Every week a postman pushes a white card through your letter box. You have been selected to play for the --XV. The expression on your face either registers delight or dismay. Now let us get this straight, your name and address does not appear on that card by magic, that is the work of your Team Secretary - Charlie Jenkins. To many

C Jenkins Hon, Team Sec. is just a name on a card, because we do not see him from one Club Dinner to the next, but rest assured Charlie is not sitting in front of his fire on a winter's afternoon - the Juniors will vouch for that.

Charlie's association with the Saracens started before the War, when he commanded a regular place in the 1st XV under the Captaincy of Les Webber. then along came the War and of course the Club was temporarily disbanded, butl ike the true Club man he is Charlie was one of the first back to the Saracens camp after the War.

In the 1948-49 season he was nominated Captain of the 1st XV. so successfully did he carry out his duties that he held the Club Captaincy for five years until 1953 when due to a fractured leg, in a game against Cleeve, Charlie had to give up playing the game he lived for. It is an acknowledged fact that if it had not been for this cruel stroke of misfortune, Charlie would still be playing today and showing the youngsters how it should be done.

He was a fine hooker and to prove this point, he was selected to hook for the Bristol Combination on more than one occasion. Many of us know of his prowess against the loose head, but what many of us do not realize was his goal kicking ability, which was a great talking point in rugger circles. Charlie would lob them over the bar from the touch line with the ease of a high jumper stepping over a box of matches. The result of many a game has hung in the balance whilst Charlie steadied himself before planting the ball fairly and squarely between the posts to give Saracens the victory. It can therefore be said that he gained the strike at the commencement of a move and put the finishing touches to the same move.

Eight seasons ago, he was asked to take over the job of Team Secretary and at the same time took over the management of the Juniors. We are very fortunate in having someone so understanding ad fair to look after these lads, who will form the nucleus of a future 1st XV and possibly County sides. After all if it wasn't for Charlie such players as Johnny New, Mike Collins, Tony Weaver and Laurie Harper would have found the going much tougher, and they are the first to admit this. Probably Charlie's greatest hour - and he had had many - was when "his boys" walked off the Memorial Ground clasping the winners cup for the Bristol Juniors Sevens Tournament in 1956.

The Juniors have not been having the success this season that we usually associate with this side. due partly to a new age limit and a certain amount of in-experience. Indeed the points against column reads rather like a Hobbs-Sutcliffe opening partnership, but rest assured this will not last much longer. Already the tide is beginning to turn and I predict that after Christmas this side will be turning in some fine wins and the uppermost thoughts in these boys minds will be "we mustn't let old Charlie down" - after all he has never let them down.

It is impossible to put down on paper everything that Charlie does, and has done for the Club, because he works so unobtrusively that we do not know the real extent of his labours. One thing we do know, however, is that very satisfying feeling of having a dependable character like Charlie doing efficiently the job that so many others back away from, because they consider it such an unenviable task......