EXECUTIVES ASSOCIATION TALK 10/17/95

Ed Christy certainly went to a lot of trouble to get out of giving a program, but at least he is furnishing the door prizes, such as they are.

This is the twelfth talk I have given before this group, and the last time was in March of 1991. I have been introduced by such distinguished members as Mike Tomforde, Bob Goff, Billy Watson, and Tony Peterson who sponsored me into this club in 1967. None of them said anything worth repeating except perhaps Bill Watson who said, “Addison McElroy is a young man who started with nothing, and brought it along with him”.

I have been secretary of this group since 1982 and have served under Presidents Fred Winchell, Jim Inglish, Joe Brown, Bob Coale, Bill Miller, Harvin Moore Jr., Tom Arnold (Attorney), Bill Cathriner, George Sealy, Al Keller, Jim Wooten, Fred Meyer, Mel Campbell, and Dan Flournoy. I want to say that it has been a real privilege to have been your secretary for these 13 years.

This morning however, I am not going to talk about myself or my ex-business, because when I do that I would like to have my one picture on the bulletin, so it would draw a much larger crowd. Instead I am going to tell you something about the history of this club. I am going to draw most of my information from a talk Billy Watson made to this club in 1985, 10 years ago when Bill Miller was president. Incidentally, I visited with Bill Watson a few weeks ago, and he sends his regards to all of you and wishes he could come to the meetings, but he says he simply doesn’t have the strength in the morning.

History isn’t always of interest to everyone, but the exception is usually when it’s history of something or some event you were, or involved in. The members back in the thirties when this club was organized were no better members than you all sitting out here today. Times were different, situations were different, perhaps ages were different, but the quality of members has remained constant these 61 years.

Bill was working in his father’s office in 1934 in the old Mason building next door to Kress’ on Main Street, when a man by the name of A.D. Scott came into visit with him about forming this club – or one like it. Bill reflects that all his life he has always been at the right place at the right time. When Mr. Scott came in to visit with Bill’s dad, Bill was there, and if he hadn’t been at the right place at the right time, he probably wouldn’t have met Mr. Scott, wouldn’t have gotten interested in this club, and I suspect that if Bill had not gotten involved, this club would never have survived.

He further reflects that in 1938 at the old Second Presbyterian Church down on Main Street a pretty young lady was there to get married, and Bill was the only one in the church with a white linen suit and marriage license in his pocket, so once again he was at the right place at the right time. He further states that 9 months later his son was born so even on his wedding night he must have been at the right place at the right time.

Mr. A.D. Scott was from Omaha, Nebraska and he came to Houston in 1934, and visited with Bill’s father who was in the insurance business as was Mr. Scott, and that’s how the two got together in the first place. He had the idea of forming a business club – times were really tough in those days – to which those who are old enough to remember can attest. Included in his idea was an organization where you had one member from each type of business, and one dollar per month per member for A.O. Scott. If he could also have a club in San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, Omaha and all around the country, he would create quite a little nice thing for himself.

The fellows who listened – Mr. Watson had gotten about 18 in his office that day – those who heard the story liked the idea, but they didn’t like the one dollar per month for A.D. Scott. They didn’t want to be hooked in with anyone else. So, they sort of told him thanks, but no thanks and he went his way. He resurfaced a couple of years later after this club and a couple of others were formed – he still wanted to sell his dollar per month, but he got no place.

This club was formed in 1934, and in 1935 or 36 a similar club was formed in San Antonio and Dallas, and for the first few years the clubs exchanged bulletins. But times in those days were so different. Let me read you something that was written by someone you know. It is May 26, 1933 in Houston, and it’s a cool day with the temperature at 80 degrees. The sun rose at 5:23 and will set at 7:15. The mayor is Oscar Holcombe. is out of town today — what else? The Mayor is in Washington D.C. trying to borrow RFC money from Jesse Jones. And while he is Washington, here in Houston the county commissioners are trying to curb his powers.

It is dollar day at W.C. Muns and for a dollar you can buy 24 bars of soap, a ladies corset, or 2 me n’s union suits. If you need something to wear over the union suits, the best linen suit you can buy is $17.50 at Rolle, Jewit, and Beck. You can get a wedding ring at J Wexler , the jeweler for $12.50; Weingarten has shrimp for 12 cents a pound, and porter house steak is 12 cents a pound at the farmers market. Pork Chops are 9 cents a pound, butter 24 cents a pound and eggs are 10 cents a dozen.

The man who wrote that was Walter Cronkite. He was in Houston for the 50th anniversary of the 1933 graduating class of San Jacinto High School of which he was a member. The first board meeting of the club was held on November 19, 1934. Here are some of the thoughts. Mr. K.L. Simmons who was head of the gas company, was chairman of the acquaintance committee, and he reported that the committee would be responsible for a two-minute talk about each member, until every executive had been introduced.

The board voted to spend no more than $26.50 on buttons which were to be worn by the members during the weekly breakfast. That never did come about – they changed their mind before they bought them. In order that members might become better acquainted it was agreed that tables seating six or eight would be used, and that the secretary would see that each man would sit with a different group every Tuesday. That didn’t work too well either. The first part of every meeting was a roll call, and that happened every week. There was no exception – there was always a roll call. That could be several kinds – it could be an automatic roll call where each person would rise, give his name and his business and go all the way around each table. Or it might be one-time where one man at each table would introduce his table giving the name and business of each person at that table. While you were having breakfast, it behooved you to know who you were sitting with.

Then we had sometimes, that the last man had to introduce everybody. The last man in that door had to walk around the room giving everybody’s name and the name of their business. Eighty to ninety percent of them could do it without any problem. Bob Coale Sr., Mr. Al Tomforde, all of the early ones could without any hesitation walk around the room and call everybody’s name. Any that you missed you had to put a quarter on the table, and that was used for future prize drawing. That was a practice at every meeting, and since you did not know when you were going to be called on it kind of impressed you with getting to know each member.

Two of the members who did the roll call were sort of outstanding, Mr. George Lewis and Meredith James. Not only could Meredith call each man’s name without hesitation, but he could give you each man’s phone number. Mr. George Lewis would give you each man’s birthday.

In 1934 they hired a young lady named Vivian Walker to do secretarial work. After about three months, she was in an automobile wreck which laid her up for some time and Bill Watson got the job as the pinch hitter. Vivian later decided she would return to Ohio where her parents lived, and Bill got the job permanently. For 47 years after that Bill was the secretary of this club. If I last as long as Bill did I will be 104 years old when I turn it over to someone else.

Bill stated that this club made a decided impact on his life. Imagine a young 18-year-old being able to associate each week with people like yourself. Getting to hear about their life, what they did, how they made their money, what their mistakes were — it was an invaluable lesson and one that he cherishes. I can only echo that during my 28 years. That same experience is yours also, because you every week get to listen to someone tell about his business.

Their guide for members was very selective. Five would be proposed and only one taken. The main requirement that the early members had was they did not want anybody that the association couldn’t help. Not the other way around – just that. They felt that if they had a member that would get nothing from the club, he wouldn’t be there very long and wouldn’t be a good member. But anybody they could help , they felt in time would help them.

The first meetings were at the Ben Milam Hotel down on Crawford and the breakfast cost 65 cents. It was about the same kind of breakfast we had this morning for $15.00. After the first year – there was no sales tax of course, and no tips. Mr. Percy Howell made a motion that the Association put a tip on each week, and the amount was moved to $1.50. Each week Bill wrote a check for the breakfast and he added the $1.50 to the bill – this was not $1.50/member or $1.50/waiter, but the 4 or 5 waiters were to split that $1.50.

There was an effort for people to sit with different people every week, and that was encouraged. When a new member joined, they would pin a yellow ribbon on his coat. That meant he was a new member, and it was each man’s chore to find members with the yellow ribbon, introduce themselves and to sit with him.

On each table each week there was a lead blank that any information you had that was of interest to some other member you were to fill that out and hand it to the secretary at the end of the meeting. Also if you had something to sell, and you needed a contact with Mr. Y at the X company, if you would put that on the lead blank, and at the end of the meeting, Bill would get up and say we need a contact with Mr. Y at the X company. Someone would say ‘Hey, that’s my brother-in-law, or I know someone there, and then Bill would say “meet Mike Tomforde over here in the corner, because Mike is trying to sell them something.” That worked real, real good.

In the old days the club was sort of like a life boat, with each member having an oar. If one member didn’t row, they threw him overboard. If he got $12.00 behind in his dues (the dues were only $6.00 /month) then adios – he was gone. Today, the club is more like a cruise ship, and that is not necessarily bad – who would trade a cabin on a cruise ship for a seat on a row boat? The boat is moving and nobody has to row like they use to – and that’s great. The guys in the old days would have liked to have that too.

But the thing to keep in mind is that if the motor ever stops you couldn’t have a better guy than the one sitting next to you, to help you row the boat. And though the times don’t call for that now, that’s a real safety net for everyone in this club. This club is like no other – in that the people feel that way about each other. There is not a man here who would hesitate to ask someone here for help, and there is not a man here who wouldn’t appreciate your asking him for help. The bulletin each week used to list who was absent the week before. If you weren’t here, your name got put in the bulletin next week. If you missed three meetings in a row, without an excuse – and the only excuse was sick or out of town, then you had to appear before the board to explain your absences. Of course, all you had to do was call in to the secretary and say you were out of town, but at least it kept everyone on their toes.

In the early days we had a lot of golf tournaments and stag parties. That was the way the members felt was a good idea to mix with each other and get acquainted. We had a lot of those. One time Jim Walsh had everyone to the Petroleum Club where he got a bill for 10 drinks per person for 70 people, which was 700 drinks. It took him a while to get that straight.

Once a year the group would go to Lou Matterson’s camp, Dakota, up at Kerrville. A bus load would go up to spend the weekend. They’d get on the bus and start the card games and when they were riding back they were still gambling. There were lots of tricks they played on each other. When you went to Lou’s you took your own linens, and once a couple of members took one of Bob Coale Sr.’s sheets and painted a male appendage on the sheet in mercurochrome. On the bus ride home, they told Bob about this and he made the bus stop while he tried to wash it out in a creek alongside of the ride. Bob didn’t particular want his wife to see that.

Bill remarked on some things he regretted. One of them was that Al Tomforde did not live to see what a nice son he had. Al was very proud of his son, but he died long before Mike became the figure he has become – whatever that is. Bob Coal Sr had that privilege and that was fine for him.

We had a lot of special breakfasts. Dave Bintliff flew a 20-piece marimba band up here from Guatemala one time for breakfast. Ben Sines served breakfast on a railroad diner one time in the Southern Pacific yard, and Harry Homes served us breakfast on the Port Commission yacht. Doug Jones had us to Tony’s one time, and Dale Cooper took us to the new post office building on Franklin when it was first opened.

Roy Jacobs used to throw a party at his place on Main Street where the main attraction was drinking and card playing. The members were always hollering “Where are the girls”. So Billy one time said “I wonder what would happen if we got a perfectly nude girl to just walk through one time. So they called a lady named Lillian, who was the prime booking agent for all the strip joints. Roy agreed to pay her $30 .00. There was an alley in back of Roy’s place and a cab brought this gal in the back door and took her up stairs. She was told she could leave her shoes on and that’s it. So, she came down the stairs and walked through the room. Harry Burkett of Burkett Motor Company who weighed about 250 and was seated at a poker table playing poker stood straight up, upsetting the table scattering drinks and chips. He never said excuse me or anything, but took out walking after this girl. She didn’t know any better, so she walked into the showroom at Roy’s place which was right on Main street. It had a big plate glass window with no curtains. It was about 9:30 in the evening. Cars were stopped at the red light at Alabama, and Roy was running around trying to get her out of the showroom. Bill states that this was when Roy started getting the shakes!

One other thing the fellows use to do, and I suggest to you that this is still a good idea even in these times. They would study the roster before they came to the meeting, and sort of like a dance card they would check someone’s name that they had not met or sat with. When they got to the breakfast that morning they would make a point of looking up Sam Smith and saying, “How about having breakfast with me this morning?” However that sounds, it works, and you will be surprised, if you will do this how much more fun you will have out of the meetings in the morning. I know a lot of you sit at the same table each week, and that’s all right too if that’s what you prefer. But try it sometime and make a point to meet and sit with someone you don’t know very well.

Obviously there have been lots of funerals in this group. If all of the members who used to sit in your chairs and now have gone to their reward, were here this morning there would be more of them than of you. He said that he didn’t want to go to your funeral, and he didn’t want you coming to his. So be real careful out there and to hell with Bill Hightower and Larry Jasek. We really don’t need to help them.

Bill told about his father, and at the time of his talk his dad was 91 years old. On his 91st birthday, he said “Well I think I’ve got it made”. Bill said, “How’s that Pop”, and he replied, “Well I’ve been watching the paper and very few people die after they are 90.

Bill closed with the statement that there a lot of former Execs in heaven, and when you get up there, he will probably be there ahead of you, and he’ll meet you at the Pearly Gates and take great pleasure in introducing you to all of those members. They were wonderful people, just like you. That will be one of your rewards.