Big Ideas From Bad Meetings
Big ideas can spring forth from bad meetings.
Read the article below and see what you think…
Idea Born Out of A Failure
Thirteen Club Originated as Result of Poor Meeting.
By C. A. Hanson.
Canton, OH., May 23. — “Failure” is the most dreaded word in the English language, yet I have just witnessed the birth of an idea growing out of a failure — an idea that promises success to thousands of people.
Napoleon Hill of Cleveland was billed to speak at Canton, O. The lecture had been well advertised. This coupled with the fact that Mr. Hill is well and favorably known in Canton, practically insured a large audience.
But when he arrived at the public hall he found an audience of only 13 people. . . .
On his way back to the hotel Mr. Hill’s mind began to work . .
“Only 13 people present!” he said to himself. “Well, that is a lucky number. The greatest real estate transaction on earth began with 13 units — the 13 colonies out of which the United States grew. Furthermore, the greatest power for good on this earth began with an original group of 13 people — the master and his 12 disciples.
By the time Mr. Hill arrived at his hotel the Thirteen club had been born in his mind. A few minutes later, when I arrived at his room with a couple of friends who had been disappointed at not hearing him speak, he began to unfold his plan for the organization of the first Thirteen club.
The two friends who were present immediately made application for membership in the first Thirteen club. Moreover, they promised to go out and bring in the other 11 necessary for the first club. Before the following night the entire membership had been recruited.
Success Born From Failure.
Napoleon Hill is the author of the Law of Success course. Out of more than 25 years of struggle, study and experimentation Napoleon Hill has discovered that the most profitable and enduring lessons come from failure and mistakes. He contends that there is no such thing as failure — that there is, however, temporary defeat, and, that such defeat teaches lessons which most men would learn in no other way.
A class of 50 selected men and women is to be trained immediately, as teachers of the 15 laws of success, and as directors of Thirteen clubs. These teachers will be personally trained by the founder of the clubs, Napoleon Hill, who will devote the entire summer to that work. Those who have had experience as teachers in the public schools and colleges will be selected for this work, wherever possible.
Rules to Be Followed:
Each member of the club must comply with the following program:
- Take and faithfully observe a pledge to form the habit of always rendering more service and better service than that for which he or she is paid.
- Master and apply in his or her daily work, the 15 laws of success.
- Co-operate with the others members of the club in assisting them in the application of the 15 laws of success in their daily work.
- Start a savings account and add to it a certain definite pro rata of all earnings each week, this account not to be withdrawn for a period of five years.
- Adopt and follow a personal budget system of control over expenditures.
- Submit to a personal analysis every six months for the purpose of determining whether the member is advancing, standing still or going backward. Only those who show continuous growth, through assimilation of the club’s educational program, may remain in the club.
- Carry life insurance, in some approved company, in proportion to earning capacity.
- Form a habit of prayer, and resort to that habit in whatever manner and at such times as the member may prefer.
- Choose a definite purpose as a life work and create a definite plan for the achievement of that purpose.
- Follow a program of collateral reading of books on subjects connected with the member’s definite purpose in life, thereby taking advantage of that which others have discovered relating to that purpose.
- Introduce at least one other person for membership in the Thirteen club movement, thereby rendering to another the privilege of the benefits to be derived from the club.
- Read Emerson’s essay on the law of compensation once every six months.
- Adopt the golden rule philosophy as the basis of all business and professional transactions.
Cleveland Is Headquarters.
A plan is now under way for the organization of 100 Thirteen clubs in the city of Cleveland. It is proposed that at least one such club shall be organized and put into action in each business or industrial plant in the city where as many as 13 people are employed.
A national employment bureau will be operated from the club headquarters, in Cleveland, with the object of assisting all members, wherever located, in marketing their services to best advantage, and in helping find suitable employees.
Membership in the Thirteen club is open only to those who come recommended by some other member. Each member has the privilege of selecting one other member providing the selection meets with the approval of the entire membership.
No one may long remain a member of the club who comes in with the idea of getting without giving. To remain a member of the club every member must place the rendering of useful service to others above the desire for personal aggrandizement.
Source:
The Cleveland Times
May 31, 1925
Page 10
Reprinted from the email newsletter:
Napoleon Hill Yesterday & Today
Issue 26
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