1931

.*.*a., so,
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4
277
Two years later it was decided to reduce the Executive
Committee to three, those three members to be elected annually,
and in 1923 a proposal was made
.
which led to the constitution of
the , General Committee being materially altered. The proposal
was to the effect that certain Corps should provide representatives
instead of Commands, where but little cricket was played. From
the ensuing discussion the general opinion appeared to be that
Corps cricket clubs were essentially private clubs and had no real
official standing; that if representatives were admitted from some,
all might clamour for representation, and that when that should
take place the Association would cease to retain any official stand-
ing, and consequently cease to have the sympathy and support,
so indispensable, of higher authority. The matter was considered
as of very great importance, and the decision was therefore
deferred for a year.
When the matter was raised at the next meeting it was
unanimously decided that the General Committee should consist
of Command and not Corps representatives; while it was pointed
out that Corps who desired to be represented could probably so
arrange it that the Command was represented at the meeting by
a member of their Corp,.
The constitution of the General Committee at the present time
is, therefore:—One representative from each Command and one
representative each from the London and Northern Ireland
Districts. It was decided, too, in 1923 that the Captain of the
Army XI should be elected annually, and that under no circum-
stances can any individual be Captain for more than two years in
succession; but that after the lapse of one ,year anyone who has
previously held the position is again eligible for election. In 1927
the advisability of enlarging the Selection Committee was discussed,
from the point of view of ensuring, so far as possible, that the
claims of all potential Army players should be considered, with the
result that the Selection Committee was increased to five, and
members of it were to be chosen in such a way as to represent
Corps as well as Commands, while, to assist the Selection Com-
mittee, Command representatives were asked to submit the names
of likely players in their respective Commands at the beginning
of the season.
After experiment, however, it was found that the Selection
Committee were embarrassed rather than helped by the lists of
names submitted by Command representatives, and that in no
single instance was the form of the player not already known to
the Selection Committee. It was therefore decided not to persevere
with this practice, but Command representatives were earnestly
requested to advise the Selection Committee of the arrival of any
new talent, or of any performances of outstanding merit, in their
Commands.
POLICY.
At the very first General Meeting ways and means were explored
whereby the objects of the Association could be fulfilled, and it
was resolved to arrange competitions in Commands, to encourage
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