TENNIS CLUB ANNUAL MEETING.

Shannon News, 16 November 1923, Page 3

TENNIS CLUB ANNUAL MEETING.

A FLOURISHING BODY. The annual meeting'of the Shannon Tennis Club was held in tihe Council Chambers on Wdnesday eventing, there being a good attendance of memJ&ers. Mr J. % Bovis ; (president) presiding. ' PRESIDENT'S REPORT.

The President .reported in respect to the season 1922-23, which he. said I had proved a most successful one. The Club, started' the season with a membership of 44 and finished' with 80 financial members., but on account of only having two courts, the membership had to be closed. During the season a visit was received from the Bulls Club on Labour Day and. Shannon .was. successful in winning from them the Newman Cup, a cup they had held since it was given for com-' petition. A dance Was iheld in the evening, which was a great success. The Bulls Club came, to Shannon >to give the local Club a chance for the Cup, and as an act of courtesy the latter went to Bull's to give them a igamei # few months afterward*. Bulls were successful in winning the Cup again, but the president' felt confident that Shannon would again get possession this coming sear son. Matches were also played with Foxton, LPngburn, Manakau and Ohau. Thle Club 1 was not able to g|o on with the Wellington inter-provincial games on account of so much travelling being entailed! sq it decided to forfeit, the only game played being against Foxton and that was abandoned -half way through owing to rain. "I am sorry to say that thje Gluib competition were not gone on with as well as they ought to have been* on account. of players not turning up to play, their games, and? thereby 'holding up players who> were anxious to finish. As it was impossible: with such • a large membership to have matches or 'tournaments' and yet* give players not playing) in niatrihes a fair deal, it was decided last; January at a general meeting to buy a section, from the Borough Council, and put down four new courts, which are just finished and we hope to have the necessary .fencing ..and part of the' pavilion finished this month, and possibly the opening day will be' the first Wednesday in Decemiber. To raise part Qf the /money for this 'Object, during the winter months we ran dances, cneerios, art unions, and various competitions, thereby raising funds as shown by the balance sheet. I wish toi thank all those ladies and gentlemen who have worked : so well in this direction and it is only by these persons' efforts that we, are] so well ahead. in our financial position, at the present moment. The position of the Club at the present iiamle on account of the; heavy expenditure in new counts*,' fencing, pavilion and .new nets, needs all the money we can* raise, and will be pleased if as many members as possible will pay their- subscriptions for the corning season as early as posible." The winners of the competitions were as follow:—toadies' cham r pionship, Mrs T. Moynihan; mean's championship, ,'Mr W. G|. Quarrie ; ladies' junior handicap, Miss Ryan; men's junior "handicap, Mr R. Murray. Mr G. Elsmore, who put down the courts, has kindly presented to the club the cost, of two new nets (£4). For the benefit of the members, the size of the new courts under asphalt are 172 feet long by 100 ft wide". This will give lift at| tine .base line each end, and four feet space between each court, and also will give six feet of asphalt, at it-he far-end of the pavilion. We propose to put posts and twelve feet .nesting (along the sidiel in front of Mrs Pope's residence and side facing the main road. Along the back of, the three Council housies and side where the pavilion is to go,, we propose! to put a six foot close boarded fence, with 6ft.wire netting- on the. top, thereby giving tire necessary required privacy to the houses mentioned. "I wish to thank Mr Laur- ' vigr, who lias kindly offered free of any cost to the Club to erect for us the pavilion, the Club supplying all material'. If we keep, up the membership of last season I (have every reason to expect a larger membership and as our auditor in his report states, the end of next season should see us very nearly out of debt. In conclusion, I did not wish to refer to any individual worker in the Club, but I would not be doing my duty if I did not -make special' reference to the good work carried out by our secretary, Mr J. V. Bums. The balance sheet presented to-night shows the amount of work that has fallen on his shoulders. Not only has he given the evening to his work, but has. sacrificed a large amount of his business hours. The Club can consider •themselves fortunate in having Mr Burns as secretary and speaking for myself it has made my term, of office a pleasant and easy one. I take this opportunity of Mr Burns to accept the appreciation o;f the Club for the good work he has carried out. 1 also' wish to thank the captain of the Club and my committee for the - harmonious way they nave worked with me during the past season and wish the' Club every success for the," coming season." A letter was received from the Club auditor, Mr Jas. Murray, congratulating the Club -on their financial position and thei very fine effort put forward to raise money for the new courts..

T*he balance sheet presented shows the Club's assets to be £338 13s lOd, and liabilities £203 5s so\ leaving a credit balance of £135 ~Bs sd, which the meeting considered highly satisfactory. The election of officers resulted as follows:—JPatron., Mr W. McKegg; president, Mr J. T. Bovis; vice-presi-dents, Messrs G. P. Anderson, J. Beard, H. V. .Hudson* R. Laurvig and Waring-Taylor; secretary and treasurer, Mr J. V. Burns; captaint, Mr W. G. Qjuiarrie; auditor, Mr Jas. Murray; management committee, Mesdames Laurvig, Teiwyj, T. Moynihan, and Merwood, Miss E. King and Messrs G. P. Anderson, Jtehninge, Quarrie, Hook and Beard.

The subscription for the ensuing year was .fixed *r« follows *~ Men 30s,

ladies 15s, children, under 15 years 7s 6d, non-players ss. The question of the' Club becoming incorporated was, left to the Management Committee who are to draft rules and report! to & general meeting at ia lafer, date. Mrs Laurvig "Was, elected a life menUber of the <CTufo. Fourteen, n.ew rniembers were elected. The recommendation that the schob.T -children, .accomipaaiied by a teacher, be allo'tved to use.the courts onje day a. w:eelk was agreed % and the secrefitary w ; as instru'eted to write the chairman ■ of, the school to that effect.