As already said, Jim Smartlington, having unusually popular and well-known sponsors and being also very well liked himself, is elected with little difficulty.

But take the case of young Breezy:  He was put up by two not well-known members, who wrote half-hearted endorsements themselves and did nothing about getting letters from others; they knew none of the governors, and trusted that two who knew Breezy slightly “would do.”  His casual proposer forgot that enemies write letters as well as friends—­and that moreover enmity is active where friendship is often passive.  Two men who disliked his “manner” wrote that they considered him “unsuitable,” and as he had no friends strong enough to stand up for him, he was turned down.  A gentleman is rarely “black-balled,” as such an action could not fail to injure him in the eyes of the world. (The expression “black ball” comes from the custom of voting for a member by putting a white ball in a ballot box, or against him by putting in a black one.) If a candidate is likely to receive a black ball, the governors do not vote on him at all, but inform the proposer that the name of his candidate would better be withdrawn.  Later on, if the objection to him is disproved or overcome, his name can again be put up.

The more popular the candidate, the less work there is for his proposer and seconder.  A stranger—­if he is not a member of the representative club in his own city—­would have need of strong friends to elect him to an exclusive one in another, and an unpopular man has no chance at all.

However, in all except very rare instances events run smoothly; the candidate is voted on at a meeting of the board of governors and is elected.

A notice is mailed to him next morning, telling him that he has been elected and that his initiation fee and his dues make a total of so much.  The candidate thereupon at once draws his check for the amount and mails it.  As soon as the secretary has had ample time to receive the check, the new member is free to use the club as much or as little as he cares to.

=THE NEW MEMBER=

The new member usually, but not necessarily, goes for the first time to a club with his proposer or his seconder, or at least an old member; for since in exclusive clubs visitors living in the same city are never given the privilege of the club, none but members can know their way about.  Let us say he goes for lunch or dinner, at which he is host, and his friend imparts such unwritten information as:  “That chair in the window is where old Gotrox always sits; don’t occupy it when you see him coming in or he will be disagreeable to everybody for a week.”  Or “They always play double stakes at this table, so don’t sit at it, unless you mean to.”  Or “That’s Double coming in now, avoid him at bridge as you would the plague.”  “The roasts are always good and that waiter is the best in the room,” etc.

A new member is given—­or should ask for—­a copy of the Club Book, which contains besides the list of the members, the constitution and the by-laws or “house rules,” which he must study carefully and be sure to obey.