New Bern Civitans couldn’t have
possibly lined up a better speaker
for the North Carolina District Civi-
tan International banquet Saturday
night than Edmund H. Harding of
Washington.
Billed as the Tar Heel Humorist,
he has given his ludicrous talks in
every nook and corner of the Unit
ed States, nnd is so superior to
the average comedian.-on television
and at night clubs that there’s no
comparison.
This won’t be Harding’s first ap
pearance here, but he is the sort
of entertainer who can return
again and again to familiar haunts
and find a ready welcome waiting
for him. It poses a problem, since
repeat appearances necessitate a
new batch of yarns, but be handles
this matter very nicely.
Edmund leaves nothing to
chance, when it comes to this. He
keeps his jokes carefully indexed,
and can tell you in a minute or two
just what stories he used on such
and such occasion. If an oldie
crops up Saturday night, it will sim
ply mean that the master gag
spieler figured it was worth a sec
ond- serving.
Well do we remember the first
time we were privileged to hear
Harding. It was in Greensboro, at
a convention, and the name meant
nothing to us when he was intro
duced as the speaker. He didn’t
look too impressive—and still does
n’t—so his announced subject, “It’s
Later Than You Think,’’ struck us
as being a rather boring theou for
the occasion. ', /• -
To add to this dismal impression,
Harding started off with a delib
erate dullness that Set his audience
up for th6 humordus pitch that was
to follow. Then he grabbed his ac-
cordian, played two or three tunes
quite creditably and launched into
the most hilarious collection of
tales that his listeners had ever
beeh treated to.
Edmund has the face and the
voice to fit his profession. To scru
tinize his countenance, you would
n’t give him credit for being an in
tellectual. But don’t let that whims
ical smirk of his fool you. This
, man has plenty of sound wisdom
between his ears and his interests
are many.
In his home town of Washing
ton (the original) he is a devoted
and valuable member of his church.
. And his keen appreciation of his
history has been reflected in his
untiring efforts to promote the
'preservation of Bath, the oldest
^town in our state.
Harding has exhibit^ a similar
interest in New Bern’s historical
worth, and he turned down all en
gagements proffered him to be on
hand for thle big doings when Try-
on Palace had its formal opening.
He is a world traveler, and gets
a kick out of having himself pho
tographed in comical situations and
attire in far-off lands. He later uses
these photos as illustrations for the
thousands of Christmas cards he
mails out during the Yuletide sea
son.
A shrewd businessman, the
drawling humorist finances his ex
cursions to distant places by or
ganizing tours for others and going
along himself. There’s no telling
where he’ll head for next, since
he is running out of countries to
visit.
As for the United States, be has
n’t missed much of that either.
Harding thinks nothing of hopping
a fast plane to fill a speaking en-
gament on the Pacific coast or at
some other spot that is just about
as far removed from Washington.
His technique in delivering hum
orous talks is pretty much the same
as the tried and true pattern adopt
ed by other successful humorists
before he came along. He spins
yarns about his neighbors, and
(Cotitinuod sn Back Page)
The NEW BERN
PUBLISHED WEEKLY
IN THE HEART OP
EASTERN NORTH
CAROLINA
5 Per Copy
VOLUMNE 3
NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, MAY 13, 1960
NUMBER 7
HAP3PY fe tlie
Club—winner'Of many coveted awards, including an In
ternational trophy presented at Colorado Springs last sum
mer. BecaUlM Of this groot rocOfd) North Carolina Civitans
siSlected bur dty as the site fbr th^ir ^iidual Convention.
Several members—.busy on projects—didn’t get in the pho
tograph, including the club’s highly efficient secretary,
Murray Fitterman.—Photo by Civitan John R. Baxter.
Tar Heel Civitans Converge
On Their State s First Capital
Don’t ask your favorite optome
trist to check on the possibility
of double vision, if you seem to be
seeing more strangers in town than
usual this May weekend.
Believe us, it’s no optical illu
sion. Eight hundred or jnore fellow
Tar Heels, plus a goodly number
of out-of-State dignitaries, have
swarmed into New Bern for the
annual North Carolina Disti^ict con
ventions of Civitan International
and Junior Civitan Ii^temational.
Last year, Asheville was the con
vention city, but this year by unan
imous vote at the Asheville con
vention, the mountains that rise
majestically in the Land of the
Sky have been traded for the flat
country and gently flowing streams
that characterize our Land of En
chanting Waters. •
It is a considerable compliment
when a city as small as New Bern
is chosen for the convention site.
Ordinarily, the larger cities like
Asheville, Greensboro, Winston-Sa
lem or Charlotte would get the
nod.
The truth of the matter is that
New Bern Civitans did a bang-up
job last May of selling delegates
on their home town’s charm. That
they weren’t exaggerating has be
come quickly evident to the men
and women, and the boys and girls
who journeyed here with high
hopes of having their best conven
tion yet.
In passing, it’s worthy of men
tion that two other cities in east
ern North Carolina put in plugs for
New Bern at the Asheville conven
tion, Both Rocky Mount and Wil
mington’s delegations allowed as
how picking the historic first
State Capital would be no mistake.
Needless to say, local hotels and
motels are crowded for the big
event, and the facilities of Sudan
Shrine Temple have been enlisted
to house the boys here for the Jun
ior Civitan International sessions.
The girls are staying at the ]^1 of
Craven Motel.
Civitan’s rapid expansion in the
Old North State is continuing, with
11 new clubs chartered since Oc
tober. Included are Cary, Gamer,
Boone, Summerfield, Rhododen
dron (Asheville), Pleasant Grove,
Fuquay-Varina, Clayton, Graham,
Tarboro and Colfax.
Registrations for Senior Civitans,
who are in the majority when it
Domes to the number of delegates
here, began Thursday at 4 p.m. in
the lobby of the Hotel Governor
Tryon.
The Governor’s Cabinet Dinner
Meeting was held Thursday night.
Registration is continuing today,
with an agenda that calls for the
District Officers Breakfast at 8 a.
m., group singing at 9:30 a.m. and
formal opening of the annual con
vention at 9:45 a.m. in the Tryon’s
Empire Room. Governor W. Glenn
Kennerly will preside.
President John B. Blaylock of
the New Bern Civitan Club will ex
tend its welcome, and Mayor Rob
ert L. Stallings, Jr., will express
the official welcome of the city of
New Bern. Past District Governor
J. Taft White will make the re
sponse.
Reports will consume much of
Friday’s important business ses
sions. At 7 p.m. the Convention
Dinner will be held in the New
Bern Scottish Rite Temple, with
Lt. Governor D. Livingstone Stal
lings of New Bern as toastmaster.
A highlight of the evening will be
the announcement of Essay
Awards by Chairman Ike S. Lon
don of Rockingham.
Saturday’s schedule includes the
Past District Governor’s Breakfast
at 7:45 a.m., group singing at 9 a.
m., and the resuming of the busi
ness session at 9:15 a.m. At this
session the nominating committee
will make the report, and North
Carolina District officers will be
elected and installed. A training
conference for all 1960-61 officers
is scheduled for 11 a.ih. Following
luncheon, the afternoon is to be
free for tours of Tryon Palace,
(Continued on Back Pago)
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