Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-14

i'm the school year. His mother was with
out means, and his condition was SO
serious as to demand immediate atten-
ton. The society became interested In
him. he being one Of the boys 1t was
helping to educate. He was sent 10 a
sanatorium, where he was taken under
the supervision and care of a competent
physician
fail in realizing their hopes" said Mrs.
James b. Burbank. chairman of the ma
tiOnal educational committee, In her last
report. 1.-The interest OF this committee is
redoubled. and by constant encourage
ment and watchfulness We stimulate
their ambition to further effort Many of
our children We have never seen. but in
their varied necessities and troubles. as
well as in their pleasures. they turn to
us for appreciation and sympathy
Each branch is supposed to he composed
of ten or more sections, there being nine
teen in the Washington branch. Life
membership to the society is granted on
the payment of 500. In the instance of the
Philippine branch. members Of the So.
ciety here. upon being ordered there are
asked to join that branch in addition to
any other branch they may be a member
of, in order to help keep up a branch
which has large number of calls made
upon it.
Admiral George Dewey is the president
of the National Navy Relief Society,
while Mrs. r. 3. Brad
Navy Relief ford, Mrs. Albert s.
c. Barker and Mrs. r. T.
s'1' Mulligan are the vice
presidents. There are eighteen honorary
vice presidents, the list including Presi-
dent Taft, Secretary Meyer and the
assistant secretary of the navy. The
list Of officers of the local auxiliary
includes Mrs. F. E Beatty, president; Mrs.
Biddle. first vice president; Mrs. Seaton
Schroeder. second vice president; Mrs.
Richard Wainwright, third vice presi-
dent; Mrs. Richard Wainwright. jr., Sec
rotary: Mrs. Reginald Belknap. treasurer.
Mrs. Alexander Sharp is the chairman of
the relief committee. and Mrs. A. +.
Fechteler chairman of the entertainment
committee. The rules Of the local
superintendent of the navy yard Is al
ways the president, and the wife of the
head of the marine barracks first vice
president.
The Navy Relief Society was or
ganized in 1904. after it had been de-
cided to divide the net proceeds of the
Army-Navy foot ball between the two
branches of the service. That year
and acting on the suggestion Of DR.. J.
William White of Philadelphia, an APP
peal was made to the President and
Secretary of the Navy. asking for in
lstructions as to the disposal of the
money. 1t was understood that it was
to be used for the relief of dependent
widows and orphans, and it was sug-
gested that a navy relief society be orr
ganized. Mr.. Moody. acting through
Admiral Dewey and Rear Admiral Tay-
lor. advised the organization of such a
society, and this was carried out.
In the Navy Relief Society most, of
the cases deal with the enlisted men,
=. On account of the age at
Enlisted which boys can enlist. many
at their death leave no
MICH. families, but very often a
dependent mother and this class of
cases is one which figures largely
among those assisted. AS in the case
of the army society, all the money col
lected is turhed into the general society
and distributed by it, as the cases are
reported by the various auxiliaries.
More than two hundred cases have been
assisted by the society. Nearly ons
hundred and thirty men left female
relatives or orphans which the society
aided. Inasmuch as the amendment to
include the mothers of seamen is re-
cent, it has been within the past rev
months only that much assistance has
been given along this line, as hereto
fore only the widows and orphans were
helped.
In this instance. too, the Navy De-
partment assists in the work. and every
week the surgeon general sends hst
Of the deaths in the service. This is
turned over to the relief committee for
investigation, and after having ascer-
tanned the next Of kin to each man on
the list, those having wives, mothers or
children are entered on the books for
investigation. In the event of case
proving worthy of assistance an "allot-
inent" is made. This is certain sum
of money, which is given each month
for period of six months, or uh.ll
eminent, unless the case is. of course.
of an extreme nature, when additional
aid is given.
A typical case which has been heiped
is that of a corporal in the Marine Corps.
who died, leaving widowed
health, and who tried to sup
,CaSeS. port, by nursing, herself and
a father ninety-three years old. young
son, broken down by overwork, was I'M
able to assist this mother. On learning
of this case six months allotment was
Immediately made and renewed at its
expiration Another man died. leaving
widow and two young children. The
woman tried to earn a living by sewing
and washing, but had considerable sick
ness herself, one child having the whoop-
ing cough and the other the measles.
baker gave her a loaf of bread daily,
friend some fuel and the city furnished
the water free. Such was the situation
when the society came to the rescue and
made an allotment for many months,
when she was finally able to secure her
pension.
The educational necessities dealt with
by the Navy Relief Society are slightly
different from those which confrons the
army society. In the navy it is mostly
the children and the enlisted men who
require help, and their most urgent need
is simply a common school education.
which they can best obtain by having
their mother kept from the necessity OF
there is less done in this connection than
In the other society. but the cases that
have come. up have received. attention
and cheerful help
The local auxiliary helps to swell the
general fund by means OF series of
skating parties at the rink at the navy
ward. These, like the Fort Myer cavalry
drills, have become society events, and
each year since they have been held
about a thousand dollars has been clear
ed. There are four classes of member
shin in this society: Life members, g. ant
ed on the payment Of $25: b ne
factors, which is granted by the payment
of IS a year; members, the dues being 81
a year. and junior members. this LAST be-