1. Who has ever competed in any open competition for a stake, money, or entrance-fee.
2. Who has competed with or against a professional for any prize.
3. Who has ever taught, pursued, or assisted in the practice of athletic exercise of any kind as a means of gaining a livelihood.
4. Who has been employed in or about boats for money or wages.
5. Who is or has been, by trade or employment for wages, a mechanic, artisan, or labourer.
This definition, with a further slight verbal alteration, will be found still embodied in the rules of Henley regatta, which are given at p. 48. This new definition was adopted by the ‘Amateur Rowing Association.’
This latter body arose in 1879. The original object of its constitution was to found a general club which could comprise all the best amateur talent of Britain, and from which, in the event of any foreign or colonial crew, composed of the full force of its own country, coming to these shores, could be put forward to represent the honour of the mother country; so that the individual clubs of Britain should never hereafter be in danger of being attacked separately, with forces divided, by the concentrated resources of some foreign or colonial country. The association was first called the ‘Metropolitan Rowing Association,’ but eventually it took its present name. The rules of this association are here given in extenso, and sufficiently explain the raison d’être.
Rules of the Amateur Rowing Association, late Metropolitan Rowing Association.
| Committee. | |||||||||
| The President of the Oxford University Boat Club. | ⎫ | ||||||||
| The President of the Cambridge University Boat Club. | ⎪ | ||||||||
| The Captain of the Dublin University Boat Club. | ⎪ | ||||||||
| The Captain of the Dublin University Rowing Club. | ⎬ | Ex Officio. | |||||||
| The Captain of the Leander Boat Club. | ⎪ | ||||||||
| The Captain of the London Rowing Club. | ⎪ | ||||||||
| The Captain of the Kingston Rowing Club. | ⎪ | ||||||||
| The Captain of the Thames Rowing Club. | ⎭ | ||||||||
| James Catty, T.R.C. | F. S. Gulston, L.R.C. | ||||||||
| H. J. Chinnery, L.R.C. | James Hastie, T.R.C. | ||||||||
| F. Fenner, L.R.C. | Rev. R. W. Risley, O.U.B.C. | ||||||||
| J. H. D. Goldie, C.U.B.C. | S. Le Blanc Smith, L.R.C. | ||||||||
| Hon. Secretary. | |||||||||
| S. Le Blanc Smith, Esq. | |||||||||
| Head Quarters, pro tem. | |||||||||
| London Rowing Club, Putney. | |||||||||
1. That this Club be called ‘The Amateur Rowing Association.’