The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1903-06-18
BLOOMSBURY. PA. THURSDAY. JUNE 49, 1903.
GIRLS FRIENDLY.
An Organization whose Objects
Are Most Laudable.
A Successful Branch Here.


it has not been heralded through |
the newspapers, nor been otherwise |
And yet this organiza-
ton has been, and is, doing great |
work. We refer to the Girls
Friendly Society, which holds its
meetings every Saturday evening
in St. Paul's Parish House. 1t is
not an adjunct of the Episcopal
Church, though it is under the
management of several ladies who
are members of that church. 1t is
not the object of the society to make
Episcopalians out of it's members.
Its purpose is to make good girls.
There are at present among its mem-
bers girls whose families are attend
ants at the Methodist, Lutheran,
Reformed, Baptist and Roman
Catholic churches, and several of the
Hebrew faith No effort is made to
influence any of these, in any way,
to attend either the Sunday School
or the services of the Episcopal
Church, and this is frequently ex-
planned TO them. The girls are
taught to sew, to cook, and to do
other useful things, and those
who attend the meetings are not
among the hundreds of young
girls who are upon the streets
every Saturday night, at hours
far beyond the time when they
ought to be at home. If any
one will spend an hour on Market
street any Saturday night when the
weather is pleasant, they will see
many girls, ranging in age from
twelve to twenty years, who are
evidently not under the watchful
eye of their parents. Their actions
and conversation are cften shock
ing. To keep girls from such sur
roundings, and to make of them
good and useful women is one Of
the many laudable objects of the
Girls Friendly Society. Social en-
joyment is one of the features of
their meetings. Unobjectionable
games are played, there is usually
something good to eat, and an oc-
casional supper of their own cook
ing, and at intervals they may in
vite their friends to be present, when
special program is arranged. The
society has done a great work in
some of the cities, and it is doing a
good work here. Proselyting is not
one of its aims, and no mother need
fear that her daughter will be in
fluenced to join some other church
than her own. Girls who can cook
and sew, and entertain, and who
do not run the streets at night,
ought to be permitted to help other
girls who are not so favorably
situated. Those girls who are not
taught at home to do these useful
things, and who are permitted by
their parents to do as they please,
are the ones who need the benef.
cent influences of just such a society
as this. The Girls Friendly al
ready has large membership, and
it is bound to become an organiza-
ton that will be recognized as a
power for good in the community
1t ought to be aided and encouraged
by every woman, irrespective ol
creed, who has desire to help the
girls to become good and usefu
women.
This society Is not a local one.
1t exists wherever the English
lang uage is spoken. 1t was frs,
organized in England by lady
who was interested in home fol
fallen women, and it occurred tc
her that if girls could be influenced
for good in time to keep them from
temptation and ruin, the prevention
would be better than cure, and SC
she established the Girls Friendly.
While it is not an Episcopal society,
one of the requirements is that the
managers must be communicates ol
that church in order to secure a
Branch organization. Another
rule is that no girl will be admitted
who has not always borne good
reputation. Its object, as stated
before, is not the reclamation OF
fallen women, but to prevent them
from ever falling.
The Bloomsbury Branch is in
charge OF Mrs w. P. Meigs, the
Branch secretary, who was the
original organizer. The associates
are Mrs. d. N. Kirkby, Mrs. J. K.
Miller, Mrs. ]. f. Roys, Misses
Drinker, John, and Martha Clark
Many new members have recently
joined.