Philip wriggled happily beside Peter and said nothing.  For Peter had impressed Philip with the fact that he must keep quiet for it wasn’t very much his club anyway.

“There is business up for discussion, and two applications,” began The Chief.

“Applications!” broke in Albert.  “May we have those first?”

“If you can’t keep still,” retorted Jay, “you’ll get applications all right, but of quite another sort.”

The Chief passed two letters to George.  George stood up, swallowed hard, for he was a bashful lad, and began. “’Will the Junior Garden Club give suggestions and practical help for the improvement of the Oldfield Centre School Grounds?’ Signed ‘The Teacher.’”

“Crickey!” said Albert.  “That’s white in her!  Expert advice!  I guess we will!”

“What shall we do about this?” asked The Chief.

“We just ought to do it, I think,” began Jack.  “There surely is no other public-spirited club in this place.”

“Just so,” murmured Peter.

“We ought now to have a secretary for the club, and a chairman, too.  I believe to-night is the time to vote for these officers,” suggested The Chief.  “Suppose Jack and Philip tear up slips of paper and pass them.  Then Myron and George collect, and count the ballots.  We should vote for chairman first.”

“What does the chairman have to do?” asked Myron.

“A chairman always calls a meeting to order and presides,” answered the man.

For a few minutes they were all very busy with paper and pencil.  The results were given by Myron.

“Jay has all the votes for chairman.  Albert has four for secretary, and so I suppose we’ll have to have him.”

Albert, nothing daunted, said, “I guess you will, but I write like a hen.”

“That’s right, you do,” chimed in Jack to Albert’s apparent annoyance.

“Now, Jack, call your meeting to order and let’s have these matters voted on.”

“Come to order all of you.  What shall we do about this school-ground business?”

“I vote,” began Myron.

“Stand on your feet,” advised Jay.

“I vote—­”

“No, Myron,” corrected The Chief, “move—­not vote.”

“I move, then, that we fix up those grounds.”

“Who seconds this?” and Jay looked hard at George.

“I will,” he responded.

“I’m not sure, now,” appealed Jay to The Chief, “I’m not sure just how to go on.”

“It’s this way—­it has been moved and seconded that this request be granted.  All in favour say ‘aye’; all contrary minded ‘no’.  It is a vote.”  Jay repeated this and the boys voted, Albert, as usual, voting “no,” just for fun.

“Now, if George will read the second letter-----”

“I should think,” Jack half questioned, “that the secretary should read things, now we have a secretary.”

“So he should, hand those papers over, George.”