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THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
FEBRUARY 2, 1924
Associations and Their Secretaries
A. G. Farquharson, Secretary of the Music Trades Association of Southern California, Describes the Important
Function of the Paid Secretary in the Development of Local, State and Sectional Associations
of Retail Music Merchants and in Their Continuance
i
N the editorial section of one of the leading
national dailies there appeared the follow-
ing:
"There is no little truth in the statement
made by Lord Burnham at the second annual
dinner of the Secretaries' Association in London
recently that everybody knows that the world is
run by its secretaries—commercial, social and
political. 'Secretaries,' he added, 'are the men
in whom we put our trust and from whom no
secrets are hid.' Quite a change has come over
the profession since our friend 'The Private
Secretary' went around with his goods and
his chattels so much in evidence and looking
constantly for his goloshes."
Of course, in a discussion of the kind which
our title indicates we are concerned with the
commercial secretary and it may be remarked
that his lordship mentions him first. Further-
more, the commercial-trade, secretary and asso-
ciation, with which this journal is concerned,
are those appertaining to the music business.
"It is a somewhat peculiar thing that many,
many music trades associations have been
formed in the past—and, for that matter, are
..still being formed, where almost the last con-
sideration in the minds of the originators and
signatories seems to be the choice of a secre-
tary. They meet together and solemnly declare
themselves in favor of association and co-
operation, clean competition and decent ethics,
and then elect one of themselves—generally as
per prearrangement—president. The choice of
this president has usually cost them long hours
of cogitation and discussion, and supreme im-
portance is placed on the result of their choice.
Generally, the ^tesident whom they elect is a
leader in the miisic business of that section of
the country, his narnei carries prestige and he is
very favorably regarded by the trade.
But he is a very busy man—busy in the affairs
of his own business; and, however favorably he
may regard association ideas, he has no time
to attend to the details of its work.
Then this newly formed association goes to
work and elects a secretary. No one dreams of
paying a salary to the secretary. But realizing
that the man whom they elect will be obliged to
do some detail work—such ?.s keeping the min-
utes, calling the members together for meet-
ings, and being more or less at the beck and
call of the president, they instinctively decide—
as a general rule—to elect one of the employes
of one of their own houses.
Right there the great mistake is made. How
can an employe of one music house, acting as
secretary, expect to be received by another
music house when some dispute arises or when
a question has to be settled where a diversity of
opinion.. exists,, how can he expect to be re-
garded as unprejudiced? In cases of strained
relations between houses or firms such an ama-
teur secretary is received either with sullenness
and suppressed feelings of injury at an unfair
deal, or he is subjected to a storm of abuse—
not at his own head but either at the firm for
which he works or at the firm which, in these
people's opinion, has unfairly won the support
of the secretary's firm. The same thing happens
if the secretary is head of the firm or partner
and is not necessarily an employe.
Basically Wrong
Again the idea of employing such a secretary
is basically wrong. If this secretary works con-
scientiously, he will find a great deal of work-
to do for the association and this work he must
perform on his own firm's time. The associa-
tion then at once becomes a receiver of charity
from their secretary's firm—it is sponging
on that house and receiving, for nothing, the
services of one of its employes. On the other
hand, if its amateur—honorary—secretary does
not attend to the details and calls of the
association—hesitating to use up his firm's time
in such manner—he is, of course, useless as a
secretary, and an association without a secre-
tary is like a steamship without an engine.
We said that this idea of music associations
expecting to conduct such organizations with-
out regular paid secretaries was a peculiar idea,
and we think that there is justification for the
choice of this adjective—peculiar. All other
trades which rank in importance with the music
trade—and many which do not—have their asso-
ciations and paid secretaries. Secretaries of
associations, in large and medium-sized cities,
of furniture, dry goods, hardware, laundries,
shoes, milk, restaurants, banks, etc., are em-
ployed with comparatively large salaries. They
necessarily command good salaries—at least as
large as a high-class salesman—because they
must be specialists in their work. Then, why
should a band of music men—the combined
capital of whose businesses represents several
millions of dollars—expect to run an association
with volunteer officers and secretary? The
trades associations mentioned above which em-
ploy high-class secretaries assess themselves ac-
cordingly; we know of one retail furniture
dealers' association where the members each pay
dues varying on a basis of their turnover—
from $50 to $365 per month—and they are satis-
fied with their investment accordingly. They
have a real up-and-coming association which
accomplishes things.
A Suggestion
President Watkin, of the National Associa-
tion of Music Merchants, has inaugurated a
slogan "An Association in Every City and
State." We respectively suggest that he urge
the importance of paid secretaries for same.
One can call, plan and put over a monster
parade in the capital or chief city of any coun-
try and appoint or elect a grand marshal or
commander-in-chief for the day, but that does
not form an army. In order to carry-on and
maintain an army or following, it is necessary
to employ an adjutant or manager who will
keep this army together. And one can call the
music trade together in any city or State and
form an association almost any day of the week,
but in order to preserve that association and
to insure its functioning one must have a paid,
non-partisan, unrelated, independent secretary
for that body.
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