Presentation

I'm sorry that I won't be at the Presentation - I was there last year and enjoyed it. My experience of club presentations is fairly lengthy. I never went before the War at all when they held it one year in the Red Cross Halls in Cart Street but the major anniversaries, even in the austerity years before and just after the war had ALL the men in Dinner Suits. Even when I started going in the late 1950's they were fairly formal events - the trophies on full display with name tags on card before them and all the medals laid out for all to see, the men in proper lounge suits and ties, many of the women wore long or three quarter length frocks and there were menus on the tables. (One year in the mid 60's when we were at the Esquire which had just opened at Anniesland, the wiatresses all stood at the side until given the signal when they all swooped on the tables and cleared them with military precision. The tables all had large numbers on them and after one impressive clearance, Ian Leggett grabbed two numbers and held up the figure 9.8 for the efforts of the staff!). The Presentation was the high spot of the evening and everything was centred on that event. Jim and Ishbel make a marvellous job of polishing up and setting out the trophies every year and deserve our congratulations and thanks for that but there have been times in recent years when I felt that many of the Seniors were putting up with the Presentation rather than celebrating the year's achievements.
Speeches matter. This is particularly true just now when the club is split in terms of training venues. These are where the club traditions are passed on, when the newer and younger members learn something of the club in which they find themselves. The content is reinforced if we have guests who speak well of the club
Guests? Aye................. we used to always have invited guests to these functions. Some were top class athletes such as Andy Forbes of Vicky Park or Lachie Stewart, others were local politicians such as Jimmy malcolm, Malcolm Turner, Tony Worthington and so on, some were local school teachers who were good friends of the club. They were all impressed by the display, by the company and by the evening. Many clubs still follow this procedure for their Dinners and maybe we should go back to it. It was always a showpiece and we all rejoiced in it - there have been times recently when I felt that the Committee was looking for the cheapest and most economical way of doing things. Let's go back to the glittering balls!
Then there has always been the question of young athletes coming along. When I joined the club it was strictly Seniors plus young athletes (under 15 and under 17) who came and there was serious discussion whether to reduce the price for them. Some years it was half price for those who had won prizes in these age groups and full price for any others. Then it was felt that there should be separate functions for the young members - the Seniors and Under 20's had their proper Dinner Dance format and the younger ones had theirs in the Committee Room in the Baths with a film and free crisps, cakes and fruit juice, etc for all who attended, prize winners or not. The format last year was to me unfortunate in that there were several very young children there, some seemed below school age. Their behaviour was not bad behaviour but it was age appropriate behaviour. They were just out of place there.
Anyway the debate will continue as long as there are presentations. I would like to see it back to a semi formal format with a proper sit down meal and invited guests: we do not have many chances to impress new friends or to thank teachers, politicians or others and the presentation is about the only chance we have to do that. I also think that a separate presentation for the Under 15, Under 13, Under 11's would be a welcome step back in time. Meanwhile, enjoy tomorrow night!