
STUPENDOUS SPECTACLE! Amateur printing bug “bites” amateur editor. Political pot bubbles. Political “pots” broiled – alive! Doctor summoned (not Noel)… Riot squad answers, restores quiet – temporarily.
Yes sir! All eyes are on Great Neck, location of the next big gathering of Amateur Journalists. The date: March 23rd, 1941. The place: Great Neck (Long Island) N.Y. The time: Continuous performance from one p.m. till. R.S.V.P. (Which doesn’t necessarily mean Reserved Seats Vor this Performance.)
And Great Neck IS on the map! For details on how to get there, consult The Navigation Expert, ‘Midships Vic Moitoret, who’s busy these days plotting a course from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis to greet his pal, “Deacon Oscar” Babcockerel (lately – and currently, of Boston, Mass.), the wild Russian who sees scarlet whenever Long Island Ducks are mentioned. Quasi-authentic rumor has it that RB will be on hand to act as host – this time. (Last time when the APC was to meet, you recall, Bashful Bro. Babcock at the last moment cancelled the performance and fled to California. Out of sheer boorishness APC President Trainer turned up at the appointed hour, only to learn, “Why! Ralphy doesn’t live here any more.”) If you’ve not heard the story of the lives and loves of the John Barrymore of Amateur Journalism – all the more reason for coming March 23rd. A True Confessions Hour will doubtless be among the features of the afternoon and evening.
And if you stay long enough “chow” may be exhibited, and you may | may not partake, as you choose or as your diet permits. Eat, drink, and meet Mary, for tomorrow we diet. Or at least Meyer Perlgut will, for this is in the nature of a farewell party to M.P., who is soon to begin a year’s command performance in Uncle Sam’s new and popular Fish-Bowl Fraternity. As for Babcock, he’s variously quoted as saying, “I ain’t saying!” and “I ain’t sayin’ nuttin!” and “If Uncle won’t talk, how can I?”
Menu: Great Neck Baked Beans, Rust Biff, Sausages from piglets that made hogs o’ themselves – and died happy, crackers for the magpies – and birdseed, rabbit food, non-fattening bread, ultra-ultra calorie-charged seam-splitting cake, doublerich ice cream, and a bowl of vegetable soup for Edwin Hadley Smith if he shows up. Coffee, tea, or milk (not more than one cow to a customer, please) and that incomparable Long Island artesian-well water. (Bill o’ fare subject to change without notice. – The Management.) If you don’t like this, send in some suggestions or bring your own pet vitamin tablets along with you. Positively no spring chicken will be served on the premises.
There’ll be quite a menagerie present: Fossils, Amateur Printers, Met-chap members, NAPA, AAPA, UAPA, FAPA, and Long Island APA members. Here’s your chance to meet the folks and get acquainted. Get acquainted and learn the latest gossip. Learn the gossip and discover promising plots for the amateur writers. Discover amateur writers and line up manuscripts for your next amateur paper. Line up an amateur paper and BOY! IS A.J. FUN! Watch our dust!

Another Masaka, featuring typographical criticism, is under way and may be expected sometime in May. Cole has started the second New Series Olympian, also to be dated May. With five 24 page Scarlet Cockerels to his credit so far this year, Babcock is currently daydreaming about five more before the NAPA Cleveland convention in July. Wma. Turnepseed is getting ahead of herself with two 16 page Walk One Flights in the current NAPA mailing bundle. George Macauley plans an O-Wash-Ta-Nong for early this spring. While hot off the press – and supplementing over 3000 words of criticism of amateur papers in the March official organ – is a second National Critic containing eight two column 6 x 9 pages, or about 4800 more words of constructive literary criticism of recent NAPA papers.
Yes, unquestionably the AAPA is the outstanding literary association of amateurs!
Hadley Smith deserves a big bunch of carrots for the Membership List issue of Boys Herald published a year ago (April 17). Typewritten and reproduced by offset printing, it was very legible – much easier to read and refer to than the closely set 6 pt. Type regularly used in National Amateur listings.
We need someone to keep such a double-check on the Membership List. Formerly, the Alumni Association used to publish semi-annual lists in September and March, supplementing the December and June lists in The National Amateur. That’s the kind of co-operative effort the Association thrives on.
Worth noting: many of the best recent issues of the official organ have been co-operative efforts wherein one or more members printed and contributed 1 to 7 page supplements at no cost to the Association. Such work (printed by members) costs less than professional printing and is worth far more than equivalent cash donations.
