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PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS
G^nti,e;mi;n :
When in October this meeting was set for Atlantic City, I wondered who would come. I am gratified, therefore, to see so many of you here, for you represent the workers, those who can be depended upon to accomplish things.
For we have not come here two days in advance just to secure a grandstand seat for the Easter Sunday parade. We came to further our standardization in the motion picture industry, a standardization which we will continue from year to year, as our industry grows and takes on the welcome stability of approaching harvest time.
I think we may with profit and prophecy compare our industry to the sun flower, which from a tiny seed shoots up in the spring a tender green sprout which the browsing beast crops if left unwatched. But safely past this period of growth it begins to form a woody stalk able to stand alone against the autumn winds and hold aloft its golden crown.
Our industry is not quite past the stage where covetous eyes have ceased to watch for an opportunity to "bite us," but we are rapidly approaching that time when we will be able to resist stress by reason of the solidity of mature growth.
This is also the exact situation with regard to our Society. We will now quickly come to the maturing season, or we will die an ignominious death.
Solidity, the ability to stand alone, comes not so much in numbers as in individual strength — confidence in one's self. Not one single enduring movement was ever begun with numbers. Numbers alone count for very little. A mob easily forms, but just as quickly melts away. Permanency comes from individual confidence in the ultimate success of a fixed purpose.
Now the prime purpose of the organization of this Society was to standardize our industry. The way to standardize is to standardize. We will not accomplish it all this session, but without leaving this room there is plenty that can be done to wonderfully help the industry.
There are many looking to us to establish these standards. Most of those who have written me say they do not care so much what the standards are, being ready to accept any standard so far as they can be assured that it is the consensus of opinion of the engineers of this Society. In fact, they are anxious to do so as they have no other authoritative body to consult.
So let's get busy now and tabulate the majority opinion of our members on the several subjects to come up for consideration at this session.
Gentlemen, the meeting is yours.
C. Francis Jenkins.