LAWN TENNIS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 126, 15 October 1912, Page 8

LAWN TENNIS.

NEW PLYMOUTH CLUB'S ANNUAL REPORT.

The following is the annual report of the New Plymouth Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, to be presented at the annual meeting of the club next Saturday evening:—The club's overdraft an 1 outstanding accounts this year appear as £93 lis 9d and £lO 4s 2d—£lo3 15s lid, as against £lO2 18s lid last year, an increase of 17s. The balance-sheet shows a surplus of assets over liabilities of £271 19s Id, The membership is now —Playing members 76 (ladies 38, men 38), croquet members 28, honorary members 61 (ladies 52, men 9). Compared with last year, playing members—Ladieg decrease 6, men decrease 2; croquet members —Increase fi; honorary members —increase 1. The following club matches were played during the season: —Ladies' championship singles, Miss Brewster; men's champion singles, Mr. J. C. Nicholson; ladies' handicap singles, Miss Govett; men's handicap singles, Mr. J. C. I Nicholson. Miss Brewster was again I I successful in winning the Taranaki ladies' championship singles. Croquet— A team championship singles, Mrs. Cowling; handicap singles, Mrs. Cowling; handicap doubles, Mesdames Morrison and Mills. B team championship singles, Mrs. Arnold Jones; handicap singles, Mrs. Fookes; handicap doubles, Mrs. Fookes and Miss Avery. The following niter-club matches were played—Stratford (a win), Inglewood (a win), and Fitzroy (a win). The club is indebted to Mr. C. W. Govett for donation to club funds and to Dr. Home for donation towards trophies. Mrs. Pcnn acted as hon. secretary of the ladies' tennis committee and Mrs. C. T. Mills as hon. secretary to the croquet committee during the season; the committee have much pleasure in thanking these ladies. The retiring members of the committee are: Messrs J.

C. Nicholson, T?red Robertson, A. C. Thompson, C. Webster and C. H. Weston. Mr. J. Morton resigned during the season.

PARK TENNIS CLUB. The annual meeting of the Park Tennis Club was held last evening, Mr. T. C. List presiding over a small attendance of members. The balance-sheet showed that the bank overdraft stood at £146 Is lid. The expenditure was £154 7s 3d, including the sum of £O3 9s, liabilities from the previous year. The actual working expenses for the past season were £9O 18s 3d. The receipts for the season were £lO4 14s i)d, including members' subscriptions £BO 10s. In moving the adoption of the balancesheet, the Chairman state dt'hat the Club had got over its initial difficulties and expenses. The Club last year had met all the outstanding liabilities, amounting to £63 9s, and paid for a new roller and other gear. It also had had to face- an extraordinary expenditure of about £3O in eradicating the weeds from the green, top-dressing and re-seeding. All these charges, he believed, would be non-recurring, and from now on the Club should substantially reduce its liabilities. This was the aim of the committee, for they desired to release the guarantors of the bank overdraft within a reasonable period. The prospects of I the ensuing season were hopeful. The courts were now in very good order, and | the membership, as far a3 he could as- , certain, would be maintained. The Chairman made appreciative reference to the manner in which the secretary (Mr. F. Tribe) had carried out his duties, to the services of Mr. R. J. White, and also to the kindness of the President and his wife in connection with the garden party. To all of them the Club was under a deep debt of gratitude, as it was to the lady members for the help given at the garden party. The balance-sheet was I adopted.

The election of officers resulted. President, Mr. R. Cock (re-elected); vicepresidents, Messrs. W. Ambury, T. C. List and F. W. Samlford; committee, Messrs. R. J. White, W. Duncan, N. Parker, Scanlon, C. Putt; lion, secretary, Mr. F. Tribe; hon. treasurer, Mr. H. J. Wells; auditor, 'Mr. F. W. Sandford; trustees, Messrs. T. C. List, W. Healy and Scanlon, delegate to the Taranaki Association, Mr. R. J. White.

The opening date was fixed for the first Thursday in November. The subscription was fixed at £2 for men and £1 5s for ladies (both reducible by 5s if paid by December 1). A special vote of thanks was accorded the President (Mr. R. Cock) and his wile for the use of their grounds and the assistance given in connection with the garden party, and also to the lady members of the Club for their help on that occasion.