A MODERN MAN'S CLUB.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 10761, 8 May 1911, Page 1

A MODERN MAN'S CLUB.

(By H. Hamilton Fyl'e.) I find "club" defined in the dictionary as: "A company of persons organised to meet'for social intercourse, or for the--promotion .-'of some common object,! as literature, science, politics." : ;.,T'their tui'irhiy'thotights to the clubs. L.'kUqw/ and" I find that'they havS strayed':a long'distance from their origifml purpose.- T ls : - there any political clubj which ;has any real influence on politics?" Any literary 'cfub which 4 "promotes?' literature? Any scientific club which does anything for the advancement of science? Ido not speak of societies; they are different; they are not '"organised for social intercourse,", as clubs are"supposed.to be.

'■ Eyen the social intercourse of club life .is more of a tradition than a fact. A great ! 'ma'ny of us go to'-oiir clubs to get away from than r to meet people: The idea that'tneri becoin6 acquainted through-belonging to the same club is fallacious. ' There is -fio real- tie between them.' I • knew 'U ■man once who Had belonged to" a ; club for-'ten years and only twice spoken : -to -'fellow-members.' One jof f'thos'e mistook him .for someone else.' The-other apologised for short-sightedly.-knocking' out : his pipe ashes' on my : -frifSnd's head, "under the iinpres•sion ;t'hat it was part of a chair. The acquaintance stopped there. ' The day' of •prosperity : for 'the club of the' era is oyer. The growth; df'''restaurants 'lists helped to push it"<l6*n the'hill."' The. ftiore" active habits of the'"preseiit.generation leave Ijfctt'etime" for 'sitting iri easy chairs, looking at' the papers' in a desultory fashion, chatting about HotKin'g in particular" with sbriVe.one for whose; opinion, yoh' do a rap; ;Np, institution can last, in the : sam"e 'fo'rjii for. "ever. There conies a. time" \vh£n" -it' jmiist either change-' its'"form' or' disappear. 'There have been rumors for years.past about this and that old-established club ."finding it more and more difficult to" exist. But it has been left to the Royal Auto? mobile .Club to read and'-interpret the writing on the wall; to "-recognise that circumstances should alter clubs' as well as cases; and to 'transform' itself into something entirely different from the old fashioned club-house; something better suited to the needs of the day."

When the mid-Victorian clubman arrives! home just in time to dress for dinner, his wife says, "Well, dear,. did you look in at the club?" "Xes," he replied wearily. "That old boreTJletherham .got hold'of me. Awful! Nothing in the weeklies. I looked at them all. Actually went to sleep before the fire.'' The effect of mid-Victorianisni is deadening to the interests. It is mentally and physically tiring. It leads to dyspepsia, often to drink/ ■'Now contrast with that the • arrival home of the twentieth ceiitury club-

milii. His step is'springy. His figure is trim. There is a, healthy'glow of color in his cheeks, a brightness of vigor in Jiis eye. "1 see you've been to the club,'' says madam. "Rather," he answers briskly. "Had 11 shave there;, then a game at squash-racquets, took a turn or two 011 the horizontal bar in the 'gym..' tried my eye in the riflle range."finished up with a Turkish bath and a good swim in the big pool. Feel simply splendid. Take you there for dinner.-if yon like. You imagine, I expect, that I am romancing," looking into the future. Not at all. Everything I have mentioned will be possible in London this week. The Roval Automobile Club, which on Thursday nest moves from Piccadilly to its new house, or.rather its pajaec, built on the site of the old War Office in Pall- Mall, has laid itself out to satisfy the passion for exercise that possesses the average man to-day. The Bath Club began it, and prospered exceedingly';'' The Royal Automobile Club does the thing 611 a more elaborate scale- Two floors down from the street level'there are three excellent courts or squash-racquets, a gymnasium which will be as well equipped as any in London, a miniature rifle range. 25 yards long, a marble swimming bath (about 100 by 40) with Roman pillars in mosaic, quite a thing of beauty-as-well as usefulness, and ii Turkish bath with a small marble plunge of its own. That iS-oue outstanding feature ot the new club liouse. The other is the restaurant. Exercise gives the modern man a good appetite. After- the play he feels hungry enough for snppter. The difficulty is that the "rulers he himselt has elevated do not think' it good tor him to sit up late'. They'close all the public restaurants at. half-past twelve—on Saturdays, indeed, at twelve o clock. It does not promote'good digestion to be hustled' through a meal, to have waiters standing,round you with your hat and coat, to sec the lights gradually go out until the place is almost in, darkness. "Let us therefore provide, said the Royal Automobile Club committee, .". a restaurant where our members can bring their friends and sup without this unpleasant interruption. It must, ot course, lie open to-ladies, and it must be managed by the best men we can get." ,So\they got Mr Pruger late of ithe ■ Savoy -in London and of the "Millionaires'- in New York. In future no theatre party will be complete without a member of the Royal Automobile Club, sp. : that the eyenuig may be finished in comfort and atJeisure in this famous, restaurant. Nor will there bo any complaints, from, wives n bout club ; subscriptions .if'their husbands belong to', the" Royal Automobile Club. On the contrary, all wives who seek to be in the-swim will be urgmg their men to .join. Not only will the restaurant he. open to there is also a tea-room''for--thera,.: with a. delightful broad balconj; and; .a; view oyer St.' .Tames'-Park' to.Westminster. At the back of-the dub are Carlton Gardens which give it an exceedingly pleasfnfmitlook from all' floors. The lounge, running the whpje length ..of the biulding on the entrance-level also opens on: to : i small terrace, tins has a suggestion, very.uncomnion.in f he 1 Jjea . lt of *a cit'v, of spaciousness and fresh air. The War Office certainly sacrificeda charming site it moved into W lutehall There are relics of the old place, by the way, in what is called the clubroom, which ; balances-tie restaurant on the west' This has the. ceiling And frieze, which were .in..thejtt r orOffice ■ They are rather .florid in stylej butthe\ have a certain .historic interest.. The .ha'nusome : . entranced hall ;(wjtlv--a..coinp:feto-p6st fioffice for niembers' r .use).is open-to.the first floor Here there,are billiard and card rooms, the members' dining.room,; and a small library,' lence-room attached. not expected, that {.martyr of"'% 6000 members will be o.t ; yery;stiidious tastes. The second floor .is" .mostly .occupied by offices, definition: -The .Royal Automobile Club does exist for therpfqmitibii of „ajvobiect,. that .object of motorists,. :lt, ; belps its memberpylio have cars', (thisrjs.. cf membership) . in r all of ; ways. Here is a room, - routes for tours are; madr;Out'; -fliere, clerks are translating. Continental notices as to speed,, roads, penalties, .and P °So'- reall'v, in taking this- bold step forward the Royal Automobile- Club s also recurring to the original purposes for which clubs were founded; social intercourse and the advancement ol some definite pursuit. Its enterprise marks a change in our .social.conditions. Club* began hv being places to wlncn persons with common interests might reinrt both to eat and drink and talK too-etlier, .and to pursue common aims. That is tha idea of the Royal Automobile Club: and-it adds a strong appeal as we have seen, on the physical Energy side. The motor has made many alterations in onr habits, but none tha«. will be more interesting to watch tHaii this.