Quolls19
Debutant
- Jul 4, 2019
- 65
- 35
- AFL Club
- North Melbourne
The WOODEN SPOON
From Bell’s Life in Sydney and Sporting Chronicle. 23/7/64
We have said that rigorous account is kept of all the divisions, and that every vote of every member of the Government is posted. We will
now teil our readers what is done with this list.
Every year at the close of the session, as our readers know, the Ministers dine together at the Trafalgar. Well, after dinner, the chief whip produces his account and reads it aloud and it is said that the man whose name appears in the Division list the smallest number of times has a wooden spoon presentod to him. When the Derbyites
were in power last, Sir John Pakington, it is asserted, was the successful candidate for the Spoon, Mr Whiteside presenting it to the Right hon. baronet with infinite humour and fun. Why a wooden Spoon is used we cannot tell. Perhaps in ancient times the poor man had that
and nothing else. If any of our readers should be curious to know what is really symbolised by this ceremony, let them understand that we cannot help them. We refer them to tho editor of Notes and Queries
-Illustrated times.
The Ministerial Wooden Spoon
The Herald, 4/6/1864
A list of the votes of the members of the Government who are in the House of Commons is produced at the Whitebait Dinner, and he who
is lowest on the list is regarded, by his Cambridge friends at least, as the wooden spoon.
During the administration of Sir Robert Peel, when the Ministerial party wast starting in Greenwich, one of them, in passing through Hungerford Market, bought a child’s mug and a wooden spoon. After dinner, when the list of votes had been read out, the penny mug, on which was painted either "James" or "For a good boy," was presented, with all
solemnity , to Sir James Graham, and the
wooden spoon to Sir William Follett.
Notes and Queries.
My Note: Peel’s Prime Ministership started in 1834, he did not attend Cambridge.
From Wikipedia
Wooden spoon at the University of Cambridge
The wooden spoon was presented originally at the University of Cambridge as a kind of booby prizeawarded by the students to the man who achieved the lowest exam marks but still earned a third-class degree (a junior optime) in the Mathematical Tripos. The term "wooden spoon" or simply "the spoon" was also applied to the recipient, and the prize became quite notorious:
“And while he lives, he wields the boasted prize
Whose value all can feel, the weak, the wise;
Displays in triumph his distinguish'd boon,
The solid honours of the Wooden Spoon.”
My Note: from the Cambridge Tart, 1823.
The spoons themselves, actually made of wood, grew larger, and in latter years measured up to five feet long. By tradition, they were dangled in a teasing way from the upstairs balcony in the Senate House, in front of the recipient as he came before the Vice-Chancellor to receive his degree, at least until 1875 when the practice was specifically banned by the University.
The lowest placed students earning a second-class (senior optime) or first-class degree (wrangler) were sometimes known as the "silver spoon" and "golden spoon" respectively. In contrast, the highest-scoring male student was named the "senior wrangler". Students unfortunate enough to place below the wooden spoon, by achieving only an Ordinary degree, were given a variety of names depending on their number. In the 1860s about three-quarters of the roughly 400 candidates did not score enough to be awarded honours, and were known as poll men.
The custom dates back at least to the late 18th century, being recorded in 1803, and continued until 1909. From 1910 onwards the results have been given in alphabetical rather than score order, and so it is now impossible to tell who has come last, unless there is only one person in the lowest class.
My Notes: However;
From the “Ambiguous Expressions at Cambridge elucidated, The Gentleman’s Magazine: and Historical Chronicle (London) of January 1795”:
It may not perhaps be improper to mention one very remarkable personage […]. I mean “The Wooden Spoon.” This luckless wight (for what cause I know not) is annually the universal butt and laughing-stock of the whole senate-house. He is the last of those young men who take honours, in his year, and is called a junior optimé; yet, notwithstanding his being in fact superior to them all, the very lowest of the οἱ πολλοί (others) or gregarious undistinguished batchelors, think themselves entitled to shoot the pointless arrows of their clumsy wit against the wooden spoon; and to reiterate the stale and perennial remark, that “wranglers are born with gold spoons in their mouths : senior optimés with silver : junior optimés with wooden : and the οἱ πολλοί (others) with leaden ones.”
My Note: As far as sport is concerned it was awarded to to last placed rowers in the various Cambridge Rowing Clubs and was also awarded in Rugby Union Competitions later, probably because of the many ex Cambridge graduate participants...commencing dates are uncertain.
In the Australian Colonies
First sporting references:
RIFLE COMPETITION.
The Queenslander, 14/11/68
SIR: About a month ago the Volunteers were informed that about the beginning of December there was to be a rifle competition. In all properly organised competitions it is the practice to give at least one month's notice as to prizes, distances, conditions, &c. So I trust
in this instance the workers out of this compe tition, to whom the highest praise is awarded, will not be behind in supplying the desired in
formation, as the Volunteers in this colony are so widespread.
Yours,
WINNER OF THE WOODEN SPOON.
Rifle Competition
Northern Argus (SA) 21/5/1869
On Monday last a shooting match for prizes, with rifles, came off at Sevenhills. The weather was all that could be desired for the occasion. The firing was excellent on the whole and the competitors were very evenly matched.
The first prize was taken by Mr. Gus. Wiekert. Mr. Y. Mayer the second prise, and Mr. J. Nicholls tke third prize, There were nine prizes in all, besides a wooden spoon, which caused a great deal of merriment. After the shooting, a public dinner was held at the Sevenhills Hotel, where a sumptuous spread was provided by Host Lummer, to which ample justice was done by the company. The room, was then
cleared and preparations made for a ball, which was kept up with great spirit until near day break.
And Football:
The first reference I can find is;
FOOTBALL.
The Express and Telegraph, 7/5/1881.
The football season of 1881 commences to-day, when the first of the association matches will take place. The coming season promises to be very successful, for in the first place the associated clubs will be playing for fifty-guinea silver cup, a handsome present from the Hon.
G. S. Fowler, the patron of the association, and secondly, the clubs are reduced in number, so that they each meet three times during the season, an arrangement which the association did wisely in making.
(ABRIDGED)
The South Parks should hold fourth place, for with W. Oshorn, late of the Kensington Club, and Flowers, from Melbourne, they ought to beat
the South Adelaides, who with no new men, and on last season's form cannot expect to be any higher on the list. The Kensington and Adelaide Club should appropriate the wooden spoon easily, for they have both lost many good men, and rumour (however unkind) says
that the amalgamated clnb will be weaker than were either of the clubs separately.
) addition to the 
