Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-12-08
UNIVERSITY CLUB
ITS ORGANIZATION
Aims OflThose Having Its Direc-
ton In Charge, Moderate
And Sensible.
DR.. C. A. SMITH PRESIDENT s
Personnel Represents St. Johns, Ma
val Academy. Experiment Station
And Other University Men

At the University Club gathering in
the Y. NJ c. A room of Mcdowell
Hall, st. Johns College, on the eve-
ming of November %. there were men
present representing the city, st.
Johns College, the Naval Academy,
the Experiment Station, besides a
sprinkling from the surrounding
communities. Nearly half a hundred
men attended. and everybody seemed
deeply interest in the University
Club idea. That so many men should
have attended the meeting and that
so much interest should have been
shown argurs well for the future sue
cess of the enterprise.
The present aims of those having
the direction of the University Club
in hand are moderate and sensible.
The name University Club" often
connotes expensiveness, luxuriousness
and a consequent admixture of caste
spirit and intellectual snobbery, sort
snobbery, sort of II am little bet
ter than thou" spirit, because ] went
to college. If the general democratic
feeling and splendid good fellowship
of the first meeting be an index. of
anything, it is safe to say that no
such spirit will ever taint the Anna
polls University Club. Furthermore,
it is the present desire of the Club
not to burden the members financial
ly. There are no monthly dues pro-
vided for, and the aims of the club do
not include a club house The offer
of DR.. Fell of the Y. NJ c. A. room
in Mcdowell Hall for a meeting place
Ia public-spirited offer-was accept
ed, and so long as that room con-
tinues adequate in size it will be used
for that purpose. Here will be held
one monthly meeting of the club, on
the evening of the third Thursday,
when definite pre-arranged program
will be carried out. This will prob
ably consist of brief talks by club
members on subjects of political
social, literary, or scientific interest,
about which they may be supposed
TO have some special knowledge, these
talks to be followed by open discus
sion of the points raised. After this
light refreshments will probably be
served and opportunity offered for the
exchange of personal gossip on more
homely matters, perhaps. Members
are free to smoke at all times, the
meetings will be very informal, free
and easy, and it is hoped that they
will bring together such men of the
community as have common interests,
men who ought to be acquainted, and
who may have a personal desire to
widen those interests as we'll as to
promote the civic welfare. This, at
least, is the sole aim of the University
Club.
While such clubs usually and
naturally are limited to college grad
yates, the reasonable sentiment found
expression at the recent meeting that
the membership rules should not be
so limited, but should be extended to
admit by vote of the club any man
who may not have had the advan-
tages of a complete college education,
but who has shown by his general
bearing and success in the community
that he is worthy of that degree which
from lack of four years residence at
a college he never received
The fact that an able man was
elected the first president of the An
napolis University Club and live ex-
ecutive committee chosen is also an
assurance of the probable success of
the organization The president is
Dr. c. Alphonso Smith, Head of the
| English Department, T. S. Naval
Academy. The executive committee
consists of the president as ex-officio
member; Professor L. A. Doggett, of
the Electrical Engineering Depart
ment. Naval Academy; Professor W.
o. Stevens. of the English Depart
ment, Naval Academy; and Mr. De-
Baufre, of the Experiment Station
Professor ]. b. Rippere. of ST. Johns
College. is secretary, and Mr. j. r.
Wilmer, of this city, treasurer Thus
the city and its two largest educational
institutions, as we'll as its scientific
adjunct, the Experiment. Station, all
find representation on the governing
board of the club. 1t goes without
saying that under such leadership and
with its present aims the Annapolis
University Club can do good service
-. L.