Fifty Years of Progress 1880-1930

A.A.A. JUBILEE SOUVENIR was present at the first meeting of the Association; W. G. George, who had won more championships than any other runner ; E. H. Pelling, whose record (250 yards) still remained on the books; C. G. Wood, the first Englishman to get inside 50 sec. for a quarter-mile; and John Shear– man, brother of their late President, and a former quarter-mile champion, who was a member of the Southern Committee in the early days. He had noticed Benson Lawford, a Past President ofthe S.L.H., and mile champion in l 896, talking to the President of the S.L.H., the Rev. W. Pollock-Hill, who won the Inter-'Varsity three miles race three times in succession. The champion hurdlers present included J. H. A. Reay, who won the event as far back as 1877 ; A. Trafford, the winner of the same event twenty years later; and F. R. Gaby, who was successful on five occasions since the War. Other visitors included Mr. Curtis Bennett, a great worker for the National Playing Fields Association; Dr. E. B. Turner, who was probably the oldest runner in the room; Dr. J. A. Voelcker, and Sir G. McLaren Brown, of Canada, who was giving great assistance in connection with the Empire Games. Sir G. McLaren Brown, K.B.E., said that they expected 1,500 com– petitors in the Empire Games, and the British team would be absolutely certain of receiving a splendid welcome, though he hoped for his own countrymen's sake they would not win all the events. They would find on reaching Canada the same traditions ofsportsmanship that prevailed in this country. Lt.-Col. P. R. Laurie, D.S.O., said, as Chairman of the Metropolitan Police A.A., he was very glad to acknowledge the kindness and encouragement they had received from the A.A.A. since the formation of their Association in 1919. The Rev. Herbert Dunnico, M.P. (Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons), said that for twenty-five years he had spent most of his time making speeches, but for the last twelve months he had had to sit and listen to them! He had never been so conscious of what he had inflicted upon the public as he had been during the last twelve months. There was no greater sporting body in this land than the members of the House of Commons. It did not matter to what party a man might belong, or how unruly he might be; if a member was sincere and honest and played the game, the House of Commons always held him in the highest respect. He realised the dangers of professionalism, but he detested still more pseudo-amateurism. If a man chose to make money out of his athletic prowess, he was just as much entitled to it as a preacher, or a politician in the House of Commons, but they had to see that the pure spirit of amateurism was not killed by pseudo-amateurism. When they met the representatives of other nations in healthy rivalry in sport, he believed they were doing something for peace among all nations. The greatest game of all was that of life. Referring to his own connection with sport, he said he had run ten miles with the Salford Harriers, but had now come down to bowls. He believed in internationalism, but he also believed that this country was the best country in the world, and although he had travelled in almost every part of the world, he never returned home 132