKED ON THE HEAD." ■■"The'nieetinglast /week has knocked thisi.'on ■•■: the ■ head,''.remarked Mr. B. Matthews in withdrawing the following motion: "That the annual meeting of the Wellington Rugby. Beferecs' Association be held at the end of the season, commencing at the end of the 1934 season." He explained that a growing apathy had been, responsible far giving notice to "move in that directipn, but the meeting last week had proved, to be one■,of .;the biggest on record. . On the score that some members unable for good and sufficient reasons to attend weekly meetings would.be penalised, the following recommendation was turned down: "That members attending the regular weekly meetings of the association be given preference in regard to appointment to games," ~ The following-were incorporated in the rules:— ' '■■■ "The duty of a referee before the commencement of a game.is to obtain from.the captain.fof^ea.cn team a team slip .W'hich'must besiigned by him and forwarded^to'the '.secretary of this association in.; tinieifor.ythe, next meeting..' »■ -^^fj/^-gz w:^ ■ i ■ ■ I^The-address;of;:eacli; member must be.supplied to'the. secretary at the commencement- of'sthe: season, and' subsequent change's :also;'.''li ; :: "The Appointment Board shall consist of three members (active or honorary), two at least to be senior'members." ",-''" . \ INVIDIOUS POSITION. Some discussion arose over the following, proposal: "That the minute relating to'tho retiring president, giving him a seat on the executive, be rescinded." The president explained that it was not desired to have a nonelective; seat on the executive, and on that, account it was also proposed that five; members instead of four be elected to .the executive. Mr. J. Moffitt, as the officer ■concerned, seconded the motion,; and pointed out that the position to him was 7 a sinecure. With the re-election of the president for longer periods thau one year the retiring president was/placed ;in an invidious position in taking a seat on the executive without going -to. the vote. ' ■: Members explained that thOvOriginal intention was that the '...incoming'' president should have the benefit of the immediate past-president's knowledge, it being anticipated that occupation of the office would change year by year. However, that had not been the case in recent times. An amendment was carried "that the retiring'president, shall retain office for the ensuing year." The proposal for an increase .in. the number of ■ seats on the executive was endorsed. ..Letters were, received from" the Wellington and Seatoun Football Clubs' expressing appreciation of the services given by members of the Eeferees' As,sociation." ~ -.---" • - ■