CROQUET.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 September 1922, Page 3

CROQUET.

THE TARANAKI ASSOCIATION. FIRST ANNUAL MEETING. The first annual meeting of the Taranaki Croquet Association was held at New Plymouth yesterday, when the president (Dr. G. Home) presided over an attendance of about forty. The chairman congratulated the Taranaki Association on the successful year it had had and the impetus It had given to the development of croquet in Taranaki. He hoped that an even better result would be achieved next The annual report stated that at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Croquet Council, held at Palmerston North, the question of reducing the annual levy of Is per member to 6d was discussed, the reduction to take effect from September, 1922. This course was agreed to. The New Zealand championship meeting for 1923 is to be held at Auckland, commencing on January 20, or as near that date as could conveniently be arranged, the North Island championship being played at Palmerston North immediately upon conclusion of the former meeting. It was decided at the first general meeting of the association to arrange a district tournament. Entries were received from Hawera, Stratford, Waitara, Fitzroy, Park and New Plymouth clubs, representing in all 4b competitors. Eight lawns (Fitzroy 2, Park 4, and two kindly lent to-, the New Plymouth club by Mrs. N. Greig) were busily engaged for the first three days of the tournament, after which play was concentrated upon the lawns belonging to the Park* club. The prizes were presented to the successful competitors by Mrs. W. R. Wade. The association felt the great indebtedness due, and desired to express its grateful and appreciative thanks to the president (Dr. G. Home) for the beautiful rose bowl presented for the team competition. Most appreciative thanks were also due to Mr. and Mrs. Bennett (Hawera) for prize for handicap singles: to Mesdames M. Dowling and J. Campbell (of Hawera), and Dr. W. R. Wade (New Plymouth), for donations to prize fund; to Mrs. H. Greig, for the use of her lawns; to the Taranaki Herald and Daily News, for generous assistance; and to all who kindly helped to make the first annual tournament of the association a success. The balance sheet of the recent tournament showed a credit balance of £5 15s, while the total cash in bank amounted to £3O 19s 7d. The Patea Club wrote resigning from the association, as their membership was small and none of the members wished to compete in the .tournament. A letter was received from the New Zealand Croquet Council, asking for the dates of the asso.ciation’s tournament as early as possible. If this could be arranged the executive would be able to have small posters printed of the various tournaments to be held throughout the Dominion, and posted to all the affiliated clubs. By this means players would be in touch with all tournaments, and, if players from the north wished to take a holiday south, especially if a croquet tournament was on, they would be able to see at a glance the dates and players from the south and vice versa. The election of officers resulted: President, Dr. G. Home; vice-presidents, Drs. Campbell and Wade, Messrs. A. W. Webster, T. C. List, C. N. Hill, W. Marshall, A. S. Brooker; secretary, Mrs. D. K. Morrison. It was decided to hold the tournament in February next, as near the 13th as possible, at New Plymouth. The constitution of the tournament committee was fixed at the secretary and two members from each of the three town clubs. It was made a recommendation to the tournament committee that the teams’ match be played first. It was decided to provide a silver button, with inscription, as a souvenir for those taking part in the teams’ match. It was further resolved that each club shall be eligible to enter one team of six players in the teams’ match, a proposal that the number of players be four being defeated. It was decided that buttons should be provided for winners of the championship singles and championship doubles.