Organizing Sport in Canada  Club sport in Montreal: MAAA  Changing the guard – masculinity and social class – from the duel to the docks to the playing fields  The public man – middle class Masculinity and Sport – Snow shoeing  The professional  The nation  The hero

What happened?

The Elites  Likeminded, business, development of the colonies  Masculine honour through understood codes: family name, land/power, physical challenge  Retreat from the common tavern/the tavern brawl

Codes of Masculine Honour  Dangerous liaisons  Hard times

The new man: middle class  Brutality of the duel and the tavern fight  Organizing, rationalizing, ordering – economy/government  Honour through civility, hard work, Muscular Christianity, public reputation  Public man/domestic woman  The sporting club – enter the snowshoers

Song of the Montreal Snowshoe Club Pass the bottle and fill your glasses, Now that each has munched his grub, We’ll drink success to the pretty lasses, Whose lovers belong to the Snow Shoe Club. Yes tonight we’ll all unite To success to the Snow Shoe Club At racing, we challenge all creation, Let them be prepared for a very hard rub, If among the picked men of any nation, Some think they can beat the Snow Shoe Club Then to-night, with all our might, We’ll drink success to the Snow Shoe Club All pretty girls take my advice, On some vain fop don’t waste your lub, But if you wish to hug something nice, Why marry a boy of the Snow Shoe Club Then each night, with wild delight, You’ll sing success to the Snow Shoe Club.

Montreal Snow shoeing  “tramps” taverns, dinners  Races on horserace courses ’43  “manly virtues” of snowshoeing – the pretty lasses  1860s and MSSC leader in organizing races: bands, grandstands, precision in organization, prizes: racism  The masculine was white, middle class, public face of honour – became amateur

The Influence of the ‘Shoers  1000s of snow shoers by 1880s  Led to prominence of Montreal Winter Carnivals of 1880s  MSSC leadership led to formation of MAAA in 1881

Montreal: Setting the Foundation for Amateur Sport Control  Montreal Lacrosse Club  Montreal Snow Shoe Club  Montreal Bicycle Club  1881  The Montreal Amateur Athletic Association

MAAA Stated Purpose  “the promotion of physical and mental culture among, and the providing of rational amusements and recreation for, its members”

Distinction from the professional sportsman  Institutionalized through the club  Regulated, codified, organized by the MAAA

Amateurism  AAA of C 1884  “An amateur is one who has never competed for a money prize or staked bet or with or against any professional for any prize, or assisted in the practice of athletic exercises or as a means of obtaining a livelihood.”

Montreal Amateur Athletic Association  MAAA grew out of an idea/system that led to an assertive group with initiative > formal organization and therefore position of power

MAAA Conclusions  Right club …  Amateur-based; run in very business-like fashion  Tremendous success  Instrumental in forming 10 NSGBs like CWA, NLA, CAAA

The Professional  Baseball  Scottish Highland Games  Rifle shooting  Rowing  Pedestrian contests

Sport and the Nation – building identities (clip)  Confederation – sport has new meaning – the Paris Crew  British-Canadian  Selling the new economy and politics of the Dominion of Canada  Rifle shooting  ‘National Championships’  “National” Sport Organizations

Canadian National Sport Bodies  National Lacrosse Association  Dominion of Canada Rifle Association  National Amateur Lacrosse Assoc.  Canadian Wheelman’s Assoc.  Amateur Athletic Assoc. of Canada  Canadian Lawn Tennis Assoc.  Canadian Rugby Football Union  Canadian Lacrosse Assoc.  Amateur Skating Assoc. of Canada  Canadian Cricket Assoc.

Canadian National Sport Bodies  Royal Canadian Golf Association  Canadian Jockey Club  Canadian Amateur Athletic Association  Canadian Gymnastics Association  Canadian Trotting Association  Canadian Canoe Association  Alpine Club of Canada  Canadian Snowshoe Union  Canadian Amateur Swimming Assoc.  Amateur Athletic Union of Canada

Spectatorship  The promoter  Gate receipts  Town boosterism  Professional vs. Amateur

Enter the Heroes