The Washington herald., 1915-12-19
Launching Of Southern Re-
gatta Association Should
Help Rowing in South.
VETERAN FAVORS PLAN
". c. Mckinney. Noted Local Sculler
and Authority. Pleased With
New Move.
BY EUGENE NJ. FOSTER.


son in Baltimore last Friday night. the
Patapsco Navy Of that city launched a
project that is expected to be the biggest
boom rowing has had its cities south Of
Philadelphia for many years
The plan proposed Is that of forming .
new rowing association to be known as
the Southern Regatta Association to be
composed of clubs from cities south of
Philadelphia
regatta is to be held each year in
cne of the Southern cities and entries will
be open only TO crews from this section.
The Ariel Rowing Club started the
movement in November last when they
Instructed their delegate to the Patapsco
Navy meeting to place the matter before
the delegates present for advisement.
Their action was approved by the Arun-
del Rowing Club. the other member OF
the Patapsco Navy. and the commodore
of the navy was instructed to communi-
cate with all the boat clubs south Of
Philadelphia and to call a meeting to be
held in the near future in Washington for
the purpose of setting a date and select
ing a place to hold the first annual re-
satta of the Southern Regatta Associa-
ton.
Sure of Success.
From the amount of interest displayed
by the delegates at the meeting and from
the reports received from the clubs out
side of Baltimore. promoters of the affair
are sure of success.
At the time the matter was first re-
ported to have been started by the
Ariels. a number of Washington rowing
officials and active boat club men were
approached on the subject and there
seemed TO be a division of opinion as to
the advisability of having a new rowing
association enter the field.
The objections to the plan AT that time
were that the field was sufficiently COW
cred by the present rowing associations.
that the class of crews that could be
obtained from such a restricted area
would hardly be sufficient inducemen.
for the local clubs to have their promis-
ing Junior and intermediate crews enter.
The Washington oarsn:en feel that
they would rather train to win a large
regatta where crews from most any sec
tion of the country would compete
against them. than to lose their class
as juniors or Intermediates by winning
against few crews - a regatta that
would be open only to small number
IF clubs
Another objection was that it was not
thought that rowing clubs in this To-
cality could support a regatta in any one
city each year. as the plan is not to
have the southern Association supersede
the present associations now in the field.
bat IS t" work with them. and the var
ious cities would surely bid for the
Middle States or the National some time.
W. q. Nckinn~y's Views.
However. the views of these rowing
men is not shared by W. c. Mckinney.
"a hp has hean rOnnaCfed with h.
rowing game since 1S1S He was the
champion sculler of the Potomac River
from lSS. TO lsS. and retired undefeated.
He rowed bow seat in the Potomac
Boat Club crew that defeated the world
champion Tureka crew of Newark. and
is now considered one OF the greatest
authorities on rowing in the country.
When the report Of the proposed plan
was shown him he said: That is some
thing | have been working for for .
number of years and is something I Will
give my whole support to IL ! have a
chance to vote on the question. In fact.
I am so much in favor of the plan that
] would be willing to subscribe for a cup
for one Of the events.
Il cannot agree with the idea expressed
by others that this city could not sup
port such a plan. for II is my firm belief
that there are great number OF men in
Z
and would he ready to lend financial
support for a regatta even II 1t comes as
often as once a year.
Why could not WashinGton or Bal
tmore support one regatta a year IL
Philadelphia can support two regsttas
a year. as IL does now. and then again,
1t would not be necessary for one city to
have the regatta each year as the asso-
citation could alternate between the vari-
GUS cities
start on small scale.
AT one time the whole State of vir-
ginia was alive with rowing clubs and q
number of the colleges that were situ-
ated near rivers fostered the game
II think the new rowing plan would
meet with great success. but of course
it would have TO start on small scale.
the same as every other association has
started.
June would be the best month to hold
the regatta. as II would be an induce
ment for a new class of men to come out
for the game.
At present the Potomac Club. of which
I am member. Is forced to wait until
the lst of June each year before a crew
can be gotten together. as most of the
members are fellows who attend night
college and are unable to come out and
year. Whereas a regatta in June would
be special inducement for the high
school boys and a class Of fellows who
work during the day. but get OF in time
to come out for practice in the evening
IL can be readily seen that this will
add more followers 10 the game. as the
college men would surely come out. a.
they are doing at present. and compete
for places with other men. II the early
season crew wins its race in the June
regatta the later men can take the place
left by them and the club will have plen-
ty Of rowing material to represent 1t IN
all of the regattas of the season.
I do not think that Washington and
Baltimore will be the only cities bens-
fted. but that with a regatta so near to
home the various clubs south of wash
ington would take UP the game again N
earnest as was the case in days past
and in a few years the association would
be a-strong- and healthy addition to .ths
rowing game