DINNER TO WINNING CREWS

The Harvard Club of Boston gave a dinner last evening at the Hotel Somerset in honor of the University crew of 1909, to which the Freshman eight and four, and the Gentlemen's eight were also invited. About 350 members of the club were present. At the raised table were seated Major Henry Lee Higginson '55, president of the club, William Stickney Hall '09, toastmaster, James Freeman Curtiss '99, and Justice William Caleb Loring '72. At the left were seated the University eight and four, and, opposite on the right, the Freshman eight and four. Directly in front of the speakers was the Gentlemen's eight.

Following the dinner, Major Higginson introduced William S. Hall '69, the toast master of the evening, who told briefly of the days when Harvard crews raced on Lake Quinsigamond. As an old warrior once said, "The battle of Waterloo was won on the cricket ground at Eton." The place to prepare for the struggles of life is in the struggles at college. He finished by presenting President Lowell.

After prolonged cheering, President Lowell spoke on intercollegiate contests as a means of college solidarity. "There is no more valuable habit in life that any man can acquire than the habit of winning; and athletics is a means to that end. But there are many men not on the crew, and many pale faces are seen about college." The habit of proper exercise is not as general as it ought to be. We are too much in the habit of thinking that it takes a specialist to enter athletics. This is not so. "You have heard me say that I want to bring about a higher standard of scholarship at Harvard; I want to raise the standard of athletics as well as scholarship." For this reason dormitory rowing ought to be developed, because it encourages general exercise and this will ultimately help our University crew. "We want to pour out into the world men who are all-around men. The crews to my right and left have made athletics a source of admiration, and every Undergraduate, as far as is within his power, ought to imitate them."

Mr. Hall then introduced Justice Loring. He spoke at some length on the advantage of rowing, saying that it makes a man exert himself beyond the point of which he at first never believed himself capable. Mr. Curtiss then gave a very witty account of the condition of rowing in his day. He finished by announcing that on next Wednesday at 3.30 o'clock as many alumni as possible will assemble in front of Claverly to march with a brass band of 60 pieces to Soldiers Field to see the last open practice before the Yale game. Mr. Hall, in behalf of the Boston Harvard Club, then presented each member of the University crew of 1909 with a small golden oar in token of their victory at New London.

Following this, short speeches were made by E. Cutler '09, captain of the winning crew, J. E. Waid '10, captain of the University crew, and F. M. Blagden '09, for four, years coxswain of the University eight. The dinner broke up with the singing of "Fair Harvard."