New Britain herald., 1919-11-04
COMMERCE CHAMBER REPORTS BUSY TERM
Fifth Year Of Organization Sees
 Many Additions
COOPERATION IS KEYNOTE

at Meeting Tonight. Gives Account of Years Activities in Detail Various Branches Arc Busy
 The annual meeting and banquet of the New Britain Chamber of Com epmercc will be held this evening at v the Ellls club at which the report of Secretary l.. A. Sprmgue will be pre- scented. The report reflects the growth of the organization during the past five years and expresses a bright outlook, with cooperation as the key note.
 Secretary Sprague's report follows:
 Completes Firth Year.
 On October 1, 1919. the New Britain Chamber of Commerce com pleted it's fifth full year as a live, active commercial organization, work ing day in and day out to promote in the mind of every business man a real, genuine interest in the welfare . of New Britain. The desire has been first and foremost to build stronger " each day-to create an enthusiasm that will answer when called upon and to bring about a gen eral love for a better and bigger city to live in.
 
 we have succeeded is measured wholly in the satisfaction which any one of you has gained in knoWins that you have given freely of your aTne, Of your effort and of your in terest The outside world knows New Britain as q live, wide-aWakc city, and from now on it's growth and de- e velopment must be commensurate with the combined cfforts> of every business man in making this city one of the cleancSt, hcalthiest and most desirable in the state. It may be well @ to pause for d moment to consider first what the fundamental work of the chambers executives has been during the past two years. From late in 1916 to early in 1918, the Chamber of Commerce stood practically still This was, perhaps, natural; but true, because, though business men still had interest in it's affairs, they did not have the time to devote to the thou sand or more little things that make .~~ mp it's every day life. Individual eff fort or initiative rarely function in this type of organ iza ton without I secretary to knit and tic the various interests together. You hire him and expect him 10 do that very thing, and is it any wonder that interest Jagged during those discOuragimg months?
 President Deserves Credit.
 'G our now retiring president, x. w. PcltOn, deserves all the credit you can give him for his untiring efforts. his ready enthusiasm and his constant determination that the New Britain Chamber of Commerce should and would hold it's own and stand the test He deserves your personal thanks be- Q 0Sih itI ~ when few business men would He has made it possible With the help and en - COuragcment of your boards of dircc- tors, that the chamber, though il dropped from nearly GOO members tC 173 in January, 1918, now can show nearly 400 mem bers, interested and at heart back of all it's activities. This il Itself is q definite accomplishment.
 "Beginning with April 1, 1918, Noui S president your two boards of directors and your officers have work plan ned and studied to bring about jus one thing, to recreate interest, spiri and friendship among New BrltaH business men, that would. thougl slowly built be nevertheless strong and substantial
 SctTctary'S Report
 " our secretary in his report thl f year will cover the activities of tht chamber under these three thcading mentioned. You may well know tha he was bCsiegcd to attempt immedi utcly some big problems, to put some thing over that would make tn, chamber. Careful study seems t' show that without a united interCS such accomplishments were but folly %f you are to build a strong, health! organization, you must as in building T large business, be most careful of it. foundation.
 The chambers real foundati or !hen was civic interest and love O. city, coupled with willingness tt serve others and not always self This was our task--tO stimulate 1T . men. individually, collectively, a req wdesre to recreate an interest in the work of the organizatOn--by having lS many meetings, conferences gatherings, 1unchcons, etc. as pos sible. Thus business men coming together almost unconSCiOuSly be- rome associated with the chamber functions. The noon day luncheons (CnntinUpd on Eleventh Page