It was suggested that the only solution was to decide that only one National Turnverein could exist in one place. As is well known, the previous turning convention rejected the request of the Social-Turngemeinde for membership in the National-Turnerbund. Turner Frey remarked that charter members of the Social-Turngemeinde were expelled from the Social-Demokrat Turngemeinde .. for non-payment of membership fees.
Turner Schultz stated that two members of the Social-Demokrat Turngemeinde were suspended for a period of six months due to underhand actions in the community. 6 - . the committee had to agree to the request of the Social-Demokrat Turngemeinde because this company was incorporated. Turner Voigt stated: The members of Social-Turngemeinde requested that they should have equal rights in the new society as before.
The national committee had no choice but to reject their request, because the Cleveland convention decided that the Social Turngemeinde could not be admitted as a member of the Nationale Turnverein unless there was mutual understanding with the social democrat Turngemeinde. Turner Jegel made the following motion: The action of the National Executive Committee in the above situation deserves a vote of approval by the convention. After . Upon receiving their charter, the social democrat Turngemeinde stuck to his position on the current situation due to the existence of the Knownothing evil.
What the result would be was clearly shown by the situation of the New York Turners attempts to incorporate. Later a motion was made and accepted that only one association of the National Turnerbund could exist where the National Headquarters is located. The National Turner Convention informed Turner Kauf'mann that he had been delegated the duty of bringing about the merger of the Social-Democratic Turner-Gemeinde and the Social-Democratic Turner-Gemeinde.
It was held that the district officers had no right to sanction the suspension of the two members as no injustice had been done. 83 of the National Constitution says, a society is responsible to the national committee only if the controversy is related to national issues. Nowhere was it said that all members of the national commission must have business training.
Also, more work was required for the national committee due to the increased amount of .. business and letter writing. Through the statements of the delegates from the west he was convinced that the district system was of great importance to them. His motion took into account the interests of both parties and worked for the unity of.
Turner Kaufmann stated that the only solution~ was to distinguish between the interests of the west and the east.
M. SESSION
Kaufmann appointed a committee consisting of Turners Bertsch, Boebel, Jegel, Jerner and Jiest, who would make suggestions in the formation of the district system in the West, taking into account considerations. The national committee regarding paragraph On September 19, the associations would only submit semi-annual reports to the gymnast paper. Turner Vliest has submitted a motion that the gymnastics association, in which the national committee is housed, be held responsible for the proper registration of the national gymnastics books and for the national treasury.
Rapp made the motion that all dues be transferred directly to the National Treasury instead of the District Clerk receiving the quarterly dues of the societies. He also made an additional motion providing that the compensation bill presented to the national committee by the district could not exceed 2/3 of the quarterly dues received by the national treasurer to prevent a district from incurring too much expense. It was shown that in this way the national treasury lost considerable sums of money.
He stated that in the Southern states, every citizen is expected to be a member of the militia and he knows the "sweetness" that comes from such an experience. Turner Jegel also warned them against such a move because of the need to give up free enterprise, and because in many states the Knownothings are gaining strength. It would be out of the question at this point to arm all members of the national Turnerbund.
The introductory paragraph of the National Constitution calls for the National Executive Committee to ensure the participation of all members in political reforms. Turner Kaufmann made a motion that not only the National Headquarters, but also every turners' association should establish a library. Paragraphs 1 and 2 of the current standing rule remained paragraph 2. However, the decision that the newspaper should be printed twice a month was omitted.
A discussion of the political issues of the day would be almost entirely out of the question in a bimonthly publication. Turners Wiest and Werner believed that the convention should discuss the paper's political policy. We must remain neutral until the next convention, at which time the agitation for a new President of the United States would have begun.
Rapp's explanation of our political policy was in line with our preamble to the National Turnerbund constitution. He made a proposal for a special paragraph, according to which the paper should be organized according to the rule of the introduction to our constitution.
