Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-01-15
Rotary Club Holds
Interesting Meeting

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The usual Friday noon luncheon
of the Skowhegan Rotary club was
held at the Grand Army hall with
Mrs. Kate S. Simpson catering and
with the president "Gramp" Carl
ton P. Merrill presiding and all
members present except, Thomas G.
Lord. who is still confined to his
home by illness and Hon. Clyde II.
Smith, who was unable to return
from Augusta and tclephoned that he
would attend the meeting of the Au-
gusta Rotary club which also meets
at noon Friday. The following new
members were present: Leon w.
I Smiley, Albert B. Lamb and Willis
L. Porter. Guests present were
Herbert Emery of the Waterville
Rotary Club, Rev. George Merriam,
Stafford A. Lindsay, G. Ernest Avore,
Henry Crowell of Skowhegan, Don
aid ToZier of Waterville and the
sealler c. X. Ober, n. y, Of the In
ternational Commpittee of Y. NJ. Z.
A.
The president announced that the
meeting would close at LIS and any
wishing to leave at that time could
do so, although the. speaking would
continue for a little longer.
Mr. Morrill, introduced Mr.. Her
bert Emery of Waterville, a member
of the State committee of the Y. II.
G. A, and handed over the gavel to
him for the remainder of the meet
ing. Rotarian Emery spoke of the
necessity of leaders in every walk of
society and the difficulty which every
man in positions of responsibility
had finding men capable of filing
the higher positions. Mr. Emery said
that January is the Boys Month in
Rotary. He spoke earnestly and with
much interest to the men, Mr..
Emery said that when the prcsi-
dent of Skowhegan club asked him to
speak at this meeting there was in
WaterVille a man much better
qualified to speak than he, one who
had devoted forty years to the work
and who had twenty years ago come
to Maine in the interest of Y. NJ. c..
A. work and who had served in
every part of the country as an asso-
| ciate. He then introduced G. X. Obcr
| of New York of the International
Y. M. c. A. committee who spoke
for thirty minutes and who said that
he felt that the Rotary clubs had
wonderful opportunity in Skowhc-
gan to select and develop leaders
among the boys. He said that the
essential thing was to find The boz
| around whom other boys were seen
to rally and then develop and train
the quality in that boy to become
moral force. Mr.. Obcr spoke of
conferences which the Y. NJ c. A.
are holding each year to train boys
for leaders and sighted many in
cidences of the success of these tDNs.
Mr. >Ober'S work for the past three
years has been the selection of young
college mon for Y. NJ. c. A. score
taries and among those he had sell
cctcd and influenced - 90 into the
"Y" service were John Il. Mott, prob
ably the best known Y. NJ. G. A.
worker in the world and Thornton
Merriam. of Skowhegan, son of Rev
and Mrs. George Merriam. Mr.
ODER praised the work of Thornton
Merriam. who is now located in
Cleveland. very highly.
After the close of the meeting an
!. informal reception was held and the
ROtarians and their guests were
privileged to meet Mr.. Obcr. It was
announced that at the next meet
ing the committee on Boys Work
would make its recommendations and
its report would be discussed by the
club members. 1t is hoped at the
meeting on January the 26th. to have
as speaker, Rev. George W. Hinck
ley of Good Will Farm, who will
speak on the Problem of Boys
Work.