Goliath Church v little David

TONIGHT I trekked across the sodden clay of Court 1 of the New Town Catholic Lawn Tennis Club to reach the weatherboard shed that is its historic headquarters (yes! the thatch on Wimbledon grass still stands framed on the walls) and sit in as an observer while this worthy David of a committee talked about ways it could take on the Goliath of the Church.

It was an illuminating, heartening and privileged session and, at times, entertaining.

How can you not be entertained than to learn that at the meeting between the Club committee and the church over this issue, the church delegates sat silent throughout, leaving the Club to lead and conduct its “defence” without debate?

At the end of that meeting, the Church said it would draft some options to put to the Club. Those options were discussed by the Club tonight, each one spelling out alternative ways the Club can put itself to the sword.

The issue still stands: The tennis club borrowed money from the church in the 1930s to buy the courts, paid the church back but left the deeds in trust with the church, and now the church, as possessor of the title, wants the club to go so it can sell the courts to developers.

The Club has no obvious areas of support outside remaining member loyalty (disloyal ones have, indeed, fled to play on less troubled real estate): the small membership cannot hope to afford a Court challenge; Hobart Council can see a nice boost in rate income from a huge block of units on the site rather than a nice sporting amenity from the area; and Tennis Tasmania simply has no record of stepping in on such ugly execution fields as this.

It would seem more and more apparent, however, that this brawl if over simple dollar-driven greed and bugger the church parish or whoever else lives within it.

I, a latter-day Madame Defarge, will continue knitting needles as the tumbrils roll on over the cobbles, and report to all you worthies of a Christian and caring spirit.

Earlier:
Mindless stupidity (comments)