Gambling, Intoxicants and Euchre, the Morality of Martintown in 1912! by Kathy Coffey

Ingleside ON – I volunteered to transcribe census records for the Ontario Gen Web project, which is a project to make census records available on line for genealogical research. When I told my parents about this they gave me a record book that had been found in my great grandfather’s house in Martintown. The book had been started in 1912 as a record book for the “Pastime Club”. I know nothing about the club or why it was started but I found the following rules and regulations gave a sense of the morality and culture of the time.  Look at rule number vii in particular! Wonder what our written documents will tell researchers 100 years from now?
Rules and Regulations of the pastime Club Martintown 1912 

1. Club to be incorporated under name of “Pastyme Club”
2. Number of members to be limited to 30
3. New Members to be admitted by ballad. 20% adverse ballad to debar the candidate.
4. General meeting to be called at option of executive. 15 to form a quoram, 4 to form a quoram at committee meeting.
5. Membership fee $1, which will entitle members to full privileges for first month. 25₵ fee for running expenses, due on the first of each succeeding month. Seven days of grace will be allowed and fees not paid within this time, person will be black listed. If not paid within ten days after black listing, member will be expelled and will have to be re instated under same conditions as new members.
6. Regular hours of opening to be seven o’clock and regular hours of closing eleven o’clock. On legal holidays club room will in addition be open from two to five in the afternoon.
7. No gambling, nor playing any stake will be allowed in Club-Room and any person found guilty  of an infraction of this rule, will be suspended from the privilege of the Club- Room for a period not exceeding one week. Owing to the disfavour with which Euchre is regarded in this community, the committee have thought to prohibit this game.
8. No intoxicants, nor any person under the influence of such, will be allowed on the premises.
9. The committee reserve the right to add to or change these rules at their discretion.

Adopted by Club at meeting held 20 April 1912.
I do not think the club lasted more than a year since in 1921 this hard covered record book was converted to recording the deaths in Charlottenburgh Township. I will transcribe these 175 records so that anyone doing genealogical research can access.