CHOOSING A TROPHY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 4006, 5 October 1929, Page 2

CHOOSING A TROPHY.

HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY MEMBERS AT VARIANCE.

The spirit of unanimity and peaceful tranquility which usually characterises the conduct of business at local Horticultural Society meetings was disturbed -at a committee meeting; of the Society held in Ross's rooms last evening: when the question of the purchase of a “perpetual trophy” to celebrate the twenty-first birthday of the 'Society was raised. Minutes of a special general meeting had just been read wherein it was stated that a connnittee consisting of the President, Secretary, Mrs. F. Procter and Miss B. Gower had been set up to collect money for the’ purchase of the trophy. / Mr. D. Christie asked whether the committee had been vested with authority to purchase the trophy. The .president (Mr. >\V. S. Heyes) said that he had understood that the committee had been authorised to make the purchase aud together with the secretary he had decided on a trophy which had been purchased locally. Prior to making the purchase he had tried to get in touch with the other two members of the committee. A number of trophies had ibeen sent up to Foxton on appro, and it was essential that the choice be unade with all expedition in order that the other goods not selected should be returned without delay. The trophy decided on had been on exhibition and was a very handsome cup.

Aliss Gower said that as far as she was aware the committee did not have authority to purchase the trophy but were merely instructed to collect money for that purpose. Air.- Heyes: Well I thought otherwise. Aliss Gower: It is not. in the minutes. Air. Heyes said that by making the choice they did they had saved the Society a certain sum. Aliss Gower said that it had been arranged to make a levy of 2/6 on all members of the Society for the purchase of the trophy. If this was carried out . there would be somewhere in the vicinity of £l2 collected. The secretary intimated that the Society now had a membership of ninety. Aliss Gower: I think the purchase of the trophy should have gone before the committee. Airs. Woods was of the opinion that a smaller trophy than that ee- v lected by the President and Secretary would have been far better. A smaller and more solid trophy would have been preferable, especially when it was considered that it was to be -a perpetual one. Airs. S. Easton also eifdorsed the previous speaker’s remailks on the matter of a solid silver trophy. " Air. Christie said he did not think there would be any difficulty in having the trophy changed. Aliss Gower undertook to collect all the money on her list and thought that it would be better to change the trophy even if they selected something which would cost a little more.

At this stage, howejver, the discussion was dropped, but later in the evening on his arrival the Rev. W. H. Walton asked if the meeting had endorsed the action of the President and Secretary in regard to the purchase of the trophy. ~

The President outlined the discussion.

. MJr. Walton said that he was of the opinion that the committee had been authorised to purchase a trophy. Miss Gower said that at the previous meeting Mi’. Heyes had mentioned that he had seen some very line trophies, 'but nothing was mentioned about purchasing a trophy, but some remark was made about pricing trophies. It was then decided to ask a local retailer to submit trophies for selection, Mr. Walton moved, and Mr James Ross seconded, that the action of the President and 'Secretary be endorsed.

Mrs. Weeds said she thought it Vwiild be far better to ask the vendor to take the trophy back and to purchase another one at a later date when it was known how much the Society had to expend on it.

Mrs. Woods moved in that direction and the motion was seconded by Miss Gower and carried.

The question of selecting a committee to make the purchase was then raised, but no one present would accept nomination and it was finally decided to retain the tro-phy selected. .