Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-06
Reports of Officers Of the
Woman's Relief Corps,
DEPARTMENT POTOMAC
MRS. oLDRoYD CONGRATULATED
BY NATIONAL PRESIDENT.
Objections to Statue Of Gen. Lee In
Capitol - Joint Installa-
ton February FL.

during the evening to express their pride
and pleasure at the success Of the years
work, and to tender to the department
president, Mrs. Oldroyd. words OF COM
plimentary character for the wise, con-
servative and economical administration,
which, they declared, had characterized her
whole administration.
It was pointed out that the first economy
in the department in the matter OF
rent. Headquarters rent for the year has
heretofore amounted to $3.50. Mrs. Old
royd early In her adminisi. lion gave up
a room in her house to headquarters mas
held all the council meetings there ana
has thrown her house open on several oc-
casions for receptions for the Grand Army
and the Woman's Relief Corps, with not
cent of expense to the Department OF ~
tomac.
This kindness on her part, the speakers
said had lifted the department out of debt,
where 1t had been practically from the
beginning, and had placed 1t on nrm
foundation with nearly 500 in the depart
ment treasury.
1--WE feel like shaking hands with our
selves by way of congratulation Tor TINS
splendid condition of department aralrs'
said Mrs annie w. Johnson, who has been
department counselor during the past year.
National Presidents Congratulat1on.
The national president Mrs. Taylor, con-
graduated Mrs. Oldroyd and the depart
ment upon the happy family feeling that
pervaded the whole work Of the convention.
'T have been amazed at the reports that
have been submitted and the tremendous
amount of work that this small department
Is doing" she said. THE amount or Work
that you women accomplish for Memorial
day would all but stagger the largest de-
partment in the national. The rehef WORK
accomplished is phenomenal, and nno you
SO well organized to do it. This Is the sec
ond department convention in the organlza,
ton. Thirty-four are to follow. shal
carry a good word from this faithful little
department to all those which attend
Mrs Taylor expressed herself as pleased
with the resolutions condemn1ng the pro-
posed Lee statue in the national Capltol.
and INDUCED the hope that resolutions on
like character would be adopted by the ma
tional convention, which will convene in
San Francisco the middle Of August.
Just before the business of the evening
session was taken up, the department presi-
dent announced that the president had non
ored with invitations to the state reception
the national president. Mrs. Taylor. the
counselor Mrs. Annie w. Johnson. and her
self She felt that her duty was to the con-
yention so delegated to the counselor, and
the chairman of the committee on cour.
tesies Mrs. Isabel Worrell Ball, the duty OF
acting as escort to the reception Later
Mrs. Taylor returned to the convention,
and was given an Enthusiastic BoNspeeo oi4
her journey northward, which began at
midnight. During the day, Mrs. Taylor,
under the escort Of Mrs. Oldroyd, Mrs.
Lucie B. Graham and Mrs. Annie w John
son, was given long ride about the city.
Reports of Officers.
The reports of the officers submitted to
the convention were all accepted without
discussion, and the few recommendations
made met with the same pleasant recep-
ton. The report Of the department coun-
selor showed that little had been laid be-
fore her, and nothing Of a character re-
curing drastic measures. Mrs. Johnson
said that there was one point of relief
corps law that she desired to call to the at
tention of the convention, and that was the
iooseness with which the various corps In
vestigated the dropping of members, the
handling Of transfers, and reinstatements
She declared that irregularities of this char
acter would soon ruin the greatest organi-
cation In existence.
Miss Title Durham, senior vice president
and chairman of the employment commit
tee, reported that her office had been one
Of honor alone, the department president
being so capable and alert that she had
not been called to serve the apartment in
the capacity of sub" She closed with
reference to the harmony OF the year and
the hope that it would extend to the next
had been secured for flfty-three persons in
the departments during the year. This was
hard to accomplish. because Of the age
limit and civil service rules.
The report Of the chairman Of the execu-
tive board, Mrs. Julia Roberts, was COM
plete. 1t detailed all the hard work done
by the executive board during year filled
with big undertakings.
The report of Mrs Rosamond B. Mea-
cham, chairman of the committee on hos
pitfalls, showed eight hospitals visited dur
ing the year with about 600 old soldiers or
members of their families cared for in
these institutions During tho
week nearly 500 veterans were cared for
in one way or another In the hospitals
Mrs. Matte E. Mcclure, chief of staff,
gave resume of the work done during
encampment week.
Work Of Relief Committee.
The report of the chairman Of the relief
committee of the department, Mrs. Vina NJ.
Calhoun. showed that during the year re-
lief had been extended to 1.037 veterans or
their dependent ones. and that the total
amount of relief expended during the year
was s. 3S677
Mrs. Ida ]. Hart. department inspector.
reported that she had made a careful and
methodfcal study of the condition OF all the
corps In the department, having visited
e ea1 once ana many of them several times.
MRS Hart referred with pride to the fact
that every corps IN the department had in
creased its membership from five to fifty.
The report OF the instituting and INSTALL
ing oncer' MISS Maria L. Jordan was pre-
scented by the secretary, Miss Jordan being
unable to be present. 1t showed that most
OF the corps had held joint installations
with their posts and that the utmost cor
diality and harmony existed between the
two.
The report of the department secretary.
Mrs Ida l.. Chase, was a practical resume
or the years work, showing increased in
terest IN every corps. with q growing mem
bership, larger calls for relief work and
better response from the committees than
ever before in the history Of the depart
ment. The membership. she asserted, was
now the largest It had ever BEEN with the
exception of the third year Of its existence,
and the growth during the year had been
nearly 200.
The report Of the chaplain, Mrs Katha-
r1ne McMonigal, dealt entirely with the
sadder features Of the department work
During the year not single death in the
Department of Potomac Woman's Relief
Corps occurred. On Memorial day the nine
corps Of the department decorated IT, 450
graves.
The report of Mrs. Mary Eldridge, dele
gate-at-large to the national encampment
held In this city in October was an inter-
esting resume of the convention which Is
now but memory TO those Of the Depart
ment of Potomac who labored indefatigably
to make 1t success.
Committee on Resolutions.
The report Of the committee on resolu-
lions. Mrs. Annie w. Johnson. chairman.