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Howdy Folks – Greetings and Salutations! Especially to you who will have the happy experience of conventioning at Cleveland do we send heartiest greetings…. We’ll be remembering the “good old days” of ’35 and ’39 when Oakland was host to the National Amateur Press Association…. To you who, notwithstanding our seeming inactivity, have continued to send us your papers and write us such jolly letters, deep and sincere thanks…. And thanks President Telschow for affording me the opportunity through the Recruiting Bureau of making so many delightful new contacts and reviving old ones…. Very special appreciation also, to Messrs. Edward Cole, Vincent Haggerty and Edwin Hadley Smith for the generous shipments of recruiting material and to all the rest who helped make my job as Recruiting Chairman a pleasant task rather than a chore….
It appears that this thing called recruiting cannot be measured in immediate results, but the seed has been carefully sown and we hope that eventually there will be a bumper crop of splendid new members…. My first effort as R. C. was an attempt to revive interest in the OAPC – the local group that functioned so magnificently from 1935 to 1939 and helped make Oakland happily remembered as an outstanding NAPA Convention City…. No results, to date, but promises a plenty…. So many personal letters have been written I have long since lost count. Accompanying each letter has been one or more amateur publications, an article explaining Amateur Journalism and an application for membership in the National Amateur Press Association…. A unanimous vote of appreciation to Vincent Haggerty should be written into the records for furnishing the membership with a pocket edition of the Constitution of the National Amateur Press Association…. Isn’t it swell to have Chas. A. A. Parker with us again? Stout fella! And happy days, old friend!… Loving and understanding sympathy to the Moitorets in their dark hour of grief that Time alone can heal…. Wish space allowed individual mention of all the papers that have come to the “House of Hayes” during the past year; the Administration is to be congratulated for the activity during 1940-41…. Maybe it’s not strictly according to Hoyle but we’re for Willametta for President because she has done such a swell job as Mailing Manager – lots more than was actually required of her…. Finally, to son John who in the midst of his busy-ness finds time to get out this issue of Whim for us, our loving thanks and appreciation. Until another day, it’s “30” from your Recruiting Chairman, and Whim’s co-editor – Jean C. Hayes.
An Ode I’ve Owed to the Dumb
by A. G. Sharp
I’m just a little measly mind
A lookin’ round and tryin’ to find
An outlet for some stuff I brew
Beneath my dome, which would come thru,
And smear the pages of a book,
Or, maybe so, give folks a look
While browsin’ thru the daily press,
But editors is dumb I guess,
’Cause they won’t spell it out for me,
Such ignorant boobs I never see.
At last I’ve found a bunch, by heck,
As dumb as I, for they will neck
And pet my stuff and set the type,
And feed it to the simple tripe.
Amateuria by Edgar
National Hobby Show – New Medium for Recruits
I came home on the night of May 14th to find our living room, dining room and my den literally snowed under with amateur publications of every size and description and Jean “all in a dither” in anticipation of the exhibit she had arranged for Amateur Journalism in the National Hobby Show to be held in the Oakland Civic Auditorium on May 16, 17 and 18, under the sponsorship of the Oakland Junior Chamber of Commerce. I helped her next day arrange the papers in the booth assigned at the show and our son Robert, who has a knack of painting attractive Show Cards, made a large sign reading “Prince of Hobbies – Amateur Journalism” for boys and girls from 9 to 90. “Once an Amateur, always an Amateur.”
The papers, far too many to list here, were prominently displayed and Jean was in constant attendance at the show for three days and evenings. Many thousands attended and the 250 “Hobbies for Happiness” that were displayed made it interesting and worth while. We understand that it is held in other cities throughout the nation. No pressure was used to get visitors to sign their names in the register provided for that purpose and the 40 odd that registered did so voluntarily and I am sure that a number of these furnish likely recruits for the N. A. P. A. I assisted Jean with the display evenings and Sunday and got quite a kick out of it.
Old-timer Herb Houser and Mrs. Houser paid us a nice visit.
William Johnson and J. Kenneth Dodge of Berkeley, former members of U.A.P.A., also registered and indicated their intention of joining the NAPA.
The list of names is included with this issue of Whim with the request that members send them copies of their papers and aid in getting a number to join. Edwin Hadley Smith’s “Service Bulletin,” the pamphlet “Amateur Journalism” by Vincent Haggerty and “The National Critic” by Edward H. Cole, were distributed to the scores of persons whose attention was attracted to the display.
Lost – One Historian’s Report
E. H. Cole last January called Official Editor George W. Trainer’s attention to the fact that the final report of the Historian under Elaine Jorgesen’s administration had never appeared. Editor Trainer sent me an Air Mail letter dated January 28th and received January 30th, requesting the report for March National Amateur. Jean and I prepared it that night by “burning the midnight oil” and rushed it to the Air Port so that it would be in the editor’s hands in plenty of time. While I have never had any acknowledgment of its receipt, I am informed that he received it in time for publication in the March National Amateur but inasmuch as that issue was being financed by Louis C. Wills to pay worthy tribute to his brother Anthony E. Wills, and since there were current official reports and matters pertaining to the present administration that required space, the report never appeared.
In addition to acknowledging in that final report receipt of 46 issues of 34 different publications since my last Historian’s report and summarizing the activities (as well as the lack of them) during Queen Elaine’s Reign, I gave credit to the Old-Timers who came forward with their splendid publications during the latter part of the Administration and paid tribute to Edwin Hadley Smith for his special issue of Boys’ Herald giving a complete revised list of the membership that was lacking then on account of the belated issue of the National Amateur.
“Let’s settle down and spend the day
In arguing things out;
Just anything and everything
We could dispute about.
And then when we are married, dear,”
The almost-bridegroom cried,
“No matter what comes up to vex
We won’t have to decide.”
The plan was comprehensive but
The scope, they found, was too.
They’re married, now, full fifty years
And aren’t halfway through.
– Willametta Turnepseed.
Whim an amateur publication issued now and then by a couple of old-timers, Edgar M. and Jean C. Hayes, whose latch-string is always out at San Leandro, California. Members of the National Amateur Press Association.