Service club says no to merger

National Service Club president Clarence Hermon and club manager Shelly McGhie, after 81 per cent of the 400-plus club members at a meeting yesterday voted against a merger with other chartered clubs in Hastings. Photo / Warren Buckland

A proposal to establish a single super-club in Hastings was put to bed in a single announcement after a meeting of more than 400 members of the city's National Service Club yesterday.

Hundreds stood silent as president Clarence Hermon announced the result of an amalgamation secret ballot taken after a two-hour meeting that packed the club's expansive bar, restaurant and bowls complex off Market St in the Hastings CBD.

Most stayed behind and waited a half-hour before he told them 76 had supported the proposal that the club amalgamate with Hastings Combined Clubs - a merger of the RSA, Hibernian and Heretaunga clubs that is already under way. But 327 had voted against, and members began celebrating as he said: "The motion is lost."

Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule, who had led an 11th-hour attempt to broker the merger to base the clubs in the central city, with development otherwise set to start on new facilities several blocks away, said the vote was "the end" of the debate. He was disappointed but not surprised, and said it was "democracy".

Clubs of New Zealand president Tom Fisher, from Rotorua, was the independent chairman for a volatile meeting that ended with most, including vocal opponents, seeming unsure of how the vote had gone, and some reckoning it had been a "jack-up".

"I've been a member 35 years, and there are a lot of people here I've never seen before," said one.

But any suggestion it was a "jack-up" was quickly dispelled by the result, and by Mr Hermon, who had refrained from commenting publicly before the meeting, but was relieved by the decision.

There were, he said, committee members who opposed the proposal, but the issue had to be put to members - "and the members have spoken".

A member for 13 years and president for the last two-and-a-half, he was not surprised by the vote, reckoning the talk beforehand was about 75 per cent against and 25 per cent in favour - the result was more than 81 per cent against.

He was impressed that about a third of the 1300 members had attended, saying most clubs would be happy with about 10 per cent.

"It gives us direction," he said. "Hastings will still have two clubs in the CBD, which was the desired result. This has given us options, and nothing has to be done immediately. We can plan over the next five years. I certainly don't see any need for any amalgamation."

Mayor Yule became involved about two months ago when he was told of National Service Club building restrengthening needs and suggested the club revisit its stance on a merger.

Urgent decisions had been needed because of the combined clubs' plans to start rebuilding on the Heretaunga club's land bounded by Victoria and Albert Streets, Mayfair, this month, and the sale of the RSA premises, which are to be vacated by March 31 next year.

A majority vote at the council last week supported a cash-grant and land-swap deal, which could have seen Hastings ratepayers contributing about $1 million.