The annual general meeting of the 'Shanghai Rowing Club was held' on Wednesday at the boathouse, The captain of the. Club, Mr. R. L. Serjeant, was in the chair, supported by the following members of the committee, wots), AE Nach than, see) captain), E. 'T. Nash (hon, soe.), Bar dion trea), Te Lo TR. Rolleston West, ly Iirgo attendance of other member 'The captain's speech was' as follows The Captain said:—Lasy year, if you remember, I expressed my gratitude to our energetic honour fry secretary for having pre~ pared s0 comprehensive a report As to leave very little for me tosay. This year, T must say, 1 foal T have a grievance against him, So comprehensive is the report in your hands, that I find myself really with to add.
To refer first of all to. the, financial affairs of the club, Some of you will doubtless have noticed that we have not paid off any further debentures during the past year, I think you. will Agree with me, however, if you study the figures closely, that this need give no cause for alarm. Tt is not due to decrease wene or mereness of ordi ary expenditure for the past yor fas' the figures in both eases will be found to compare favourably with previous years. You will find that expenditure on account of renovation of the bath and building amounted, to no. less thin $6,120.54, and that deficits on the Interport Regattas at Hongkong in "Merch and) Henli in the autumn account for a further 81,010.87.
hus, these two items alone total some $7,640 odd. which, with the ald of $3,000 withdrawn from our fixed deposit, at the hank, has been paid for in the course of last year's work, Deducting this 83,000, you that no tess than $4,640 hhoon applied out of Jame yea receipts, for the payment of thix extraordinary. expenditure, and. the whole of this sum would, in a normal year, have been available for the redemption of outatanddebentures, which, 1 think is ight satist: ory. 1 have th, expenditure as extraordinary, in that it may de-regarded ug none ing. The renovation of she hand wilding lits been eat ried cwt in sich © comprehensive mauver tht no" more than nominal amount should be quired annually to maintain same in n satisfactory condition, The staging of two Interport rogittas in the same year, one at Hongkong and one in or homo waters, ix not likely to. occur again, but it was felt by committee that the past sei afforded an excellent opportunity to revive these events, which have been conspicuous by their absence sines before the war, We con. sidered that the event at, Honykong might be regarded ax the thin end of the wedge, and that if an Interpont Regatiw could be arranged at Shanghai on n more ambitions "sealo, by inviting oarsmen from the northern ports as well as Hongkong to compete, it could by anticipated thas terest in stich fixtures would be ly renewed, to the ultimate of rowing not only. Shanghai, but in the Fay East Renerally: Most unfortunately the disastrous" earthquake in Japan precluded any possibil of crows being sent from that country, and the contest eventual:
became a triangular one be: tween Shanghai, Hongkong ant Tientsin. The results of this con-lento he rest this con not be enlarged upon by me, now history? and need
This rings us from the finanial aspect of the club's affairs to a contemplation of its rowing activities and T would like here and now to ofr my heartiest congratulations to those of our oars. men who took part in these Interport, events, and who not only worthily kept cut own flag flying, but in every case brought back the flags of ovr opponenta At the tro meetings, namely, at Hongkong in the spring and at Hech in the anton, our Shang.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.