CANTERBURY ROWING CLUB.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2048, 16 September 1880, Page 3

CANTERBURY ROWING CLUB.

The annual general meeting of the Canterbury Rowing Club was held on Wednesday at the Commercial Hotel. There was a crowded attendance, Mr J. O. Jones, captain of the club, occupying the chair. The advertisement calling the meeting having been read, the minutes of the last general and a special meeting were duly confirmed. A member of the club mentioned that there had been another special meeting, of which the minutes had not yet been read. The Chairman said ho knew of no other special meeting of the club held during the past year. Mr Hawkes pointed out that a requisition had been sent to the secretary, calling upon him to convene a special meeting. The secretary, Mr B. J. Paul, said it was considered that the matter to be dealt with (referring to the question of the ball) was not a club matter, and he had not, therefore, taken any minutes. Mr Hay submitted that it must be considered so according to the rules, the usual intimation having been sent to members of a meeting to be held, and, therefore, minutes should have been taken.

A discussion ensued, during which several members expressed the opinion that a record of the meeting should have been taken, and finally at the request of Mr J. W. Davies, the secretary was instructed to prepare from memory minutes of the meeting in question. After the lapse of a few moments, the secretary read a short report of a meeting at which it was decided to hold a club ball, and a committee was appointed to make the necessary preparation for it. The minutes of the meeting as just read were then confirmed.

Letters of acknowledgment were read from those gentlemen who wore elected life members at the last annual meeting of the Club, namely—Messrs R. D. Thomas, A. F. N. Blakiston, 8. S. Revaus, and R. J. S. Harman, the last-named gentleman writing that he should be glad to continue hia regular subscriptions.

The annual report, which was taken as read, was as follows : Y our committee bog to submit the twentieth annual report, together with the treasurer’s statement of receipts and expenditure for the season 1879-SO, and have much pleasure in congratulating the club on its continued prosperity; the number of members on the roll, viz., 160, which includes four life and twelve honorary members, being up to the average of former years ; twenty-seven new members wore elected during the season, two of whom were former members rejoining. No boats have been purchased, but a large consignment of -mulls were received from Salter, of Oxford, the cost of which, £34 Os 4d, has been paid out of the receipts. -The balance owing to Mr Douglas, £52 10s, has also been cleared off. The thanks of the club are due to this gentleman for his liberality iu connection with this matter. A racing pair-oar has been ordered from Messrs Swaddle and Winship, of Newcastle, and may be expected about December, the cost of which, estimated at .£lO, will be a charge against the coming season’s revenue. A mortgage, signed by the trustees of the club, for the balance of purchase money of the section of land, viz., .£IOO, has been given to the trustees of Mrs Campbell. This will expire on September Ist, 1882, but your committee would advise that it be paid off, with the consent of the mortgagees, during the coming season, should the funds of the club permit. The first of the annual races with the Otago Bowing Club took place in February, on the Heathcote Estuary, the Otago club crew proving victorious. Tne next match will be rowed at Dunedin, iu accordance with the agreement between the two clubs. Your committee regret that the representative crews of the club have not been as successful as in former years at the various regattas in which they competed, and there has been a marked falling of in the club races, owing chiefly to so many of the rowing members having left the district, and their places not being filled as yet by the new men. The following is a list of the chief races and names of the winning crews President’s Cup: Senior Fours—L. M. Ollivier, J. B. Evans, A. C. Saltmarshe, B. Snow. Maiden Fours ; C. B. Dobson, B, McDougall, G. Heywood, A. Johnston, Junior Fours: J. K. Grierson, F. E. Dunsford, A. L. Smith, F. S. Hutchison. Maiden Pairs :A. Johnston, E. K. Spencer. Maiden Double Sculls: C. B. Dobson, C. D. Innes. Sculling Eace—Junior :F. B. Dunsford. C. Dixon received the coxswain’s prize for good steering, and W. F. Dunnage that for good attendance. The thanks of the club are due to Messrs Harman, Thomas, and Blakiston for prizes presented by them. Of the above, however, Mr Harman’s was the only one competed for. Tonr committee have to report that the boats belonging to the club, viz., X sixoar, 7 four-oars, 6 pairs, 2 pleasure boats, 3 whiffs, 1 wager boat, together with 103 oars and 129 sculls, of which 57 and 97 respectively are in reserve, are with other plant, in good repair, and insured for £650. The club property is well looked after by the custodian, Mr Hees, to whom your committee recommend a bonus of £5 ss, as a recognition of his services. In the balance-sheet presented, the statement of assets and liabilities was as follows— Assets, section of land, £200; estimated value of club property—boats, sheds, &c., £840; subscriptions due, £l2 12s; jerseys (22), £11; total. £1063 12s ; liabilities—over, draft at Bank, £45 16s 8d ; credit in favor of Swaddle and Winsbip, £4O; balance due on land, £IOO ; total, £lB5 16s Bd. The Chairman briefly commented on the report, the various items in which he fully explained to the meeting. Mr J. W. Davis moved that the report and balance-sheet be adopted. In doing so he remarked that it would no doubt appear to all present, as it did to him, highly satisfactory. Mr Trieohler, in seconding the adoption of the report, congratulated the club upon the atisfactory state of things disclosed therein. At the same time he thought it right to mention that as it appeared to him the rowing status of the club had fallen off during the past two years. This, he thought, was perhaps due to the members not knowing how to use their boats, and he suggested that this difficulty might be got over by having a competent man to teach the men how to use the boats. He was also of opinion that a reform in the selection of prizes might be introduced, as well as in the matter of getting up regattas, and he hoped ere long to see a representative crew of the club on the Heathcote every season. With these few remarks, he had great pleasure in seconding the adoption of the report. Mr Davis moved that the report include the bonus to Mr Eoeoe, caretaker. This was seconded by Mr Evans, and carried unanimously. The report and balance sheet were then adopted. * It was decided to adopt the course of electing new members at this stage of the meeting, and the balloting was then proceeded with.

The following now members were elected— Messrs Francis Harwood, Robert Wilberforce, Fairfax Fenwick, Richard Nioholls, M. J. Kilgour (old member), J. Moore, E. Davie, R. O. Skeet, J. Jockel, J. A. Orosbie, W. W. De Oastro, H. Wsgstaffe, C. Edgar, W. Hutchison, A. G. Sheath, P. Munster. Mr J, O. Jones proposed “ That Mr T. Douglas be elected a life member of the club.” In doing so he spoke in complimentary terms of the services rendered to the club by Mr Douglas, and the large amount of interest he had taken in the boating interest generally. The motion was seconded by Mr J. W. Davis, and carried by acclamation. At this stage the question of the ection taken by the ball committee on a recent occasion was introduced.

Mr Hawkes asked why the secretary had neglected his duty in not calling a meeting when requested to do so by ten members of the club, in terms of a rule providing for such an emergency. The Chairman explained that the secretary had acted in accordance with his instructions. The requisition was received on the Tuesday, and it asked that a meeting should be called for the Thursday following. Now, it happened that he (the chairman) and Mr Paul were exceedingly busy at the time, having been engaged for two or three nights in preparing for the annual meeting, and there was no time to call a meeting. Further, it should be remembered that the hon. secret ary was not a paid officer, and it was unfair, therefore, to ask him to work for four or five nights in succession. Ho might also state that another reason hold by himself for not convening the meeting was that the matter was not one for the Club to consider.

Mr Hawkes submitted that, according to the rules, the secretary was not entitled to refuse to call a meeting when requested to do so in the form provided by rule. The Chairman considered that the committee ought to possess a certain discretionary power in such a* matter. Otherwise it must be obvious that ten members of the Club raighi call upon the secretary to convene meetings every other week in the year, which he pointed out would entail upon the Club a heavy expense. Mr Parsons asked why could not the opinions of the chairman have been conveyed in the letter sent by the secretary to Mr

Hawkes. There would have been no difficulty in doing this in some polite form. It appeared to him that the committee were afraid the club would take some determined action in reference to the action of the committee in blackballing certain ladies who had received invitations to the ball.

The Chairman reiterated his reasons for directing the secretary as he did, adding that he took the entire responsibility on himself, Mr Paul said he had been secretary to the club for several years, and this was the first time that any question had been raised as to a want of courtesy on his part, to which Mr Parsons seemed to have been pointing. Ho should like the letter to be read, in order that the meeting might judge whether he could have been more accommodating. He also remarked that he had for years done his best, not only (o serve the club as secretary to the best of his ability, but to save it money by performing duties altogether foreign to his office.

Mr Parsons repudiated any desire to oast reflections of any kind on the secretary. But, still, ho could not see why the meeting asked for could not have been called at a later date.

Further questions and explanations followed, and it did not appear that any conclusion was likely to result, when Mr J. O. Jones said he had already stated that he took the whole blame of not calling the meeting upon himself, and as to anything that might follow, that is, if the meeting wished to pass a vote of censure on the committee, he would now vacate the chair.

Mr A. F. N. Blakiston, vice-president, took the chair.

A question as to the order of business then arose. It was proposed in the ordinary course to proceed with the election of officers, but Mr Davis pointed out that a resolution would be put before the meeting in reference to the action of the ball committee, and if the election were now proceeded with some of the members might bo elected to whom the resolution applied j and it was ultimately resolved to defer the election till the other matter should be disposed of. Mr Hay then proposed—“ That this meeting views with disapprobation tho action of the ball committee in excluding several ladies from the club ball to be held on the 17th instant, such ladies in various oases being tho sisters and relatives of members of this iclub.” In doing so he remarked that tho affair was very much to be regretted, as it was commonly known that a wanton and cruel insult had been offered to friends of tho club. Mr Edgar seconded the motion, and trusted, if the committee’s action was as paltry as stated, th' r would receive their deserts at the hands of the club. If proceedings of the kind were to continue they had better give up such gatherings for the future, as repetitions of the unmanly conduct of which certain gentlemen had been guilty was calculated to bring the club into disrepute. Mr J. O. Jones expressed the deep regret he felt that this unfortunate business should have arisen. He must state, however, his conviction that it was in a largo measure due to the neglect of the 01-ler members of tho club, who, instead of attending regularly, left the election of committees to boys and tho younger members of the club. But apart from this, he did not think there would have boon any cause for the present discussion, had it not been for the dishonorable conduct of certain members of the ball committee, who went about town disclosing the proceedings of the ball committee.

After some further discussion, during which certain members of the committee spoke, It was resolved, on the motion of Mr Trischler, to exclude from any vote of censure that might ho passed on the committee the names of Messrs Harman, Blakiston, and Wardrup. Mr J. W. Davis then moved—“ That in the opinion of this meeting the conduct of the prime movers—viz., Messrs Snow, Grierson, and Quaine, in endeavoring to exclude several ladies from the club ball, to he held on the 17th inst., was calculated to bring the club into disrepute. It is therefore resolved that the members mentioned be requested to resign from the club.” He said in his connection with boating he had witnessed many actions that were improper and ungentlemanly, but this was the first occasion upon which he had known persons, calling themselves men, to insult ladies, and he regarded the action taken by those who were instrumental in blackballing ladies at the committee meeting ns a gross and unwarrantable insult to that club. In moving this resolution he left those whom he may have wrongfully accused to clear themselves in the eyes of the club. Mr A. B. Paul seconded the resolution.

A long discussion followed, during which members for and against the resolution addressed the meeting. It was contended, on tho one hand, that three of the committee should not be singled out for what the committee had done, and on the other side it was held that the many who were innocent of offence should not be made to suffer for the guilty few. In reply to a question, Mr Davis said it was commonly reported that the gentlemen named in the resolution were the prime movers in the matter.

At the suggestion of the Chairman, Mr Davis consented to modify his resolution io as not to refer to individual members.

The resolution was subsequently amended to road thus—“ That in the opinion of this meeting the conduct of tho ball committee in endeavoring to exclude several ladies from the club ball to be held on the 17th instant is calculated to bring tho club into disrepute, and the members of that committee are there fore requested to offer an apology or resign from the club.”

Following upon the above resolution, The members of the ball committee each tendered an apology, expressing the regret they felt that an error should have been committed. Several of those who had not been present at the meetings also expressed their regret. The matter was then allowed to drop. The election of officers then took place, the result being as follows : —President, B. J. S. Harman (re-elected) ; vice-presidents, C. M. Hellish and A. F. N. Blakiston (re-elected) ; captain, L. M. Ollivier ; deputy captain, J. B. Evans ; hon. sec., E. J. Paul (reelected) ; hon. treasurer, E. Trischler. At this stage (eleven o’clock had just •struck) it was thought advisable to postpone the remainder of the business. Votes of thanks were accorded to the chairman, to Mr J. O. Jones, the captain of last year, and the other officers. The meeting then adjourned till Wednesday, the 22nd inst.