One of the very best athletic organizations of the University is the Weld Boat Club. It affords excellent outdoor exercise to men who are not able to play on any of the regular athletic teams. It furnishes a boat house and a very complete equipment of light, easy rowing boats and canoes. The house and its outfit was presented to the University by Mr. Weld with the belief that it would soon become, self-supporting. The gift cost Mr. Weld twenty thousand dollars, but he felt that it was worth it, as it would be a great addition to the athletic facilities of the University, and would give students a new and excellent form of exercise during the spring and fall months. The club was to be run by the students and was to be in every way distinctly a student organization.

The support that this club is now receiving and has received in former years must be a great disappointment to Mr. Weld and to those who are interested in the club. From the first the club has never been entirely self-supporting, and at the end of each year Mr. Weld has himself paid whatever deficit there was. It is true that the annual fee is low, but it would be plenty if more men joined, and it has purposely been put low so as to be within the reach of the majority of the students. There is no boat club, whether in any other college or not, that charges its members so little and gives them so much.

Very probably the reason for the lack of support that the club is receiving is due to the fact that men do not appreciate fully the advantages that it offers them, and this would more especially apply to the freshman class. Whatever may be the trouble it is deplorable that this organization which was founded at so great an expense and which in itself is such an excellent thing should be in danger of failing for want of student support.