French Broad hustler and Western Carolina Democrat. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1915-1916, 1916-01-13
NEEDS new methods
MUST BEGIN ON BUSINESS .
BASIS TO ATTAIN SUCCESS
LOCAL CITIZEN GIVES SOUND GREATER
VILE CLUB LACKED SUPPORT ARGUES HOW CLUB SHOUD
BE MADE PERMANENT; ETARY MUST BE WELL PAID

A citizen who has the interests OF
HendersonVille at heart, and who has
been a close observer of events here
va asked by the Hustler to give his
views about the reforming of a COM
nercial organization here. He said IN
part:
If | thought my name would ad
weight to your article l would gladly
consent to its use.
You ask me to give public exDres
sion to what I think about the reor
ganizatiOn of a commercial club OF
some sort in our city. In the first
place. am radically opposed to any
further steps being taken along the
lines heretofore followed. They have
lead to failures, and will again. There
IS a lack of business foresight in the
way the. reorganization matter is be-
ing gone after. Furthermore, so far
| am informed. after the club is re-or-
ganized no new methods have been
suggested for its conduct Hence. YOU
see, that with the same methods pur-
sued before and after organization
which have lead to repeated failures,
formally, the project will get nowhere
again. The whole matter has to be
gone over in detail and worked out
painstakingIy and then submitted to
the public. This 'whoop 'em up Boys'
method does for carnival, but not
for straight business.
"Now, the first fact to fix in the
n oh;
who is benefited in any way whatever,
directly Or ina .rectly, is that a com
mercial club is for the whole people.
1t is broad enough to include every
one who makes or cares to, make a
nickel in business circles. 1t is not an
exclusive ring belonging to a few mer-
chants along Main street. 1t en-
braces business men and professional
men, men and women, in short every
one. An earnest and continued effort
should be made to impress this fact on
the citizens. l do not believe that a
dozen men however active they may be
can conduct a commercial club to a
successful end. They do not repre-
sent the will and purpose of all the
people.
after the public has been interest
ed, l believe a house to house, or at
leaet#a store to store, canvass should
be- made throughout Hendersonville.
and thorough and complete express
sIon~of the will of the citizens by and
large, secured and recorded. When
this is done then a full meeting of all
those known to favor the projec.
should be held and the bare results
without any garnishing or side-step-
ping, placed before them in as few
words as possible. If the sense of the
is that a considerable part of
the people seem to want the organiza-
ton. then issue at once a call for
mass meeting and crystalline senti-
ment at once. Of course, it should be
made clear to each person approached
IN the canvass that it will cost them
something to become a member of the
club. Then the matter simply resolves
itself into one Of do you want the club,
If so how many dollars worth do you
want it.?
Now. as to the methods to be pur
sued after an organization has been
decided on It seems to me that we
have got the cart before the horse in
the matter of selecting a president and
4 secretary. The important office is
not that of president. He may be lit
,lc more than fgure-head so far as
lis actual value is concerned. The
,is; man. the real issue is the secretary.
TO him the PEOPLE will have to lock
or results. To his ability and energv
Eill success be due. AS a matter of !.
'eal fact, you may say the entire thing !!
depends on the man you select as your !
secretary. Nine-tenths of the work i
s his, and to his judgment at last IS |
eferred almost every question coming !
efore a commercial club The Dresi- !
lent and the board of directors, OF |
whatever you chose to call the govern
ng board, do little more than approve |
vhat the secretary does or propose >
c do. Committees are selected ID
york with the secretary, and when
batter of any Importance comes up
te members Of that special committee !.
re called aud the matter acted ubc.,
= them. A report Is made to the fu
at long intervals. In nj
ense Of the word are the president o.
&c directors bosses. The secretary
'crks with them, but scarcely unde~
1em. I do not put t too strongly !
hen I say never mind how capabie
our other officials are. if your secre
Try is ircoTrpate1t for any reason
? f he is banpe-ed by too mHch IL !
,-ference, yoGr club is com 'ng COW I
ard f.
and one final comment Tt is abo., II
Grey. I dent believe that cIUF Il
,cu1d be evcn thoHght> of until sa II
= large enough to secure q good ma
in hand-mind you not IN sight le