CORONATION WEEK

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 73, 13 April 1937, Page 6

CORONATION WEEK

. Our Own Correspondent.)

Lengthy Diseussion at Waipukurau CHILDREN'S SPORTS

(From

WAIPUKURAU, This Day. The Waipukurau Borough Council Chambers were taxed to their utmost to cope with the crowd that gathered last night to discuss the celebrating of the coronation of His Majesty King George VI. Considerable difference of opinion was evidenced as to how the day should be arranged. The Mayor announced that he uuderstood that a seven-a-side Rugby tournament was to be held which would last all day. It was finally decided that the children should be catered for by assembling at the school grounds at 9 a.m., and after a short ceremony,; which was expected to finish at 9.30, they should march down to the Post Office to hear the proelamation read • an'd afterwards be marched to the High School grounds or to Russell Park to take part ' in specially-organised children 's sports. The R.S.A., Red Cross, Girl Guides, Boy Scouts and any others interested bodies are invited to join in the procession . f rom the school to the Post Office. i Two sub-committees were set up to arrange the details of this portion of the celebrations, consisting of the school committee, to arrange the programme from 9 to 9.30 at'the school, and another of the Mayor and Messis H. B. Roach, 0- W. Browne, L. Hawke, G. J. Brommell, V. Parsons, the school teachers and school committee to arrange for the children's sports programme, On the suggestion of Mr Browne, the Mayor, Mr I. W. N. Mackie, also invited • all sports bodies and other organisations, inehlding the Rugby Union to organise tournaments and other functions during ihe week, and if they thought fit to cfonate the proceeds from such functions to the King George V. Memorial Fund for establishlng permanent ' health canips for children • throughout 'New Zealand. ■ • The Mayor said- he would'- shortly be making ah official appeal on'behalf of. this fund, but nevertheless he thought Mr Browne 's euggestion a good one. When the meeting was ' opened the Mayor conveyed apologies for absence from Messrs H. M. Chris"ti.e, M.P., R. P. Wilder and R. Cook, of the A. and P. Association, and Mr C M. Williamson, of the Rugby Union. The Town Clerk then read the letter from the Prime Minister outlining the form that the celebrations might take. Mr G. E. Fowler, on behalf of the Central Hawke's Bay Power Board, indicated that the board would be pleased to eontribute any power necessary for. public illuminations throughout its district. ' Seven-a-side Rugby." The Mayor announced that the Gfeyhound Racing Club and the A. and P. Association had also intimated their willingness to assist by providing enterfainments on Coronation Day if it was the wish of the meeting that they should do so, but he understood that Ihe Rugby Unibn had arranged to hold an all- day seven-a-side football tournament on that day, and it seemed to him that this being so t^iere would not be nrnch seope- for the " holding oi' other functions;. " ' Mr. J. Gibson suggested the holding of a carhival procession of decorated vehicles and people in fancy dress. Mr. Browne su'pported this idea. A, motion, moved by ; Mr. Watson. that » an executive committee be set up to arrange a programme for the day, was refused by the Mayor, who said that he felt some decision as to what was to be done should be arrived at by those present. He also pointed out that in view of the holding of the seven-a-side tournament ik would seem to be impracticable to hold any other functions of a general nature on the same day. Mr. Roach 's suggestion of holding some function for the children only seemed best. He disagreed with a suggestion by Mr. Parsons that the proeP ..111 tio n should be read at the school, sijying he felt it should be read from tho Post Office steps. A motion by Mr.' Gibson for the formatibn of a committee to arrange such a prosession was lost for want of a secondtT* . The Mayor thought that those who would be mo&t likely to assist in such a procession would be engaged in the' football tournament. Mr. Gibson replied that the whole trouble .was that eveiy ono seemed to bo trying to consider the Rugby Union, who had stepped in aftd were trying to make use of this day for their own interests. Mr. Ricketts, in reply to Mr. Gibson, pointed out that, the day for tho tournament was arranged by the H.B. Rugby Union, and that on tliat day 110 other niatches would be playod in Hawke's Bay. The' tournament would be held on that day whatever else was, or was not, hcid. Mr. Browne: I take it that it is not the purpose of this meeting to cramp the style of tlie Rugby Uniou or tho purpose of tho union tb • cramp this meeting. ... Sports Fcr Children. In reply to a question , by Mr. Bell, Mr. Parsons said he thought. the official function at the school should be over by 9.30, and he would suggest that a , erwarfis the children go to the High 6chool grounds to hear the proelamation read and be entertained. A motion by Mr. Roaeh "tliat tho children be marched down to tho Post C'tlice to lieaj Lhc proelamation atid afterwards marched ti) cithcr Russell Purk or ihe lligh School grounds foi sports, was carried unanimously. In reply to a qucsiion. Mr. runoiis said tliat tlie children from tlie Convent scliool would iuost cerlainly be invited to attend the cliildrr>u'a sports. Invited to put a motion to form an executive committee now, Mr. Watson said he would do so if the Mayor wished it, but he felt that the meeting ' Was distinetly divided into two parts, wud whilo he di,d not wish to throw colil \vatcr 011 tho seven-a-side tournmment, which he would probably attend 1 himself; he did feel that the Rugby ] Union had neither asked the blessing ]

of the meeting or otherwise, but had merely said, U .We are going to hoid thjk tournament." "... Mr. Coughlan, on behalf of the A» and P. Association, said he felt therewas now no need for Mr. Watson'# motion, as there was now nothing foy tho other bodies to do. The A. and' P# Association had been prepared to assist with the running of horse events and athletic events, but these were not re* quired now. . Mr Watson, agreeing, asked to b« allowed to withdraw his motion. Mr Given asked if the whole purpose of the meeting had now become that of arranging something for the childrenand nothing at all for the adults. The Mayor: Yes. But you can move that something else be done if you wish. Other Celebrations. Mr Roach asked the Mayor to. test the feeling of the meeting to ascertain whether those present wished to hold something in the afternoon as well as the seven-a-side football tournament, but the Mayor said that having dealtj with the Coronation Day functions they should now consider .whether any thing shouldj.be done on the other days of the week. He announced that th# Labour Patty had offered to hold a Coronation1 Ball, and that this had the approval of the Borough Council. H# also invited all sports bodies and other organisations to arrange theif own functions during the week. Mr Ricketts suggested a fireworkS display on the evening of Coronation Day, and Mr Brown then put forward his suggestion that all bodies holding functions during , Coronation week, should donate their takings to the King George V. Memorial Fund. On the Mayor putting it to the meet* ing those present approved unanimous* ly of the Labour Party holding ai Coronation Ball. Mr Bridgeman suggested taking th# children by cars to the top of th# Sanatorium Hill to see what was oon-t sidered to be one of the finest views in Hawke's Bay. * The Mayor' announced that the firsfi meeting of the sub-Committee would b#held in the Borough Council Chambera on April 21 to finalise arrangements fotf the celebrations qn the ' morning of Coronation Day. On Mr Roach 's suggestion, Mr Par* sons 'was asked to supply the number of children for which cars would be xequired for the trip to the top of th# Sanatorium Hill. Mr Browne 's anriouncement that Mr L. Hawke had offered to lend a microphone and loud-speaking equipment for the broadcasting of the speeches at th# time of the proelamation from the Post Office, was received with applause. Mr Ricketts advised the meeting that it had been definitely decided to hold the seven-a-'side tournament for. tho whole of Hawke's Bay at Central Park, Waipukurau, on that day, and that the Rugby Union had undertaken not to hold any other Rugby "matchee in Hawke's Bay on that day on this aceount. The tournament would comiuence about 10.30 a.m. ' and continua for the re-st cf th# day. Mr C. R. Watson suggested that the permission , of the Department oi Health be sought to hold a gathoring of children on ohat day in Russell Park, Mr Parsons (headmaster) whilq agreeing with the idea of a function for the children, thought it would be unwise to do more than hold the official function at the eehool in the morning. Mr Browne asked if the school children would be admitted free to the football tournament ' and trusted that tho Rugby Union would bear in mind tfc'e fact that the day -had not been set aside for any particular sports body to make a profit out of. If such was the cbjeet in holding the seven-a-side tournament he, for one, would be strongly opposed to it. Mr Ricketts, in reply, 'said that it was cuetomary to allow sehool children in free, but it would be necessary to make a charge for adults in order to clear expenses, which were very heavy. Mr D. J. Coughlan suggested that 6omething might be done for the children 'on another day, as this partieular day was being taken lip with football.