Fifty Years of Progress 1880-1930

A.A.A. JUBILEE SOUVENIR At the meeting of the General Committee in September, 1928, the death of Mr. T. M. Abraham was reported, with great regret. Mr. Abraham had attended the first meeting at Oxford in 1880, and had always taken the keenest interest in the affairs of the Northern Counties A.A., and the Association itself. He brought to its meetings the practical common-sense of the North, and was never afraid to advocate any cause in which he believed, whatever might be the opposition to it. It was reported that there had been a record attendance at the Championships of 30,000, and an attendance of 41,000 at the meeting between the British Empire and U.S.A., being the largest attendance at any athletic meeting in England, with the exception of the Marathon day at the Olympic Games in London in 1908. It was agreed at this meeting " that any person who has competed as a dirt track rider for cash prizes or other remuneration, or against one who has received cash prizes in dirt track races, is not eligible to compete as an amateur." If this had not been passed, a man could have run as an amateur in the afternoon and ridden in a professional dirt track race for a cash prize in the evening ! A further advance in our organisation was made at the meeting of the General Committee in February, 1929, Mr. J. F. Wadmore, who was closely in touch with amateur athletes all over the country, being appointed Hon. Team Secretary in connection with the International and other matches. At the Annual Meeting in 1929, Mr. Harry J. Barclay was unanimously elected a Life Vice-President, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Mr. T. M. Abraham. The Police A.A. was given repre– sentation on the General Committee after considerable discussion, direct representation on the General Committee being seldom given to any Club or Association without substantial arguments in its favour. Later in the year it was pointed out that the election of honorary members had not been in active operation, and a special Sub-Committee, with Mr. E. H. eville as the Hon. Secretary, was appointed to deal with this question, with a view to increasing the number of honorary members. Their efforts were very successful, and in a short time over one hundred had been elected. The popularity of the handbook," The Organisation and Management of Athletic Meetings," was shown by the fact that the Indian Olympic Committee asked for permission to publish extracts from this book, and it was granted. A resolution approving the principle of acquiring a sports ground for the Association was passed, and a Sub-Committee was appointed, though up to the present it has not been possible to make arrangements for a suitable ground. A Sub-Committee was also appointed to report upon the question of lecturing, broadcasting and journalism for payment by athletes or members of Committees, and its report is still under consideration. The wonderful record of C. Ellis at 1 ,ooo yards, viz., 2 min. 11} sec., in the previous September, was passed as a British Amateur and World's record. At the same meeting, after receipt of an inquiry upon the subject, attention was called to the rule stating 56

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