The directors of the Williamsport Baseball Club of the New York-Pennsylvania League, meeting last evening in the offices of Bowman Lumber Company in the Trust Building, acted favorably on a suggestion that community backing for the team be invited. Thomas H. Richardson was elected vice president of the club. Last night’s meeting was the final meeting of the directorate before the team’s departure for Winston-Salem, North Carolina for spring training.

Irvin W. Gleason, who consented to become president of the club following the death of J. Walton Bowman, presided at the opening of the meeting. He said that R.W. Thorne, who as vice president automatically became president following the death of Bowman, would return today from Florida and the first order of business of the directors would be choose a vice president. The name of Mr. Richardson was proposed, and he was unanimously elected.

Since the death of President Bowman, it is deemed advisable, in order to afford permanency to the team to give it community backing, and this will be sought in a list of local guarantors.

No money will be asked but the directors to ask local enthusiasts to pledge a certain amount of money. The amount pledged by each guarantor will constitute a slight risk, but the total will give the team permanency and will give the directors encouragement to go to the limit in giving Williamsport the best Class B baseball possible.

The insignificance of the risk to the guarantor is shown by the fact that the seasons of 1929 and 1930 did not show a deficit. It is not only believed that a deficit not only can be avoided this year, but that the season will end with a balance in favor of the club.