A GIRLS' BOAT CLUB. 



LAURA WESCOTT. 



San Dieg'o is a natural center for aquatic 

 sports. The bay on which it is situated 

 rivals that of Naples in beauty of surface 

 and surroundings, and surpasses it in safe- 

 ty. Young women have not been slow to 

 avail themselves of the splendid opportunity 

 San Diego bay affords for rowing. About 

 10 years ago plans for systematic rowing 

 were adopted.. Before that time women's 

 crews were unheard of, while to-day San 

 Diego is the home of some 20 such organi- 

 zations. 



The State Normal school of San Diego 

 was organized in November, 1898, and the 

 young women of the school at once be- 

 came intensely interested in rowing. They 

 adopted it as the out of door physical train- 

 ing, which should receive their greatest 

 attention. In January, 1899, they organized 

 themselves into a rowing association, which 

 still shows the greatest activity. The asso- 

 ciation is composed of 5 complete crews 

 which row in its 8 oared barge, the Pristis. 

 Each school day a crew, composed of 8 

 girls and a captain, has its regular practice 

 row about the bay of an hour and a half 

 or 2 hours, for the exercise and drill ; and 

 at special times rows of 6 to 14 miles are 

 taken. The officers of the organization are 

 commodore, Miss Laura Wescott ; secre- 

 tary treasurer, Miss Laura Fenton ; busi- 

 ness manager, Mr. J. F. West. These 

 officers and the captains of the various 

 crews form the executive board. Each 

 crew of the association has its captain, 

 name and colors. The champion crew is 

 composed of the 8 girls who have proved 

 themselves the strongest and most skilled 

 rowers among the crews, and is commanded 

 by the commodore. 



At the time appointed for practice row 

 the girls assemble at the club house, don 

 their loose, comfortable sailor blouses, and 

 stand by to await the captain's orders. The 

 barge is hoisted to its place under cover 

 by means of block and tackle, and with the 

 order "Stand by to let fall the boat" num- 

 bers 1, 5 and 8, managing the tackle, lower 

 the boat into the water. As the captain 

 gives the order "Man the boat," the girls 

 slide down the ropes and take their places; 

 and with the orders "Stand by your oars," 

 "Up oars," and "Let fall," all is in readiness 

 to push off. Then as the orders "Stand by" 

 and "Give way" are obeyed the crew is off 

 on the water. When several crews are out 

 at the same time and meet one another the 

 salute is "Toss." With the orders "Stand 

 by to toss" and "Toss" the oars are raised 

 altogether in an upright position, the cap- 

 tains salute, and after a chat the row is 



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