Athletics and Football (extract)

ATHLETIC GOVERNMENT 2 2 1 meeting it wasdecided that the ChampionshipMeeting should take place in the summer, and be held in rotation in London, the Midlands, and the North, and that it should be open to all persons who had never competed for money ; that the clubs present should associate themselves into a body, to be known as the Amateur Athletic Association; and that the objects of the bodyshould be: (i) To improve the management of athletic meetings,and to promote uniformityof rules for the guidance of local committees; (2) to deal repressively withany abuses of athletic sports; (3) to hold an annual championship meeting. It was also decided that ' all races held under the sanction of the Association be confined to amateurs, and that the following be the definitionof an amateur: "Any person who has never competed for money, with or against a professional for any prize, and who has never taught, pursued, or assisted in the practiceof athletic exercises as a means of obtaining a liveli­ hood." ' In order, however, to guarantee the independence of individual clubs it was understood that this rule should not interfere with the right of any club to refuse the entry of any person to its own sports whenever it thought fit. As regards prizes it was arranged that in no handicap should a prize of greater value than 10/. IOX . be allowed, and that every prize of a greater value than 5/. should be engraved with the name and date of the meeting. The execution of these provisions was to be entrusted to a committee, consisting of certain ex-officio members, the representatives of a few leading clubs, and of elected members. A large number of names were proposed for election, but the following ten were chosen for the first year: The Earl of Jersey, and Messrs. Anderton, Barlow, Herbert, Jackson, Lockton, Macaulay, ! Rye, Shearman, and Waddell. Probably it wasin recognition of the services of the Oxford men in setting the Associationon foot that in the choice of the officersfor the firstyear Lord Jerseywaselected President, and Messrs. Wise, Jackson, and Shearman, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary of the newbody. Since its institution the Amateur Athletic Association has