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The Commoner.
APRIL 4, 1"013
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ncss and to listen impartially to both, sides of
every public question.
"Sixth: Public servants and those who are
capable of presenting public questions, especi
ally those wh are interested in great causes
which make for the common welfare, welcome
the opportunity which civic clubs offer them,
to talk and confer with their follows.
"Seventh: Neighborhood civic club atten
dance and participation not only develop
breadth of sympathy and understanding, but
tend to find expression for awakened civic spirit
l well considered action for the common wel
fare." A SUGGESTED NEIGHBORHOOD CIVIC CLUB
CONSTITUTION
Of course there is no one prescribed form of
organization. The citizens of any neighborhood
are free to adopt whatever constitution or form
of government they may choose. They may de
cide, for instance, to have separate, organiza
tions for men and women in the community, or
they may decide to have one common neighbor
hood civic club for both.
The following constitution is typical of those
which have been adopted by citizens, meeting
as neighborhood clubs in many of the school
buildings, throughout the country:
PREAMBLE
Whereas, We the citizens of
siding in the neighborhood of
, re-
school,
have duties to perform as citizens which re
quire for their intelligent performance an
understanding of the public questions of our
time, and a broad acquaintance with our fel
lows; And Whereas, The public school building
affords a convenient place for the bettering of
this understanding and the development of this
acquaintance through the open presentation and
free discussion of public questions, therefore
we, the citizens of the neighborhood about
1 constitute ourselves a neighborhood
civic club to hold meetings in the public school
building whose object shall be the develop
ment of intelligent public spirit through the
open presentation and free discussion of pub
lic questions? and such other civic and social
activities as give promise of common benefit.
For the better government of the same, we
do adopt the following constitution:
ARTICLE INAME
The name of this society shall be the Neigh
borhood Civic Club, meeting in school.
ARTICLE II OBJECT
The object of this organization shall bo as
stated in the preamble, namely; the develop
ment of intelligent public spirit through the
holding of meetings in the school buildings in
which there is the open presentation and free
discussion of public questions, and such other
activities as shall promote the welfare of this
neighborhood.
ARTICLE III MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Members: Every man (or per
son) twenty-one years of age or over, living in
the neighborhood of the is a member
of this neighborhood civic club by the fact ot
his residence in this neighborhood.
Section II. Active Members. Any' man
(person) twenty-one years of age or over, is
eligible to become an active member of this club
vipon giving tiis name to the secretary.
ARTICLE IV OFFICERS
There shall be seven elected officers of this
club, namely, president, four vice presidents, a
secretary, and a treasurer.
ARTICLE V ELECTION OF OFFICERS
All of the officers shall be elected at the an
nual meeting of the club which shall be held on
to serve for a term of one year each.
ARTICLE VI DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section I. President: It shall be the duty
of the president to preside at all meetings of
the club and also to serve as chairman of the
executive committee of the club.
Section II. First Vice President: It shall
be the duty of the first vice president to preside
at the meetings of the club in the absence or
at the request of the president.
Section III. Second Vice President: It shall
be the duty of the second vice president to serve
as chairman of the program committee of the
club.
Section IV. Third Vice President: It shall
be the duty of the third vice president to servo
as chairman of the legislative and improvement
committee of tho club.
Section V. Fourth Vice Prosident: It shall
be tho duty of the fourth vice president to
serve as chairman of tho social committee of
tho club.
Section VI. Secretary: It shall be tho duty
of the secretary of tho club to keep the mlnuteB
of tho proceedings of this club in a book tho
property of the club to keep a list of actlvo
members, to receive additions to this list, to
carry on the correspondence of the club, and
to fulfill such other duties as usually pertain
to this office.
Section VII. Treasurer: It shall be tho duty
of the treasurer to handle tho money of this
club, to make all collections for the expenses of
the club, to keep a record of all moneys re
ceived, spent, and on hand, and to report upon
the state of the treasury whenever called upon
to do so.
ARTICLE VII COMMITTEES
There shall be four commlttes of the club,
namely, the executive committee, the program
committee, the legislative and Improvement, and
the social committee.
ARTICLE VIII DUTIES OF COMMITTEES
Section 1. Executive Committee: The execu
tive committee shall consist of tho elected offi
cers of the club. It shall bo the duty of this
committee to confer upon questions regarding
the welfare of the club, to consider and recom
mend maters of Importance to the club, and In
unusual matters requiring haste, to act for
the club.
Section II. Program Committee: Tho pro
gram committee shall consist of the second vice
president and four other members chosen by
him. It shall be the duty of the committee to
arrange programs for all of the meetings of the
club, to secure speakers, and to suggest topics
of discussion which shall assure live, Interest
ing, and profitable meetings.
Section III. Legislative and Improvement
committee: The legislative and Improvement
committee shall consist of the third vice presi
dent and four members chosen by hlra. It shall
be the duty of this committee to Investigate
all matters recommended for legislation and all
questions of local improvement which may be
referred to it by the club, also to suggest mat
ters upon which tho club should act.
Section IV. Social Committee: Tho social
committee shall consist of the fourth vice presi
dent and four other members appointed by him.
It shall be the duty of tho social committee to
promote neighborhood hospitality, through the
arrangement of such special programs, enter
tainments, serving of refreshments or other
social features as the club may from time to
time direct or desire.
ARTICLE IX MEETINGS
The club shall hold a' regular meeting each'
evening in the roojn in the
o'clock.
school between 7:30 and 10:00
ARTICLE X DUES
There shall be no regular dues of this club.
Active members of the club may contribute
cents per year to pay the expense of
sending notices of the meetings of the club
and such other incidental expenses as may be
Incurred.
ARTICLE XI QUORUM
Ten active members of the club shall con
stitute a quorum for the transaction of all
business.
ARTICLE XII AMENDMENTS
This constitution may be altered or amended
by a' two-thirds vote of the members present at
any regular meeting.
BY-LAWS AND ORDER OF BUSINESS
By-Law I. The meeting shall bo called to
order by eight o'clock or earlier, so that the
business routine may be disposed of and the
speaker of the evening may be introduced not
later than fifteen minutes past eight.
The main address should be finished and the
subject of the evening thrown open for general
discussion at or before nine o'clock.
This discussion should last not longer than
three-quarters of an hour, and should close with
a ten minute opportunity for the speaker to sum
up the discussion and to answer questions.
By-Law II. The chairman of the meeting
should leave the chair in order to engage in
discussion. , , .. -
By-Law III. In speaking from the floor In
the open discussion which follows tho main
address, tho parliamentary rules of addressing
the chair, etc., should bo strictly followed.
By-Law IV. Speeches from tho floor are
limited to five minutes and tho time may bo
extended only by unanimous consent.
By-Law V. No speaker may have tho floor
a second time unless all othors who wish to
speak have had opportunity to do ho.
By-Law VI. Speeches from the floor must
deal with the subject chosen for discussion.
ORDER OF BUSINESS
I. Call to order.
II. Report of standing committees.
III. Report of special committees.
IV. Treasurer's roport.
V. Unfinished business.
VI. Now business.
VII. Special program.
VIII. Discussion.
IX. Adjournment.
THE FIVE C's OF THE CIVIC CLUBS
Tho following flvo key words express thft
spirit and policy of neighborhood civic clubs as
a rule:
Construction: There Is, of courso, no limita
tion upon public criticism, but tho tondoncy is
to make even criticism constructive and posi
tive rather than destructive and nogatlvo.
Co-operation: Tho neighborhood civic clubs
being representative of all parties and different
points of view, are themselves Illustrations of
tho spirit of co-operation. Tho policy has been
found best to extend this Idea of co-oporatlon,
to work with, rather than against other people.
As Lincoln said, "To stand with anybody who
stands right."
Concentration: One thing at a time and
that done well, is a good rule as most of these
neighborhood clubs have found.
Consultation: These neighborhood civic
clubs have uniformly shown a desire to loarn
tho experience of other similar organizations
and to benefit by their experience.
Cultivation: Along with the devotion to tho
accomplishment of definite Improvements, a
great part of the civic club's work Is evorywhoro
the cultivation among the members themselves,
and throughout the community, of the Ameri
can spirit of unselfish interejt in tho common
welfare.
TOPICS FOR CIVIC CLUBS
For lists of topics for discussion, and for sug
gestions as to local resources in speakers and
lecture subjects, see "General Statement,"
"Civic Clubs," and "Farmers' Clubs," bulletins
published by the University Extension Division.
A GOOD WORD FOR OFFICE-SEEKERS
Is there not a note of unreason, a tinge ot
cant, in the prevalent assumption that office
seekers are a cormorant crowd who deserve only
the derision of honest men?
Ninety-nine per cent of the offices of tho
government national, state and municipal
are filled by men who wanted the places and
took more or less eager measures to get them.
How, then, can the government be respected if
office-seekers are not respectable?'
The pay of tho most sought-after places under
the federal government is small much smaller
than can bo got in equally exacting places In tho
service of private corporations. The best men
in the departments at Washington stay thero
at great financial sacrifice.
A reflective observer need therefore have no
doubt that a large percentage of those who seek
public office in this country do so because of
the Idealism, tho generous sentiment, that goes
with the idea of public service.
Certainly, if it is allowable to seek mayoral
ties, governorships and the presidency, thoro
should be no necessary stigma put upon thosa
who volunteer for minor posts.
Of course, it must bo admitted that thero aro
a good many people on the public payrolls who
do not earn their living. There are men whose
object In life is to achieve a sinecure to do
nothing and to do It at public expense. It ia
a fault of the frame and casting of our govern
ment that it should be full of that kind of blow
holes. But the fact remains that multitudes of
Americans cherish a perfectly honorable, though,
often illusory ambition, to enlist in tho public
service for the sake of tho glow of conscious
statesmanship that sometimes sits upon the
brow even of. fourth-class postmasters. New
York American.
