In January of 1911 the editor of the Durant Daily Democrat hinted that a new movement was afoot in Durant, one that would either see the old Chamber of Commerce retired and replaced, or see it merge with a group of young men who were determined to create a Greater Durant.
These “live wires” were organized by Sam Dane and Doc Hathcox, who quickly obtained pledges of support from 200 men of Durant. They welcomed young and old, experienced businessmen and novices. The only requirements were enthusiasm and a determination to improve their community. The January 10 issue of the Democrat contained the names of all 200 men. Whether the group was completely separate or some members of the Chamber held dual membership was not indicated, but comments made later by the Democrat’s editor suggest that they were indeed separate groups.
As early as 1910, the editor had made suggestions for “injecting new life into the Chamber”, so it seems evident that they were struggling with some issues. He also advocated the hiring of a Commercial Secretary to be paid a salary and in 1911 Bill Sterrett accepted that position. However, some young men in the Durant felt that fresh ideas were still needed.
These newcomers planned to meet in the courthouse, but the sudden scheduling of a trial forced them to postpone. George Harrison and Fred Harle solved the problem by arranging for them to meet in the Opera House. The one hundred members who attended were pleased with the comfortable seats, and “rousing speeches” were given by over a dozen members. V. E. Kendall was elected temporary chairman and E. B. Colins, temporary secretary until an election could be held.
The nominating committee included R. H. Glenn, O. T. England, J. S. Jenings, L. H. Harral, and Prof. Gilliland. They recommended V. E. Kendal, Doc Hathcox, R. H. Glenn, Fred Lowry, L. S. Demand, F. M. Kinney, Sam Dane, W. B. Johnson, Dyle Currin, E. B. Collins, Reedy Jenning, and E. M. Evans. Those elected were V. E. Kendall, president; Sam Dane, vice-president; W. B. Johnson, treasurer; E. P. Collins remained secretary until a permanent one could be elected. A committee consisting of R. H. Glenn, Professor Gilliland, W. C. Caudill, and R. E. Bailey was chosen to draft a constitution and bylaws. When later completed, the document was eleven pages long.
A name change was considered for the group and the choices were “Young Men’s Commercial Club”, “The Durant Booster Club,” and “The Durant Live Wire Club.” After a vote, the “Durant Booster Club” was adopted. R. H. Glenn stated that the rallying cry of the club president was “Let’s Go.” Their first goal was to increase their membership from 200 to 250 in order to do the works they planned. They met the second Thursday of each month and the dues were 75 cents a month for men eighteen and over, 35 cents for boys under eighteen, and 40 cents per month for any member living outside of Durant.
The Durant Booster Club quickly went to work to do just that. They enthusiastically sang the praises of their community, helped other organizations with events, made suggestions, and even cooperated with the reinvigorated Chamber of Commerce. One of the Booster suggestions was an “electric light sign” saying “Watch Durant Grow.” At the same time, the Chamber was working on increasing sidewalks and improving roads. Their motto was “Wake up, make up, shake up.”
Other towns admired the groups. The editor of the Bennington Tribune said, “Fall in line with the boosting spirit that has struck Durant. Determine to do something for Bennington.” His opinion was that Durant would double in population in three to five years. Caddo’s editor, Mr. Crossett, encouraged the young men of his community to form a Commercial Club, which they eventually did.
Going forward, it’s difficult to accurately follow the actions and activities of the Durant Booster Club because the newspapers used the generic term “Durant Booster(s)” to report about a variety of groups and individuals. Many Durant citizens worked very hard to advertise the merits of their community. What is clear is that the Durant Booster Club and the Durant Chamber of Commerce had a friendly competition going for a number of years and their efforts greatly benefited the community. There are currently several groups here in town that are carrying on their legacies.