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+===== Letter to the Editor from Colin Putt. =====
+=== re - The Decline and Fall of the Rudolph Cup. ===
+Alas, the Rudolph Cup has indeed disappeared, and no wonder! Like all those things which the gods love, it died young.
+It was conceived on a winter's night in 1953, when Admiral Anderson and I sat considering the blank Sundays on the hot end of his walks programme. We decided that we ourselves would fill the breach, and having little personal experience of Sunday walks, we had the impression that they must be somehow tied up with conservation, birds, bees and flowers. For the first  blank Sunday we mounted "Flora and Fauna study, Coogee to La Perouse via the rocks." Ah - innoceht youths. Nauseated by this masterpiece, somebody began to whistle the Eton Boating Song, and immediately the next Sunday walk became "Boat Race, National Park." As patron deity for the event, we chose Rudolph, who had so liberally irrigated us the Christmas before, in the Kommung.
+"National Park?", said a more senior member when the programme came before the Committee, "You mean, Audley?" "Yes", sparred the Admiral guiltily, "it will be perfectly orderly." He little knew! The first cup race was attended by eleven brave souls - and Rudolph, who graced his feast with thunder, lightning, water-spout and hurricanes. It was an auspicious omen, and year by year thereafter the ceremonies flourished more and more. The "flora and fauna study", "hich only ended in our surprising a nudist colony in full swing and being shot up in the rear of the Long Bay rifle range was featureless and futureless when compared with its twin Sunday malk.
+Year after year the Audley valley rang to the crash of breaking timber and the screams of the helpless victims as, deprived of their oars or their senses, they were pushed first over the finishing line. Year after year Rudolph sent hail, cloudbursts and thunder to mark his sacrifice, and the number of his devotees swelled. By 1957, scores of innocent civilian bystanders on the finishing line-bridge were being forced to empty 44 gallon drums of unholy-water on the victors. But in 1958, something waS wrong, the Deity was absent. Not a cloud in the sky. Above the crunch of the breaking ribs of boats and bushwalkers, elephantine crashings in the bushes proclaimed the arrival of the Police! They were very decent about it, but it was obvious, by the time that they left us, that the Cup and its patron were exiled from their home shrine forever.
+At first there was talk of transferring the cult to salt water and I for one put aside an 85 horse engine, a 6 x 4 inch centrifugal pamp and a gold-sluicing monitor which I thought might be acceptable instruments of sacrifice, but it was not to be. The ceremonies had always been accompanied by the admixture of a fair amount of human blood with the water and it was felt that sharks could be a nuisance.... Rudolph's standard was briefly raised, under squalid conditions, at places such as Wallacia, but only ever as a Pretender to a throne already held by others. His days of pride and glory were done, forever. The Cup was bereft of its purpose in life, and the sad vessel withered, oxidised and died. Let no man try to re-create the past. Get cracking, and think of something new!
+Puttoh.
+__Footnote for scholars__. Rudolph is of course, a pagan deity, the last member of the Bushwalker's Partheon. He is the God of blood, iron and hypophosphites, the operator in Sod's Law, the holy wielder of the "Last Bloody Straw". His mottoes are "Never give a sucker a break"? and "Always hit a bushwalker when he's down". He can take the form of other pagan gods to get them into trouble, but he more usually takes the form of well-known bushwalkers to upset billies into the fire, walk through tent ropes and stand on pipes, eggs or compasses. In invisible form, it is he who guides the smoke from camp fires in the way it usually takes and puts extra greasy rocks in the best stream crossings.
+----
-Letter to the Editor from Colin Putt.
-re - The Decline and Fall of the Rudol h Cu
-- Alas, the Rudolph Cup hag' indeed disappeared, and no wonder! Like all a
-those things which the-gods love, it died young.
-It-vas conceived on a winter's hight in-1953, then Admiral Anderson and
-I sat considering the blank-Sundays on the hot end of his walks programMe. We decided that we ourselves Mould fill the breach; and having little pefisonal experience of-Sunday walks,'we had the iitpression-that they must be somehow tied up with congervation, birds, bees-and flowers. For the first "blankSunday we moulted "Flora and Fauna study, Coogee to La Perouge via the rockg." Ah -
-inhoceht youth6. Nauseated by this masterpiece, somebody began t6 whistle the - Eton Boating Solt, and imffiediately the next Sunday *alk became "Bogt Race, National
-Park." As patron deity for the event we chose Rudolph, who had so liberally
-irrigated us the Christmas before, in the Kommung.
--"National Park?", said a more senior member when the programme cathe before theCohimittee-"You. mean, Audley?" "Yes", sparred the Admiral guiltily, "it will be perfectly orderly." He little knew: The first cup race was attended by eleven brave souls - and Rudolphp who graced his-feat 'with thunder, lightning, water-
-spout g and hurricanes. -It was ah auspicious Omen, and year by year thereafter the
-ceremonieg flourished more and more.- The "flora and fauna study", "which only
-ended-in our Surprising a nudist colow in full swing and being shot up in the
-rear of the Long Bay rifle range was featureless and futureless when compared with its tmino. Sunday malk.
-Year after year the Audley valley rang to the crash of breaking timber and
-the screams of the-helpless victims as, deprived of their oars-or their senses, they
-were pushed first over the finishing linen Year after year Rudolph sent hail, cloudbursts and thunder to mark his sacrifice, and the number of his devotees
-swelled. By 1957, Scores -11 innocent civilian bystander on the finishing line- bridge were 'being forced to ezirpty 44 gallon drums of unho3J--water-on the victors.
-But in 37958, something waS wrong, the Deit'S-7. was absent. Not a cloud in the sky. Above the crunch of the breaking ribs of boats and bush*alkers, elephantine
-crashings-in the bushes proclaimed the arrival of the Police! They were very
-decent about it,-but it was obvious, by the time that they left us, that the Cup and its patron were exiled from their home shrine forever.
-At first thefe was talk of transferring the cult to salt water-and I for one
-putaide an 85 horse engine, a 6 x 4 inch centrifugal pampiand a gold-sluicing monitor which I thought might be acceptable instruffients of sacrifice, but it-
-was-not-to be. The cerefflonies had always been accompanied by the admixture of a
-fair amount of human blood with the water and it was felt that sharks could be a
-nuisance.... Rudolph 's standard as briefly raised, under'Squalid-conditions,
-at Places such as Wallacia, but only"' everas a Pretender to a throne already held by others. His days of pride and glory were done,-forever. The Cup was bereft of its piirpose in life, and the sad vessel withered, oxidised and died. Let no man try to re-create the past. Get cracking, and think of something new:
-. Puttoh.
-Footnote for scholars. -Rudolph is of dou'rse, 6-pagan-cbity, the-lagt member of the Bughwalker's Partheon. He is the God of blood, irOn and hypophosphiteg, the operator in Sod's Law, the holy wielder of the 'Last Bloody Straw. His mottoes are "Never give a-sucker-a break"? and "Al*ays hit a bushwalker when he's down". He can take the for6 of-other pagan gods to get thgm into trouble, but he more usually takes the form of well-non bushwalkers to upset billies into the fire, walk through tent ropes and stand on pipes, eggs or compasses. In invisible form, it is he who guide-the smoke from camp fires-in the may it usually takes and puts extra greasy rocks in the best stream crossings.
-THE SYDNEY BUSHGTALKER December 1962
 JOIE DE VIE by Puffing 3illy. Illustrated by Helen Gray
 Maddening crowd at Central Milling round the clock; Walkers all awaiting