Show I Backseat Driving s 's V I Another Birthday A. A e Twenty Years Old I By FRANK K K BAKER A r Telegram Sports Editor Thursday Will Mark l Anniversary Of M 1 Men Basketball Thursday will be October 12 Barring hall hail rain wind or earthquake it Is not likely to be much different from any dR day In October To be sure a mariner named Christopher Columbus Is credit credited with landing his ancient baik on the shores of ot America on an October 12 Just jus years years' ago So far tar as most folks are concerned though that's simply another history date they learned in school and forgot on their first firs examination But October 12 has been an Important date in the recreational and athletic development of at- atthe the ln country for It was on October 12 twenty years ears ago that the present M SM Men basketball program had Its birth The present program that embraces a half dozen states with their thousands and thousands of players had a humble beginning There were no flags Ings waving nor bands playing when the fire tire of athletic competition competition compe compe- was kindled in the Fifteenth ward to be fanned tanned Into Inlo a flaming blaze blare during the past two decades of careful building M 1 basketball U came as an effort to satisfy the athletic desire of men In the winter inter time The Boy Doy Scouts Scoots in hi the Fifteenth Fifteenth FIt FIt- r ward located on Eighth West Vest and First South streets viewed slewed the forthcoming winter in 1913 with deep regret reg It h had d been beena a glorious summer and fall bU with their baseball football and soccer and they hated to discontinue all the fun for five or six months This yearning for athletics took some of or the boys away from the troop into the west side athletic club which fostered boxing and wrestling where the Neighborhood House on First Fint South between Sixth and Seventh Vest West street now operates Youthful Fred Reese acting scoutmaster at the Fifteenth ward Tie wed his dwindling ranks with alarm He lie needed some lome Inducement inducement induce Induce- ment merit to keep the boys interested In hi the troop The Mutual 1 Athletic association of ot the L. L D. D S. S church was M the result Fifteenth Ward Wart Wins First Game GanIe Under M lU Men len regulations The organization didn't grow as az easily as that though Reese went first to the bishopric and the leaders of the Mutual Improvement association association association asso asso- and solicited their aid In obtaining basketball standards and wrestling mats But where would the games be held In the ward vard amusement hall hail said the boys The boys met with Bishop George S. S Ashton now of Capitol Hill ward t ard but then counselor to Bishop John W. W Boud of or the Fifteenth ward Counselor John L L. Johnson and Benjamin Bullough Sr also met with the committee of Reese Raymond Brandley and Benjamin Bullough Jr Th They y worked out their plans carefully and presented them to Bishop Boud Baud from hom hom they met hearty cooperation Within a week the Standards were built screens placed over the windows windows windows win win- dows and lights and plans made for or the first game it was held on Tuesday Tuesday Tuesday Tues Tues- day night after Mutual with a dance following the game gam Fifteenth ward rd ard played a picked Neighborhood team eam and won 42 All this took place prior to October 12 On that evening evening eve eve- ning more tha than a hundred undred b boys ys over 15 years of age met metat at the M M. I. I A. A Rooms and elected Reese president Al Albert Albert Al- Al bert James vice president and Raymond Brandley sc see sec treasurer of the he Mutual Athletic association An executive committee of Wesley Holmes Jack Cannon Clifford Jones Tones Benjamin Bullough and Heber Jones was named Dues were set at 25 cents a month I Ca Cannon non Twenty-eighth Twenty Sixteenth and Sand Twenty Twenty- ninth wards Joined Fifteenth in the first years year's sched sched- ule Fifteenth finally won the title after a playoff with Sixteenth and Twenty New Leaders Take Helm as Older Boys Go Away for Service in World War WarThe WarThe The same officers led the association for the next four years as Poplar Grove Twenty-sixth Twenty Twenty fifth and many other war wards turned to the basketball basket court Pioneer and Salt Lake stakes were unanimously represented That l set Let et the stage for a network covering the whole stakes From then on until th the present nt M Men ten basketball growth has been n a a. natural de development de- de and expansion The world war came along to draft many nany of ot the youthful leaders into the service The foundation h had ld been welt well ell laid though and others stepped OO into the breach to carry on i When the war was over the association was stronger than ever Now it jt has become a a. wide church-wide program capably led by Homer Pug Warner more widely known n for his fool football ball and basketball officiating I Every ward has its group of aspiring and theres there's a carefully carefully carefully care care- fully planned elimination system worked out so that the seasons season's best teams climax the year ear in an church all-church tournament Truly the youngs youngster r born bom October 12 1913 has grown int into a a stalwart stal stat wart art young man and Is a at credit to the men who fostered him through babyhood I |