Rowing 4

Sir Arthur Eggar

RUBC (Rangoon University Boat Club) was founded in 1923 by Sir Arthur Eggar (Law Professor), who pledged a third of his salary for the operation of the club.

Sir Arthur rowed at Cambridge University.

He is also known for Egg-Bairn Rowing Style.

He was impressed by the Burmese Laung rowers. He wanted to provide Rangoon University Students access to the Western style of rowing.

Details can be found in

• Autobiography of Sir Arthur Eggar (reprinted in 2013 by selected Old Members)
• Commemorative Issue for the 40th Anniversary (compiled by Sithu U Tin, U Po Zon and U Tin Htoon)
• Commemorative Issue for the 90th Anniversary (compiled by the team with U Tin Htoon (Chair), U Myo Myint (Vice Chair), U Htaik San (Henry, Secretary))
• My web site hlamin.com

U Nyo

U Nyo donated to the University of Rangoon to help establish the RU Estate (including the RU Student Union Building and the RUBC Club House).

He also sponsored the U Nyo Cup for the Inter-Club Coxed Eights.

In the mid 1950s, the President of the Union of Burma donated the President’s Challenge Cup for Inter-Club Coxed Eights. The President’s Cup replaced U Nyo’s Cup.

Challenge Cups by RUBC

The Prime Minister of the Union of Burma (who is also Chancellor of the University of Rangoon Donated the Prime Minister’s Challenge Cup for Inter-Club Coxed Fours. The inaugural event was contested by

• Rangoon University Boat Club (RUBC)
• Calcutta University Rowing Club (CURC)
• Calcutta Lake Club

Sir Arthur Eggar donated a Pewter Cup for the winner of Senior Novices event

See the 40th Anniversary and 90th Anniversary Commemorative Issues for a list of Challenge Cups awarded at RUBC / YUBC.

ARAE Regattas

Venable’s Bowl for Coxless Pairs

RUBC crew of Ko Tin Htoon and Dr. Harry Saing won at the 1958 ARAE Regatta in Calcutta, India

Willingdon Trophy for Coxed Fours

RUBC “B” crew of Ko Tin Htoon, Dr. Harry Saing, Victor Htun Shein, Sunny Teng and Ko Sein Htoon won at the 1960 ARAE Regatta in Columbo, Ceylon / Sri Lanka

Contestants from other ARAE Clubs wondered why the supposedly better crew was named “B”.

During the trials at RUBC, some higher authorities selected the Coxed Fours. They decided to have a “Best of Three” race for Coxless Pairs between the top two Pairs :

• Ko Tin Htoon (S) and Ko Harry (B)
• Victor Htun Shein (S) and Sunny Teng (B)
  
  After winning one race each, the two Pairs “protested” to the higher authorities. The deal was stuck. The two Pairs were “selected” to compete in two events : Coxless Pairs and (more importantly) as RUBC “B” team for Coxed Fours. The rest is history.

FEARA Regattas

The regattas took place in Hong Kong, Singapore, …

In 1959, RUBC was represented by Tun Shein (Willie), Win Kyi, Tin Htoon, Harry Saing, San Maung (Gerald) and Hla Min (Eddie)

In 1961, RUBC was represented by Tin Wa, Tin Htoon, Harry Saing, Victor Htun Shein, Win Kyi, Tun Shein (Willie) and Hla Min (Eddie)

FEARA had Sculls, Coxed Pairs and Coxed Fours.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, RUBC teams took part in Junior as well as Senior events.

RUBC in the Early Days

Dues

• Annual subscription (typically 10 kyats)
• Life Member (after a 5 year membership)
• Fee for Rag Regatta, Monsoon Regatta and Annual Regatta (typically 2 kyats per event)

President

• President
  Sir Arthur Eggar was elected as Life Time President.
  His successors include Commodore Than Pe, U Tun Thoung, Sithu U Tin

• Vice President

Executive Committee (EC) Members

• The Executive Committee is elected at the AGM (Annual General Meeting) by the voting members.
• Election is usually for Honorary Treasurer (default Entry Level)
  unless there are vacancies due to resignation
• Usually, one starts as Treasurer. He gets promoted to Secretary (or the next vacant position) in the subsequent AGMs. It may take up to four years to become RUBC Captain.
• RUBC follows “Robert’s Rule of Order”

• Captain
  Give speech at the award ceremony of the regatta (excellent training for Public Speaking)
• Vice Captain
• Honorary Secretary
• Honorary Treasurer

Dark Moments

In the then new Education System, the Bye Laws of RUBC were not followed.

Some time later, the Roll of Honor (listing ECs and Golds) and Sir Arthur Eggar’s bust disappeared.

Six Siblings

U Tin U and three younger brothers Dr. Myo Tint, U Tin Htoon and U Thaung Lwin are Past Captain and Gold of RUBC. Two other younger brothers Saya U Ba Than (retired Professor of Mechanical Engineering) and Saya U Myo Min (who helped Saya Dr. Chit Swe establish Universities’ Computer Centre) are Full Green.

Two San Pe Brothers

Dr. Pe Nyun (Dick) and Dr. Pe Thein (Tom) became RUBC Golds along with U Tin U and Bobby Tin when they represented RUBC at the Independence Day Regatta at Kandawgyi in 1948.

Dr. Pe Nyun is Past Captain and Gold of RUBC. He is a distinguished Pediatric Surgeon. He led the team to operate on the conjoined twins — Ma Nan Soe and Ma Nan San — with Dr. Htut Saing (Harry) as Second Lead. After retirement, he moved to Canada. He is now GBNF (Gone But Not Forgotten).

Dr. Pe Thein is Gold. He served as Professor and later as Minister of Health and Education. He is also GBNF.

Bohmu Maung Maung Than Tun and sons

Bohmu Maung Maung Than Tun is the oldest among the Past Captains who are alive. He is older than U Tin U by a few months. After graduation, he joined the Burma Navy (headed by Commodore Than Pe, Past President of RUBC). He did post graduate study at RU and also served as Captain of RUBC in the early 1950s.

His elder son Ko Hla Maw Tun is Past Secretary and RUBC Gold.

His younger son Ko Aung Khine is Past Captain and RUBC.

Bohmu Maung Maung Than Tun and Ko Aung Khine hold the RUBC record for the first Father and Son who are Past Captain and RUBC Gold.

Bogyoke Than Pe and Bohmu Maung Maung Than Tun helped found

* Defense Services Boat Club
* Burma Rowing Federation

Bohmu later helped found

* Marine Youth (Ye Gyaung Lu Nge)

Bohmu Maung Maung Than Tun also served as Myanmar Ambassador.

U Sein Htoon and son

U Sein Htoon and Ko Zeyar Linn form the Second Father and Son who are Past Captain and RUBC Gold.

U Sein Htoon was Cox of the RUBC crew — U Tin Htoon, Dr. Harry Saing, Victor Htun Shein and Sunny Teng — which won the Willingdon Tropy for Coxed Fours at the 1960 ARAE (Amateur Rowing Association of the East) Regatta at Colombo.

He is Past President of the Burma Rowing (later Myanmar Rowing and Canoeing Federation).

Generations

On Facebook, I had correspondence from

* Hla Maw Tun (Son of Bohmu Maung Maung Than Tun)

* Lin Tun (Son of U Tun Shein / Willie Saing)

.* Nay Myo Thura (Son of U Win Kyi and Grandson of my Sayama “Miss Hong Kong”)

* Son of U Tin Aung (Victor Wu)

At the YUBC 96th Anniversary Regatta, I met

• Bohmu Maung Maung Than Tun and Hla Maw Tun
• U Tin U, Dr. Myo Tint
• U Sein Htoon, U Myo Myint and Zeyar Lin
• Dr. Thein Hylne
• U Tin Myint, U Hla Kyi and U Khin Maung Latt
• U Tun Mra
• U Thant Kyaw
• Freesia Htun
• Aung Kyaw Win (Son of Dr. Kyaw Win)
• Aung Kyaw Zaw (Son of U Kyaw Zaw / Harry)
• young member interested in Yangon Heritage Society
• several Old and Not so old Members

RUBC turns Co-ed

RUBC only had male members from 1923 to 1963.

Ma Khin Mya (Susan, Eco, GBNF) and Ma Jill Gaudoin (RASU, spouse of Ko Pyi Aye) are some of the early female members of RUBC.

In the comments, Ma Jill said that she will send photos of her rowing days with Ko Pyi Aye when he visits Yangon in mid 2020. Thanks.

RIT, Education and IM also had female teams.

The photos and an article about the first regatta featuring female rowers appear in the 90th Anniversary Issue.

I posted photos provided by Ma Khin Mya in my newsletter updates, FB pages and my web site.

My Writings

I have paid back to my alma mater and my mentors by writing about the schools that I attended and sharing my knowledge and memories.

I was the last democratically elected EC member from the 1960s. The higher authorities denied me the Captaincy, but they could not dampen my spirit to honor the pioneers, the prime movers and the lovers of history.

I have 2000+ posts in my web site
hlamin.com

I have written about

• PPBRS / PBRS (Private Primary Boundary Road School)
• SPHS (St. Paul’s High School)
• RIT (Rangoon Institute of Technology)
• UCC (Universities’ Computer Center)
• RUBC (Rangoon University Boat Club)
• Posts (article, poem, translation, “Fun with Learning”)

For the Commemorative Issue of the 90th Anniversary of the founding of RUBC, I wrote

* three articles
* prelude for each section

Thanks to my Thin Sayas, Myin Sayas and Kyar Sayas, and all who provided news and photos.