"JOY GERM" EPIDEMIC SPREADS

NZ Truth, Issue 1276, 15 May 1930, Page 6

"JOY GERM" EPIDEMIC SPREADS

♦ Good Morning" Club Will Inoculate You Against Disease of Pessimism . • — i

"LETS GO THROUGH LIFE SMILING!"

(By Albert E. Russell, President of the "Good Morning" Club, m a special interview with "N.Z, Truth.") Mrs. Wiggs, of the Cabbage Patch, says: "Be pleasant until 10 o'clock m the morning, and the rest of the day will take care of itself." It is comparatively easy when the skies are blue and the sun is shmmg to be cheerful, but what we want to cultivate is the cheerful habit when clouds appear, fogs darken and rain arrives. , ,

_ The whole of the seasons of the year are necessary, and should be welcomed. Consequently, it is only just a matter of getting into the right attitude of mind m order to cultivate a bright personality.

IT is good to know that you are interested m the neAvly-formed "Good Morning" Club and would like to know hoAV the idea Avas born, Avhat the motiye behind it is, and Avhat Aye hope to achieve by it. We are all seeking for happiness, and to spread good cheer daily, even to one person, is a privilege and pleasure. There has been so much pessimistic talk during recent months that! it Avas obvious people Avere getting dOAvn m the dumps. I Ybu Avill remember Avhen we had a | set-back m New Zealand during 1921 that Community Singing was commenced, and it had the effect of helping thousands of people tOAvards a brijghter view of life. For some time I ha\ r e been seeking something to take the place of Community Singing for this year, for I am distinctly of opinion that things are not as bad as they are painted, and moreover if everybody could be made to think m terms of optimism instead of the reverse, the psychological and actual effect Avould be marked m an upAvard direction — for thoughts are things. One morning I was aAvakened Avith the vain beating on my face, and after getting OA'er the fiVst shock, I thought: "Good morning, Mr. Rain, you arc ! badly .wanted and welcome, but I Avill just close the AvindoAV and get some more sleep." When, hey, presto, the idea came that if only everyone m Wellington would get into the habit of saying .a cheery "Good morning" to each other, what a great wave of cheer would envelop the city. The club idea came along after. Everything was talked over Avith Mrs. Russell, and Aye worked out tho details. To be like a snowball and groAV/ as it rolled along, it was necessary to have a free membership, consequently an addressed envelope and a halfpenny stamp Avas advisable to receive a membership card; to have many officers and meetings meant an um\-ieldy machine, so there is a president and secretary, but no meetings, and the signature to the pledge, "I undertake to say a happy 'good morning' to everyone," is ono of individual membership honor. The motto "Let's go through life smiling" seems right, because the radiation of smiles comes back a hundred fold.

[ The crest, "The Joy Germ," AA-as really boi-n out of Community Singing. You Avill probably remember during the singing days at the ToAvn Hall it Avas advertised that millions of "Joy Germs" Avould be liberated. Well, my wife got the bright idea of sending a laugh round the world, sketched the "Germ" on paper and a friend moulded it m cjay. From this Mrs. Russell had an aluminium mould made, and actually

cast from that mould and finished over one hundred "Joy Germs" by hand. Our friend Mr. J. R. McKenzie was going to England, and I handed him half a dozen "Germs" Avith thc request that he get some company to manufacture and market the article. He Avas successful m interesting an English and Continental organisation, with the result that the laugh actually did go round the Avorld, for Avhen Aye were abroad m 1927 we saAV "Joy Germs" on sale m United States, Canada, England, Scotland, Germany, France and Australia. The great idea is to tell all of your

troubles to the "Joy Germ's" back, then turn him round and see Avhat he thinks of them. Coming back to the "Good Morning" Club, the motiA r e behind this is the dissipation of pessimism and the promulgation of optimism, bringing people closer together and making them and the Avhole community happier. The overcoming of natural nervousness and shyness, and accomplishing the Avonderful Avishes and thoughts that lie behind the spoken words of "Good morning." Who knoAvs at the moment Avhat the ultimate achievement Avill be. Already telegrams have arriA'ed from Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin, so there is not any reason Avhy the club should not cover NeAV Zealand and ultimately have branches all over the Avorld. < I can visualise deserving charities being helped by the "Good Morning Club." Supposing we have 10,000 members m Wellington and _ everyone, contributed 3d. towards a good cause/ £125 would be sub- | scribed. There 'is a" little more m this than meets the eye. We hope to achieve the position of having everyone do his best so that he Avill help others and benefit himself. Happiness grow's quickly. „ Production Avill increase, unemployment decrease, and the present Avave of pessimism Avill vanish before the spirit of returning optimism, for a nation is -made up of individuals. Get at the units — teach them the habit of friendliness and good will — and the Avhole atmosphere changes. A lady rang me up this morning and said: "Mr. Russell, I just cannot say good morning — my dog Avas 'nearly' run over, and I'm so upset." My answer Avas: "You had better send m for tAvo membership" cards — one for yourself and one for the dog. Had the little chap been run over it would probably have been 'Good-night.' " Our membership m four days totals 675, and this morning's post brought applications from 2S patients m the Ewart Ward of the Wellington Hospital. My AA'ord, that letter, signed by each patient, made me feel glad. The secretary's address is P.O. Box IG6B and a stamped, addressed envelope Avill bring a membership card for the spreading of "Joy Germs." Let's be happy and make Ne\v Zealand happier. .