PIPING AND DANCING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 May 1939, Page 9

PIPING AND DANCING

WELLINGTON CENTRE MEETING. CENTENNIAL GATHERING PROPOSED. The Wellington centre of the Piping and Dancing Association of New Zealand, at a meeting in Palmerston North on Saturday evening, discussed a proposal to hold a championship gathering in Wellington during the currency of the Centennial Exhibition. There were present at the meeting Messrs C. Stewart Senr. (chairman), T. Cameron (president), J. McKenzie (Feilding Pipe Band), R. McKenzie (Wairarapa Caledonian Society), H. Glasgow (Turakina Caledonian Society), J. McMillan (Scotch Thistle Society), A. McDonald and V. J. Nicholson (Palmerston North), A. McCowan (Eketahuna), N. Cruden (Longburn), R. J. Glasgow (Turakina), C. Stewart Junr. and A. Barclay (Wellington), and M. Gray Nasmith (secretary). It was resolved to approach Dominion headquarters seeking the allocation of all New Zealand championships to the gathering. This will be the first occasion when such a sports gathering has taken place in Nev/ Zealand, and it will resemble in miniature the championship at Cowai and Oban in Scotland.

The dale of the gathering was not definitely decided on, but the feeling was that it should be held toward the end of January, 1940.

A deputation of five men and four women attended from the Scotch Thistle Society, Palmerston North, tc lay before the executive a number oi suggestions. The chairman outlined what the centre was doing, and pointed out that it was representative of the whole of the Wellington province.

A meeting of representatives of Wellington pipe bands was held in Wellington, to discuss preliminary arrangements for the holding of the Dominion pipe bands contest during the Centennial Exhibition. The secretary of the Wellington-Hawke’s Bay Pipe Band Centre, Mr Nasmith, explained the nature of the preliminary arrangements, and expressed pleasure at the large attendance.

It was decided to hold the fixture toward the end of January, providing suitable arrangements can be made as to grounds and hall. The quickstep and drum-majors’ display for the B grade will be held on the Friday, and that for the A grade on the Saturday, the test selections to be held in the evenings.

It was decided to invite each Scottish organisation in the city to send three representatives to the next meeting, when a contest committee will be formed and officers elected. Mr Nasmith was appointed secretary pro tern.