EERC Annual Dinner 1930

Transcript

EERC Speeches at the Annual Dinner

£500 Raised Towards New Boathouse

A sum of £500 is available towards the cost of new club premises, which the Eton Excelsior Rowing Club hope to build.  This announcement was made at the annual dinner held at the White Hart Hotel on Monday evening.  Further funds are required to enable the Club successfully to launch the scheme, and to all sportsmen interested in rowing the promoters look for additional financial assistance.  Alderman George Mitchell occupied the chair, and amongst those also present were the Mayor of Windsor (Lieut. Col. Stephen Wright), Mr. C. A. Gladstone (Eton College), Messrs. A. H. Dyson, R. Calvert, R. White, A. Μ. L. Thomson (Captain of the E.E.R.C.), V. H. Hobbs (vice-captain), L. Barrett (hon. secretary), V. A. C. Wood (hon. treasurer), G. A. Smith and C. J. H. Collinson (Staines B.C.), K. Ruffe Thomas and J. E. Arnold (Maidenhead R. C.), H. Marment, H. А. Baker, W. Bedford, H. Baden Hawes, C. D. Dyson, A. Johns, F. W. Buck, A. Sharratt, H. Kendall, G. W. Bayley, J. G. Tull (Chief Officer of the Windsor Fire Brigade), J. W. Tull, J. W. Croft, I. R. L. Thomson, Thomson, R. R. Taylor and J. Hewett.  The Dean of Windsor (Dr. A. V. Baillie), was unavoidably absent owing to a bereavement.

After an excellent dinner, the CHAIRMAN proposed the toast of “The King,” which was accorded musical honours.

The Chairman

Mr. A. H. DYSON proposed the toast of “The Chairman,” their acting-President.  They were very sorry that their President (Sir George Peters) was not well enough in health to be with them.  Last year Alderman Mitchell kindly gave the Club a skiff, and he desired the Chairman to know that the craft had been very much appreciated by the members.  When they contemplated building a new boathouse at Deadwater Ait, one of the first people whom they approached was Alderman Mitchell, who considered it an excellent idea.  Further than that, the Chairman said he would give them a sixtieth part of the cost of the building of a new boat-house (applause).  Could they but have secured another fifty-nine equally kind people, the boat-house would by now have been erected.  However, they had managed to get another five, and that was a considerable help.  They were still struggling to raise the necessary amount of money, and from another sporting gentleman, Mr. Stanley Phillips, they had received a donation of five guineas (applause).  If they worked together, he saw no reason why they should not achieve their object.  They looked forward to a larger Windsor and a larger Club.  Slough was growing rapidly, and from that direction they should anticipate many new members.  They had an excellent Honorary Secretary from Slough, and two or three members of the Committee also hailed from that town.  At Slough they were talking about swimming baths, but they had to come to Windsor for the Thames.  A second proposal was to rebuild the old club premises, but were they to do so, they would still be faced with trouble during the winter.  Deadwater Ait was undoubtedly the place for the proposed new premises.  Near at hand, there was a splendid parking place for cars and motorcycles.  Their present premises were very congested, and it was his earnest hope that they would not have to remain there.  He asked them to drink with musical honours to the toast of “The Chairman” (applause).

The CHAIRMAN thanked Mr. Dyson sincerely for kindly proposing the toast; he thanked the company for the reception they had accorded it, and he endorsed every word Mr. Dyson had uttered with regard to the advisability of moving the Club premises to the Island, if it could possibly be managed.  He considered the site an ideal one and, with all the amenities of that neighbourhood, it would certainly be very advantageous for the continued prosperity of the Club.  It was many years since he (the Chairman) had been able to participate in aquatic operations, but he had always been dearly in love with the river and the exercise one obtained from rowing.  He was glad the skiff had been appreciated.  When told that it was his privilege to occupy the chair that evening his feelings were those of sympathy for their President (Sir George Peters) who could not be with them.  Sir George had worked zealously in the interests of the Club, and it was their hope that he would soon be restored to good health (hear, hear).

The President and Vice-Presidents

Mr. A. M. L. THOMSON proposed “The President and Vice-Presidents”.  Unfortunately their President could not attend the dinner, but he had had good news, through the Hon. Secretary, that Sir George Peters hoped this would be his last absence from the Club festivity for a long time to come (hear, hear).  They had with them that evening one whom they had never had before at their annual dinner, but whom they hoped would come again.  He referred to Mr. Gladstone (applause).  They trusted he would not only come to their festive board, but that he would help them, whether in the old or new Club premises, with words of wisdom.  The Eton Excelsior Rowing Club owed its origin to Eton College and they considered it an honour always to have a representative of Eton College in their midst.  He (the speaker) asked all to drink to the health of the President and Vice-Presidents, and he coupled with the toast the name of Mr. Gladstone (applause).

Mr. GLADSTONE said he had been asked to reply for the Dean of Windsor (Dr. A. V. Baillie), and he thought it right to say how very sorry everyone was that the Dean was unable to sit with them that night.  The reason was a very sad one, and they expressed sympathy with the Dean in his bereavement.  He (Mr. Gladstone) considered it an honour to be asked to speak, because he thought any amateur rowing club to be a very fine institution.  It might seem that Eton masters and others did not take much interest in the Eton Excelsior Rowing Club he wished to state that they took a very great interest in the activities of the Club.  But he asked the Eton Excelsior Club members to realise that at Eton they had 450 boys, all of whom were clamouring to learn rowing.  Not only that, but they had 1,100 boys to keep in order morning and afternoon, before they went out rowing in the evening.  He asked them to picture that task.  Could it be wondered at that they had little energy left (laughter and applause).

The Mayor and Corporation

Mr. C. D. DYSON proposed “The Mayor and Corporation.”  It was an honour, he said, to have the company of the Mayor, in view of the many public duties he had to perform.  It was a peculiar circumstance that they appeared to have had only two members of the Town Council who had been connected with the Rowing Club – the Chairmen and one other.  This might be due to the poor premises the Club possessed.  When they had better accommodation, it was his hope that more of the members of the Council would join the Club (applause).  He coupled with the toast the name of Lieut. Col. Stephen Wright.

The MAYOR expressed pleasure at the fact that the members of the Club were really pulling themselves together.  With regard to the island, the Club had asked the Council to take the matter into their consideration. There was every inclination on the part of the Town Council to do everything possible for the Eton Excelsior Rowing Club.  The deliberations at their meetings had been most friendly, and the members of the Council were full of sympathy in the Club’s cause.  Any reasonable proposition put before the Council would receive their most favourable consideration (applause).

The Club and the Officers

Mr. C. A. GLADSTONE submitted the toast of “The Club and the Officers.”  “What is the good of a rowing club at all?” he asked.  “Why does anybody ever row?  We all know it is not all beer and skittles.”  He then described some of the feelings which assailed them under certain circumstances when out in an “eight” or a “four” and things did not go too smoothly.  “But we all like it,” he added. “At least, most of us do, and I am devoted to rowing and think it is one of the best things in the world.”  The more they could keep up amateur rowing the stronger, he affirmed, the nation would be.  It needed more grit and courage than any other form of sport.  Personally, were he ever sent to the South Pole but it was most unlikely he would desire the men of rowing clubs to accompany him.  He was quite sure that if he collapsed rowing men would carry him further than anyone else would be able to do.  A short time ago a foreigner visited him on the rafts at Eton.  To the foreigner rowing was quite absurd; he had never seen it before, and he remarked, “Why, they even row backwards; they cannot even see the view” (laughter).  He told the foreigner he probably did not know that rowing was invented at Eton in pre-historic times and that they started rowing backwards because they found they obtained such a magnificent view of Windsor Castle as they went up-stream (laughter).  It was very important that the Eton Excelsior Rowing Club should carry on, and he agreed with Mr. A. H. Dyson in his belief that when they had new premises they would be bound to attract new members.  Eton College would much rather the Eton Excelsior Rowing Club obtained Deadwater Ait than anyone else.  It was the wish of Eton College that the Club should succeed, and he (the speaker) sincerely hoped they would secure their new premises.  He coupled with the toast the name of Mr. A. M. L. Thomson (applause).

Mr. THOMSON thanked Mr. Gladstone for his kind words concerning the Club.  The speaker then suggested that during the past year he had been, through no fault of his own, a poor captain to the Club.  He had been forced into the position of Captain, and had done his best.  The wheels of industry ground very slowly, but very hard, and it was in consequence of business that he had been able to visit the raft but little, and he apologised.  They were all agreed that the Club needed new premises, premises adequate first of all, to house their boats; they were the chief thing to be considered.  Whether they took advantage of the offer of College or whether they took advantage of the offer of the Corporation of Windsor at Deadwater Ait, mattered not, so long as they had somewhere to go that would be suitable for the housing of their boats.  Slough was becoming a big industrial centre and Windsor would be the residential centre, and from those sources would their membership be obtained.  London, in view of the approach of an electric train service and the running of motor coaches, was now nearly as close to Windsor as Putney and there was no reason why they should not be in the running with the Tideway Clubs.  He much appreciated the good work accomplished by Mr. Hobbs (vice-captain), Mr. Barrett (hon. secretary) and Mr. Wood (hon. treasurer).  No one had worked harder than they, and he appreciated it all the more because, although he had been in the background, he had known what was going on.  It was only by the hard work of the members that they were going to progress, and he hoped they would be seen at Henley every year.  He was perfectly certain the Club would go forward and would become once again a rowing name on the river.  The Eton Excelsior Rowing Chub was the oldest on the Thames.  In conclusion he desired to say that they had nearly £500 towards the now club house (applause).

The Visitors

Mr. V. H. HOBBS, in felicitous terms, proposed the toast of “The Visitors,” offering a cordial welcome to friends from Maidenhead and Staines.  He coupled with the toast the names of Messrs. G. A. Smith and J. E. Arnold.

The toast having been received with enthusiasm.

Mr. SMITH referred to the excellent relationship existing between the Eton Excelsior R.C. and the Staines B.C.  He expressed the opinion that there should not be so many up-river clubs, but that there should be amalgamations.  Tideway clubs had memberships in the region of 500 or 600, against a membership of about 50 in the case of an up-river Club.  He wondered whether events could be organised during the winter to improve up-river rowing; they might pit their strength against one another, and he threw out the suggestion for what it was worth.

Mr. J. E. ARNOLD pointed out the difficulty of river work during the winter owing to the level of the water. Until last Sunday, Maidenhead had not been able to have a crew on the river since November.  They could not get out of the boathouse without going well over their knees in water at this time of the year that was the difficulty.  At Maidenhead they had to raise £2,000 for new premises, but they managed to do so.  From what he could gather the Windsor Corporation were meeting the Club magnanimously.  He advised the Club to accept the offer while the going was hot and, with the £500 already obtained, to make a start with the ground floor of their new premises.  If this policy were adopted he felt certain they, would get new members and more money would come afterwards (applause).

The Press

Mr. H. MARMENT, of Ascot, in kindly terms, proposed “The Press,” and the toast was responded to.

The Artists

Mr. L. BARRETT proposed the artists, thanking Mr. H. Kendall and Mr. H. Baden Hawes for a delightful musical programme.

Mr. KENDALL, on behalf of Mr. H. Baden Hawes and himself, thanked the company for their cordial reception.

Images

---