The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-15
MUSIC WITH meal
Pretty Girls, Bands and Orches-
ira Entertained ROtarians.
Big Banquet at Close of Con.
ventiOn in Oklahoma City.

Fifteen Topeka Rotarians are today
telling their fellow members the story
of the banquet given the Rotarians at
the close of the annual convention of
the Rotary clubs of the Seventeenth
Rotary district at Oklahoma City.
1t is a tale of 1900 persons served
with a five course dinner in an hour;
a story of incessant music; relation
of how the visiting RotarianS danced
without stop.
The big banquet was given Thursday
evening at the Automotive hall in
signed for the holding of monster mass
meetings and conventions.
Going into the banquet hall the Ro-
tartan first encountered long rows of
tables presided over by nearly a hun
dred beautiful young Oklahoma City
girls This was the checking stand
and it is reported that in all the more
than $500 wraps checked during the
evening not one was lost or even mis-
placed.
Then on into the banquet hall. an
immense room capable of seating
many more banqueters than were pres
ent-and 1900 plates were filled.
At one end Of the hall was an i'm
mense stage on which was established
thirty piece orchestra. Immediate
Nv IN front OIL TIE SldSc was d -
dancing floor which was continually
filed with the whirling figures of the
dancers. Then right next to the dane
ing floor were set the tables for the
officers and international officers OF
i Rotary. Next were placed the tables
of the delegates and their wives or
sweethearts or daughters. AT the end
of the room was another elevated
platform occupied by a military band
from Fort Sill.
Music Was Intending.
Not for an instant was the air OF
the auditorium allowed to cease its
vibration to the music of the band OF
the orchestra. No sooner would one
organization finish . selection than the
other would sweep into melody. Both
organizations played dance music ex-
clusively and it is declared by men
who are not ordinarily trippers of the
fantastic weave that it was almost i'm
possible to resist the temptation.
Then there were the stunts. The
Kansas City Rotary delegation to the
convention took along its own jazz
| band. But this band from Kansas
| City did not jazz as other bands jazz.
! The slide trombone, the violin and on
some occasions even the trap drum
mer would sound their parts of the
melody from different parts of the
hall. In the aisles, in and around the
tables the musicians would go, losing
not a beat in their time, and making
their music a blaze of raggy harmony.
! The Muskogee club introduced a
band of its own-all decked out in the
most Respondent of scarlet costumes.
And the Muskogee band was led by a
midget who smoked a cigar as long
as himself
HOves's Talk a Feature.
The banquet was served by the
ladies of St. Lukes Methodist church.
1t was cooked in four kitchens, two on
each side of the banquet hall. 1t was
| distributed to the diners by a corps
of women and girl Each course came
J on at the sound of a gong. until the
meal was finished.
| Echoes of the meetings of the dis
| trict Rotary brought back to Topeka
bring the information that Cecil
/ Howes made one of the most sensa-
| tional talks OF the convention Howes's
paper on Rotary programs" was con-
sidered so good that a motion was
made and put in the business session
of convention authorizing and recon-
mending the publication of the paper
in the next issue of the Rotarian. Ce-
Gil Howes is secretary of the Topeka
l Rotary club.