AMATEUR ATHLETICS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 649, 29 September 1933, Page 6

AMATEUR ATHLETICS

PROGRESS IN ROTORUA ANNUAL REPORT TO BE „ SUBMITTED TO CLUB / TO-NIGHT WELL ESTABLISHED POSITION , Excellent progress during its seeond season is reeorded in the report of the activities oi' the Rotorua Amateur Athletic and Cycling Club to be pla'ced beforq the annual general meeting of the club in the Dolly Varden tearooms this evening. The report states, inter alia: — Your executive is pleased to report that the second season's activities of your club were successful from all points of view and provided definite proof that the establishing of an amateur athletic and cycling club in Rotorua was popularly reeeived both by competitors and the public. During the past season, there was a marked increase in membership which, on a basis of population in Rotorua, places your club in a position which compares more than favourably with any other club in New Zealand. • Competition throughout the season was keen and marked with a minimum of complaint. Evidence of the talent within the club in only its second season of activity, was demonstrated at the Waikato sub-centre championships conducted at Rotorua where your team put up a meritorious performance and annexed the sub-centre shield in keen competition against visiting clubs from Hamilton, Tq Awamutu and Whakatane. Some individual performances by your members during the past season were well above the standard and there can be little doubt that in the near future your club will produce atliletes capable of taking higher honours in centre and then New Zealand championships. The following is a summary of the competitions conducted at Rotorua during the past season :

Fourteen evening meetings in two series. Boxing day sports. — Your executive feels that the suceess of this meeting was due in no small measure to interest promoted by the visit of such outstanding athletes as S. A. Black, New Zealand champion quar-ter-mile runner; J. Shirley, New Zealand champion hurdler, and exponent of field events, and many athletes from other clubs. The meeting was undoubtedly a feature of the Rotorua Carnival week during an odd day of which it supplied to the public ideal entertainment which in future will be looked forward to by athletes from many parts of New Zealand as well as the public. Waikato Sub-Centre championships. — This was the first oeeasion on which the Waikato sub-centre championships had been held, so that your club should feel highly honoured to be entrusted with their conduct which was subsequently the sub.iect of very favourable comment by the subcentre. Unfortunately, adverse weather conditions affected the finance of this meeting. Cycle road racing. — It is very gratifying indeed to place on record the success which has attended cycle road racing during the winter months conducted by an energetic sub-com-mittee of your club. As a result of this sub-committee's efiorts the membership of cyclists has been considerably increased and the next season's track fields are expected to be, in size, double that of the past sason. , Club Equipment Your club is the proud possessor ot practically a full set of competition equipment and also an excellent shed in which such equipment is stored. The shed, nearly all the equipment. comprising a set of 40 hurdles, together with cash donations approximately £40, was generously donated by enthusiastic supporters of your rlub. It is felt that reference should

be made in this report to the majcr donation of the shed which was erected without cost to the club by Mr. D. Cambie, whose generosity should be honoured in the future b" referring to the shed as "The Cambie Shed." The set of 40 splendid hurdl es was the donation of Messrs. D. Cambie and W. H. Pxtts. The following is a list of property belonging \o your club: The Cambie shed, 40 hurdles, 53 track flags, one high jurip stand, two cross bars for same, two take-off boards for jumping evert.s, two javelins, one discus, one steel and one lead shot, two circles for shot, discus and hammer throwing with six steel pins for same, S3 wire marking flags, two rubbing-down tables and trestles, 27 wooden pegs, a 101b. hammer, the Adolph Norton Challenge Cup (at present held by M. Bell, the winner last season), the Leader Challenge Cup, presented by Clark's Cycle Works, Auckland, and the Butler Challenge Cup, presented by P. Butler, Rotorua. The social side of our club was attended to by the holding of "two dances during the season, one on Boxing Niglit producing a net proftt of £6 10s, and the other to mark the close of the season showing a small loss very generously met by Mr. Epi Shalfoon, who ran the dance in conjunction with the club. Ten executive meetings of the club were held. Valuatle Assistance The conditions of the track and grounds kindly placed at you" club's disposal by the district maniger of the Tourist Departrnent (Mr. L. J. Bayfeild), reeeived the constunt rttention of that department's hro 1 gardener (Mr. Hesketh) and was "H that could be desired. To Mr. A. de Luen, whose premises were frequently used for executive meetings and many other persons who assisted financially or otherwise to place your club in its present influential position, the executive tenders its very sincere thanks. Co-operation of Members Iri concluding this report your retiring executive trusts that the for-.V coming season will be marked with success and that members will display the same w.hole-hearted co-opcm ation which was a feature of the past season's activities. It may not be generally appreciated by all members that Rotorua is somewhat isolated from inter-club sports which are .enjoyed by so many other clubs and therefore, the interests of your plub are more dependant on the pro-

grammes which are provided on your own grounds. This means that an executive is placed at a disadvantage in that it has to arrange plenty of iocal competition to !keep Interest amongst members at a peak. This fact, coupled with the knowledge that there are no paid oflicials of your club -houhi invite from members their loyal assistance to their executive from year to year. It is mooted that in the near future, amateur clubs vill be formed at Tauranga, Matamata, Whakatane and Taupo which will give members very much 'desired open competition, but until such ideals are achieved members will have to give their 'local club the very best co-operation which a full realjsation of the definition of the word amateur (which is "one who competes for the love of sport") means.