The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-14
PERSONAL AND SOCIETY
THE WORK NECEssITATED IN GET
TING UP A FLOWER MISSION FAIR.
German Ladies' society's Annual Ball
brides I'm Boarding Houses
Movements OF People.

The success of the annual Flower Mission
fair is always assured. Perhaps the re-
eeipts are not always as large as the soci-
etv would like, but financially they are in
no sense ever failures. This is due to the
ltberaity of the public Of course, but back
of it all is the splendid Individual effort of
the officers and the members and their
friends who do the booth work. This work
for the fair is undertaken with faint hearts
No woman goes from store to store and
from house to house and friend to friend
and asks for contributions because she likes
TO do it. Many have undertaken it for
season and have never done it again. 9th
ers. from sense of duty, continue it from
wear TO year 1t is rare that one woman
will undertake soliciting alone. She waits
until some one will go with her and give
her moral courage to enter store and ask
a merchant for money or goods. The only
real pleasure comes from pleasant associa-
ton during the week of the fair, and from
knowing that the results will be used to
relieve the distress of the sick poor of the
city.
Many women who work in the Flower
Mission fairs would be glad If the money
necessary to carry on the work might be
raised in other ways. Persons have sug-
gested that subscriptions might be taken
or money solicited, but the fact remains
that with all the liberal giving on the part
of hundreds the majority of people like to
get something in return for their money,
even if it is for charity. If 5000 could be
raised without a fair, the ladies would glad
ly do it. The fair, aside from the money
that is made for the society, does a great
good in many ways. 1t gives employment
to scores of people. 1t increases trade, per-
haps to no great amount, but in some meas
ure for materials have to be purchased.
The expense of even the simplest fair is
considerable, and the ladies of the Flower
Mission do some fine figuring in arranging
the details. 1t is desirable to make the hall
and booths attractive at the least possible
ever used to purchase anything. 1t is
turned into the treasury in the same state
as received from the donors.
To mention the executive ability that has
been brought into play by the fair would be
to write the names of a large number of
persons. Mrs. John L. Griftiths, as presi-
dent, has shown rare power in this direc-
ton. Mrs Griffiths successfully conducted
the "Womens Edition last year. She has
displayed so much wisdom, and withal has
exercised such charming tact, that the fair
progressed without a hitch or unpleasant
feature to mar it. The Once Year maga-
zine is the best ever published by the Flow
er Mission fair and credit is due it's editor,
Miss Shipp, and her staff. The amusement
committee planned novel and interesting
entertainments, and so it goes. Every de-
partment was we'll conducted. The Flower
Mission fair will probably continue an an
nual event. Financial results are wisely
distributed for the relief of the sick poor of
the city of Indianapolis.