Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-08-24
AK-SAR-BEN MAKES GOOD
Great Organization Grows Stronger
Every Year.
HELPS OMAHA AND NEBRASKA
Body Has 1895 Members Now, with
More in siRht-win Have Red
Letter Day when ROOse-
welt Comes to Town.

Reverse the name Nebraska, throw in a
couple Of hyphens and be generous with
capitals, and you have the name of an
organization, or, better yet, an institution
which for sixteen years has had as its
sole aim the building up of the state Of
Observation-Disclosures Ben.
1t was organized in 1895 by a group of
Omaha business men as a public enterprise
a means by which the city Of Omaha and
the state of Nebraska could better be
brought into the limelignt. Its aim was,
and is today. to stir up sluggish trade and
bring about a better spirit among Omaha
business houses.
Its aim has been we'll lived up toto a
little fuller extent each year of its ex-
istence. First, it has brought the bust
ness men of Omaha together in a way no
other organization has been able to do.
At its meetings they have learned what
bI sness friendship really means
Second, it has more than emphasized the
necessity Of unified effort on the part of
every business man If the city is to grow.
Through friendships begun at the den loyal
members of Ak-Sar-Ben have come to-
gether for effective and harmonious work
in the arena of business. Petty difficulties
heve been overlooked in concerted labor
the good of the city as a whole.
Membership Growing.
Memberships, purchased at the rate Of
80 each are renewed each year In the
past the roll has ranged from 1000 to 1900
at one time going as high as $500 Formerly
members were secured through the solicita-
ton OF a committee, but now voluntary ap-
plications are depended upon entirely. The
increasing popularity of the organization
| nv
anticipation of this limit of 1000 has been
placed upon the membership.
Only one requirement must be met by
an applicant for membership. He must be
a reputable business man of Omaha or it's
suburbs Any stranger will be taken If he
has only the recommendation of a business
man.
The two prominent features Of the organi-
cation consist of an intiatory season and
a fall festival. The initiatory season ex-
tends from the first Monday in June to the
opening of the fall festival in the latter
part of September.
| Monday nights are given over to initiation
ceremonies. Wherever it is possible, and it
| nearly always is, some prominent speaker
from outside the city is invited to the den.
Members may invite out-of-town friends
to Monday evening sessions. Whenever If
so happens that convention is in session
in the city over Monday the delegates are
invariably entertained at the den and an
evening is spent more enjoyably than would
be possible in any other way.
Citizens from other cities are frequently
invited to Omaha for an Ak-Sar- Ben even
ing and they are thus given an opportunity
to see what Omaha is doing and to get ac-
quainted with the business men of Omaha.
/ This results in closer relation between
Omaha and the citizens of Nebraska, both
in friendship and in business.
The fall festival is tho big time of the
year. Commencing the last week in Sep
TENDER, this year it is September 2s to
October g. Omaha blossoms forth in gala
attire and ten days of unalloyed fun and
pleasure is served out to all corners. The
festival annually attracts to the city thou
sands upon thousands of visitors, from out
in Nebraska and from other states, and
the city profits UNNECESSARILY from the
| advertising II receives.