Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1920-12-16
CAMPAIGN WAS
BIG SUCCESS.
Chamber of Commerce Has
Membership of Almost
Six Hundred.
INDUSTRIES NOT INCLUDED
Membership From Factories Is Elk
peeted To Swell Total Con-
siderably.

The Alma Chamber of Commerce
membership drive came TO an end
Friday evening with a big victory
banquet held in the gymnasium or
the high school, which was attended
by over two hundred members Of the
organization. 1t was a fitting end
for the brilliant campaign, in which
membership goal had been set at
500, and which saw the goal passed
early Friday, and the membership
figures creeping rapidly towards the
600 mark that evening.
The total number of memberships
which have been reported in is
slightly under 600, but the executive
committee expresses every conf
dence that the 900 mark will be
passed before the clean up squad has
finished its work, as there are still
a number of Alma people, who should
be among the members of the organ
ization, which has jumped to the
front in a weeks time as the most
powerful civic body of the commun-
ity, provided that its membership
will stand behind its officials when
any work is undertaken.
Industrial memberships have not
been included in the totals that have
so far been given out, and it is ex-
pected that these will further swell
the membership totals.
AS the campaign came to an end,
it became certain that population
considered, Alma had the largest
chamber of commerce to be found in
the state, the percentage of residents
who have joined the organization be-
ing unusually high. 1t speaks very
commercially of the community spir-
it of the city and furnishes an or
ganization that can do a wonderful
amount of good in Alma in many
ways.
The enthusiasm, community spirit,
or whatever it is desired to call the
spirit that actuated Alma people in
their work last week, was of the
highest, being the same type as that
which allowed Alma to lead the state
on the Fourth Liberty Loan, and 10
take the lead of the cities of the
state in growth during the past dec
ade, of those which depended upon
themselves for their growth, and did
not sap strength from other cities, as
did Royal Oak and Muskegon
Heights.
This same community spirit made
itself felt as an undercurrent at the
victory banquet, in the various dis
cussions efore the banquet, and was
the theme of most of the addresses
of the evening.
During the banquet the following
program was given, II. S. Babcock
acting as chairman:
Observation-Disclosures.
Violin solo-Mr. Thoms.
Vocal solo-John c. Chick.
Vocal solo-Mrs. Babcock.
Selection-Chamber of Commerce
Quartette.
Following the banquet, II. S. Bah
cock, chairman of the meeting, gave
a short address of considerable in
terest. Faith in ourselves was the
one thing he pounded home, as need
study had given faith in our pur-
pose. He mentioned the faith of Co
lumbus, of Cyrus Field, of Marconi,
Of Edison, and then of II. f. Reece,
manager of the Chamber Of Com
merce, who had put over successfully
drive that Chicago concern want
ed $4,750 TO direct. Mr.. Babcock
then turned the meeting over to Mr..
Reece.
He called on Harry Gerber, presi-
dent of the Board of Trade, who gave
short address, in which he ex-
pressed the thanks of the organiza>
tion TO those who had so ably assist
ed in making the campaign success,
especially, he said, were thanks due
TO the outsidespeaners who had come
to Alma, and to the papers. which
had boosted the Chamber of Com
mrce.
w. w. Gushing was thin called up
on and he gave a splendid address on
the subject, Garry On" II was a
strong and impressive message, that
held his audience closely. as matters
of more than passing interest TO TN
community were brought out, as Pre-.
positions needful OF solution in Alma
In particular he warned against let
ting the spirit that had marked the
week, die down as IL must be used in
backing up the officials Of the or
ganization if the results wanted
were 10 be achieved.
Col. Gansser Of Bay City. chief
speaker Of the evening, brought
some splendid thoughts on commun-
ity endeavor to the large audience in
his address, which he was forced TO
curtail to catch a train. He called
attention to the responsibilities that
lay before the organization, and the
possibilities that there were. He
praised Manager Reece, with whom
he had come in contact previously,
Through the connection Of both In the