The Delta independent., 1923-12-28
MATHERS SAYS THERE IS
MUCH BUSINESS FOR CLUBS

In a well delivered address at the
Delta Lions club last week, Will H.
Mathers told the members of some of
the duties confronting civic organiza-
tions, and particularly the Lions
club. The text follows:
"Our good fellowship chairman has
asked me to write down here, some of
the things the Lions club might do.
It's not an easy matter to criticize
our family, or our bunch, or our
church, or our club. We believe in
them, or we wouldn't belong. Some
way or other we have way of be
lieveing that the things that are ours
are better. It's easy enough to see
the mote in the other fellows posses
perhaps in our own.
This is my club. l believe in it; in
its mission; in its accomplishments in
the past It's hard for me to see that
it isn't going strong. Hard to think
that it isn't doing its best. | know
that it is made up of some forty Of
the livest, and most progressive men
in Delta. My job is something in the
line of a managers work. And my
experience is that planning anything
is less than so per cent of the job
Putting it across, closing the con-
tract, getting the names on the dotted
line Of even finishing up a graveling
job, is more than half the battle At
an earlier meeting one of our good
fellowship chairmen asked for sug-
gestions for activities for the club
and got enough to keep our club in
the collar for several years. In any
walk of life busy folk are the hap
piest, healthiest and accomplish most
Especially in club work, I'm sure it's
a mistake to rest on our oars. Bad
for two reasons: First, it slows down
our enthusiasm, and that's bad for
every member of the club; and sec
ond, there is so much to do
First I think the Lions club should
finish the graveling club. The gravel
ing proposition is our child. 1t was
mighty promising infant Made a
wonderful start, and was loved by
5212%o of it's relatives. 1t gave every
promise of growing, but at very
tender age developed sleeping sick
ness. Let's make the reviving of this
our first born the chief object OF the
coming year.
Second, I think the Lions club is
overlooking a bet when it does not
further cultivate the friendship of the
three Community clubs near our city.
Last year we attended a meeting of
the Orchard City Community Cub. and
spent not only a pleasant but from
any point you look at it, a profitable
evening. Just east of us is the Garn-
ct Mesa Community club, and over to
the south the California Mesa Com
munity club. These clubs are also
made up of folks in whom we are
deeply interested. They are the lead
ing people of each of these three sec
tions-the folks who lead in improv-
ing conditions, who are the first to
adopt better methods of farming, who
are interested in schools just the
type of people who make or mar the
success and future of our country We
should tie them to us and our town
with hoops of steel in the way of
closer friendships.
Third, l think a job that we could
do and earn the everlasting approval
of $50 of the people Of the town.
would be to take the echo out Of the
high school auditorium The cost of
pattinay IN
would not be prohibitive, and It
would surely add much to the pleas
ure Of the evenings we spend there.
In connection with this, the Lions club
might take charge of the matter of
bringing some of the very high class
entertainments here. Delta is the CEN
ter of a large section of the valleys
here. With such high class entertain
ments as Sousas band Payola, some
of the metropolitan singers who are
going through to the coast, we would
draw people from Montrose, Cedar.
edke, Hotchkiss, Paonia, and the
other towns Of the county | believe
these entertainments could be made
self-supporting, and anything that
makes Delta a place where folks
come to play as well as trade will
help all the way around.
Fourth | think the High school
campus offers a wonderful chance for
folks who want to serve. It's certainly
a barren waste as II is, with nothing
attractive about it. A little co.opera-
tion among the interested people OF
the community could build track,
and tennis courts, commence beautify.
ing the grounds and make it place
we are proud Of instead of one Of the
eyesores of the community.
Fifth, l think If the Lions club
really we're Interested in boys It could
put the screws to the flends who sell