BRASS BANDS

Hokitika Guardian, 27 September 1933, Page 7

BRASS BANDS

PRESIDENT’S STATEMENT. WELLINGTON, September 25. The president of the New Zealand Brass Bands’ Association (Mr H. D. Bennett), referring to the question of the locale of the next band contest safd that the venue of the next contest would be Wellington. The association, which was the mouthpiece of all the bands in the country, decided at the last annual conference that all future contests be held by the association itself, with the help of local eommittees, and that, all profits resulting from them be at the entire disposal of the executive, to be distributed as

j thought fit in the interests of the I competing bands and of the 'association > itself. The next contest could be held ■ only under those conditions.

ij SUBSTANTIAL PROFITS, j In previous years, Mr Bennett said, ■ <! °ntests had been held by local committees, and in some of them sub. j stantinl profits bad been made 'and ! credited to the local committee’s bank I accounts, there to lie in some cases for many years awaiting another eontestTlie bands bad at last rebelled against • The proceeds of their activities being | thus tied up, hence the decision made jat the last conference. The 1934 con- ] Gist had been offered to Palmerston ; North, and a very strong committee \ h?d been set up to conduct it; but : he regretted to say that he had appar- ! cntly utterly failed to explain the conj ditioiis satisfactorily, and the Palmerj ston North committee subsequently de- | cjjned to accept responsibility. In the offer to Palmerston North full compliance with’ the new policy had not been insisted upon, and this probably accounted for the misunderstanding.

MEETING OF EXECUTIVE.

It is understood that a full meeting of members of the executive, consisting of representatives from both islands, some 12 in all, met in Wellington on Saturday, when all decisions were unanimously arrived at. Wherever tile contest for next year is to be held, the whole of the profits will be disbursed .at the discretion of the parent. body. \

Referring .briefly .to a newspaper report from; Dunedin, published a few days ago, .regarding the disposal of the fund of a' former contest, Mr Bennett said that/ it was quite true that, a suggestion, j not a demand, was made to tlie'.contest- committee in that city, that in view of the decision to change the policy; the accumulated funds might quite I reasonably he handed over to the hands. It had been explained since that a large portion of the dormant asset, had been the result of -djrect contributions by citizens. The Dunedin band contest committee bad also ■written to say that the press report was not authorised bv it, and. was therefore, presumably merely an effort by an enterprising publicity agent. .