Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-08-18

The 11th annual convention of the
international Sunshine Society will
be held in New York to-day and re-
ports OF branches from all parts Of
the United States, including Alaska,
and from MEXICO and, Cuba will tell
of the good work being done. 1T is
in every respect a unique organiza-
tion. Its membership is unlimited
and its dues are only the doing of
some kind deed, the passing on of
bit of sunshine and happiness to
some on else. Any group of ten per.
sons wishing to cooperate in good
work may organize into q club. Gen
orally these clubs unite, for greater
helpfulness, into State or territorial
associations, and these, in turn, al
filiate with the international Society.
The object of the society, as stat
ed in the constitution and bylaws,
is: ITO incite it's members to the
performance of kind and helpful
deeds, and to thus bring the sun
shine of happiness into the greatest
possible number Of hearts and
homes" Under this constitution
each branch pays to it's State Society
annual dues of 81, and each State
Society pays 20 the general society
pO Il year W IGlD uclIdy Iue SS-
penses at headquarters. This, in
brief, covers the aims and financial
obligations. Beyond that each
branch may do the work it wishes,
and there are many different ave-
nues Of endeavor. ...... .N
A sanitarium at Bensonhurst-by-
the-Sea, New York, is conducted in
the interest of the society. This is
open all the year round. The New
York society has also opened a rest
house next door to the Sanitarium,
where invalids and very tired people
sit in the reading rooms or on the
sun porches and get well and strong
again. This branch has also a home
for blind babies where the forlorn
and neglected little ones are fed and
kept clean, taugh kindergarten les
sons and games and how to make
music on simple instruments. This
is the first kindergarten for blind
babies in the United States.
At Hot Springs, Ark, the local
Sunshiners keep a home, primarily
for gentlewomen who are suffering
with Rheumatism and who have gone
there to take advantage of the
baths. In New Orleans there is
maintained a Sunshine lodge for
working girls, helping hand to the
girls who make their own way on
small salaries. On Forest Lake,
Mimi, the Mary Davis lodge is main
tanned for summer vacations for
mothers and little children, and
more than 500 are taken there every
summer. At Tecumseh, Neb. Ito show
the diversity of effort in one place
aionSD there is Sunshine rest
COON, IN the business centre, free
reading tables are placed in the de-
pots, and a scholarship is provided
Tor III q business college.
In Toledo, Ohio, the Sunshine So
ciety maintain a wheel chair fund
with which wheel chairs for inva-
lids and cripples are purchased and
loaned these unfortunates for an in
definite period. 1t maintains also
Sunshine corner in the Toledo hos
pital, where free reading table is
kept supplied with magazines, and
maintains a flower mission in one of
the big stores there. AT Sentre Point
and Kerrville, Texas, and at Logan,
Idaho, free libraries have been es-
tablished on a small scale. Vari-
Gus Maine branches have undertaken
to support several beds in the hos
pital for cripples, and to furnish
wheel chairs for any cripples who
need them. The Kansas City branch
is working among deformed and
crippled children, and the New Bii-
tain, Conn, one looks after the en-
tertainment of the folks at the Door
farm.
At La Junta, Col, rest room is
kept open for visitors and weary
workers, and at Knoxville, Tenn, q
similar institution is maintained In
st. Louis 10 memorial cribs are sup
ported in the children's home and
bed IN the children's hospital Iu
Boston an exchange and free Ii.
brary are kept open, and in Men,
phis, Tenn, a home for aged men
is monument to the earnestness of
members of Sunshine society, al
though the home has been given over
to a different board following the
change Of residence of the leading
: Sunshine workers from that city to
3another. Work toward some good
; eud or other Is being pushed by the
branches, Boston just now being tn
Gagged in getting together money for
summer camp in the country where
wOrk'ug girls may go for vacation.
Ia Cuba the work follows the lines
of helpfulness first laid down by
pioneer Sunshiners in looking after
old and young, sick and poor.
An interesting branch that has
members throughout the country,
and whose members meet only
, through the medium of the press,
letter. post card, or small gifts, is
called the Fourscore Club, the men,
bers being fourscore or more years
old. These old people make known
their occasional needs, or send greet
ings and messages to other members
through the official organ of the or