No. 240

On the 15th of April 1875, the following rules about the Captains of the Elevens and the Head of the Water were passed by a meeting consisting of the Sixth Elevens and Eight.

  1. The Senior or Town Boy in the Sixth or Shell, over sixteen, who has been longest in either Eleven on the Eight is Captain of that Eleven or Head of the Water respectively.
  2. If there is no-one satisfying the above conditions in either the Eleven or in the Eight, the member of that Eleven or Eight who has been longest in it, is Captain of that Eleven or Head of the Water respectively.
  3. These rules will not come into force until the end of the next football season (Easter 1876).

After various objections had been raised and over-ruled, and several amendments proposed and rejected, the original rules were carried by a majority of 29 votes against 12, or more than two thirds.

A copy of the rules was sent to Scott and the following answer received: “No master could object to the rules you send me, and I fully approve of them. It is evidently not satisfactory that a boy low in the school should have the responsibility of managing either Fields or Water, and be the representative of the School to the outside world. The only thing that surprises me is that as many as 12 voices should be found in the minority. I suppose that it is intended that when a Q.S. is head of the Cricket Eleven, the Head Town Boy in that Eleven would be determined by the same rule: and Vice Versâ if a Town Boy is head. Probably it may be needless to define this expressly.”

L.S. Bristowe. Prin. Opp.

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