Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-08
AUXILIARY SOCIETY
Holds Its First Session Here in
Five Years.
OBJECTS OF ORGANIZATION
Roster of the National Officers and
Members of the Council.
MAGNITUDE OF ITS WORK
Aid Of Veterans and Their Depend
ents-Caring for the Helpless
and Needy.
MAGNITUDE OF ITS WORK

commander in-chief of the Spanish War
Veterans. and its officers installed by Col
M. Emmett Urell, senior vice commander
in-chief of the Spanish War Veterans, at
the home of Mrs. John A. Logan. Noyem-
Der Is. 1901, in the Logan Memorial room.
Is again in session in Washington.
The first national officers were: Mrs.
John A. Logan. national president: Mrs
Flora A. Lewis, national senior vice presi-
dent; Mrs. George H. Harries, national ju-
nior vice president: Mrs. Henry N. Coudon
chaplain; Mrs. John A. T Hull, Judge ad-
yocate: DR.. Ida J. Heiberger. surgeon-in-
chief: Miss Harriet E. Hawley, national re-
cording secretary; Miss Agnes l. Little
national corresponding secretary; Mrs
Laura B. Cox, national conductor; Mrs
Nellie Hooper Barrett, national color bear
err; Mrs. Richard Pyles. national guard. and
Miss Clara Barton. national sponsor for
life.
The constitution and bylaws were COM
piled by Mrs. Ruth NJ. G. Pealer and Mrs.
Emily Lee Sherwood. The ritual of the
organization was arranged by Mrs. Mary
F. Case.
All these officers were drawn from the
Mary A. Babcock Council" auxiliary to
Henry Lawson Command, Spanish War
eterans. this society of women having been
formed a year previous, their object being
to aid and assist the veterans of Lawton
Command in caring for their dependent and
needy veterans and their families.
Applies for Charter.
Immediately upon the formation Of the
national organization, the ladies Of the
Mary A. Babcock Council applied for a
charter from the national organization as
Mary A. Babcock Auxiliary" and re-
ceived it. bearing the coveted mo. l."
which for all time sets them apart from
all those who shall come after as having
been the pioneers in the aid work to the
Spanish War Veterans. The Mary A. Bah
cock Auxiliary has always been recognized
as the mother of the whole organization.
There was quite controversy at the time
over which auxiliary should have the first
charter. as there were several relief So
cieties to camps Of Spanish War Veterans
throughout the country, and all wanted
the honor Of having the first charter from
the national organization.
The second national president of the Or
ganization was Mrs. Flora A. Lewis,
member at that time of the Mary A. Bah
cock Auxiliary. She was elected national
president at the national encampment In
Detroit, Mich, in 1902. and held Office for
one year. Mrs. Isabelle T. Alexander of
Cleveland. o.. was elected national presi-
dent at New Haven In 1903 and reelected
in st. Louis in 1904. serving the Organiza
ton two terms. Mrs. Mary q. Gedney Of
New York was elected at Milwaukee, Wis.
last year and Is just rounding out her first
term as president general. The conven-
ton of 1903, in st. Louis, revised the con-
stitution and bylaws and changed the
general" to them and dropping the pre-
fax national" And while this should be
termed the fifth national convention or as
sembly OF the auxiliaries the number has
United Spanish War Veterans. which Is
the third since the amalgamation OF those
bodies Of veterans.
Those eligible to membership in the aux
,I-I VYa<
Grams are the relatives Of any person
eligible to membership in the United Span
tsh War Veterans; also nurses and patriotic
women engaged in relief work during the
war with Spain and the incident war In tho
Philippines
Objects Of the Society.
The objects Of the organization, as stated
in the preamble of the constitution, are ito
perfect and maintain national state and
local organizations, to extend aid and SYM
pathy to all soldiers. sailors and marines
of the Spanish war and their dependents.
to cooperate with the United Spanish War
Veterans in all their work and social func-
tionS, and to promote patriotism. humanity
and a proper reverence for the flag"
The constituent bodies Of the society are
the national organization known the
National Auxiliary of the United Spanish
War Veterans state organizations desig-
mated as Department 'Auxiiares Of the
United Spanish War Veterans. and local
auXiliaries known and numbered from one
consecutively by the departments, accord
ing to date Of charter. Each local
auxiliary may determine it's own name,
subject to the approval of the president
general, provided that no name be dupli-
Gated in department.
Most of the auxiliaries have elected to
take the name of some woman who became
prominent in the SpanishAmerican war, al
though auxiliary to commands which bear
the name of a Spanish war veteran. 1t is
felt by many Of the members that this
is confusing and misleading, and should
be changed to agree with the name of the
command to which the local society may
be auxiliary, thus placing both at once.
Each auxiliary must belong to command
of United Spanish War Veterans, and when
the command bears the name of a veteran
and the auxiliary that of some woman, out
siders are not always sure just how to
address them
The national organizer of the auxiliary to
the United Spanish War Veterans is Miss
Harriet Hawley of Washington, daughter
of Gen. Alfred c. Hawley. Mss Hawey
was one of the noted relief workers dur
ing the Spanish war, and with her mother
Mrs. Alfred c. Hawley. and hundreds of
others. did all that women could do to al
leviate the condition of the young soldiers
who went to the front during the brief
war with Spain, and who suffered from i'm
proper food, insanitary conditions OF the
tropical climate to which they were not
Injured
Her Associates.
Miss Hawley had as her associates in the
work of organization such women as Mrs
John A. Logan, widow of the great "volun-
teer general of the war of the rebellion
who Is also member of the Woman's Re-
lief Corps, which twenty years before had
organized along relief lines; also Miss
Clara Barton, the world-famous organizer
or the American Red Cross Society. who
has been decorated by at least a dozen
crowned heads in recognition of what she
has done for the veterans of wars in ey-
cry Kingdom and cline; Mrs. Henry Cou-
don. wife OF the blind chaplain of the
Senate, and Mrs. John A. T. Hull. wife
OF the chairman of the COMMITTEES
on military affairs of the House, both of
them familiar with the work of PATRIOTS
women during the war, who were vet not
related by ties of blood to'any one who was
lighting for the flag, we'll as many Others
OF high standing in official and society cir
cies throughout the country. These be-
lieved that II the society was to grow and
become the power that they hoped it would
its lines must be broad and its ranks open
to those who gave of ,neir substance and
their strength and energies to aid the
young veterans, even though they had