Page:Boating - Woodgate - 1888.pdf/117

 harmoniously with their inferior but commanding in-college garsman ; but cases do occur where want of tact on the part of one or both partics has a yery mischicvous effect, and causes the club to take a lower place on the race-charts than it might have attained had all parties co-operated loyally for the support of the flag.

The position of captain of a club, whether rowing, cricket, or athletics, is a very useful school for any young man, if he uses his opportunity aright. It teaches him to be self-reliant ; to avoid vacillation on the one hand and obstinacy on the other ; 1a exercise tact and forbearance, and to set a good example on his own part of observance of standing orders. All these lessons serve him well in afterlife. No man is the worse, when fighting the battle of the world, for having learnt both how to obey orders implicitly and also how to govern others with firmness and tact. He will look back to many a decision which he came (o, and will perhaps be able to con- sole himself by reflecting that at the time he acted according to the best of his lights ; but none the less he will perceive that he was then in error, and that as he sees more of aquatics, or of any other branch of sport, he finds that he is only beginning to learn the best of it when the time comes for him to take his departure from the scene of actual conflict. If he will apply the analogy to his career in life, whatever that may be, he will prosper therein ail the more by reason of the practical lessons which he gained when his arena was purely athletic.