The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-16
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS


 10th, for there is something yet to come, and that is the International Kiwanis convention the Fist, 22nd and 2srd.
 J. Mercer Barnett, the big chief, and Jeffersonian Modest" Bailey. the scribe, and Fighting Parson" Barnwell and the balance of the tribe will have on their war paint, and although they will wear moccasins, let no one gather the idea that it is to be "gumshoe" affair, for the yells of the local and visiting braves will be blood -curdling.
 If the local Kiwanisites are a fair sample of the rest of the breed, they are sure some red -blooded men, and Brmins- ham is in for the time of her~life when they take charge of the city, coming, as they do. from the four quarters of the earth, for one of their tasks is to pos sess the earth and they are some propa gandists and possessors
 The local club began to get ready for the international convf1tion on the day announcement was fders by President Barnett on his ret, fnft, ,m the one held at Providence that Ed been selected to entertain it at it X gext session. Few people outside of those actively engaged in the matter have any idea what it means to take are of a great body like the one which is to be our guests shortly.
 I am looking over the first Kiwanis Torch which ever fell into my hands II makes the claim to be a periodical of personality, and is the official organ of the United States and Canada. It is issued monthly and is published at Mount Morris Ill, and edited by Roe Fulkerson. do not know if the May number is a fair sample, but if it is o. Samuel Cum mings, business manager, temporarily in charge of advertising. has almost showed the former aside, for he has grabbed the lions share, and if he isn't careful he will cinch the job he claims to be hold ing only for time.
 Roughly speaking, he has about S5 out of the 135 but in running through the pages I judge it's in the nature of booster advertising. as the major par. is taken up by cities setting forth their advantages. If I am not mistaken in my hurried count there are 32 of them taking a full page or more. They run from Utah in the west to Maine in the east, and from Atlanta in the south to Dallas, and are dotted all through the middle west, evidencing the fact that Kiwanis clubs are to be found in prac- tically all of the progressive cities in the United States.
 l I see by the opening article from Inter- national President Perry s. Patterson of Chicago that there will be a number of constitutional amendments proposed. This | is to be expected. It's sorry and ur- progressive American spirit and then it would be death blow to the ambitions of those who shine as constitutional law 1 yers Chance is the order of the day, so let's see to it that the constitution man. gerers and tinkerers have chance. l I said that kiwanis was a going and growing concern. If you doubt it just listen to this taken out of Secretary O. Samuel Cummings report: The first week the international office was opened | 10 letters were received. Today we are averaging over 800 letters a week. :. I have travelled 15o00 miles, visiting Xii try :" Now comes a remarkable statement: Every cent of delinquent 1917-1S per capita tax has been paid," but 1 it is not so remarkable as when he says.
 Every cent of 1918 magazine money has been paid"
 Some of the line drawings for the vari- ous departments and for inserts in the l reading matter add much to the attrac- tiveness of the Kiwanis Torch. I was struck by one on the page of 'The Edit ors Uneasy Chair" for it shows man lwith wide-open mouth, streaming hair lnnd generally excited look, waving long railroad ticket which bears the stamp Vancouver to Birmingham. I do not ,blame him for cutting up about the fare. It was used to call attention to sugses- tion about trying in some way to equal lize transportation so that those near by land those far away from a meeting place would share alike.
 thing which brought me close t. Editor Fulkerscn was his desire to have q place where he could sit down and ttalk to his readers in the first person singular. He just got tired hiding and Icamo,,f,aging behind the editorial i've. land so he set apart place in the Torch ioalling it My Personal Page which he luses just to talk and chat with his Xii
 wanis brothers face to face like human heinz. It's what I try to do in my col Iumn every day It isn't the paper speaA- ing. but just me.
 There are a number of interesting de.
 partments. Of course. to me the bright est spot in the May issue is the double mage used to show the leading luminaries
 of the Birmingham Kiwlnis club. Mer
 cer Barnett, the big chief looks rather
 solemn. but Secretary Bailey has thu ismile that won't fade. Here is hopns
 inc Kiwanis Torch will shed beams o
 happiness in every home it enters. ant
 that the convention to be. held here vii
 he the best on in it's history. Let's dt lour best to make it so.