Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-03-10
GUARANTEE OF 81
Y. M. C. A. Members Pledge
Themselves for New
Membership.
BANQUET A BIG SUCCESS
Feature is Plan to Bring Association
to Standard of Cities of
Same Size.

AT the I. NJ. Z. A. membership BAN
quet last evening, attended by $50
men, the members agreed to either
secure 62 new members for the asso-
citation for the year ending Sept. so.
1905, or to pay into the treasury of
the association before June l, 1910.
equal to the membership fees.
A number of members agreed to
secure as many as five members. and
others promised to secure one addi-
tional member. The association is in
need of $1,000 at once for current ex-
penseS, and the board considers that
one of the most convenient means of
raising this fund will be by the secur-
ing of new members, thus ACCOMPLISH
ing two purposes at once While the
number guaranteed last evening was
not as large as expected. it was a good
beginning, and the board members are
well satisfied with the results.
The members were served an excel
lent banquet in the gymnasium, by the
Association Helpers. The room had
been tastefully decorated with flags
and bunting, and the tables were dec
GRATED with small ferns and flowers.
The gymnasium presented a very at
tractive appearance
The OrnIthOId Clubs.
Rev. o. w. Lawrence acted as toast
master for the after dinner program
and with a few fitting remarks intro
duced j. F. Witter. the first speaker of
the evening, whose subject was The
] Ornithoid Clubs" These clubs con
Quoted the last contest of the assoc.a.
ton, and it was in their honor that
the banquet was given last evening.
The clubs are the Orioles, Parrots.
Ravens, Chicadees, and the Flamfn-
goes. Mr.. Witter told of the charac-
teristics of these various birds. and
likened them to classes of men. The
oriole was placed first as having the
most admirable character. and he
compared it to men who. placed in
unfavorable environments, made for
themselves strong characters and
achieve success. The man who builds
character for himself is a successful
man." said Mr.. Witter. He likened
the parrot to the class of people who
are mere echo of what is desirable
IN life, and of the better things which
A'4NN- ASSS pGOpic seem 10 take
their whole existence as an opportun-
ity to exhibit fine clothing. "There is
rCrorm needed along that line" said
Mr.. Witter In commenting on the
ravens, who were the winners of the
contest. Mr.. Witter explained that he
thought their name inappropriate
The ordinary crow is a sad, melan-
choly, and discOuraging bird. and COM
monty thief. He likened them to
those people who go about with long
face, looking only at the less pleasant
things in life. zone gets no encour-
agement from the class of men who
are the counterpart of the raven" said
Mr. Witter in closing. The chicadees
fand the famingoes he described brief
ly. giving the characteristic of the
first as inquisitiveness, and of the
flamingo as its adaptability to its sur
roundings. These birds, in their coun-
terparts in humans are in many ways
admirable characters. In closing Mr.
Witter presenter the Ramser member
ship trophy to the Ravens captain,
Robert Hoffman.
The Business Mans View.
o. E. Childs, of Moline, responded to