The Provincetown Banner occasionally publishes archives from the old Ptown paper The Advocate (not to be confused with the gay magazine.

This week they lifted a piece originally published in December 1950 announcing a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce to discuss a new summertime phenomenon:

At the regular meeting of the Provincetown Chamber of Commerce on Monday night, Chief of Police William N. Rogers will speak on various phases of the problem created by the summer influx of “The Boys,” according to an announcement yesterday by Chamber president, Joseph E. Macara.

Commenting on the subject for discussion, Mr. Macara termed the problem one of foremost importance and added that while there has been a tendency to shy away from bringing it out into the open, he felt that it had reached such proportions that the Chamber of Commerce should give it the consideration it demands.

Each season, he said, the number of “The Boys” continues to increase and with the increase in numbers and abnormal actions of many become more public and brazen with the result that more and more normal people turn away from the town in disgust.

Mr. Macara said the problem will be difficult to handle but it must be met and solved before the summer trade of the town is seriously damaged and before some climax in abnormality occurs.

Well, we all know how that turned out.