OPTIMISTS CLUB

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 May 1939, Page 3

OPTIMISTS CLUB

WEEKLY MEETING. INTERESTING ADDRESS BY MR BODDDINGTON. Seated around the tea table at the Y.M.C.A. last night were some sixteen Optimists, with visitors and new members making a total of 23. Chief Smiler A. Handyside occupied the chair, and after the visitors had been introduced a period was devoted by Sheriff G. C. Gaze to collecting “fines” from the members. The speaker for the meeting was Mr H. M. Boddington, who recently visited Australia as the manager of the N.Z. Boys’ Tennis team. His discourse on tennis happenings in Australia were listened to with great interest. Facts such as 600 “under nineteens” playing on grass courts at once, with no umpires until the quarter-finals, and two spectators to view the New Zealand v. New. South Wales boys under 19 game, really astounded him, stated Mr Boddington. His description of the team’s visit to Slazenger’s big factory which cost £250,000 was a highlight of his .speech. Some ' tennis facts that were of exceptional interest were that it was in 1877 that Great Britain held its •first tournament, that in 1881 was held the first tourney in America and that in 1833 the Masterton Lawn Tennis Club conducted its first tennis tournament, it not being until 1886 that the first New Zealand championships were held. A programme of the 1883 tournament is in the possession of Mr Boddington and was a source of great interest to the Optimists, as was also an autographed menu card of the 1920 Davis Cup dinner held when America and Australia .competed for the Cup. Optimist M. Daniell, on behalf of the club, thanked Mr Bqddington for his most interesting and instructive talk. Mr Clarke, the president of the Y.M.C.A., was present and stated that the YM.C.A. Board strongly supported all the Optimists Club’s doings and would help the club wherever possible.