FOOTBALL.

Otaki Mail, 8 June 1923, Page 4

FOOTBALL.

RUGBY UNION MATTERS. I DISCUSSED BY GENERAL MEETING. SOLE SELECTOR APPOINTED | A special general meeting of the | Horowhenua Rugby Unipn was held ■ at Levin on Tuesday evening to | consider the questions of v 1) whether' there should be a sole selector instead of three a-s at present: (3) to revise the lUtle Book, and (3), m scheme for the raising oi funds tor the Union. Mr E. Nash, president of the Union, occupied the chair, and delegates were present from, the Tokoinaiu, Mangore, Shannon, Foxton, YVeraroa, Hovers,: Moujoa, Koputaa-oa. Kuku, Hui Mai, and Wanderers Clubs. ' SENIOR SELECTORS. | It. was on Aie motion of the Foxton Club, seconded by Stiannon, that- the meeting was called to discuss, firstly tin! question of a; sole selector instead of three as at. present, and secondly the revision of the rule book. On the question of th© appointmeni of a sole selector being opened Mr \V. Movnihan, representing the shannon , Club, explained that his club had seconded the application for a general • meeting, wholly as the result, of a mistake, and that he was there in an utterly erroneous position. When as the result of the management committee's decision to play all rep. matches in Levin, and also some statements made by the chairman of the committee which his club had taken as a reflection on Shannon, a meeting had been held, which had been absolutely opposed to the whole of the rep. matches being played in one place, and when his brother, as captain oi the Shannon team, had signed the application for a general meeting he was under the impression that it was to ■ discuss this question and not that, of the selectors. He felt that he had to offer his sincere apologies to the present, selectors for the position which had arisen, unwittingly on the part ef his club. IMs club was against a sole* selector and he offered his apologies to the present men. Chairman: If this is so. why did you not send in an explanation to the secretary? Mr Movnihan : I thought that to make an apology before the meeting was host Mr O'Connor said shannon had placed themselves and the other clubs as well, in a strange position. It was a funny filing to sign this letter bringing the clubs together in this way and , to then discover that there was no call Ifor the meeting. ; Mr Robinson, of Foxton, said that it • I was a. surprise to him to hear that (his letter demanding a general meeti ing had been sent from the Foxton '{Club. The first he had hec 11 or Hie matter had been that J night. There were five members on L the executive of Hie Foxton Club, and 'throe out of five or those members had no knowledge that the letter had been dispatched. Mr Hutchings said it was not, fair to put all the blame on to Shannon and Foxton. This matter oi the .selec- < tors had been discussed amongst the clubs for some time, and in consequence Foxton had moved as hod been done. Mr Bebbington moved that the motion be gone on with. There, had evidently been some mistake, but as the meeting had been called, it was better to go on; with the question. .The secretory (Mr 1.. Carmiehafil) g I approved of going on with the meet-' ing. The rule book was utterly contradictory in places and required revising. Further it hod come to the I knowledge of the management, committee thai, one of the selectors was in.t doing his dutv as he had not at-3 Mended, matches as should have been I dune. He considered the question ol the sole selector had better be discussed. Mr \V. Hannon supported this. Mr McMillan said that the quesilon as taken up was out ol' order. He thought the club moving the motion, mid also the seconder, should state their case. It was not a question of ike management committee making out; a case in defence or the present system, but lor these dubs to showfl \vhv it should be altered. He rose toF a. point of order: for anyone but themover and seconder- io speak to the question just now was wrong. Mr Movnihan: Is the question notV withdrawn? The seconder apologises. Chairman : f do not Think this is so.

ilf vou did not want to discuss the question, vou should have sent a written apology before the meeting. You have called a body or men here and the motion must go on. Mr Hutching-: On behalf of Foxton. I withdraw the motion. Mr O'Connor said that the principle Foxton, I insist that they cannot withdraw.

Chairman : I intend to put the question to the meeting. It, has got to be passed bv a two-thirds majority, so you can easily knock it out if you like.

Mr O'Sonnor said thai the principle of three selectors was all right, but i was difficult at times to get them to-

gether. Sometimes the Foxton road was flooded and the Foxton man could not get round. It would be better to get one conscientious man who might be relied" ;° £ e t round and see ail the teams play., Mr Korauti: Do I understand that this motion is still in order according to rule 0. I understand fhat the motion has been withdrawn. Can the matter be gone on with without a new motion?

Chairman: Yes. quite in order!

Mr Casey said he understood that a sole selector had been tried before and had not proved satisfactory, some clubs who were not represented thinking their interests were being overlooked. Mr Sciaseia spoke in favour of a sole selector. The selector was, from the point of view of the rep. team, the most important man in the Union. as on him depended the picking of the men who would represent the Union. He thought better results would be got from; one good man than from. Three who might be inclined each, to blame the other for careless selection. Mr OT.onr.-i =aid that i rule on the rule book stated that there should be three selectors. They couhl not. put this motion without first altering this rule.

The secretary explained that as the carrying of this motion would automatically alter the rule, they would be killing two birds with one' stone. The motion That there be a sole selector, was then put and carried. REVISION OF RULE BOOK.

In connection with Rule 1., which states that the headquarters of the Union Be at Levin, where all general meetings shall be held, Mr Mc-.-n.ihan moved and \\h Burrows seconded. that aii meetings be held in Shannon. —Lost.

Mr Moynihan asked for a definition of the vrord ex officio as applied to Rule 6. and questioned if a member of the management committee ex officio had a right to vote. He had brought the matter up last year. Mr Mclntyre had ruled that neither the secretary nor the treasurer had the right to' vote.

The secretarv said that he had nraj iin the secretary of the N.Z.R.U.. on this point, who hart informed him that both of these officials had a vote as long es they were acting in an hon-

orary capacity. The secretary of the . N.Z.R.U. had had a. vote until he became a paid official of the Union. | Mr Hutchings said that the Foxton Club had wired to Wellington on the | game point, and got a reply which he i produced, that, they had a vote unless I specially debarred by the rules of their I Union. >

Mr Moynihan moved and Mr Bur- i rows seconded that no club have more than one member on the management committee.

Mr McMillan moved an amendment, that the secretary and treasurer be excluded from the operation of this rule. Mr Casey said that they must ho careful of words in this matter. He a.sked if Mr Moynihan excluded the president, in his motion. Mr Moynihan; Yes, that, is so, but. not the secretary and treasurer. Mi' Bowe moved a further amend ment that rule 6 be allowed to stand as ol present, and Mr McMillan withdrew his amendment and seconded this, Which was lost, on the show of hands.

S Mr McMillan: Then I take it "ha; I the secretary has to give up his position. As he'is not a member of a club he cannot be secretory-. Mr Moynihan's motion that the secretary and treasurer he members o' the management committee, no club to have more than one member on the management committee, excluding the president, came up for discussion. Mr 801 l iTokomarn) said the question come to this: If Ibis motion was carried Mr Carmichael would have to ijoin a club. 'Laughter). Mr Movnihan explained that what he wanted was that the nine men composing the management committee should he each elected from different clubs. If each club did not wish to put in a man then the number could be filled up from oilier clubs The secreiarv said that if Hie words "No club to have more than one memJber on the management committee, be added to Rule 6, and the words 'ex officio' <a« relating to the secretary and! treasurer be omitted, that ft should about cover the question.—This was carried. . , Rule 0: In regard to this Mr W • Harman moved and Mr see'onded, thai the date for holding a special general meeting be ti da\> from requisition by 'Tubs in respect to same instead of seven days as at present and that notice be seni to secretaries or clubs seven clays before meeting instead of five.—Carried. Tn regard to rule 1" which states that all club secretaries shall send in to the secretary of the Union, before Hie i month of April, the treasurer's hooks land the balance sheet for Hie year. Mr iScinscia moved thai such rule be deIfeted from the rule book. « Mr O'Connor opposed this, saying Lthat this rule was necessary as it gave I the Union a hold over clubs which H I would not otherwise have. It gave the Union opportunity or inspecting the fj clubs' books in case anything wpnt wrong and was a bat to professionalism'. "He moved on amendment thai the rule, be retained, and Mr Sciaseia withdrew his motion. Rule 10- Mr Movnihan moved and Mr Burchall seconded that this rule which 'deals with the arrangement or inter-Union matches, be altered, the oi ran cement of matches to be left in the hands of the management committee hut, such matches W be played in the five centres, alternately, viz Levin, Shannon, Foxton, Otaki and Manakau. , „,,, Mr Kara.nli moved an amendment that the question of where matches shall be held, be left to the discretion of the management committee. I \fter some discussion, Mr Karou" I withdrew his amendment and the moI Hon was ptti and lost. . ; SOLE SELECTOR APPOINTED. | H the conclusion of the meeting, Mr I ,1. .1. O'Connor was elected sole selector. The serious consequences that are likely to result from Rugby players by using boots with spikes, or oven witli worn buttons, (hat are likely to cause injurv, was .-tressed by Mr J. U. Proud at las, night's meeting of the management committee of the j Manawalu Rugby Union, when mentioning that in the junior match be- j tween Linton and Woodville two play-j era were badly torn about the legs.