SCHOOL HOCKEY.

Southland Times, Issue 18854, 21 June 1920, Page 7

SCHOOL HOCKEY.

To the Editor. p; r _-‘'Circle’s'' criticism of our letter of Junr'lO calls for little comment. He is to he congratulated on having become a "moderate.” We regret, however, that he has found it necessary to placard individual*we do not propose doing so, con-ddermg that co good can come of personal references, when the subject under discussion concerns a bona tide organisation. Sullice it to say in answer to his opening remarks that the secretary of the S.S.A. has not yet received any notice from the L.H.A., nor have any representat iv-cs of that body been present at our meetings previous to May 18 ••Circle" also .'tales that "a reporter of the Southland Times was asked by the secretary of the S.S.A. to represent the 1..11.A. without any reference to that body. ’ Tins is not true. What the secretary of the S.S.A. did ask the Southland Times reporta" was if he would be willing to act on the Hockey Sub-committee, as a 'iumteacher" This is borne nut by the fact that. at our meeting on luesday, June 1..», the secretary nominated the S.T, reporter to fill the position of one of the nunfoachers on the Hockey Sub-committee. The nomination was declined. "Circle" says "I am ’intrigued’ by the Statement that four cricket teams and three football teams have added IJD to lot) to the number of boys playing these games." Anyone with experience of training teams in the primary schools knows that for cricket the minimum number of players must be 15 and for football JO, otherwise he will often go on to the playing field short-handed. Will "Circle” please calculate? "Circle” says the hockey competition is a »onth late in starting this year. We have already opined on this point and our expression still holds. However "Circle" might at least be reasonable. Supposing, for instance, the sub committee had drawn up the Competition rules and arranged fixtures, •ay. on the day following our meeting, how much further ahead would the competition be? "Circle" knows of the circumstances resulting in the postponement of senior fixtures for several weeks, does he not think ♦he same circumstances apply to the Primary Competition? Let us assure him they do, only in a much greater degree. To conclude we will quote "Circle," "If the S.S .A. was under the impre.ssjon 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?” The B.S.A. came into being on November IS, 111 I'D, but exercised no control over school ■ports: till the opening of the ericket season is February, ID'-’O, so his reference must be to the body officially controlling hockey last year. During its five months’ activity the S.S.A. has accomplished all it set nut to do with regard to cricket and football. It proposes io tre:it hockey in the same way anrl will <k> so, with "Circle’s" co-operation if possible, M not, without it. We are, sir, GEO. CAMERON, BRO. ANASTASH’S, DONALD I. MACDONALD, For the S.S.A.