The Club Smoking Room.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIII, Issue 7, 18 August 1909, Page 4

The Club Smoking Room.

By

HAVANA.

The Young Idea and Football. ELL, what do you think of our ■ fl successes across the water in the football field ?” asked the sport. “Excellent,” replied the member addressed, “but it’s just what I expected, for although only a local team, a good number of them are rep. men. What I think so splendid is the fact that 'Boler’ Francis is the youngest man to captain a senior team that we have ever sent away from Auckland. Of course, like other New Zealanders, he began the game very young. I suppose the colonial youngster takes to sport in general, and football in particular, like a duck takes to water. One of those lads recently charged with playing football in a public place gave his age as eight. The little beggars know a good deal about the game, too. One has only to hear their criticisms of the players, and even the referee, to see that they know more about rules of Rugby than the rule of three. Look at the enthusiasm displayed by the jovenile ‘barrackers’ at the Kings v. Grammar School match. The lads have no traditions like so many of the Home schools to give them a ‘public school spirit,’ but tha keen love of pure and wholesome

port begets in them a sense of loyalty to their school which is at all events a very fair beginning of it.” The Joys of Yachting. “I have noticed the same early start made in boating by the juvenile beachcombers in this country,” said the yachtsman. “In the Old Country it is only a youth whose parents are pretty well off that has a yacht he can call his own, and then he is not usually allowed to cruise without some older person—usually a paid skipper-in-charge. WTiy, I have seen three or four lads from 16 to 20 years old whose sole ambition was to get ‘away North’ for a fortnight’s cruise in the summer. Of course, we have a far safer coast line here for cruising than perhaps any part of the world. Between Auckland and Whangaroa one is never more than three or four hours’ run from a shelter from any wind that blows.” “Personally,” said the visitor, "my idea of yachting is a trip in a good steam yacht with

every comfort and luxury, where I can enjoy myself and take things easy. I can see no fun in having to rough it in a small sailing boat, where one is obliged to be on deck in all weathers to look after the handling of the boat. Besides, I object to doing my own cooking and washing greasy dishes. In fact, all the work that you colonial yachtsmen seem to do for yourselves we should do in England. Beaching, cleaning, painting and repairing of boats seems such a beastly, dirty job; and, moreover, how you fellows come to understand all these trades is what puzzles me.” Colonial Resourcefulness. “Well,” said the big man in the lounge, “you see the colonial is by nature more resourceful than the Englishman. It is a case of ‘needs must.’’ If he had to employ labour to do all these things, and pay union wages he could never afford to have boats at all. Anyhow, the actual roughing it that the colonial youngster gets is an excellent thing for him. This may sound rather drastic, but it’s true. The more a man has to do the more he finds he can do. Put a colonial youth down anywhere you like and he’ll find his “sea-legs” sooner than anyone.

Moreover, this roughing it is conducive to good constitutions and long lives. Look at the pioneers of this country; the rough and ready time they had; how they had to shift for themselves, and see how many of them reach their four score years. In my opinion if the youth of England had the same sort of training they would grow up harder and tougher men for it; there would be less complaints in the Home papers about our rough play for the simple reason that the Home teams could and doubtless would, give all they got. But to get back to boating. If the motor launch has come to stay, which I venture to doubt in spite of statistics, then the old hands may well wag their heads and say, “Boating is not what it used to be when I was a boy.” Mind you, a launch is very handy, I’ll admit, especially just now in the winter for an occasional spin on a Sunday, to which I suppose the padre would object.”

Sunday Sport. “Oh, don’t mind me.” said the parson. “I try to take a liberal view of the much discussed question of Sunday yachting. I can’t say yea or nay to it off hand. It seems to me that many men who are working in warehouses or offices all the week do in all justice require some fresh air and outdoor exercise. If this is to be had only on Saturday, it means that cruising at all events is out of the question, and I for one know £he difference between a mere afternoon spin and a cruise, albeit, it is only a week-end trip. It undoubtedly makes a splendid break in the week’s work for the yachtsman, but from my point of view it makes a break in my congregation. Some of my men go alternately for the cruise and the Saturday afternoon spin, and as a rule they turn up for Evensong on Sunday. This I plead is only just. Given ordinary weather and a decent craft —not a dug-out—there is nothing to prevent the boats being on their moorings with everything snug in time for the parson, who himself never knows a week-end trip, to see the sun-burnt faces of his yachting parishioners scattered about his congregation, and to hear their lusty voices singing “Eternal Father” when the cruel sou’-wester is raging.’