FOOTBALL.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 March 1929, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

EXCELSIOR FOOTBALL CLUB

ANNUAL MEETING

The annual meeting of the Excelsior Football Club was held last evening in Keller’s Rooms. Air H. M., Coulson (President) presided over a large attendance of old and new members. Thp minutes fti .the previous annual meeting were read apd; approved; the balance sheet read and adopted and the annual report received. * " ANNUAL REPORT. X have again to congratulate tliy Liub on a ver.y .successful season both from a finahfcUl'kihd playing point o£ view. The Seniors put up a very creditaide performance by going .■ right.! through the competitions without' defeat. The Thirds were also Very successful being winners of tlieir grade. The Juniors were not so successful as in previous* seasons,, due to the fact that the Seniors called on some of thein players at various Aimes making it difficuliyforyrthem to field a team, but for all tfiat everything was carried out in a- very sporting manner. IT l .® Club had a very large percentage of rep. players in the various grades, th,e Seniors especially, doing very v/ejl, no less than fiye hying selected in the AA’est Coast team j .'in their challenge match for the Seddon Shield played at Nelson. One. of our players, Air. F. Freitas, had the great honour bestowed upon hmi of having represented New Zealand in the three Tests against N.S.AA’. and worthily upheld the traditions of the previous AA’est Coast All Blacks. On June 3rd. seven-a-sid'e teams were entered in each grade, but the Third Grades were the only ones to prove successful.

. During the year the Club had a visit from Cronadun, winners of the Inangahua Sub-Union Competition, ajul in a game defeated the visitors by lln-8. Later on tt return visit to Reefton was paid which resulted in Excelsiors again defeating Cronadun by 25—11. Towards the close of the season the Club suffered a very sqrious lpss, the training shed being destroyed by a cyclone. A special meeting was called at \vhicb it was decided to call tenders for the timber. Later qn offer was mpcle for the iron and it was found advisable to accept the offer. _ From a financial point of view the Club had a very successful season, Starting with a credit balance of £1 9s 4cl tfie year’s vjprkings finished up with a credit of v £lo lGs : sd.

The Club’s thanks are due to, the very energetic Ladies Committee, whose valuable assistance, wag \ypll in evidence qt the vario dilutes, throughout thy year; to Mr Keller for the \ise of his Rooms for meeting purpose?, and to all others whp. worked so. hard to make the season so pronounced a success it was. The President congratulated the Club oil .the very successful season just ended and felt ' suve. that the. Club wo.uld again do its utmost to live up to the good old name Excelsior. ELECTION OF OFFICER. Patron —O- A. Perry, Esq. President: —H. M. Coulson, Esq. Joint Secretaries— J. Rutland and A. Stevenson; social,, Is. Thompson. AH the Vice-Presidents were re-elect-ed, Mr H. Steel’s name being added to, the. list. Committee—l,,.. Hughes, Thompson, A. King, M. Houston arid R. MeDonald. Trustees. —J. J. Byeeze, H. M. Coulson and L. Ross. Clul^-Capt.—L. Hughes. Ficld-Oapt.—Left over until first Competition match. Delegates to Union—J. J. Breeze and R, McDonaldi

Selection.Committee—Aiessrs J. Shaw Freitas, and L. Ross, Subscription—Seniors & Juniors ss, Tjil.ird-.G/qde ,Is. It was moved and seconded, that the delegates interview the Sub-Union re presentation qf last year’s trophies. The Se<retary was instructed to write thp United Club re a game early in April. Air R. Souter was elected a life honorary member qf the Club; New members:—Griffen, A. Thompson, J. Hayward, A. Parkhill, J. Simes, J, Alii lie, R. Kerr, AY. Dale, J. Rvan, F. AYest and E. Olson. Votes qf thanks were passed to all wlio bad assisted the Club throughout Cue year and the meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the chair.BENNIE OSLER TQ REITRE. AA’ELLINGTON, March 13. In a letter to Air AA r . F. Hornig. manager of the All Blacks who toured South Africa, a Cape Town Rugby football official states .that Bennie .Osier, South Africa’s fly-half ail’d hero of the tests with New Zealand, was in lipspltal at the time of writing after having undergone an operation.. He: wa.s making -good progress towards.re-i coyery, .hut had stated Hint lie had definitely .retired from ’Rugby football. Another letter rerpiyqd ffy Mr Hornig is from Air George Marais, president of .the Free State Rugby Union,, states:^-‘‘The Rugby season will coin-,: inerice in two months, and- it makes one realise how quicldy the. time,, flies. The youngsters are aching to lay hold of the hall,, and I have never kiiinvii such enthusiasm for Rugby. AAMiat a treinendo.us. Iqjt ,<ff goqd your visit has done, and we shall really only real) the full benefit of it during tlie coming season. : “If, was a qqream to have'seen some of the youngsters at the tail end of last season imitating the play of some of yqur phiyerjs. It does one’s heart good to see such keenness.”