Issue 136 : 27 August 2023
Talofa Lava, Kia Orana, Malo E Leilei, Tena Koutou, Hello ...
... and welcome to the latest issue of “For The Love Of The Game”, the official e-zine of the New Zealand Amateur Sport Association Inc., founded in Wellington, New Zealand in 2017.
If you have any feedback on this issue, ideas for future articles, or would like to contact the Editor, please click here. And, you are invited to forward the e-zine to others you know, who may be interested in reading it. An archive of earlier editions of the e-zine can be found here.
For those who follow Twitter, you can also follow the Association, @AmateurSportNZ. If you are interested in applying for membership of the Association, please click here.
2023 National Sport Club Survey Is Open ...
A reminder that the 2023 National Sport Club Survey is now open. Invitations to participate in the annual survey have been sent to around 7,000 community sport clubs throughout New Zealand. The survey is a great opportunity for all clubs to share their opinions and experiences, with the objective of the collective survey responses informing the wider New Zealand amateur sport community on key themes, trends, challenges and opportunities. If you’ve not yet had a chance to respond, please take an opportunity to do so over the coming week.
Viewpoint : “It’s Time For A Re-Think”, We Think ...
As has been previously outlined in this newsletter, the Irish Law Reform Commission has presented a legislative proposal to create a “non-profit registered association”, by which separate legal personality could be gained by a community sport organisation, through registration with a regulated authority. Under this model, if a community sport organisation registered, it would be a legal entity separate from its members, with governance requirements specifically tailored to the non-profit sector.
("Non-profit registered associations" could be a workable framework in this country)
The Incorporated Societies Act 2022 while catering well for the “big-end of town”, (the larger corporatised and well-capitalised societies), fails to meet the needs of the volunteer-led community sport club, which has few volunteers, fewer resources and little appetite for meeting company-type regulatory obligations. With the General Election imminent, now is the time for New Zealand’s political parties to demonstrate their support for community sport by agreeing to a full review of the application of the new legislation and regulations, with a view to creating a more appropriate governance model for local sport clubs.
(We'll ask political parties for their views on law governing community sport organisations)
Tennis Club Accuses Council Of Backhand Tactics ...
After nearly six decades, a Karori community-operated tennis club now will now be disestablished with the Wellington City Council to take over the running of a single court it has used since 1964. The club says there’s something it’s not being told, as it last week lost a fight to hold on to a lease for the lone court in an largely unused city park.
(The Wyncourt Club, bottom right, was built on an old rubbish tip site in Karori)
The Club was invited to a meeting of Wellington City Council’s Regulatory Processes Committee on Thursday last week to present its case for the renewal of its lease. The Councillors subsequently voted to not offer Wyncourt a new lease, with a 6 to 1 decision. The only Councillor to vote against the recommendation of city officials to not renew the lease, was Onslow-Western Ward's Diane Calvert.
Those that agreed to not renew the lease were: Councillors Abdurahman, Free, Kelly, McNulty, Paul and Mayor Tory Whanau. The Regulatory Processes Committee refused to countenance any further proposals, voting down a sensible proposal from Councillor Calvert for further community consultation. You can read more here.
CSO Income Tax Workshops : October Dates ...
The Association invites all interested community sportspeople to attend one of two public ZOOM sessions on income tax obligations for community sport organisations, on Tuesday, 10 October (at 4.30pm) or on Saturday, 21 October (at 4.00pm). You can register (please indicate the date that you would like to attend the seminar), by clicking here.
(Two free of charge seminars are being offered to community sport organisations)
Sport And Recreation Vote Appropriation ...
Since 2017, Government’s annual vote appropriation for sport and recreation in New Zealand has increased by 83%, from $89 million, to $163 million. With many sport volunteers struggling with the cost-of-living, the Association believes that greater funding for local clubs delivering social good to communities should be a priority.
(Many community sport organisations are under financial pressure)
The largest appropriation increase over this period, was a 271% increase (plus $52 million) to Sport New Zealand for the delivery of programmes in accordance with its statutory functions to promote, encourage and support sport and recreation in New Zealand, and the provision of policy advice on and information relating to sport and recreation, including ministerial servicing.
Sport New Zealand’s total personnel costs now exceed $30 million per annum.
Association Meets With Sport New Zealand ...
The Association recently met with representatives of Sport New Zealand to discuss approaches to alignment and compliance with the Incorporated Societies Act 2022. Whereas Sport New Zealand’s principal role as a crown agency is to work with Government to create compliance frameworks for its stakeholders in response to legislation, the Association has a more direct advocacy role on behalf of those affected by reform, to lobby for further mitigation (and perhaps repeal) of regulations which it may feel are not fit-for-purpose.
(Sport NZ acknowledges the "unintended consequences" of legislative reform)
Sport New Zealand agrees with the Association that the new law and regulations create unintended consequences for community sport organisations, with a tangible risk of an extinction event, (as warned by the Association earlier in the reform process).
(Sport NZ is preparing constitutional templates for community sport use)
At present, Sport New Zealand is preparing a range of resources, including "constitution templates". We’ve reminded Sport New Zealand that templates are not a "turn-key solution", without the clarity of purpose, process, policies and procedures that an individual incorporated sport club will need to define and agree with its members.
October Incorporated Societies Act Seminars Confirmed ...
Seminars on the new Incorporated Societies Act 2022 (and its associated regulations) will take place in the Taranaki region, in association with Sport Taranaki, during the week commencing 23 October, in both New Plymouth and Hawera.
(Sport Taranaki is hosting two community seminars in October)
The dates and venues are: Wednesday 25 October, 5.30pm to 7.30pm at Sport Taranaki, New Plymouth; and Thursday 26 October, 5.30pm to 7.30pm, at the TSB Hub, in Hawera. If you're in the Taranaki region, mark these dates. Registration details will follow in due course.
From The Archives ...
LAWN TENNIS
NEW ZEALAND MAIL, ISSUE 1611, 14 JANUARY 1903, PAGE 53
THE CHAMPIONSHIPS AT NELSON
(By “Vantage”)
“The want of practice, so apparent in the play of many of the men, was not noticeable among the ladies who seemed to have taken more pains to get into form. On glancing at the singles, it was quite clear that barring accidents Miss Gore must win the all-comers event, and be the challenger against Miss Nunneley for the title, and as it proved Miss Gore came through without the loss of a set, though Miss Aitken, of Christchurch, ran her into an advantage set to wind up with. At one time it seemed as if Miss Gore would lose this set, but from a losing position she played with great self-control and eventually emerged the victor.”
May Constance Gore was born in 1873, the daughter of Richard Benjamin and Mary (nee Murphy) Gore. Her father was the curator of the Colonial Museum and Meteorological Observatory in Wellington. May was the fourth oldest child in the family who lived on Aurora Terrace. She had six siblings, (four sisters and two brothers).
May became known as “a tennis player and golfer of particular skill and keenness” and was associated with both the Thorndon Lawn Tennis Club and the Heretaunga Golf Club. She joined the Thorndon Lawn Tennis Club in the early 1890’s and was a long-serving committee member as well as being women’s champion in both the singles and doubles game at various times.
She won the Wellington mixed doubles tennis championship with her brother, Charles St. G. Gore (a New Zealand tennis representative) in 1900 and she was runner-up for the New Zealand women’s doubles championship when she partnered with her sister Olive on-court in 1901. She was also a member of the Wellington representative tennis team in 1904. May held the championship title at the Heretaunga Golf Club as well as being captain of the Ladies Club.
(May Marchbanks, left, at the 1922 New Zealand Ladies' Golf Championship, at Whanganui)
She married James Marchbanks (engineer of the Wellington Harbour Board) on 18 August 1897 with whom she raised four daughters and two sons. She died at her home in Heretaunga (in the Hutt Valley) after a long illness on Friday, 12 March 1937.
The Final Word ...
“This win is for all the people back home in Fiji.”
(Fijian rugby winger Selestino Ravutaumada following Fiji’s victory over England)
