Opinion
Dave Howman

Whither Sports Grants?

Entrusted to the powers of Sports Committee is the sum of $5001) from Student Association fees and recently there have been queried as to where this money goes, coupled with requests that it be lowered in favour of an increase in the grant to Cultural Clubs. How does Sports Committee deal with this money and where does it go?

Naturally it would involve a huge tabulated list if each dollar were to be personally accounted for, not that it cannot be so dealt with, but for the purposes of this article I think an answer can he provided by dealing with the question generally. Perhaps when the 1969 grants have all been given Salient might like to provide its readers with a detailed dollar account.

Each of the 30 Sports Clubs affiliated to the Students Association, is entitled to make one grant application each year. The treasurers of each club apply to Sports Committee for the amount they deem necessary and Sports Committee having thoroughly investigated the claim (as no doubt all treasurers will realise) will allow the grant amount they consider as the true amount needed. In their applications club must list the items for which they require money, to avoid over-expenditure and gross negligence; here I will emphasise that Sports Committee has set rules as to what are grantable items and what accounts—one a Social Account, the none of which belies its purpose; and the other the Grant Account. This enables Sports Committee to keep close tabs on the grants given to clubs.

The bulk of the grants, most of the $5000 goes to such financial mutters as affiliation fees to local bodies, and to national bodies in some cases, and secretarial requirements and the little remanding to such fundamental items without which the club would not be able to function. So to speak generally of the $5000 it could be said that it is granted to Sports Clubs in order to allow them to continue in existence. It is not granted to the clubs for enjoyment purposes such as decorating club rooms, trips or tours, or booze-ups the money for these items must come from the Club Social Account, meaning that it is up to each individual club as to how they entertain. This is the reason that Sports Committee insists upon each club having two accounts, so that none of the grant goes to booze-ups or the like.

I think it is plain that the money is used for very fundamental purposes any treasure can vouch for that, and that if the $5000 were to be reduced many of the Sports Clubs would simply not exist. It is the duty of the Students Association to foster sport in this University; how they do this is by providing sufficient funds to enable clubs to function and partake in competition like any club outside the University. This is how it should be, but with a decrease the situation would be one of killing and not fostering.

I do not oppose the Cultural Clubs request for further money, but I oppose most vehemently the cry for it to come from the Sports Committee grant. If there is a need for Cultural Clubs to be granted more money and they can show this need as well as the fuel that they can deal with grants as efficiently as Sports Committee, then thought should be given to such a increase The answer as I see it is not a decrease in sports grant but the obvious increase in Students Association fees which can not be far off now.