Evening star., 1931-12-20
CONFERENCE FIRM,
M|NC|NG NO WORDS
Organization Comes Out of
Storm That Rocks Ship
Stronger Than Ever.
BY III. C. BYRD.

SCIlCOuS olSS uSolOll SO IL dllN
that it would have aston
ished the athletic world emerged
today a stronger and more united
Southern Conference. At an ex-
ecutive session last night that
lasted well into the morning
hours, the good old conference
ship rocked until it seemed at
times that it might not weather
the storm, but finally settled back
on an even keel in calm and
friendly waters.
Actually, indeed, it was not until to-
day that all differences were ironed out
and the whole conference relationship
established on better basis than has
existed at any previous time since the
organization in 1920. No other annual
meeting of the conference ever has left
the entire organization in such friend
ly and cooperative mood, and, perhaps,
this highly desirable state OF affairs Is
due to the fact that this is perhaps the
first of the annual meetings In which
UleIupSTS Oh Ille COLllelellSc HaFC II aim
ly laid their cards on the table with
one another.
There was no beating the devil about
the bush and no attempt to formulate
high sounding and courteous phrases.
Spades were called spades. And, as is
usual in such cases. it was the best
thing that ever happened for the fu-
ture welfare of the body that stands
almost in absolute control of intercol-
legiate athletes from the Potomac to
Louisiana.
Makes Position Clear.
Not a small part of the discussion
centered around the recent meetings
held by small group of conference
schools that developed in at least a
part of the public mind a feeling that
the conference might break up. From
the first it was never the intention Of
any of the schools represented to Gre
ate such an impression, even though
that has been a part of the outcome.
In order to clarity the attitude of this
small group of schools and to make GER
tain that there is no Misrepresentation
of the attitude of the conference early
this afternoon the following resolution
was adopted:
That the Southern Conference de-
plOIeS GIlG GSSIOll lIldl W
have been created by the informal con-
ferences recently held by small group
of conference institutions as this group
met largely with view to cleaning up
and clarifying certain conditions that
existed among themselves, and with
out thought Of creating an impression
of forcing other members Of the confer
ence to adopt their point of view;
THAT the conference, as whole, re-
iterates its intention to establish among
It's membership spirit of amateuism
that shall be unQueStioned;
That the conference, in this, its
eleventh annual meeting, afflrms its
confidence and faith in the athletic fu-
ture Of the South, and in the part the
conference will play in the develop
ment of finer and more cordial rela-
tionship among its members"
Undoubtedly the most important &C
ton of the conference, as far as Its
future working organization Is con-
cerned, was to go on record as favorable
to the appointment OF commissioner
whose duty it shall be to check up
practices Of the various schools and
see that the conference code CT eligl-
bility is uniformly enforced. Whether
or not this will go into effect next Fall
or in the Fall of 1888 Is to be decided
late next Spring.
VIII Study New Job.
A committee consisting of D. Slagle
of Florida, A. w. Hobbs OF North Caro-
lima, j. F. Broussard of Louisiana and
H. C. Byrd of Maryland, chairman, was
named to go into all questions involved
in the appointment of commissioner,
including the salary to be paid, the
authority to be exercised. the location
4o 70 q 70
definite recommendations to the EXecu-
tive Committee at the latter's meeting
in Atlanta the first week II March.
One regulation the conference adopted
was in regard to scholarships and loan
funds In the future any member Of
the conference may request through the
conference secretary, until the matter
of a commissioner is settled, a signed
and certified statement from any other
institution as to the amount and kind
of help all members of athletic teams of
that institution are receiving, also it
has been decreed that all loan funds
and scholarships or aid Of any kind that
any athlete receives must be handled
by the regular university authorities and
a full record thereof kept available Tor
inspection.
A new regulation was adopted for
bidding any man employed on the ath-
letic staff of an institution offering
any inducements of any kind to entice
a high or prep school athlete to enter
a particular school. The conference
also adopted a rule prohibiting the
broadcasting of any conference foot ball
game, and passed regulation to pre-
vent the use of motion pictures in
scouting. A uniform scholastic athletic
requirement was passed in that man
to be eligible for team in the future
must pass at least three-fourths OF his
work.
Service Men Barred.
Another new rule makes ineligible any
athlete who may enter conference
school after having been IA member of
q service eleven, such as those that
represent the Coast Guard, Marine
Corps, or any Army or Navy post.
Throughout the conference sessions
yesterday and today there have been
the general get together of coaches and
athletic director in addition to the for
NAL meetings of the faculty repre-
sentatives of the various institutions.
Out Of 1aese pow vows have come
the beginnings of new liaisons of the
foot ball and other sports, and besides
representatives of conference schools,
coaches and athletic directors from
other institutions are spending their
time here.
William and Mary and Wake Forest
were present in an effort to further
their desires to become members of
the conference, but the conference felt
that at this time it should not enlarge
its membership.
Jim Pixlee of George Washington,
Tom Mills of Georgetown and Dutch
Bergman Of Catholic u, are here.
Pixlee is endeavoring to arrange some
foot ball games. Mills and Bergman
ere hobnobing with their several Notre
Dame friends coaching in the South.
The conference awarded its various
--.