The San Francisco call., 1897-10-18
A Meeting Of All the Mem
bers Will Be Held
Tonight,
The Old Board of Directors VIII
Continue to Hold
Office.
Excellent Showing Made BY the Or
ganigation During the
Depressing Times.

This evening 8 general meeting OF the
mem bers of the Olympic Club will be
held. The meeting is called at the in
stance of the Directors. Ii is for the pur-
pose of acting on the subject of nomina-
tions and is called by the president of the
club, George a. NewhalI.
On Thursday, October 7th, the nomi-
mating committee of the club reported to
the Board of Directors that it was unable
to submit to the club list of nominations
for officers for the ensuing year.
A the meeting this evening there can
be no question that the present officers
and directors, with one exception, Will be
continued in Office for another year. The
Olympic Club is incorporated under the
laws of the State, which explicitly stipu-
late that officers of corporation shall
continue In office until their successors
are appointed or elected.
The present officers of the club are:
George A. Newhal. President; Henry j.
Crocker, Vice President; H. B. Russ,
Treasurer; NJ. s. Latham, Secretary; c..
P Morse, Track Captain; J. OBJ Gum,
Francis P. McLennan, a. G. Forsyth n.
Joseph P. Kelly and d. White, Directors.
A vote of thanks will undoubtedly be
given these gentlemen for the efficient {
AldhhcA III W l4Sn thCy 4ofC lAC
affairs of the club, and they will be asked
to continue in power.
The trouble with the Olympic Club in
the past as well as at present, is the fire.
quency with which it changes directors.
In the New York Athletic Club the di.
rectors are elected tor terms of two, four
and SIX years, consequently no radical
changes are made in conducting the al
fairs of the club. The plan OF holding an
election every year in the olympic Club,
ousting the old board OF directors and
supplanting ii with a new, has on a num-
Der OF occasions seriously crippled the
club, the places of the mem bers OF the old
board being filled by men diam etrically
opposed to their views. If the constitu-
ton OF the club could be amended TO con-
form with that of the New York Cub, in
telligent men who have given the subject
careful consideration say it would be
highly beneficial in increasing the sta bill
ity of the governing body.
There have been many disquieting ru-
mors concerning the financial standing of
the Olympic Club; that the initiation fee
and dues were to be raised and that it was
10 be disincorporated.
In speaking on this subject last evening
Francis ?. McLennan, a prominent men,
ber of the cldb and chairman of the
house committee, said: These rumors
no doubt nave injured the club. They
are groundless, however. Last year,
while our income was $4,000 less than dur
ing the preceding year. We paid interes t
on our $225, 900 bonds, and on the note
held by the First National Bank for S29 500.
increasing our debt only $4O0. We did
this with out cutting down a privilege or
reducing the corps of instructors. II is
true like our predecessors, we have pro-
vided no sinking fund. The building s
in shlpsbape order, $1,000 alone being ex-
pended on painting.
I'm reference to increasing the dues it
would be hard TO say what effect ii would
have. Personally | would mucn rather
have a cub composed OF 1000 mem bers
paving So each a month, than a club of
100 mem bers paying 50 each a month.
But the olympic Club is not social
club. Its low initiation lee and dues per-
nit worthy young men who are in mode
rate circums stances TO become mem bers
The privileges furnished by the club for
the money are the greatest in he word
am not IN favor OF increasing the dues"
Mr.. McLennan was asked about the
proposed carnival of sports to be held for
week at the Mechanics Pavilion. He
answered that the club had recently affil-
lated with an amateur athletic asso ciatio 4.
This atfl iatlon would debar professional
ism, and he doubted if the propo sed
scheme could be made to pay.
In reference to raising the ues 1t would
require an amendment to the constitu-
tion. The constitution cannot be amended
without two-thirds of the members vote
in the affirma ative While some of the
mere wealthy mem bers OF the club favor
an increase in the dues, the great BODY of
the mem bers are violently opposed to the
proposition.