The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-10-07
COMMERCIAL CLUB GETS NEW MEMBERS Quarterly Smoker Held Last
 Night Was Success THE COMMITTEES REPORT Hinds Peevey Won Gold Headed Walk ing Cane for Getting Most Mem
 bers-List of Mem
 bers Secured.

Increased membership and increased
 usefulness of the club was the theme of nearly all the talks made at the quarterly smoker given last night by the Commercial club. While the at tendance was small compared to the membership of the organization, enthu- siasm was. manifest from the time | the meeting was called to order at 8:30 o'clock by President T. H. Moul- ton till he adjourned at 11:50 o'clock. After the regular business session was over during which the president made his report and number of commit tees reported, those present were h. vted into an adjoining room, where luncheon was served. During the repast a number of short talks were made and every one voted the quar- terly smoker a success in every partic- ular.
 An incident of the evening was the presentation of a handsome gold headed walking cane to Kinds Peevey as a reward for his activity during the last three months in securing new members. During that time contest has been on between MT. Peevey and E. T. Shaw, who were appointed cap tains of two membership squads. MT. Peevey secured fifty-eight new mem- bers and MT. Shaw forty-three. The cane was presented by President Mol ton while luncheon was being served and was accepted in a neat speech. Prior to the cane presentation and during the regular business session, it was announced by Secretary Joseph B. Babb that of the total of 101 new members secured within the last three months, 63 had been secured during September and admitted to member ship at the afternoon session of the board of directors. He said this broke all records for single month and looked like the desired 1000 members would be secured before New Year. The subject of new membership was treated of rather extensively in the presidents s report. He said the new mem- bers made total of 5S9, and he suggested a plan by which the work of soliciting for others could be continued. Action on his suggestion Sterling A. Wood made a motion that the president name ten men who would pledge themselves to secure ter new members each before the first of the year. After a short discussion the motion prevailed and the president an- nouroed that he would wait a few days for volunteers. If, at the end of that time ten have not come forward, he will name the members to get one hundred new names by January l.
 The membership question came up im- | mediately after the meeting was called
 to order The rules were suspended and
 one additional new member, J. B. Hoff-
 man. was elected. After this President
 Motion, read his monthly report It | follows:
 Presidents Report.
 Since our last meeting Birmingham and | this entire district has been veritable beehive of industry and business activity. | Never during my nineteen years residence | in this city have I observed such evil dences of solid growth and general pros | perity, and l am gratified in being able
 to report that our club has done It's part
 in promoting this healthful condition. "Our membership has continued to grow | until we now have a total of 5S9 mem | bers. Not only have we an increased
 membership, but we have an increased
 interest in the work which we endeavor
 from time to time to accomplish. When
 I came into this office I expressed the
 hope that our membership would soon
 run to one thousand. that we would then | be s,rong enough to provide more suit
 able rooms and add social and other fel . | lures which would hold the club together,
 and make it perpetual institution for
 the promotion of the commercial, manu-
 featuring, and every other interest of the | community
 We are now confronted with propo-
 stion to seek new home. as this build | Ing, once known as 'Linn's Folly be- | cause 1t was too fine for Birmingham.
 must come down to make room for a | fifteen-story office building. I would like
 to see the club strong enough at the | time of the completion of the proposed | stO nffi h,,iI to q, | top floor and At it up in such shape as | to make it an attractive place for bus l iness men to assemble every day and dis
 cuss matters that are of mutual interest | Can we not continue to gather in new
 members and by October 1906, carry out
 this suggestion? There we could have space for lunch room, a library bill | Hard hall. assembly room. etc.
 "rhe committee on membership for the | past three months has done well, but | there are many good men in the commun- | ity who should yet be induced to join. | Shall we appoint a new committee to continue the work, or can I not ask for
 volunteers to serve on this invitation | committee? It occurs to me that we might call for ten men, each of whom will pledge himself to bring in ten new mem- bers between now and our January meet | ing. At the proper time I shall be glad
 to hear from such volunteers
 Invitation Accepted.
 | "I am pleased to announce that the | clubs invitation, extended through Julian | Kendrick and John McCartin,' to the | American Society of Municipal Improve ments was accepted by that body, and ! the organization will hold its next meet | ing in Birmingham. This should be a | source of congratulation to this con-
 munity. This organization Is composed of
 men of brains and achievement, and their
 visit to this city will be notable event | .'rhe most noteworthy achievement of
 the past month was the securing of a
 s200.0O0 pipe plant. This new company is | comnosed of men of wealth and experi-