Reprinted from the December 1933 issue of Doc Savage Magazine

ARE ONLY MEN MEN?

THAT seems a foolish title "Are Only Men Men ?"Ñbut judging from the great many letters we get from girls seeking membership in the Doc Savage Club, wanting to live up to the ideals which we set forth in order to follow in the footsteps of our leaderÑjudging from all these letters, as well as from those received from our men readers, it is one worth discussing in this department.

Miss Mildred Sherman, a Girl Scout of Philadelphia, expresses a typical sentiment of her sex in her letter. She writes:

"May a girl become a member of the Doc Savage Club? I know it is more of a man's magazine, but I have taken a great interest in it and in the Doc Savage Club, and would like to be one of Doc's followers . . ."

And for our answer to that, we ask you to consider the Code of Doc Savage. Does it demand that only men abide by it? Does it say no girl, no woman, can strive to be like Doc, can try to do the best for all at all times?

No, indeed. The Code of Doc Savage is a model which not only can, but should, be followed by boys and girls, men and women, alike. It is a code which will serve to make the world a much better place to live in when more and more people decide to pattern their lives after it.

There is nothing about the ideals of this club, about our purpose, which cannot be met by the feminine sex. Any one who feels that he or she will faithfully strive to keep up to an ideal will find a welcome within our ranks. Those who seek adventure and excitement may find it; those who must live their lives without the glamour of high excitement will find the Club to their liking, for they are not forgotten.

We do not seek the adventurer, the soldier of fortune, or the man of daring. Those who have courage should nurse it and use it when called upon. And courage does not confine itself to men alone. There are countless women who stand as high examples of courage and bravery under all sorts of conditions. They can stand up with the best of them.

Our club, however, has a purpose far broader than the bringing out of latent bravery, the creation of daring heroes.

We are more interested in improving the everyday existence of thousands, in giving every one, no matter what position he may have in life, some little goal to strive for, some little bit of encouragement to make things better for him and for others.

A letter from Henry D. Ephron, of Chicago, Illinois, strikes close to the core of this idea:

"I am heartily in favor of this club of yours and believe you have an essentially healthy mental, moral, and physical influence upon such as those who become members. The tendency toward the good is an innate, inherent quality, and although often deadened and dormant in so many people for such great lengths of time, yet by proper stimulation it can always be brought to the fore.

"The power of stimulation! It accomplishes more than all the force in the world!

"Let us hope that this club may be just the necessary stimulation to bring out the best mental, moral, physical, and spiritual qualities of all its members."

And if any one does not consider that a big order, let him try to develop his own self according to those lines, and he will soon agree with us when we say that if the Doc Savage Club can do only half that much far its members, it will be doing more than all the other agencies combined have accomplished in a lifetime !

We realize that this is not a simple task with us. We know that we seek more than what is on the surface. We could tell countless stories of courage, of high adventure. But that alone is not manhood. What we want to recount, among our accomplishments, are the deeds, whether great or small, which have made us better, or improved some one else.

Such is our hope for this club and its members. We want every one who wears the insignia of Doc Savage, every one who has asked us to put his name upon the roll of this club, to be ever alive to opportunities which will make this world better; to work untiringly for that goal. Wherever possible, improve yourself, make your own life better, but do not do it to the disadvantage of some one else. If you can extend a helping hand to a less fortunate fellow, do so before it is too late; before your own eyes have centered themselves upon your own success so much that you will not see other hands extended to help you.

We can, if we will, make this the greatest organization in the world. We can add to our rolls constantly, making certain that those whom we urge to join are the caliber of people we want in this club. Let them all be one with us in striving to follow the path which is set forth in the accomplishments of Doc Savage, although it may not be so great, so noble. Still, let it have the same high aim, and every little bit will prove important.

Tell your friends about our club, and its uses. Ask them to add their names to our roll. Tell them there are no dues, no requirements other than a perfect willingness to abide by the Code of Doc Savage. The coupon, clipped from the magazine, will be their entry card, and those who wish to have the insignia which will mark them as club members, thus to be easily recognized by all the others, may secure that by sending in ten cents in cash or stamps, to meet part of the cost of manufacture. It is a beautiful bronze emblem, in size an exact duplicate of the illustration which heads the Code, arranged with a screwon back which makes it hard to lose. It is a fitting ornament for any wearer.

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