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'They also
serve'
To the sporting public the success of a club
is usually judged by the results of its 1st XV but this
is only part of the picture. Equally important is the opportunity
the Club affords all its members to enjoy their sport to
the full and the contribution it makes towards the administration
and development of the game at district and national level.
On this count Stewart's F.P. has an excellent record. It
was fortunate that over the the years there never appeared
to be a shortage of members who were prepared to devote
time to serve on a committee
or in some other way put back into the game something in
return for all the enjoyment they derived from it. Nowhere
was this better exemplified than in the Championship winning
team of 1946/47 virtually everyone of whom remained in Edinburgh
and served on the Club committee. Again, former 1st XV players
and even internationalists who were members of the committee
were just as likely to be seen looking after the 4th XV
as watching the 1st XV. Junior teams appreciated the attention
given to them and good team spirit and a happy club atmosphere
was the result.
In the period between the wars the club began
to develop its relationship with the Edinburgh District
Union and such stalwarts as A.D. Lambert, T.D. Adie and
M.S. Stewart all served on that committee while other former
players took up refereeing, the most notable being J.A.
Mann, T.R.Tod. J. MacGregor, C.W. Carmichael, H.P.Mather
and T. Morrison although probably the most widely known
and respected Stewart's referee was J.B Turnbull whose sporting
activities had been on the cricket square rather than the
rugby pitch.
After the second World War J. Yorston was
a noted referee, very popular at Border Sevens tournaments
and he was appointed to the International Panel in 1948.
Although never in charge of an international he refereed
several district and inter services matches until retiring
on health grounds in 1952, thereafter serving on the Edinburgh
District Committee. D.C. Pringle was also a senior referee
at that time and J.I. Morrison took to 'whistling' after
serving the club as Honorary secretary. He too, achieved
senior status and in both 1958 and 1959 was called on to
carry out the touch judge's duties at international games.
J.R. Hunter, unable to play senior rugby because of an injury
sustained in his last year at school was a much respected
referee for ten years until he emigrated in 1963 to New
Zealand where he continued to referee in senior rugby. He
had been in charge of several district games and twice ran
the line at international matches including the Twickenham
game in 1961 when John Douglas was playing for Scotland.
J.W.A. Ireland took up refereeing after fifteen
years playing. He had the pleasure of acting as touch judge
at Colombes Stadium in 1967 when Sandy Hinshelwood was playing
against France.
A. Balfour Kinnear who was honorary secretary
of the club from 1934 to 1946 and President the following
year, was elected in that year to the Scottish Rugby Union
as a District representative. He was the first Stewart's
F.P. to serve on that body which availed itself of his legal
expertise. Jack Yorston continued to serve on the committee
of the Edinburgh District Union until 1958 when A.D. Govan
took his place until 1961 when the latter was elected to
the committee of the S.R.U. as a District representative.
He served in this capacity until 1966 when he became a special
representative and in that year M.S. Stewart was elected
President of the Union - the first Stewart's F.P. to hold
this office. 'Lex' Govan was a member of the selection committee
from 1962 to 1973 and also served as a British Lions selector
and after being elected as Vice President in 1977 became
President the following year, a fitting reward for his long
service to the game.
Meanwhile R.L. Sharp who had succeeded J.I.
Morrison as Club Secretary had been elected Vice President
of the Edinburgh Association of Rugby Clubs and J.I. Morrison
who had been Chairman of the Edinburgh Referees Society
for a number of years, was elected to the District Union
committee in succession to A.D. Govan and he in turn was
succeeded in 1966 by J.W.C. Foubister who had just served
his term as President of the Club. On his retiral in 1970
the club had had continuous representation on this body
for nearly forty years, a fine record of service. Mention
should also be made of J.T.Lunn who while honorary treasurer
of the Club from 1952 to 1962, also served as honorary secretary
of the Edinburgh seven-a- side committee during the same
period.
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