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OF THE

UNIVERSIT

CAT

"THE NOTED SUNSET CLUB OF CHICAGO."

The following extracts are from an article which appeared in The Chicago Herald, Sunday, April 26, and are reprinted through the courtesy of the publishers:

The now notable Sunset Club of this city has just completed the most successful and profitable season it has experienced since its organization two years ago this spring. Its limited membership of 1,100 is completely filled; the subjects under discussion have proved of absorbing interest; the meetings have been largely attended, and as an educational factor the club has grown to exert a most potent influence, that, with each recurring season, is sure to become more powerful and widespread.

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The object of the Sunset Club has already been outlined. The requirements for membership are simple: Any genial and tolerant fellow may become a member on approval of the Executive Committee. The programme pursued by the Club is a dinner every other Thursday at 6:15 o'clock, followed by short talks upon the topic previously announced by the secretary. The only expenses incident to membership are an annual assessment of $2 for stationery, printing and the like, and $1.50 for each dinner of which the member partakes.

NO PRESIDENT, NO PREACHING, NO DUDES.

66

A newspaper wag has termed the Sunset Club an unprincipled Club " because there is a total lack of rules, regulations, by-laws and a constitution, but after reading the subjoined "declaration of principles" as formulated by "Father" Catlin, this would seem to be a misstatement. They are as follows:

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While there are no parliamentary rules followed, there are one or two simple rules enjoined from which there can be no appeal. Paramount among these is that which positively prohibits any member from being called upon for a speech. There may be famous guests present at a meeting whose views on the subject under discussion would be eagerly heard by the assembled members, but no one may ask the chairman to request any individual in attendance, be he guest or member, for an expression. It may seem discourteous, but the rule was made so that no member might be forced into speaking on a subject with which he was perhaps unfamiliar, yet who might consider himself bound to rise and say something, often irrelevant, thus absorbing much valuable time. After the two leading speakers have attacked the chosen subject from both sides, any member or guest may speak as the spirit moves him, but no one may be selected by the chairman for this purpose. * * *

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THE NAPOLEON OF THE SUNSETTERS.

The duties of the secretary are onerous and are purely a labor of love, for Mr. A. A. McCormick, the present able and popular incumbent of that position, will accept no emoluments, although the Club has repeatedly offered to make the office a salaried position. But the gentleman is wise enough to see that to accept pay would have a tendency to defeat many of his plans that now redound to the good of the Club.

Under the existing circumstances, upon the secretary devolves the entire arrangements for each meeting, with the single exception of choosing the subject for discussion, which is in the hands of a committee.

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The subject being decided upon, the next and most difficult work is to arrange for the speakers who shall discuss both sides of the question. The names of these gentlemen are never announced in advance, so that the members often meet in total ignorance of the identity of the two leaders who are to take part in the discussion, the subject of which has been previously announced. Experience has shown that this plan heightens the curiosity of the members and greatly aids in the interest of the gatherings.

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IT TEACHES HUMANITY TO ALL.

That its meetings have a wonderfully humanizing effect is certain. When men of pronounced anarchistic and socialistic views, whose personality is unknown outside their immediate following, but whose names are familiar to every newspaper reader, are seen at the Sunset Club gatherings, and their more conservative brethren are thus brought in direct contact with them and see that, like themselves, these leaders are real human beings, faulty in judgment, mayhap, but terribly in earnest, it engenders a

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