AAA Coming of Age Dinner

G ago, a distinguished gentleman who has performed one of the greatest events duringrecent years, Sir JAMESWit .cox, told me—andhe is one of those gallant officers, and we have many of them in the Army, in the service of His Majesty, who do great deeds, and do not always receive that full public reward which they deserve (hear, hear)—told me that in that very pestilential country in which he had been serving, that he enjoyed very goodhealth, and thathe did not require so muchQuinine as is usually served out to people in those climates, but thheatused to takea good run every day (cheers). Now, I am quite certain that my friend Dr. TURNER will agree with me that that is a very goodrecipe, and one whether you do it on foot or upon your cycle, you take the exercise, and I have no doubt if Dr. TURNERwerecalled in to prescribe, that isthe sort of recipe he would give (laughter). So I think we may claim that that particular form of athletics, iwn hich we have taken the greatest interest , has considerable advantages, evenin preserving the health of our Army. I may also mentionthat to-night we have another distinguishedmember of His Majesty's Forces, because, after all , tFhoerces of His Majesty are not only the Army and the Navy, but they are composed of all those citizens who, in one official positionor another—and sometimes not in any official position—who are trying to perform their duty towards their country : we have present to-night . Sir GODFREY LAGDEN, who himself in days a little past , showed that he knew how t combine many forms of sport , football , and rowing, and running catmoehim naturally. We are glad to see such men round our table, for after all , gentlemen, those who have taken part in athletic sports, liktehem, not only for the interest , the personal interest which theymay take upon particular occasions, but they like them also because they believe that they ought to form part of the natural trainingof the nation (hear, hear). And surely some of us here to-night , whoform what I may call part of the' Old Guard' of athletes, may be proud to think that though our time has passed away by many years, yet the same principlehas been handeddown, that principle of conducting our sports under straightforward andhonourable conditions. Long may it be so! And, my Lord Chairman, maIy just only say that it gives me the greatest possible pleasure to be called upon by you to propose (his Toast this evening. I hope, and we all hope, that athleticswill always form a very prominent feature in oBuritish life. Personally, I havefound athletics veryprominent in otherparts of the Empire,but , after all , unless we set the example in this country, ofconducting themunder the right conditions, theremay be a tendency forthem in this country as well as elsewhere, to deteriorate. 1 cannot think that that is the case now ; that , however, is rather outside my Toast . I should not like to propose this, having once had the honour of being your President , withoutexpressing my gratification that the work still goes on, and I am quite certain that so long as wecan enlist in itssupport those who are working forniotw, that athleticism, as we understandit , will be of importance, andsuccessful in t h i s c o u n t r y . I b e g t o c o u p l e w i t h t h i s To a s t t h e n ame s o f Ca p t . MAY , who will have the opportunity of training many of the young ones, even