Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-25

5: :: !: !: ::
.NxEsg Athls tic Club-compos-
SstfS1 ing the joint commit
MY tee on the Potomac river
regatta, held at the Po-
- ' t: :: :' T.. s; :::.. ' Z:
"a question Of 'ways and
means" was discussed.
The fact was soon developed that the ''ways'
were all right, but the question of means was
the only drawback and the only possible hiu-
drance to local regatta this year. The clubs,
Individually and collectively, are unable, as
clubs, to shoulder the money burdens. Their
treasurers have need for all the money coming
into the clubs, for it must be remembered that
their only support comes from monthly dues,
and as In many. very many, instances members
are slow or neglectful or willfuly careless about
paying their monthly dues it can plainly be
seen that surpluses are L very scarce article
Expenses 60 on just the same for repair and
care of boats, for insurance and taxes and jan
itor hire and the thousand and one things nee
essary to carry on such an organization The
clubs are willing to do all the labor connected
with a regatta. To work out the details of such
an affair entails very large amount of work
and some expense, for. aside from certain extra
'fxins" necessary in the preparations for every
race. the clubs would be at the expense of en-
Pertaining to some extent the visiting crews.
Now. it seems to me that as the clubs are fix
lures here, having their own property and will
ing to do all they can to elevate athletics, and
especially the manly sport Of rowing. helping
to make moral and stronger men of the young
men who are willing to row, the local pride
in them should be sufficient to help them ont
and from among those who do not belong to
the clubs should come the money. In other
words, when the clubs decide finally upon the
question of holding regatta the question of
money should not be bar to its successful con-
summation.
Take, for instance, the city of Boston. There
every year certain amount. sufficient for all
purposes, Is appropriated for one days sport,
and this includes regatta (Which is a fixture)
and certain sports on land. See how the crowds
turn out. The matter of local pride M kes
every event successful one, and the rowing
men and the field athletes include the city
fathers in their daily prayers.
Take the city Of Lynn. Mass, with only
little over So, 900 inhabitants What does il do
to encourage rowing this year? The New
England Amateur Rowing Association holds it's
sixth annual regatta this year on Lynn harbor
on July 4, and the city of Lynn presents an
elegant prize to each winning oarsman and an
elegant banner to the clubs of winners. This
is no small matter, for there is every class of
race from the junior single to the senior
eight. including single canoes and four-oared
working boats, and forty-one prizes will be pre-
sented besides the banners. Now, why cam
not we stir our local people up to such pitch
OF interest. and let there be 200 who will give
50 each; that amount would not be missed.
Of course, it is out of the question to ask any
assistance from our local guardians or city
fathers; they have officially nothing to give.
Then when once started lets make the Poto-
mac river regatta an annual fixture Crews out
of town could then have something to count on
and they would get ready for Washington Just
as they do now for the other regattas and many
would prefer to come here. They get the best
OF treatment here, they say, and like to come.
Make this a fixture and the Potomac river re-
gatta would in a little while draw the ewes of
the rowing world to il, and local interest in
rowing would come back TO the old standard
boat for every man and every man in boat
and the river full of boats.
@. A. R. ENTERTAINMENT FUND.
My suggestion to place the date and the re-
gatta itself at the disposal of the local executive
committee having in charge the entertainment of
the G. A. X. at its encampment, beginning Sep
TENDER 20. has been we'll received and TO MANY
seems practicable. A regatta would certa inly
be a novelty to many thousands of the veterans
program Of entertainment. should we fail
in this as well as fail to receive assistance from
the business men, who this year have been
pretty well taxed in the subscription line why
not then by a popular subscription of a dollar
two from each of the members of the club
raise the necessary eight hundred or a thousand
dollars.
While taking trip up river this week it sug-
gested itself to me that il we only had a pull
with Congress, had some one to vigorously pre-
sent our claims, how nice il would be to have
included in the appropriations for Improve
ment of rivers and harbors' little item of,
say, SIC, 900 to improve our river from the new
bridge up to. say, the Potomac landing. By
improving it mean to blow up Cor DOWN all
the rocks now SO dangerous, including the
Sisters" and the Hens and Chickens and
"Old Adelaide" and sundry other Jagged,
rugged projections, which often when least ex-
pected, even by the old boating men, suddenly
scrape the sides Of ones boat.
POTOMAC RIVER NAVY
It has several times been suggested and there
seems no good reason why it would not be
good thing to form Potomac river navy.
Naturally there would be some jealousy in the
organization and every man but the one elected
commodore would feel that the undertaking
could not succeed. Take the Schuylkill Navy.
What a strong organization that is and what q
power in itself in aquatics, and this began
from small beginnings and clubs not SO strong
as ours. And just as that navy is now a sue
cess so could we be, and then what crews we
could get out in the shape Of composite crews
If that feature were adopted, and then the an
nual regatta and what not.
The Old Dominion Boat Club Of Alexandria.
now safely housed in its new and larger boat
house, a club full Of bright, active men, would
certainly 60 in to make the navy larger and
stronger.
SPECIAL RACE FOR ALL EIGHrs.