The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-04-30

HI EVENING THL1EtSftAm. LANnlAN
result You will remember that you
have the bone and sinew Of the most
aggressive men of the community
back Of you and that you have plenty
Of new timber which has not yet been
requisitioned.
Kickers Should Get In the
Organization
My reading with regard 10 and also
my personal information with regard
to other communities is that 1t Is inn
possible to entirely avoid factional-
ism and strife. / believe that we
should get busy on some Worthwhile
program and let the membership
know what we are trying to do We
should all of us let every citizen have
an opportunity, as he always has had
to join the ranks and II he has any
difference of opinion he can then have
an opportunity of voicing his opinion
inside where he may be respected for
his opinion even If his advice is not
followed. instead of outside where The
only thing he can do is TO tear down
instead Of build. The membership Of
the organization can be built up by
some faithful personal work on the
part Of the Board and such a method.
believe, will be much more sane and
satisfactory than the conducting of a
noisy campaign. May I be pardoned
for saying that the directors could do
so much good by keeping thoroughly
in touch with the activities of the +
fee so that they are in point of fact
as we'll as in name directors of the
organization. They will understand
better the value Of the organization
to the community and their own per-
sonal interests in 1t and Its work.
They will be better able to answer
any criticism coming up from
time to time, either on the part OF
an honest critic or by one who sim
ply wants to take contrary part for
the sake Of being on the opposite
side. They will also have a better OPP
portunity of knowing of the personal
work of the secretary. intelligently
criticise anything which does not APP
pear to them to be for the best in
terests of the community and thus
add tremendously to the efficiency OF
a man who does not and cannot know
1t all, either by securing the cnange
of some policy for the better or being
able intelligently to back him in his
administration
Gentlemen the present time is per-
haps the most critical in the history
OF the organization You gentlemen
must take firm vigorous hold of the
rudder and guide the ship into the
, course of the trade winds or lie down
and let her run on to the rocks. In
the latter case some of you will un-
doubtedly be drowned, though some
others may be saved. But none need
be drowned if the action is prompt
and careful.
The records show that during the
year we have lost IA members by
death or removal and precisely the
same number have dropped out. On
the other hand, without any effort,
we have gained six new members
making net loss of %.
May remind you here that we have
not had new membership campaign
for four years Tampa has had three
campaigns in that time and now is
planning for a fourth. Orlando has
had three and four secretaries st.
Petersburg has an annual campaign.
Miami has had three campaigns
Speaking to the president of the Tam
pa Board of Trade few days ago,
he expressed great surprise that Lake
land had been able to hold together
so long without having a campaign
for new members. The present low
ebb of membership is thus easily ac-
counted for and yet the membership
is greater today than Tampa's In pro.
PORTION to population.
We now have 113 paying members
: on the list.
Our advertising campaign Just
closed was only pitiful attempt to
do something. However, the results