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A baton and two chime clocks
The Bend Bulletin · October 14, 1914
In the story: 3. Wearing the promise, 1914–1916.
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An order of Honey Bees, founded on “permanent cheerfulness, kindliness and wholesomeness”, with the Taboo of the Bend Emblem Club at its head.
The Honey Bees turn up twice in this archive without ever being explained. Here they are explained, by a Portland correspondent writing the week they were founded.
They were Cheney’s second order, and the plan was Portland, then Seattle, then San Francisco, “and perhaps all over the world”. A Portland swarm came into being on a Wednesday evening, subscribing to permanent cheerfulness, kindliness and wholesomeness, and Cheney — Taboo of both bodies — instructed it in the way of the Honey Bees, “which is to gather not the bitterness but the sweets of life”.
The doctrine is worth setting beside the Emblem Club’s oath, which promises integrity, optimism and municipal patriotism and asks a man to wear a mark until his town has a hundred thousand people. The Honey Bee creed asks nothing of a town at all. The same man wrote both.
The dinner gave him an ebony baton with an engraved gold tip, and bought two chime clocks for the Emblem Club with the Ad Club’s gift; the clocks “compelled silence at every quarter hour”. In June 1915 the members of the Emblem Club and the order of the Honey Bee sat at the same long table down the centre of the clubhouse for the governor’s banquet.
From the source
HONEY BEES SWARMED IN PORTLAND LAST WEEK
Group of Business Men Do Honor to W. D. Cheney, Taboo of the Bend Emblem Club, at Unique Dinner.
PORTLAND, Oct. 12. — By M. N. D. — Honey Bee Swarms, first Portland, then Seattle and San Francisco and perhaps all over the world. The Portland swarm, subscribing to permanent cheerfulness, kindliness and wholesomeness, came into official being last Wednesday evening.
“Crown of the feast” was W. D. Cheney, Taboo of the Bend Emblem Club and of the Honey Bees, who was given tribute by all the others present, and who in his turn instructed them in the way of the Honey Bees which is to gather not the bitterness but the sweets of life. The Honey Bee, said this man of rare personality, is not necessarily selfish, but if he is attentive to his own interests he will be cheerful and kindly and wholesome.
