The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1920-01-22
CALVIN B. BROWN SPEAKS
Most Interesting c. of c. Meeting of
the Year,

spoke to over 40 members and
guests of the Hays City Chamber of
Commerce at the weekly dinner held
in the Methodist church Tuesday
evening.
After a satisfying dinner served
cafeteria style by the ladies of the
Methodist church, ]. C. Manning,
City Manager, introduced the speak
er, Mr.. Brown, as a man who in his
work has travelled over all of the
United States delivering addresses to
every Chamber of Commerce in the
United States. His talk was parti-
cularly interesting because of his
broadness and depth of view; but Mr..
Brown also had the personality which
gripped his audience and his oratory
was nothing short of Brianesque. He
held the attention of every member
of the audience without a single
break. He made right handed gestures
with his left hand and talked Kansas
talk with a Bostonian accent.
His speech in part follows: "Since
coming into your city at 8:45 last
evening I have visited your expert
ment station out here where I saw
men working, really building for
community betterment. l have visit
ed your Normal School where 1 have
talked with Commercial students who
were really learning the essentials of
good citizenship, and to commercial
students who were really learning
something about business from the
employees side so that they might get
into business and accomplish the goal
of their desires in becoming manager
of that business. The trouble with
most young people who go into bust
ness is that they do not know-are
not educated to the proper relation to
their employer. I saw the knowledge
of that understanding taught in your
State Normal School.
'sThere are certain essential ele-
ments in the building and conduct of
= successful Chamber of Commerce.
The first of these is a clear under
standing of the position it occupies
in the community life. Those whose
support is solicited are entitled to
know that it is not organized and
conducted in the interest of q group
of individuals, but that the yard stick
by which all of its activities are to be
measured is the yard stick Of COM
munity good.
"The second essential is short,
definite, practical program of activ-
itieS. The people are not only en-
titled to know what the Chamber of
Commerce is, but also what it pur-
posed doing for the community.
"The third essential is the selection
of committeeman with view to their
work entrusted to them.
The fourth. essential is a budget
based upon the work to be done, the
revenue for which is obtained from
dues paying members.
where the public has a right con-
ception of the functions of a Cham
Der of Commerce, is in agreement
with its program of activities and has
confidence in the official personnel,
there is little difficulty in obtaining
the money necessary for carrying on
the work.
"Busy workshops, fertile fields and
easy means of communication from
place to place are some of the ele-
ments that make a nation great, and
nation is but the sum total of its
community units Therefore many
of our national problems could be
solved if we could break them into
just as many little pieces as there are
well organized community units, leav-
ing it to each to do its bit. This is
one of the reasons why we need well
organized and well conducted Cham
bers of Commerce in every city and
town in the country These Cham
bers OF Commerce are based upon the
fundamentally sound principle that
more can be accomplished by working
together toward a common purpose
than by individual effort, and exper-
Iience has taught that nothing can
stop the driving power Of commun-
ity that is well organized, knows what
it wants and is in agreement as to
how to get it.
'sThere is one thing more in this
connection. No matter how much
character a man may have, no mat
ter how clean he may be in his busi-
ness and private relations, no matter
how good a man may be, he is not a
good citizen unless he does something
for the good of the community IN
which he lives. There is difference
between being good man and a good
citizen, and one of the functions OF
every Chamber of Commerce is to
furnish the people with an oppor-
tunity to express their citizenship II
constructive counsel and action fol
the good of the entire community. :
''You do not have to be. reminded
OF what you did toward helping wiz
, the war You responded to every de