The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-04-13
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS


 for speech, and refused to go to bat"
 
 The above paragraph appeared in The Age-Herald on Monday morning under the head of Cushions and Rain Cheeks and was penned by Eugene Travis. the sporting editor, but it needs an explana- tion.
 "Genc" must have seen in the Chat tanooga Times where was present at the Rotay luncheon and. on being called upon to address them, aidestepped it hy asking the president tc request the sec retary to write .he Birpinghsm Cub that Frank Willis ha1 beenl asked to talk and didn't do it.
 I freely admit that l wanted to speak, and the president, in spite of a special programmed insisted that the Chatta- nooga Rotarians were anxious to hear something about the.club which had been able to lead in the matter of attendance, but for once I declined, well knowing that unless it was put down in the rec ords no one back home would believe it. Fortunately, Rotarian Wilcox was on hand. and will be my witness if any one challenges the written statement.
 
 There is one beauty about being Ro- tarian, for if you happen to be away there is one. it is expected that you at- tend, it also being the custom for the secretary to notify the home club, as 1t counts on attendance. No Rotarian needs | to wait for an invitation All he has 1 to do is to buy meal ticket and walk | in it as if he were at home; but fortu- rately, Dr, John W. Inzer took me as his | fellows.
 l I think I can say without the fear of contradiction that it was the best dressed 1 lot of "Rotes" I ever ran across. There was reason. The club was entertained at the telephone exchange, and it is need less to add that every member in the city was present, for it had been rumored that after the lunch to be served by the girls 1 there wouldsbe specially conducted par | ties over the building under the chaper- OnaSe ol one OI the oVeidtois. l lOne of the members got up before the conclusion of the meal and said: 'It is we'll known that it is hard for me to 1 catch on to things, and therefore I ear- nestly request that I be detached from party and given guide to instruct me | into the mysteries of the telephone busi- ress," but the president ruled that any man who had wit enough to think out such scheme for himself would not re- quire any special coaching
 l All my life I had heard about ringers l in the racing game. but one of the Chat | tanoogans rang in himself as ringer" five different times. Each girl at the I head of the party first showed the tele- phone switchboards but this fellow | would drop out at the end of the line 1 and attach himself to the next party, and ' before he was exposed had been able to get five different girls waste their good l time on trying to put him next to the inside workings of an exchange. 1 The dining room was decorated with the colors of Rotary, and while jonquils pre- dominated in the flower scheme, there were many vases of cut roses The lunch itself was relief from the usual set one | obtained in average hotels in which the clubs meet. Then the service was par | ticularly good. for some of the prettiest girls acted as waitresses, while others sang. The choruses and the solos were we'll rendered. and altogether it was real 1 ly most delightful luncheon. l Now, of course I think the Birming- that when it comes to fellowship and 1 fun we have all the other clubs Ebeaten a block, but the Chattanooga Ro- | tarians are some persimmons' thems selves, and the program was bright and | snappy from start to end. The set 1 speeches were full of meat and the im- promptu ones short and sweet. and the quite a few of those I met will drop in on us down here, for they were mighty nice to me.
 I am at a loss to know just why re- | sacrifice was rewarded, for in less than La couple of hours I was called out from the floor and, speaking to the East Ten ressee Baptist Sunday School Conven- ton, which was holding it's annual ses- sion at the First Baptist Church. and on taking my seat was asked to address the body on the following morning, and ac- cepted I didn't want it to get out that by refusing the chance at the Rotary lunch, I was going to reform in the mat ter of talking when called upon.
 Thursday night I had the pri zilege oi addressing the "1oo Mems Club of the 1 First Baptist Church of Chattanooga. II vas a fine body of men, and felt highly honored in being permitted to bring them q message. It's the custom of the clut lt1 have a banquet once month and ask some one to speak to them. Governor Brough of Arkansas will be the next or the programme, and the city and county officials will be asked to be present
 I had good chance to judge between a secular and a religious mems club, for at noon Twas with the Rotarians and al night I was with the ''l00 Mems Club, T and while a few were members of both organizations, yet can truthfully say
 that the fellowship and the fun at ths
 latter was no whit behind that of tn. former. The quartet pulled some of the