Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-12-08
CITY AND DISTRICT.
THE CHILDREN,S CHRISTMAS
CLUB.


The Idea Eagerly Embraced-VariOus
Movements. Plans and Suggestions-
A Good Time Coming for the Poor
Children.
The publication in The STAR Of last Saturday
OF Miss Sargent's description of the Christmas
CLUB. of Portand. Me-. so effective in directing
attention to the condition of the poor. and Their
Joyless state. at the merriest season OF the wear
that already several Christmas clubs have been
formed. and are actively carrying out the plan
OF organization and work suggested by Miss
sargent. Within a few hours after the pubiica.
ton In The STAR Children's Christmas Club
was formed at a meeting Of the officers and
Ieacners OF the new church (Swedenborgian)
sunday school. and on the following Sunday
nearly every scholar Joined the club. The children
OF ST Andrews p. E. Sunday school, wide-awake
IN good works. determined Sunday morning to
give up their Christmas festivities for the bene-
Mt OF the poor children in the northwest section
OF the CITY Christmas club WAS formed, with
| Mr. X. Ross Perry as president. The club is open
to every one connected with the church and
sunday school irrespective Of age or sex. The
membership fee was fixed at ten cents The
Christmas club idea promptly met with favor;
| also among number of young people. who
have formed Childrpn's Christmas Club. as has
been stated in The STAR under the direction of
Miss West daughter of Commissioner West and
Miss Waite daughter of Chief Justice Waite
| Among members are Miss Nellie Arthur daughter
Of the President, and the list of Juvenile mem
bers contains many names well known in this
city This club gives signs of a most active life.
Inc members have entered into the work
heartily and have received many kind offers of
ALL from persons interested in it's success. Mr.
Staples has given the club the use of Willard's
hall. 1t is proposed to increase the membership
to at least one hundred.
General Committee Suggested.
To the Editor Of The EVENING STAR:
Ella s. Sargent's account of 1.-The Chidren's
Christmas Club" and your feeling and timely
editorial thereon. published in last Saturday s
STAR, have. am cure. received heartfelt atten-
ton from many Of your readers Every child,
ana every parent, too, within our city. able to
contribute anything, will, no doubt. be glad
to marshal themselves under one banner il not
into one club. and give to the poor children of
the District such Christmas as they have never
seen In all their lives No greater JOY, nor more
tender and touching sermon of Him who came
to Bethlehem and the World in the dear Christ
mas time can be carried to the hearts OF the
| shlverlng and hungry little ones than S de-
| scr1oed IN the history of the formation and work
of the "ChilGrens Club at Portland.
Ii seems to Inc that to make SO important a
movement a success there should be organized
1t the city should be divided into. saw four DIS
tricts, with proper subcommittee to look after
them and to get them in thorough working
order. A general committee is suggested be-
cause IL Will insure an uniform system of inv-
| tatlOn distribution. DC, through the cty
and the district system seems necessary in
order to avoid duplication of invitations aud to
! insure as nearly as possible that every poor child
In the city will be remembered. Contributions
would undoubtedly have to be distributed from
N ha n tr hpnor I,o
| dlthcult. II not impossible. on account of the
| large number to be looked after to find one
place from which all could be served without
great trouble and confusion. If the city should
be divided into four districts-which seems
quite enough-let there be that many places of
distribution. The Christmas dinners with their
Christmas trees should not be forgotten. They
could be spread In roomy halls Or school rooms
which ought to be had for this purpose for the
asking. Let US give the children who have
happy Christmas times an opportunity to bring
the same joyous reality which they have ex-
perienced to their poorer brothers and sisters,
and then with Tiny Tim, we will have heart to
say God bless Us every one" A.
Washington, d. c., Dec. s. 1858.
East Washington Upon The Children's
Christmas Club.
To the Editor of THE EVENING STAR:
The reproducing of the plan Of the s'Chid-
ren's Christmas Club" from ST. Nicholas in last
too highly. and rour editorial commencing the
organization of such a charitable club iu Wash
| ington and Offering space in your valuable paper
Tor communications from the citizens making
suggestions as TO plan of action, thus inaugu-
rating this Christian movement yourself is a
worthy and charitable action of ITSELF deserving
the thanks of all Christian people of the Dis
trlct, and also OF the poor. This work is Gods
WORK and every person old enough and
capable of understanding the object of
thls contemplated organization should
the extent OF their power and means Do
you not think the plan of action Is to organize
through the medium of the unday scho OILS of
the District OF ColumbiaintO dstricts-say six
one In Georgetown, northwest north, south
, and East Washington, and UniontOwn respac-
tively-all Sunday school children and Others
| interested in the movement in these respective
| Localities shall unite in organizing one club for
each locality named. and from the six clubs
Shall be formed an executive club, composed of
delegation from each and all of the six Clubs
| to consist wholly of adult members who shall
nave the exclusive management of arranging
the festival for the children Of the poor and
also the minor details necessary to effect this
object, such assigning the duties to the differ
emf receiving clubs and dsburslng all funds,
overseeing all the work, engaging hall issu-
| Ing invitations, &C., &c.
Now. having organized and prepared for
work, the next thing to be done is to find the
| should not the medium OF this branch of the
work be through the Associated Charities, the
Young Mems Christian Association, and the
various temperance organizations ofthis District
| Have such Of these organizations as can and
will do so. report to the executive club sach
names of children as they deem worthy and in
need OF the contemplated aid. Having found
the Children the next action is to clOthe them
and make preparation for the festival Would it
not be wei! to have all the poor children invited
to 60 to the rooms of the Associated Charities.
where ali contributions of wearing apparel will
be sent for distribution, to be supplied with
such clothing as they need to make presenta-
BILE appearance, and for inspection of personal
appearance? Each child shall go to execu-
tive headquarters to receive his printed invita-
tlon and such instructions as to where the
clothing Will be found and when aud where the
| festival will be held.
The largest hall-say, Lincoln hall-should
be procured; invitations issued TO each guest
and the balance over, to the seating capacity of
the hail. to the more prominent persons inter-
ested from each of the six districts Or engage
| several has--say. one hall to two districts
and issue invitations to all members and to the
guest, OF the occasion. Arrange an order of
exercises from the talent of the city to make
the evening entertaining. and after the enter
talnment have the guests Of the evening pass
out before the stage and receive bag Of can
dies nuts. oranges. &c, and small gift of re-
| membranCo PerhaUS tables coOld no arranrad