Andy Wright says -

Winter Tournament this year will be at Auckland, not Canterbury. Though travel arrangements are not finalized as yet, so far it seems that we will be travelling up on a special train on the 14th August, with Lincoln and Canterbury students. Clubs had better start arranging teams etc. God only knows when the ski tournament is to be held, but it could well be at Cragie-Burn.

As you may or may not know this years Exec has decided that strong measures are needed to get the association out of the financial suit it is in at the moment. In other words club-grants are the first to get the axe. At the moment 5% has been chopped off the grants, dropping the sports grant from $5,800 to $5,510. This constitutes a magnificient $10 increase over last year's sports grant, and is just what is needed to combat the inflationary situation that has fouled up the association's finances, and the clubs finances!.

The situation is that inflation has hit both clubs and the association. Now, in order to counteract its effect on assocation finances, club grants have been hit at a time when they should be increased to counteract the inflation.

So, in actual fact clubs are bearing the brunt twice-over:

(i)firstly from the general inflationary situation at the moment, and (ii)secondly, because they have been coerced into "helping" the association with its monetary troubles.

In the past one or two members of exec have frequently displayed marked anti-club tendencies! These tendencies have been particularly manifested in their opposition to sports clubs - consequently, they were only too happy to see grants for these clubs cut!

So it was not surprizing that when the treasurer proposed out of the blue to cut club grants by 5% the motion was passed 5 - 4. The reason for the sudden decision was simple... clubs were calling for their money and it was therefore necessary to make a quick decision about how much they were to be allocated. There was no time to examine in any great detail the state of club finances!

The idea behind Eric's thinking here is that the cut will supposedly be borne equally by all clubs. This is simply not practical. Some clubs don't receive a grant at all, because they don't need one, and so they won't suffer. Other clubs need a set amount each year to survive and they can't easily be cut back. (The paying of court fees for example.)

What all this boils down to is that clubs which apply for grants so that they can buy gear will be the hardest hit, for they are the easiest to set back.

Personally, I think this is a piss poor situation for sports council to be in. At the least there should have been a 5% increase on the amount budgeted for this year.

The Billiards club is endeavouring to raise a short term loan of $730 from Exec for a coin-operated pool table. Strange as it may seem, while this could be quite a profitable operation it is meeting opposition in some quarters, mainly due to the hang-up of where it is to be housed.

To be successful surely it needs to be in the Student Union? Last year Otago made $1,100 from its three tables, and if the housing problem can be solved some filthy lucre could be made here as well.