The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-11-30

p
gists everywhere.
cipated that before final decision in
the case would lie made. that the
Board OF Control would give an oppOr-
tunity TO Principal Connor of Sum
merlin institute to be heard. and
further that this opportunity could
not be given Principal Conner until
had filed with you evidence in the
case Of Webb Wilson, an explanation
for the delay in filing the evidence
having been made in the submission
of the protest.
There is no bases of reason for your
attitude in the case of Clifford Wat
terson in which you advised that he
was eligible If you will refer to your
copy of the constitution and bylaws
Of the Florida High School Athletic
Association. and you will read section
8, which section governs the eligibil-
ity of players. and upon which section
the Board of Control must govern its
decision and If you will refer to
clause F of section 8 which provides:
Must have passed in each of three
units subjects and have an average
passing grade in four unit subjects in
the semester previous to the one in
which he wishes to represent a school
in any branch of athletics. You will
! find that upon the basis of evidence
submitted, i. e.. an affidavit from the
principal of the Lake Wales school
certifying Watterson's disqualified
tions on his failure to pass three unit
subjects and his failure to obtain an
average passing grade in four unit
subjects based upon this charge and
this evidence, the case against Wat
terson is complete; and let me say
this, that Principal Conner having
this student for the first time as Il
student In Summerlin, is not in posi-
ton to make any defense against the
affidavit of the principal under whom
young Watterson attended school.
| must again explain the case of
Webb Wilson, that due to the delay
in getting from Washington Wilson's
own statement as to his age will avoid
my definitely submitting evidence
bearing upon that for perhaps week.
l do want you to know that the evi
dence from one of the sources we are
obtaining, that is, from the govern
ment records in Washington, we ex-
pect to prove not only that he is 81
years and over, but we expect to dis
qualify him under clause f of section
8, dealing with his failure not to have
passed in three unit subjects for the
semester previous to the one in which
he is participating in athletics at
Summerlin.
The Board of Control has not with
in it's power the right to set aside any
Of the rules governing the eligibility
of players, and in the absence Of that
right, there is but one decision for
it to reach, and that is, the disquali-
fication OF Watterson and Webb upon
the grounds that we allege, and based
upon the correctness and on the alb
soluteness of the evidence.
In the matter of our player. Giles
pie, if section B. paragraph s, was
violated by the Lakeland High School
team in the playing of Gillespie this
season, then it was the duty of the
Board of Control upon protest to have
cancelled or forfeited that game. You
may be assured that no effort would
have been made on our part to ask
for leniency. You must admit though
that section B permits the Board of
Control to exercise more considera-
ton than does an other cause of Sec
ton 8 for this reason that the player
Registering may have las was the case
with Gillespie) sufficient reasons as
to his delay in entering school later
than the first two weeks of the begin
ming OF the semester There is, how
ever, no good reason for the playing
of a man by a principal or superin-
tendent or schools in the absence OF
proper school records showing his
passing grade in three unit subjects
or having maintained an average
passing grade in four unit subjects in
the semester previous to the one in
which he wishes to represent school
in any branch of athletics. This, as
your records will show, has been re-
quired by me Of every player on the
Lakeland team, including Gillespie
, for the semester covering the spring
OF 1921 shows that he has qualified
under clause F of section s. There is
no range for excuse or good reason
for the playing of either Watterson
or Webb Wilson by Prof. Connor
when he had not and could not OBJ
tain and knew that he could not OBJ
tain the records necessary under
clause F in order to properly certify
these two players to you and your
Board of Control.
OF course, under clause in the
matter Of the eligibility of Wilson
lfhnre ia no dafense-We shall let the
absolute evidence we shall submit
prove definitely and conclusively, and
in the establishment of such proof
there is no defense on that to be made
We have at all times courted tbs
very strictest investigation as to the
eligibility Of our men, and have en-.