Hockey.

Southland Times, Issue 18853, 19 June 1920, Page 9

Hockey.

(Notes by '■Circle.” i I have been given the opportunity of perusing the letter of resentmciu composed by a select committee of the School Sports’ Association in reply to my very mild criticism of the association's shortcomings last week. The letter has been long on the stocks, but ins length and subtleties probably required much care. With the composition of the association 1 have no quarrel. It is an excellent thing that prominent citizens should be induced to interest themselves in sport in the schools, but they are not involved in any discussion 1 may have with the association’s grand council. Facing the committee's little eulogium and its introductory ‘ hate,” 1 come to the committee's first misstatement: that I have no knowledge of the * ‘constitutional aims” of the association, in the first place it is .surprising to find ‘‘consti.utional aims” advancing, one would have thought that the work for the achievement of a constitutional aim might advance, rather than the "aim” ilseif. Circle did not admit that he had no knowledge of the association's aims, because he is well aware of them. It is the slow progiess of the association under those aims that invoked my protest. Point 2 : The committee says "Our advances (to the Ladies' Hockey Association! met with no success and at our inaugural meeting no official representative of the Ladies’ Hockey Association was present, and tins accountfor the lack of co-operation between the associations —an unfortunate occurrence, certainty but one for which our association is in no way responsible and cannot be justly blamed.” I will leave the

1 L.H.A. to defend itself, but I can say that I have it on the authority of a member of the S.S.A. that he had “failed to get into touch with the L.H.A.”but “had spoken to the secretary.” I understand, however, that the L.H.A. did appoint representatives, Mr J. A. Doig and Miss Kilby, that the secretary’ informed the S.S.A. by letter of that fact, and that Mr Doig attended many meetings. I can also say that a reporter of the Southland Times was asked by the secretary of the S.S.A. to represent the L.H.A. without any reference to that body. The shortcomings of the L.H.A., however, are no excuse, and if the S.S.A. was under the impression last year that it had no support from the ladies’ organisation, why did it dally with the matter of school hockey so long this year? It seems to me that the S.S.A. was not aware of the status and connections of some of the represen atives attending its meetings. A meeting was held on May IS and it was decided to proceed with the framing of rules for school hockey competitions—and this is June 19 and the competition is still on paper! Misunderstandings supply a part of the excuse, but in these misunderstandings both bodies cannot escape blame. Point 3: Will the S.S.A. say that “somnambulism in sport” is a good thing? It must be remembered that 1 said nothing about what had been done in other sports—l am not concerned with what the S.S.A. has done for football, cricket, basket-ball or hopscotch -but I do know that this is June 19 and school hockey is well nigh a month behind its usual starting time. I am “intrigued” (as the mt>dern writers say) the statement that four cricket teams and three football teams have added 120 to 150 to the number of boys (.laying these games. 1 understood always that a cricket team consisted of eleven n'ayers and a foo ball team of fifteen and that hoys playing one game frequently played the other, but I evidently don’t know as much as the S.S.A. I did not say that the S.S.A.’s control was “so wide as to be ineffective” but that it had “so much control.” This mistake confirms my belief that the committee has’nnt read my statement as carefully as it should have done. Point 4 : Why does this infant body misrepresent me hy saying that I had ■cJd “It would he well to strangle the infant controlling body?” The full text is “I do not know whether it (the S.S.A. I has done p-3 much for any other sport, hut as far as hockey is concerned, unless this new body can do more than move in it- sleep it would be better in the interests of the game and in the interests 0 f the children if those who have the welfare of both at heart should strangle this infant controlling body which so far has had so much control that it, is ineffective.” By suggesting that I had proposed the strangulation of it, the S.S.A. admits the criticism con'ained in the conditional clause! Looking back over the incident, I find that the hockey competitions in

schools in previous years commenced at the close of the term holidays, usually at the end of May. This year they will commence at the end of June! Let me add that I have every sympathy for the S.S.A. if it actually does put school hockey on a proper basis and shows no dilatoriness, but if it does not provide results (I leave my readers to determine how much has actually been done so far) I am against it. Sports bodies, however pood their intentions, exist for the purpose of encouraging sport and of supplying result* a? p oof of (heir activities—and school hockey this season is a month late! My •‘attack/’ was r.ot “unbridled and unwarranted." Tne meeting of the committee

! o draft the competition rules took place a I few hours after I had |>crsonaily inquired 1 about the date of it® meeting and I have ! d least a;-''.sled the S.S.A. by thus expeditj ing its work. My reply to thus select comi mittee, therefore, is in a few’ words: Produce I your resul s; why is the school hockey j competition a month late? How far wide of jibe mark was the chairman of the recent ! meeting of the S.S.A. when he said that | i ■’e body was "perhaps a little cumbersome’’ ! and that if school hockey had been under i the control of the L.H.A. P would probably have been already started? With the natures already delayed several i weeks through had weather and other I causes, it was regrettable that (he compei it ion matches should have been postponed on Wednesday last. The prospects of send- | ing a South';.mi ream on (our this season ; arc brighter than they have been for several I years past and it is therefore desirable that I the comp: tit ion should be concluded as 1 early as possible in order that the members :of iho representative team should have | some practice together before going north, j Although some of the girls may have been | suffering from the effects of vaccination it ! not like’v that any one team was so seri- ! ously aileded tt® to be unable to full'd its I engagement. The postponement commit- : tee' should have obtained some definite in- ! formation in regard to the disabilities of the players before putting off the matches and | should endeavour in the future to take | e-cry possible oppor,unity of advancing the I fivtnres.

The Rugby Union has decided that the benefit to the Southland Ladies’ Hockey Association will take place on July 7 and as i there are only two more matches to com-- ■ ph-tc the first round, it is probable that I this date will suit the Aa-rociatinn very well, j If the matches arc played on June 23 and ! 30, it should he possible to arrange a Town j v. 'Country match for the benefit, day. The A; social inn should endeavour to make the ’ match played as attractive as possible and if a tram chosen from the Eastern District ' club? could (■o.i.c 'o (own it would assist ; the selectors in them task of choosing a ' Southland eleven. Soon after this match : is* plaved the Association wou'd do well to consider the selection of the representative team, and to arrange a series of matches 1 in preparation of the tour. 1 The result of Wednesday's matches in j the Eastern District competition were as j follow :— Wyndham A heat ( ore High School by 10 goals to nil; Waikaka defeated 1 Wyndham B by 0 goals to nil. 1 Great interest is betnsr evinced throuph- : out Eastern District’ hockey circles in the match between Wyndham A and Gore Ex- : High, to be decided next Wednesday, i During recent weeks the local hockey 1 girls have been very busy preparing for the : hockey carnival to be opened in the Victoria ! Hall on Wednesday next, and the arrange- : mrnts are now well in hand. The girls have been liberally assisted by the business men of the town and all ihe stalls should be well stocked with goods which should ‘meet with a ready sGe. Attnrtive pro--1 i>r;urnnf> have htM?n :jpranged for ostch n;pht. . and the many interesting competitions and side shows, will be a feature of toe catnival.