The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-12-20

Clubs for the Lonely.


New Fork city. Dsc. 3e.-New'
York has . new and novel club
which l. attractins Widssprssd at
teution throughout the country. It
is called the R. A. b. club. which
means simply the Registered Ac-
qualntancs lance club.
Ostensibly. the only object Of the
club is to give dances, but really it'd
big purpose Is to combat loneliness
supposed to- be the special curse
Of New York-by promoting socia-
bill. y on ! large scale.x Every week
or SO, the R. A. D. club gives = large
dance, usually in the ballroom Of
-o..e OF the big hotels, where, dis
card;ng the formality Of m intro
duction. all the members proceed to
get acquainted and exchange
dances with each other. secure in
tne knowledge tina. the Strangers
they are dancing with are quite re-
spectacle.
For the club guarantees that.
Anybody in New York can apply for
membership in the club, but not
everybody in eligible. 1t all do
ponds upon how satisfactorily he or
she fills out the pertinent (sOme
say impertinent) little blank at
tached to the membership card.
which requires a great deal Of in
formation. In addition to name.
age and address the club registrar
must know the name of the appli-
cant's home Town, il he is not a New
Yorker; when he left it, and the
length of time he has been in New
York; whether he is single, married
or widowed; his occupation, pres
ent employer and employers within
the last four years, and the names
of the schools and colleges he has
attended-in fact, all the de ails
which any American mother would
be glad to know about her children's
acquaintance, but seldom does.
At the end of the blank, more
spver. is . space for the names of
two references. called character
references, VITA the suggestion that
the names of business men, physi-
clans or. other professional men,
school or college officials or clergy
men would be preferred. The blanks
are examined and filed in the clue
headquarters, and the references in
vestigated.
The Social Procedure.
Having satisfied the club authori-
ties in this respect. any member is
eligible to meet any o.her member
Your membership IS your iatroduc-
ton is the club slogan II an RIA.
D. youth sees an unknown r. A. D.
flapper with. whom he would like to
dance, he does not wait to be in
troeuced. But goes and asks her
Usually. he says something like
this:
How do you do! My name is
Smith. You look as if you danced
awfully well. Will you-let me have
one?"
TO which the R. A. D. flapper re-
plies in this vein: so glad to meet
you, Mr.. Smith. My name is Jones
Yes, I can let you have the ninth"
The r. A. ID. club wishes to-em-
phasize that there is no ink in its
plan" said the. secretary Of the club
in explaining the idea Members
are not expected to contribute time
or money to any uplift or welfare
! schemes. and they will not be made
the subjects Of any uplift or welfare
work themselves. 1t is a dancing
club, and the members join to dance
+. with each other, and not to read
Browning. listen to lectures on Yog-
ilism CT the Fall Of the Roman EN-:
pire, or join in fiery debates on the
social significance Of modern art
Nobody is putting up the money
thu club is entirely self-supporting
and has been from its star. The
initiation fee is dollar and tht
dances are q dollar q week, il PAID
,.or monthly although tickets fol
single dances may be obtained il
arranged for in advance. Cues
: tickets are issued only to prospec'
tive members. There are dancing
instructors on the floor, for whose
services an extra charge Is made.
"Our present membership consist!
chiefly of college men and girls
and Of the professional business ant
student class. There are doctors
teachers. artists, writer's, men WHIT
i are in banks-a bank president o.
two-and most Of these young peo
pie, apparently in thei: late eos"
When asked about the clubs or
'igin, the secretary explained thu
idea had occurred to a-few official'
! in the New York community service
after a particularly violent attacl
Of soma prominent clergyman OF
the city's dance halls.
But l believe in denee halls.
declared a woman officia. connected
with the service, adding an authori
tative voice to the discussion. "Wh.
shouldn't there be dance halls?
lfhow from exnerience IN nv socia