Athletics of To-Day 1929

18 Athletics of To-day and F. Smith (M.C.A.A.A.), R. Mullock (Newport A.C.), T. M. Abraham, C. E. Barlow, H. C. Faram and T. G. Sharpe (N.C.A.A.), J. Ingram (Northampton A.C.), ]. E. Fowler– Dixon and C. F. Turner (North of the Thames C.C.U.), W. N. Bruce, C. N. Jackson and M. Shearman (O.U.A.C.), ]. Suddaby (Reading A.C.), ]. Gibb (S.L.H.), W. Rye (Thames H. and H.), W. Waddell (United Hospitals A.C.), and E. R. Wood (Woodbridge A.C.). After due deliberation it was agreed that the English Championship Meeting should be a summer fixture and should be held annually in turn in London, the Midlands, and the North. Another bone of contention that was buried was that relating to the amateur status, it b ing agreed that future championships should be open to all athlet s who had never competed for money. The exact wording of the resolu– tion defined an amateur as ((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 practice of athletic exercises as a means of obtaining a livelihood." Following upon the acceptance of these and some other resolu– tion , the Earl of Jersey was elected President ; . R. Wise, Vice-President; C. N. Jackson, Honorary Treasurer; M. Shearman, Honorary Secretary, and the following seven gentlemen were appointed as a ommittee: M ssrs. Anderton, Barlow, H rb rt, Lockton, Macaulay, Rye and \Vaddell, on which the other offic rs were to serve as ex officio members. Thus the Amat ur Athl tic Association was brought into being. Six years later it had in affiliation some 154 clubs, representing about zo,ooo athl tes, and to-day its affiliated clubs number upwards of goo and must r pr sent at l ast roo,ooo athletes. Meanwhile the propaganda of sport was spreading in other parts of the globe. We have vidence that during the middle period of the ighteenth c ntury the gentlemen of America w re accustomed to compete against each oth r in manly games, for is it not record d that George Washington b at all his opponents at the running long jump? This pisode provid d, no doubt, an early forecast of the future prowess of American field events men.