Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1911-10-20
SINGLE RULE OF THREE
Mrs. Bulmer Likes New Trinity"
Rule At Naval Academy For
bidding Middies To Invite More
Than Three Girls To Hops.
THE SWEETHEART TRINITY.
If Three Is A Crowd More Than Three
Is A Mob Saws Naval Officers
Wife.

II three is crowd, more than three
| is a mob.
This is the social edict at the United
States Naval Ac ademy limiting mid
shipmen to the privilege of inviting
not more than three girls to the series
of Academy ''hops" this winter.
From the superintendent, Captain
Gibbons, down to the middies them
selves-at least few of them-the
new rule has the stamp of society's
approval.
Furthermore, the Sweetheart
trinity" rule, as it is now called by
the middies, has the approval of the
official chaperoues and social arbiters
at Annapolis, the wives of the staff
of officers.
Outspoken in her approval of the
new arrangement is Mrs. Roscoe C
Bulmer, wife of Captain Bulmer, for
merly Miss Anita Poor, a former
leader of society in the National
Capital, and now one of the most
popular chaperones at the Academy
socials. Mrs. Bulmer is a woman
of handsome presence, strong personal
magnetism, and a society leader
with astaunch following.
my goodness, surely three girls
are enough for any midshipman, whe
he can't have even one upon gradu-
ating, according to the rule against
marriage of ensigns," said Mrs. Bull
mer to a representative of The Press
yesterday in her home at the naval
academy when interviewed by a re-
porter of the Washington Times.
why, the middies themselves like
the new rule; they adopted it. Of
course, the superintendent made the
order, l suppose, as nothing can be
done without his approval, and l
feel sure it's going to be the best
thing that ever happened for the mid
dies"
why did they limit the middies
to three girls"
They say" Mrs. Bulmer stated
with an enigmatic smile, "that it is.
to prevent overcrowding at the hops.
But, confidentially, believe it is
to avoid having one MILDLY with
flock of girls around him, by send
ing out wholesale invitations"
at is hoped to make the hops
more exclusive" continued the Acad-
emy chaperone, herself a member of
the most exclusive of exclusive
Washington society-with a capital
S.
'You know the middies are lust
boys, Mrs. Bulmer continued. "Thev
like to scatter dance invitations
broadcast all over the country, in
their home cities, Washington, Bal
timore, Philadelphia, New York, An
napolis and everywhere.
Mrs. Bulmer says the sweetheart
trinity" has worked out fine since
its inauguration last week.
''In sending out only three invita-
tions the result is that only about an
average of two of the three girls in
vited can attend.
When used to come down here to
hops five and six years ago"said Mrs.
Bulmer, smiling dreamily, as she
mentally reviewed her debutante davs
before her marriage to Capt. Bulmer:
cit was perfectly ridiculous to see
five or six girls hanging around one,
distracted MILDLY. He had invited
them all and had to entertain them.
Most of the other middies had done
the same thing. Nearly every MILDLY
had two or three girls. Now, wasn't
that pretty plight Because there
were more girls than middies as most
always. One MILDLY to dance with
six girls is somewhat preponderance,
| should say. And the other middies
couldn't help him out by taking
dances with his half-dozen guests, for
they were in the same boat them
selves"
In placing her official stamp of ap-
proval on the new "three girls to a
middle" order, Mrs. Bulmer said:
Now all this overwhelming of
middies by girls will stop. He can't
invite more than three and will prob
aby have only one guest to entertain.
possibly two, for all three invited can
hardly attend in every case. Then
there will be middies enough to 90
round.
Il think it is a very good rule.
But the public generally entirely mis-
understands it. The middies are not
limited to the same three girls all
the year, unless they are foolish
enough to send out the names of the
same trio of girls for the entire series
and have all accept. They can invite
three girls for the first hop, three
different girls for the second, and so
on.
81 am sure the superintendent will
even permit a middle to have an extra
girl friend down occasionally too.
Mrs. Bulmer says the Academy
chops" are now held in the gymna-
sum and not in the armory, the
"gym" being of limited capacity for
the 675 midshipmen, officers and
guests.
Only the big dances of the year.
including the "June ball." at gradu-
alton time. are held in the armory.
This statement of Mrs. BuImer
was purely with regard to he official
view of the policy, not that of the
middies or the hosts of girls who will
feel the restriction.
Pedigrees of the girls who are lucky