TENNIS

Southland Times, Issue 24239, 24 September 1940, Page 8

TENNIS

SUCCESS OF C GRADE TOURNAMENT

SOUTHLAND ASSOCIATION’S ANNUAL MEETING

The outstanding success of the C grade tennis tournament was the feature of' last season, said the president of the Provincial Lawn Tennis Association (Mr J. S. Clarkson) when speaking to the report presented at the association’s annual meeting which was held last night. It was the first season in which 'Such a tournament had been held, he said, and the support accorded it had been so great that it was almost embarrassing. “It was the most successful tournament that I have seen in Invercargill,” said Mr Clarkson. He expressed the association’s thanks to. clubs which had lent courts for the tournament. It would have been more gratifying if the Christmas tournament had received similar su'ppbrt, and if this had been the case there would have been no doubt about its financial outcome.

In moving the adoption of the statement of accounts, the retiring treasurer, Mr L. E. Raines, said that financially the season had ended satisfactorily. The total membership of clubs affiliated to the association and to sub-associations was 1169, only 17 below the previous year’s total. There had been 653 town players, or 46 more than in the previous year, and 516 country players, or 63 fewer than in the previous season. The annual report and the statement of accounts were adopted. Mr A. J. Deaker, the association’s representative on the committee organizing the national fitness and sports rally which will be held at Rugby Park on Saturday, explained what tennis players would be expected to do. As many players as possible, he said, were wanted to take part in the parade in flannels, and one or more teams were wanted to take part in the tabloid sports. In addition there would be exhibition tennis on the three courts at the park, for which about 20 players would be required. The selection of players to take part in the exhibition games and of the teams to take part in the tabloid sports was left in the hands of the selection committee. Delegates were asked to get in touch with their own players and ask them to support the gala to the full. ALTERATION IN RULES A motion, notice of which had been given at the last meeting of the management committee, making certain alterations in the association’s rules, was passed. The alteration provided for the election of one delegate from the Southland Primary Schools Sports Association' to the management committee and one from the Southland Junior Lawn Tennis Association. In moving the motion the secretary (Mr J. H. B. Scholefield) said that it was also designed to make it clear to sub-associa-tions that they were able to nominate delegates provided the persons nominated were resident in Invercargill. Provision was also made for power to increase *,the number of persons that could be elected to the committee if the offices of secretary and treasurer were held by one person. It was resolved to leave the decision whether a Christmas tournament should be held this year in the hands of the management committee with a strong recommendation that the tournament be held if at all possible. It was decided to hold A, B and C grade competitions during the season and to start matches on November 2, with entries closing on October 23. HAMILTON SHIELD A letter was received from the Northern District Lawn Tennis SubAssociation asking if the association would be prepared to subsidize subassociations playing in the Hamilton Shield -challenge matches. It was pointed out that if a sub-association had to defend the trophy twice or more in the season the drain on its finances was heavy. The chairman said that the association had spent as much on country tennis as it had received in affiliation fees. The payment of subsidies would mean that town players were paying for country tennis. It was decided to refer the matter to the management committee.

Mr F. Tilley said that the Hon. Adam Hamilton desired to replace the trophy he had presented some jears ago for competition among electorates. Since the trophy was presented the competition had developed into one between sub-associations. Mr Hamilton desired to know what the association considered should be done with the old trophy. It was decided to thank Mr Hamilton for his offer to provide a new trophy, and also to ask his permission to make available the shield now being competed for as a. trophy for the annual Town v. Country match. The presentation of trophies to clubs winning the A, B and C grade competitions was made by the past president, Mr P. F. de la Perrelle. The successful clubs were: A grade, Central; B grade, Invercargill; C grade, Bluff. N NATIONAL TITLES It was decided to instruct the association’s delegates to the New Zealand Association to vote against the awarding of national and provincial titles for men for the duration of the war, with the provision that the holding of provincial tournaments be left to the discretion of individual associations. A letter was received from the New Zealand Association asking if the proposal to invite all affiliated tennis players to contribute to a fund to be opened by the association to buy or help to buy a fighter aeroplane would be supported. Members considered that tennis players in Southland, in common with the rest of the community, had already contributed generously to the Southland fund. It was decided to write to the association explaining that the proposal was not favoured. The following officers were elected: Patron, Mr B. W. Hewat; president, Mr J. S. Clarkson; immediate past president, Mr P. F. de la Perrelle; vicepresidents, Messrs A. J. Deaker and G. R. W. Barnes; secretary and treasurer, Mr J. H. B. Scholefield; referee, Mr T. W. Brandford; honorary auditor, Mr F. A. Webb; management committee, Messrs L. Larcombe, L. E. Raines, T. Mclntosh, A. J. Dillon, D. Checketts and N. Mitchell; delegates to the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association, Messrs H. K. Sumpter, L. C. Hemery and C. A. Sharp. CENTRAL CLUB

“During the past year the membership has been satisfactorily maintained, although the club lost valued players in C. L. Stubbs, W. Young, S. Merlo, C. Hodgson and A. Fox, who are serving with the Armed Forces, also L. Harrowfield and Miss M. Woods,” said the annual report of the Central Tennis Club which was presented at the annual meeting. “Two teams were entered in the competitions, senior A and intermediate. The senior team concluded a successful year by winning the A grade inter-club competition with an unbeaten record, and the members of the team are to be congratulated on their very fine performance; The intermediate team, although not so successful, did well considering its difficulty in

tained, and the year finished with a better credit balance than in the previous financial year. The following officers were elected:— Patron, Mi' C. S. Longuet;-president, Mr A. Wachner; vice-presidents, Mrs E. Monson, Mrs C. J. McEachran, Mrs N. Melvin, Mrs Henderson, Dr F. O. MacGibbon, and Messrs J. A. Mclver and C. W. D. Hodgson; secretary and treasurer, Mr E. J. Matthews; club captain, Mr J. Fox; deputy-captain, Miss R. Reid; committee, Misses D. Deegan, L. Fraser and J. Lynch, Messrs G. R. Barnes, A. McKay and R. Gibbs; delegate to association, Mr A. McKay; auditor, Mr H. W. Forde.