MASTERTON LADIES' SWIMMING CLUB.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9670, 18 December 1909, Page 7

MASTERTON LADIES' SWIMMING CLUB.

ANNUAL REPORT.

The following is the annual report of the Masterton Ladies' Swimming Club:— The total membership of the Club now stands at seventy members, which includes six juniors. Twentythree new members were enrolled during the year, whilst the Club lost seventeen, sixteen by removals from the district and one by resignation. During the year a juvenile department was instituted for girls under fifteen years of age at an annual subscription of Is. The second carnival was held in the' Dixon Street baths on the 95th February, and was a most enjoyable and successful gathering The day was an ideal one for swimming, and there was an excellent attendnce. The gate receipts prod uced £8 4s, an increase of £1 7s over the previous year. Sixteen handsome trophies were competed! for, and some exciting contests were witnessed. The thanks of the Club are due to the following citizens and business firms for handsome trophies freely donated ;--Messrs A. Henderson and J. Elliott, Mesdames Swan, Noble-Campbell, Yarr, Blackmail, Eton, A. Haughey, D. M. Graham,

Kendall, W. H. Hosking, A. Caselberg, N. James and Miss Burnett, and to Mrs Sutton and Mrs N. Beetham for donations. In addition to the above the Club awarded a gold watch for the championship, this trophy being won by Miss Annie O'Leary. Members will notice that there is a small debit balance of £1 Os 7d, as against a credit balance of £9 3s 6d at the beginning of the season. This is accounted for by the expenditure entailed in connection with the Hosking Memorial Baths, which cost the Club £9 9s Bd, but against this we have members' subscriptions outstanding amounting to £4 7s 6d. As the aim and object of the Club is not to accumulate funds, but to forward and encourage the healthy an J beneficial art of swimming amongst women and girls, members will agree that the money disbursed under this heading had been well spent. Members will remember that Dr W. H. Hosking- very generously offered the Borough Council the sum of £SOO for the purple of erecting Swimming Baths for the women and girls of Masterton, but owing to a misunderstanding with t'.e Borough Council the Doctor withdrew his offer. Your President, Mlrs Blackman, accompanied by Mr and Mrs Noble-Campbell, then waited on the Doctor, and although be refused to renew his cash offtr, he generously gave them securities in excess of the original amount offered, thinking that by holding an art union tne money would be easily obtained. However, this proposition was vetoed, and a general meeting of members, to which all women interested in swimming were invited, was then callfd bv advertisement, and was well attended. His Worship Mayor and the Borough. Engineer were present by invitation. This mee'iiig decided that trie Executive Committee of the Club bv empowered to deal with Dr Hosking'a gift, with full power to act. Publ c tenders were called for the purchase, either together or separately, of the house and motor car, but no response was received. It was then ilocidtd to offer them by public auction, Mr J. JR. Nicol having kindly offered his services. Mr A. C. Pilmer purchased the car for £2OO. The thaubs of the Club are due to Mr Pilmer for his sportdmanlike dealings with the Club 1 throughout, and also to Messrs Lyttle Bros, for their assistance in conndctijn with the sale of tne car. After evtry elf rt had been tried, ynur Committee f .und that it was impossible at the lime to obtain more than £2OO for the cottage, so wrotii I to the Borough Council and asked if | they would be prepared to build a 75ft bath for £4OO in lieu of the 90ft bath. Receiving a favourable reply, your Committee sold the house for £2OO, and handed tne cash (£400) to the Council; and we are pleased to say that the work of erection was immediately proceeded with. The Club is under a debt of gratitude to Mr John Hunter in connection witn the sale of the cottage, and it was mainly due to his efforts that a sale was effected and the happy results consummated. Your Committer regret that they have so far been unable to do anyttiing in conn.ction with the offer of Mr A Snowball (hon. instructor and examiner of the Royal Life-saving Society) to instruct a class in connection with the Club, and trust that members

will take an enthusiastic in terest in this important matter now that they can secure the services of so excellent an instructor; it is a chance that should not be missed. It is to be hoped that members generally will take a more thorough interest in the welfare of the Club, thus strengthening the hands of the Executive, as there is every reason to believe that after the Husking Memorial Bath is completed the Club should duveiop into a live and active factur in encouraging the useful art of swimming amongst the women of Masterton. We have again to thank Mr G. W. Sellar, A.I.A.kZ., tor auditing the Club's accounts, and also our President, Mrs IJlackman, who has always been most devoted and has never spared herself in her endeavours to promote the best interests of the Club.