The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1911-12-15

perpetuated and one which within
few years promises to rival the
leading fruit exhibits of the North
west. The carnival effort was a
decided step toward establishing a
reputation for the Columbia River
grape in the markets of the North
west, and also called the produce
men OF the eastern cities to a recog-
milton Of the possibilities of the
kennewick vineyard. Locally the
carnival was of considerable moment
as it tended largely to bring the
fruitgrowers into closer sympathy
with the work of the commercial
club and gave a clue as to the rea-
sons why the local grape was suffer
ing in competition with the Cali
fornia product. The exhibits at the
fairs which brought Kennewick the
grand prize for the best general
fruit display were in manner sup
Elementary to the work which had
its beginning at the carnival, and
materially augmented the benefits
accruing from it.
Another phase of the club work
essentially different from, but of
equal importance with, commercial
advancement, exploitation of re-
sources or exhibition of products. is
that phase which might we'll be
termed, home betterment. Along
this line, the clubs action in taking
over the band and engaging one of
the best musical directors in the
Northwest, making possible the Or
ganization of choral society and
concert orchestra, must be given
place near the top of the column in
the years achievements. The band,
as it is today and as it continues to
improve during the year, is no
mean advertisement for the city,
while the work of it and the other
musical organizations gives a tone
and temperament to the clubs
activities and the city's life that
must win the appreciation of the
resident and the commentator of
the homeseeker.
In addition to the distinct enter
prises, of which brief mention has
been made, the club has proved
versatile agent along other lines.
By means of frequent functions it
has played a prominent part in the
city's social life and its athletic
features have furnished recreation
for its members and tended to sus-
tain an interest in the organization.
AT the present time the club hall is
in almost nightly use and is the
scene of gatherings at which the
people are brought into pleasant /
relations. An interchange of felici-
tations and an exchange of ideas is
essential to the preservation of har-
mony in any community and many |
of the pitfalls which beset commun-
ity enterprises can often be traced
to lack of opportunity for the
people to meet and ningle outside
of business hours and under circum-
stances where human impulses and
the spirit of kinship are not held
subserviept to rule-of- thumb bust
ness methods. The Commercial
Club. in thus affording an oppor-
tunity for the people to become ac-
quainted at play as well as at work
is doing much toward closing the
gates of the city upon that unwel-
come visitor-Discord. In this
wise also, the young men of the
community. toward whom life has
not yet turned its sterner eide, are
being brought into the club. It is
true that to them the club is but a
vehicle to feeting pleasure and pas
time, but unconsciously they are
becoming acquainted with the pri-
mary aims and purposes of the club
and are being gradually drawn into
its more serious activities. They
are becoming conversant with the
problems incident t. community
progress which, as the years 60
by they will be called upon to solve
and when the time comes for
them to shoulder the responsible
ties of the club, they will fit natur-
ally and fully into the places now
filled by their elders.
This cursory review of the clubs
work for the year, it seems, should
fully answer the questions put by
the commercial representative as to
whether or not harmony finds lodg-
ing among the people of Kennewick
and whether or not worthy enter
prises lag, drag and die for the lack
of support.
/ The years successes cannot be
attributed to the ability of the
president, the activity Of the secre-
! tary or other oficerss hut to this
fine spirit of loyalty and co-opera-
ton which the people have brought
into every movement that has been
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