Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1908-06-08
THE BOOSTERS CLUB.
Story Of a Unique Organization
That Is Booming a Town.
WAS THE OUTCOME OF A JOKE


Have Grown Strons-Wise Business
Men Approve and Applaud These
Youngsters, ard the Town Grows.
Knock and the world knocks with you;
Boost and you boost alone.
That is not always true not by a
long shot. One booster in a town, If
he is real booster. will draw other
boosters to him, and the boosting soon
will swell into chorus. The original
booster will have plenty of company.
This fact is well illustrated by the
story Of the Boosters club Of North
field. Mimi. the little city made ia
nous in 1876 by the bank raid and at
tempted robbery by the Younger BROTH
ers and their gang from Missouri.
Mortified had one booster ut first, AID
now the town has whole club OF
them. These boosters declare that
within five years they will boost the
population OF Mortified from 1000 to
10000.
The Boosters club Is an OrganiZa-
ton Of young commercial and profess
sional men. clerks and. in fact, all of
the younger activity Of the town. No
restrictions are placed on eligibility to
membership except good character
and an age limit. Other requirements.
however. to become booster are set
by hard and fast rules. Every one
who joins first has to agree to bury
the knockers hammer" and thence
forth to boost his town and its bust
ness interests. For Mortified first"
is the clubs motto.
The story of how the organization
started is worth relating. 1t was really
the outcome of practical joke. though
the idea had been discussed by sew
eral spirited ones before.
On an evening early last spring word
was passed around among the young
men Of the town that there was to be
something doing on certain evening
in one of the halls of the town. There
was to be mock trial, with one of the
progressive young business men as de-
PENDANT, for the theft of a piece Of
furniture from one OF the obstetrics
of the city. At the trial there was a
judge, assisted by all Of the usual and
necessary court officials and an impos-
ing array Of legal counsel. About fifty
young men applied for admission to
the hearing. All that was required
was the signing of a paper at the door.
After lengthy trial the question was
left with the jury and verdict of
guilty was brought In. At the close of
the evenings amusement the paper,
which was signed by every one pres
ent, was brought to the front. and.
much to the surprise and amusement
of all, it was found that the signature
had been duplicated with the aid of
carbon paper and each man had signed
a pledge to abstain from intoXicantS
for period Of year. After the court
was adjourned the convicted man in
vited those present to Il little lunch,
and it was there that the organization
was thought Of \ suitable name was
taken. that of the Boosters club. and
since that time this body Of men has
been known as such. The club does
not pose as Il moneyed body and pub
fishes the fact that it is not composed
1t boasts of its energy ana husting
qualities. and all it asks from the 9th
err class of citizens is cooperation and
assistance.
The growth of the club is really mar
velous 1t does not stop to ask the APP
plicant of his financial standing, re-
ligon or politics. but asks that all
boost and stop knocking. One OF the
unique features Of its membership is
the invitation to all travelling men To
join without any initiation fee or de
post. This feature alone is one Of
great advertising force. The travelling
men are taken in as honorary Nom
bcrs and have all the privileges of the
club rooms. They naturally 90 ont
from Mortified ard boost for the boys.
In the beginning the club had no
funds Of any kind, no place in which
to hold It's meetings. and even had not
the respect Of the men of the city. On
ono side it wae called the "Boozers'
club" and on the other il was known
as the "Teupcrancc society" But this
the Northern P0oStcrs' club has sue
cessfully lived down
As soon as the officers were elected
and committees appointed the latent
energy began to show itself. \ much
needed public benefit, a rest room, was
the first object of the organization.
Tho club had no money, but had good
agitators. Soon Il movement was set
going, and all of the organizations be
gan to lend a helping hand. An eye
sore on the west side of the square
has been selected as the site for the
rest room. and it now remains for the
moneyed men Of the city to buy the site.
The rest room is to be known as the
"Heywood Memorial" in memory of
the hero of the famous bank raid in
Mortified.
In many small towns Memorial day
is observed in a half hearted manner,
and for years Mortified neglected to
cooperate with the G. A. r. in the
proper observance of the national Me
mortal day. Last Memorial day the
Boosters showed their hand, and, be
it said to their credit. the town did
nobly by its defenders. On the even
ing of May 20 a patriotic concert was