The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1900-09-13
GRAND ARMY LADIES.
Relations of Veterans Meet in Annual c,
ventiou,

The Ladies of the G.. A. r. held their
18th National Convention in the Audi
forum of the r. NJ. q. A. Building, Chi
cago, Wednesday, Aug. %.
Shade, presided. THE Auditorium was
handsomely decorated with bunting and
flags, and various delegations and per-
sonal friends had presented bouquets and
lunches of roses to the National Presi-
dent until the platform was a perfect
bower of bloom. Grouped about the Ma
tional President on the platform were the
National Officers and her personal staff.
Those who had served the Order SO ac
ceptably in an official capacity were: Mrs.
Belinda S. Bailey, of California, Senior
Vice President; Mrs. Mary z. Herod.
Oklahoma, Junior Vice President: Hen
rietta Gerwig, Pennsylvania, Secretary;
Mrs. Annie Sage, Ohio, Treasurer; Mrs.
Elizabeth Grittth, New York. Chaplain;
Mrs. Agnes j. Winslow, Chicago, Coun-
sellor. Council Of Administration, Mrs.
Ruth e: Foote, Colorado, Chairman; Mrs.
| Emma Wall, Kansas, and Mrs. Olive j.
| Allison, Indiana.
The Convention was opened with pray
er and the singing Of America. The roll
| call developed the attendance of 145 dele
| gates, the Convention being entitled to
about 300. The first business of the Con
vention was the reading of the address of
| the National President. DIR. Shade re-
year, amounting to nearly 5000, which
brought the membership up TO $1,000. In
January, 1856. the first Circle was Or
ganized in Chicago with 40 charter mem
| bers; Nov. Is, 1886, the National organiZa-
ton was formed, with 1000 members.
Since then, according to official figures, il
has averaged growth of 1000 n year.
The National President announced with
| sorrow the burning of the Soldiers and
| Widows Home at Hawkins Station, Pa.
which all had worked so nobly to estab-
fish, but as $4,000 insurance had been
received the home would soon be rebuilt.
The Ladies of the G. A. r. are working
to establish like homes in every Depart
| ment. In California the Ladies of the
q. A. II. have had a large piece of ground
donated them in Capital Park, Sacramen-
| to. in which they have planted trees from
different battefields, and upon which they
hope soon to build a commOdinus home.
The Order now has % Departments,
two, Mississippi and Louisiana and Ore
| gon, having been organized this year.
There are about 40 Circles under National
jurisdiction, and there is an honorary
membership of some 1000. The honorary
members are old soldiers, members of the
Grand Army of the Republic.
| The recommendation was made TO
| change the method of balloting at cleo
ti"ns. That nominations should be made
the first day of the Convention and cleo
ton should come later. That q ballot box
should be prepared for each Office, and the
ballots for all officers be cast at the same
time. The consideration Of this question
| went over to the next Convention.
| A recommendation of vital importance
that was adopted was that all cognate re-
| lntions of old soldiers of the war OF the
| rebellion be admitted to membership. This
| would take in the nieces. Until the pres
| ent time daughters, wives, sisters and
| mothers only were admitted. Under the
newly adopted clause children's children
1 can also come in.
The Sons Of Veterans, who have been
knocking for admission as honorary mem
bers on the same terms as their sires, were
turned down and refused the boon.
Up in Maine. where patriotic orders
have existed since 1866. new Circle has
been organized and named "Bosworth Cir
cle." In the South there are many large
Circles, but all are colored except one in
| Louisiana.
| In Indiana Gen. A. D. Streight Circle
framed a bill and presented it to the Leg
islature, asking that an appropriation of
$50 each be made for the burial of all sol
diers' widows. the same as for the veter
ans, and the bill became law. Up in
Minnesota the Ladies of the G. A. r.
have pretty home, where three soldiers
| and their families are housed and cared
for.
The National Treasurer reported bal
ance on hand Of 81 800. The National Pa
triotic Instructor expressed qualification al
| the progress along patriotic lines in the
observance by schools of National patriot
| ic holidays, and the observance of the
birthday anniversaries Of men Of National
military prominence.
| Memorial services were held on Wednes-
day afternoon for Mrs. NJ. o. Cartridge.
| IF Kansas, one of the early National Pres
idents Of the Ladies of the g. A. Il. A
.Las., ,-tr IaI l.
| flowers, loving tributes to her memory.
stood upon the platform, and addresses
| were made by Mrs. Nettie u. Gundlock.
Past National President. and q most elo-
quent speaker. Miss Carrie V. Sheriff.
Past National President, and many 9TH
| ers.
There were present five Past National
Presidents, Mrs. Nettie Gundlock, Illinois
Mrs. Carrie V. Sheriff, Pennsylvania; Mrs.
| Flora NJ. Davey, Minnesota; Mrs. Agnes
Winslow, Illinois, and Mrs. Catharinc
Hirst, Of Kentucky.
| acted was the reinstatement with full
| bowers in National Convention of DIR.
Belle Reynolds, Past Department Pres-
dent Of Illinois, and Mrs. Rhoda p.
Wright, Past Department President of
Ohio, both Of whom had been disciplined
and suspended for disobedience of Nation
al instructions. Mrs. Reynolds was known
in war times as Maj. Belle Reynolds, hav-
ms been regularly commissioned in the
18th LII. by Gov. Yates. She was a beau
| tiful woman. and is yet daring horse
| woman, and her dash and bravery ut Shi
loh will never be forgotten. Her husband
was Adjutant of the regiment. d.. Reg
holds has been for many years a praCtic-
ms physician. She was the first or PRO
visiOnar President of Illinois in 1891. and
was followed by Mrs. Nettie IL. Gundlock
as President.
The delegates to the Convention Of the
Ladies of the G. A. r. were entertained
at luncheon by the Department of Illinois
Wednesday and Thursday. The luncheon
was provided by the Presidents Associa-
ton, Of Illinois, which was organized In
1893. 1t is composed of the Presidents
and Past Presidents of the Circles of the
Ladies of the G. A. r. of Illinois, who
meet once a month in Chicago to discuss
matters Of interest to the Order. The
dues are five cents per month and the Or
ganization is highly successful.
Visiting delegations from all the loyal
orders were received 1by the Convention
and fraternal greetings were cordially ex-
changed. But the browning glory Of IL
years Of struggle foriCrecognition by the
Grand Army of the Republic came when
II the newly-elected COMMANDMENT Chief,
Leo Rassieur, and Past Commander-in-
Chief johnson entered the Convention and
asked to be admitted to membership. The
enthusiasm of the Convention leaped all
bounds for few seconds, for it was the
first honor of the kind ever conferred The