FOXTON TENNIS CLUB.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 474, 31 August 1909, Page 2

FOXTON TENNIS CLUB.

The annual meeting ol the above was held in the Masonic Hall last night. Mr J. K. Hornblow (vicePresident) was voted to the chair. About 20 members were present. The annual report was read and adopted as follows by Mr Clemett;

“Ladies and gentlemen, I have much pleasure in submitting for your favourable consideration the annual report of the Foxton Lawn Tennis Club. The number of financial members for the past year was 40. We regret to say that through various causes the membership is considerably below that of the previous season, and we are of opinion that the raising of the subscriptions was mainly due to this falling off in the membership, and we would suggest for your consideration the advisability of again reducing the subscription of membership to the original rates viz., 12s 6d for gentlemen and 5s for ladies. The total subscriptions for the last season was 12s 6d,donations /212 s 6d, tournament entrances/,’r Bs, results of euchre parlies 14s 4d, balance foiward from last year £$ ys rod giving a total of ,£3B 15s 2d. The disbursements amounted to 9s id, leaving a surplus of ,£lB 6s id to carry out certain improvements which we propose to submit for your consideration viz., top dressing the courts, removing wooden lines, and filling up and levelling the ends of the courts, which in the present condition of the ground is dangerous to players when forced over the back line, and the should go a long way towards the realisation of our recommendations. I must add, ladies and gentlemen, that the very satisfactory position the club is in financially is mainly due to our able and indefatigable Secretary, who, has organised and carried out two very successful euchre parties ably assisted by the ladies to whom the club are very grateful for their kind and generous assistance, without which the results might have been very different. There were no outside matches played this season with neighbouring clubs, but a couple of friendly games were played with Shannon by permission of the Wellington Lawn Tennis Association which has resulted in Shannon joining the Association. The results of our own handicap tournament were —Men’s doubles, won by Clarke and Ken Furrie ; combined doubles, Miss and Stanley Wanklyn ; men’s singles, won by John Hennessy. Owing to the lack of entries there were no ladies’ singles. Amongst the donatious to the Club is a very fine lawn seat presented by F. W. Frandland, Esq.

A hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr F. W. Frankland, patron, for his generous donation of a seat. Similar compliments were also paid to the outgoing officers.

The following new members were elected: Misses Signall, Hennessy, Messrs J. Furrie, Tuohy, F. and G. Levett, W. Cook and J. H. Walton. The following officers were unanimously elected : Patron, F. W. Frankland, Esq.; President, the Mayor (G. H. Stiles, Esq.) ; VicePresidents, Messrs' Rev. G. Y. Woodward, Alf. Fraser, Hornblow and O. Robinson; committee : Mesdames Stewart,

Phillips, Miss Wanklyn, Messrs Clemett, Gordon, J.JFurrie, aud Tuohy ; match committee : Messrs

Clemett, Gordon and Phillips ; delegate to Wellington association, Mr O’Leary ; auditor, Mr J. Furrie; secretary and treasurer Mr G. Phillips (re-elected). It was unanimously resolved to grant a donation of two guineas to the Secretary appreciative of his services. Mr Phillips, while thanking the Club for its recognition of his services which had been a pleasure, said he would be pleased to hand back the amount as a donation. Mr Clemett moved to alter rule 9, re subscriptions. He moved that the annual subscriptions be reduced from ys 6d to 5s for ladies, and gentlemen from 15s to 12s 6d. The mover contended that raising the subscriptions previously had been responsible for the falling off in membership. The motion was seconded by Mr Hennessy, and supported by the Chairman, who added that he hoped the Club would soon be in such a financial position as to do away with the ladies’ subscriptions altogether, as in providing afternoon tea, etc., they contributed quite sufficient. The motion was carried unanimously. It was decided to open the courts on Wednesday, September Bth, and that the formal ceremony be performed by the patron, A vote of thanks to the chair terminated the meeting.