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Show ATHLETIC CLUB ORGANIZED Every adull male ill Bingham district is affected to a greater or lesser degree with recent development! resulting in organization of Bingham District Athletic association, for where is th man who can honestly say that he is not addicted to some form ol sports, if only as an avid spectator? Mondaj night the Bingham District Athletic association, hereafter referred to as B D.A.A., became a reality, a step of urgent necessity since the New Year announcement that K. C. Gemmeli club, under whose auspices sports programs have flourished locally for 20 years, would no longer back this district's dis-trict's sports e entft. It was in October, 1924, that the Robert Campbell Gemmeli Gem-meli Memorial club was organized, for the purpose of "promoting "prom-oting social intercourse among its members; to advance their literary and athletic welfare; and to extend their common interests'. Since organization, proceeds from club memberships member-ships have been sufficient to assure a well-balanced sports ami entertainment calendar. Advent of the war brought a drop of membership from 2200 to 1050 L'lah Copper company employees. Losing 1000 young men employees to Uncle Sam and their replacement in part by women workers whose husbands, fathers and brothers broth-ers already hold club memberships, eliminated prospects of building club membership and resulted in the club treasury fall to an all time low. And athletic programs are expensive. Promotion of Fight cards wrestling matches, sponsorship of baseball and basketball basket-ball teams cost a good deal more than the picture show and holiday balls enjoyed by club members. So Gemmeli club, which faced the same necessity in depression-torn 1930, took the only course allowable. The directors voted to suspend athletic promotions and cease team sponsorships. And they cut membership dues from $1.25 to 75 cents per month. While in no way connected with B.D.A.A., Gemmeli club includes many members who believe with others that "Sports must go on." Leaders in the Gemmeli club are among the enthusiastic backers of the new group. Majority of the men in Bingham believe as Commander Jack Dempsey, chief of the coast guard physical fitness program, pro-gram, who told the world from Miami, Fla., on January 31: Sports are necessary for morale purposes, Dempsey affirms, af-firms, and the civilian populace as well as the service men letes to be anywhere but in a fighting uniform but we'll have enough 4-F's, incapable of fighting, dischargees, older men and 17-year-old kids to continue various sports. "We can't quit now. We can't back down. What will we have to carry on with after the war if everybody gives up sports now?". Sports are necessary for morale purposes, Dempsey believes, be-lieves, and the civilian populace as well as the service men have too much interest in them for sports to be closed down entirely. Organization of the Gemmeli club, by its sponsorship of fine sports teams and excellent sports program, made Bingham Bing-ham Canyon known as a community of sports lovers interested interest-ed in backing t he best procurable. Organization of the B.D.A.-A. B.D.A.-A. means that Bingham's reputation can be enhanced and continue its growth, during a period of general difficulty and discouragement. |