Fifty Years of Progress 1880-1930

A.A.A. JUBILEE SOUVENIR recognise the right of any member of the N.C.U. General Committee to enter the enclosure at an athletic meeting under A.A.A. Laws unless officiating, and it was pointed out that this privilege was not even given to members of the General Committee of the A.A.A. New rules as to inter-team races were passed, and among other things it was decided that unless stated to the contrary in advertisements, the teams for relay races should consist of first-daim members only, and that the teams for inter-team competitions (other than relay races) should be confined to first-claim members. At the end of the year an illuminated address and a gold chronograph were presented to Mr. P. L. Fisher by the General Committee, in recog– nition of his great services in connection with the Olympic Games in London during the year, and in acknowledgment of "the able and courteous way in which he had upheld the principles of the Association." The services rendered by Mr. S. G. Moss, the Assistant Secretary, who had assisted Mr. Fisher most ably in a difficult period, were also recognised. In 1909 the General Committee expressed the opinion that a member of an affiliated Club should not officiate at a professional athletic meeting, and also ruled that a referee at a football match who received a fee for his services was eligible to compete under A.A.A. Laws, provided he was not ineligible in any other respect. The Scottish A.A.A. inquired the Committee's views as to administering oxygen to athletes as a stimulant, and the Committee replied that they were strongly against this practice. Certainly one would think that the pursuit of Athletics would be suffi– ciently stimulating in itself without any extraneous assistance of this description. The application of the Union des Societes Fran~aises de Sports Athletiques for recognition as the governing body in France was granted. The General Committee ruled that a Club affiliated to the Association should not hold sports on Sundays, and this decision has remained in force to the present time. At the Annual Meeting in this year the number of Vice-Presidents was increased from eight to nine, and Lord Desborough, who had taken the greatest interest in the Olympic Games in London, was then elected a Vice-President. New candidates for the ten positions on the Southern Committee were not always encouraged in those days, but having recently been elected Hon. Secretary of the Essex County Association, I decided to become a candidate, in spite of my youth-I was only thirty-four– and to my surprise at the " finish," I found that I had been admitted to the select company of my seniors. At the Annual Meeting in 1910, Mr. C. N. Jackson retired from the position of Hon. Treasurer, though he promised to carry on the duties until June 30th, in order to give assistance to his successor. Mr. W. M. Barnard was unanimously elected Hon. Treasurer, and a hearty vote of thanks was given to Mr. Jackson for his services for thirty years. A proposal that the A.A.A. should in future act independently of the N.C.U. and promote amateur cycling as well as amateur athletics was carried by 48