The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-02-17
HEAR HOW SHEDOYGAN WON
Interesting Story of How sheboygan
Built Up Real Organization for Town
Boosting Makes Strong Appeal to
Kenosha Delegates to Conference.

A lot of prominent Kenosha men went
to Madison on Sunday evening to at
j tend the sessions Of the tWo-day indus
/ trial and commercial congress which
Iopened this morning and which promises
to be of greatest interest to Kenosha
i The Kenosha company included Presl-
/ dent Charles Ell. Goodman and Secretary
i G. d. Theleen of the Retailers assocla-
ton, Secretary Conrad Shearer of the
! Manufacturers association of Kenosha,
Secretary Russell H. Jones of the Auto
mobile club. Other representatives OF
these organizations going as delegates
were A. E. Buckmaster, A. III. Kluen-
i der, A. B. Ames and H. E. Barden.
These were official delegates to the con-
ference and a number of others went
up to attend the sessions today and
more are expected to go to Madison on
/ Tuesday.
Kenosha hopes to get at this confer
ence some suggestions which will aid IN
the formation of chamber of COM
MERGE in the city. When the delegates
return to Kenosha mass meeting will
be called at which they will make re-
port suggesting the best possible plans
to follow in the formation of the organ
ization. Most interesting to the Keno
sha men among the speeches at the con-
ference today was that of Alfred L..
fSomers Of Sheboygan, the secretary of
the Sheboygan Chamber of Commerce,
one of the most successful organizations
of the kind in Wisconsin.
The adoption of city building
program is the first step in a member
ship campaign for commercial associ-
ation,'' said Mr.. Sommers, in his ad-
dress on Membership Campaigns at
the Wisconsin Commercial and indus
trial congress at the university this
morning.
when you sell membership in the
association, what have you to offer?
If only vague promises of probable ac-
complishments, you have made the
wrong start. Determine first of all
plan of action. Know what you can
accomplish with a certain specific
amount Of money and the enthusiastic
cooperation Of men. Make up a bud
get-so much for advertising and pub
licity, SO much for maintaining a credit
bureau to accomplish so and so, so much
for summer band concerts, public enter
tainment, and other civic undertaking,
so much for maintaining a traffic mana
ger, this amount of money for road
work, etc. In soliciting members you
must be able to answer the question:
What are you going to do with the
money?
I" Assuming now that the work for
the association has been mapped out,
proceed in the membership campaign.
IF you have an established organiza-
ton, call meeting Of the entire mem
bership. A dinner for the purpose is
very desirable. Here is where the open
ing gun is fred. My town-how to
improve it and make it attractive'
should be the subject Of the evening.
Finish the evening with discussio4 of
the association IS plans for securing the
desired results.
As a finish have an effective speak
er, someone that can arouse enthusiasm,
call for volunteers to spend few hours
of each day for period of one week
in rousing membership campaign.
Make them offer their services-not on
/ ly through a rising vote, but get their
signatures.
/" A newspaper and publicity cam
paign is first necessary. Have your
evening meeting well covered with an
article that is readable, that will at
tract the attention even of the masses,
and make them believe that the asso-
citation is on the right track and de-
serves support. Publish comments from
the leading citizens on the necessity of
united action. Have the merchants in
their display ads pledge their support
to the campaign. In some communities
even billboard space is used and win
dow displays made.
'fNow get busy with all the vim in
your organization to organize and in
struct your soliciting committees. AS
soon after the big meeting as possible
get your workers together for instruc-
tons Appoint your leader, someone
that knows the game and can put gin
ger into his men and make them work.
He should talk to them ike a sales
manager would to his statesmen. Pair
your men off into committees that can
work together, each with a chairman
in charge. Assign to each committee
definite territory that must be canvass
| ed to the limit.
From Monday to Saturday keep the
lmachinery. moving at top speed. Have