Valley FRONTIERSMAN
Published each Wednesday and Saturday
Palmer, Alaska
Entered as second class matter on Oct. 21, 1947 at the post office
at Palmer, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Viola Daniels . .-.-Editor
Evon DeLand.Advt. Manager, Palmer
George Lynch.Advertising Manager Anchorage Area
No printed material in the Valley Frontiersman may ha re
produced except by permission oi the editor.
Subscription rates.75c month, $8 a year
Delivered by carrier in Palmer. Maned to ail points in
Alaska and the United States.
Printed in Anchorage plant of Anchorage Daily Times
Daniels—In the Lion’s Den
“I’m never going to feel badly about our senior class meetings
again, after I see how some of these committee meetings and
meetings around town are conducted. At least, we seniors get
something done, and that’s more than the town people do.’’
That was the candid opinion of one senior student of Palmer
hijjh school, who had been a guest at several club and committee
meetings during the past two weeks. She was probably more
nearly right than most of us care to admit.
“Too many meetings,” is the common excuse given for absence
at any particular club or committee gathering. It’s a good excuse
and a perfectly legitimate one. There are not only too many
meetings, they last too long. Too many organizations are attempt
ing to handle all business through general membership groups
rather than through boards of directors and executive committees
Reeled by that membership.
Large numbers make for delaying action when business is under
discussion. Delay, monotonous discussion, procrastination and
argument make for bored members, and consequently a not so
large membership list as time goes on. Civic, fraternal and recrea
tional organizations of the Valley are slowly throttling themselves
by their policy of conducting business.
The solution to the problem lies in the hands of the leaders of
those clubs and committees. Why not set a hard-and-fast rule of
60 minutes only for any business meeting? There’s not an organi
zation in the Valley that wouldn’t accomplish more in that length
of time than they are doing now in the average 150 minutes it takes
to hold a business meeting.
Club leaders and presidents hold the key to the solution in
their hands. Any club leader may limit total discussion on a
question. Why not an arbitrary ruling of a 10-minute discussion
limit on any question, with individual speakers stopped after two
minutes of talking? Discussions which last an hour now probably
result in more confusion in the minds of listeners than the abbrev
iated sessions would. Call for a vote at the end of the allotted
ne, take definite action on the matter, and then pass on to the
next question of business.
Let small details of business be handled through leaders of the
group. Those leaders were selected by the vote of the membership.
If an individual engenders enough confidence to be placed in office,
then certainly we ought to back up that confidence by giving him
power enough to take care of routine matters, at least. And there’s
always the power of recall if any one leader appears to be usurp
ing more power than necessary.
Eliminate all social visiting and pleasant chit-chat from busi
ness meetings. Let business be purely that, and make time for a
stftial hour at the meeting’s end. Then those who must go on to
another meeting, or who need to leave early for any reason, won’t
be chafing and fuming through the slow relentless minutes of busi
ness as it is conducted now.
Above all, let each meeting be planned in advance by the
leader who is to conduct that meeting. Know what business is to
be discussed. Know which committees may be expected to report.
And most of all, know the order of business which you intend to
follow. When discussion dies or lags on any particular issue, either
put the matter to a vote immediately or table it until a subsequent
meeting.
The business of any group can be stepped up to a point, where
club members will look forward to the next meeting of the group
with eagerness. Too many of even the faithful few respond with
a groan these days when reminded that “so-and-so meets at my
place next Monday evening.” There’s a reason for that moan that
Van be traced right back to the key personnel of any organization.
The recent need for revisions of the quorum regulations of sev
eral Valley organizations well may be the handwriting on the wall.
. “People used to come, but they’re just not interested any more.”
It could be that we’ve just worn the good people to a frazzle with
the miscellany of trivia we’ve wasted our time on lately.
In conclusion, it might be well to remember that the same
student classes, which precipitated all this, meet and do things in
half-hour sessions. They’re the future members of our Chamber
of Commerce, American Legion, Fair Association, Hospital Asso
ciation and lodges, but first we’re going to have to measure up to
their standards of efficiency and business methods. Streamlining
is the order of the day, and Valley organizations ought to wait no
longer to get in tune with the times.
VALLEY CLEANERS
For Pick-Up and Delivery Service
Call 6Y3
Open Monday to Friday nights ONLY
FRONTIERSMAN ADS BRING RESULTS
V '■■■: ” rrh ' ”43
Classified Ads
Coffey Insures Everything—
Remember? —Adv.
~FOR RENT
TWO-ROOM HOUSE; lights,
water. See Charles Monoghan.
ONE-ROOM CABIN, partly
furn.; lights, water; 2 mi. south
of town. See William Hoskins.
OFFICE SPACE, Koalocky Bldg.
Inq. Jan Kosloaky.
FOR SALE
HOUSE, 5-rm., furn.; lot 162 x
140; good garden plot. Victor
Nielson, Box 1816.
OMAN LIGHT PLANT, almost
new; 3,000 watt, 110-220 volt;
complete w/air-cooled gaso
line engine and batteries. In
quire second house behind
Bill’s Grocery on Spenard
road, Anchorage, or call John,
Main 71, Anchorage.
TRACTOR, John Deere Row
Crop, Model A; comp, w/
power take-off, power lift, 2
row cultivator, 2-way plow.
See A. A. Rempel.
FOUND
MEN’S GALOSHES, all rubber,
at Wasilla Community hall fol
lowing Valentine dance; 2 prs.
Owner may claim by seeing
Mrs. Rose Johnson and paying
for this ad.
Collar Insure* Everything—
Remember? Adv.
Juniors Plan
Stunt Night
Members of the junior class of
Palmer high school have an
nounced plans for a Stunt Night
to be staged in the school gym
nasium on the evening of March
19. Plans call for the production
of a skit or stunt by each class of
the senior and junior high
school. Proceeds from the Stunt
Night will be used to finance
this year’s junior prom.
Palmer Radio Service
Many new record listings
now in stock
Drop in today
at
VALLEY THEATRE BLDG.
M. D. Snodgrass
REAL ESTATE
Dairy and Vegetable farms
City lots acreage ;
Elite !
Shoe Repair Shop
(across from laundry)
COMPLETE SHOE SERVICE |
Matanuska Electric
Association, Inc.
For Power Distribution
By AU Meant
Take your income tax prob
lems to a qualified accountant.
I have had 23 years of prac
tical accounting experience,
10 of which I specialized in
Federal tax procedure. I have
prepared income tax returns,
delinquent or current, for
every year from 1913 to the
present time.
Individual, Small Business,
Large Business, Farm,
Fiduciary, Partnership,
Corporation
Cliff E. Lillethun
Steve Ward office
For the Best Shave and Haircut in Town Try
VIC’S BARBER SHOP
Located in Rec Hall
Shaves and Haircuts from 10 a. m. to 7 p. m.
————BBa B i - 3 —ITT————
'7
We’ve Big Cakes for Big Families and
Little Cakes for Little Families
We make special cakes for special occasions, too.
Next time the occasion calls for cake,
get it from
SHAMROCK BAKERY
I
When you buy tires ask
about the guarantee
SPECIAL TRADE-IN ALLOWANCE
ON SETS OF TIRES
Be sure you see the new Gates
Silent Safety all-size passenger
tires
GRAHAM SERVICE
Machine Work Welding Repair
Gas Oil
You’ll look your prettiest at the Elks’
Ball next Saturday night if you’re
wearing one of our new
Dressy Afternoon Frocks
Come early to insure a better choice from a collec
tion of the most beautiful dresses ever displayed
in the Valley.
Every dress a fashion highlight
•’Y7*
Complete range of sizes, variety of styles.
Priced at Just
$22.50
FOR THIS SPECIAL SALE
Koslosky’s Department Store