Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-11-12
TO HAVE SOCIETIES
ALL OVER THE COUNTRY

lby leased Wire 70 Evening firrast. J
New York. nov. ia country
wide appeal for the abolition OF tho
useless Christmas Rlft and plea for
Intelligent ana thoughtful giving IN
stead were voiced last night BY airs.
August Belmont president Of che
spugs, at tn opening meeting Of fhe
1918 campaign 10 be waeed by that
organization against lnsincefity com
pulsion and wasto IN Christmas glv-
ing, AZ this meeting the member
ship rolls 81 the Spuga--thc Society
fOi the Prevention OF Useless Giving
were thrown open 70 al residents
Of the United States who might want
60 enroll against the foolish Christ
mas gift Having grown from
handful to more than 5000 within q
few weeks during The last Christmas
sfason. the spugs have outlined FOR
this year q national campaign and
hope 90 establish societies in All cities
aud towns throughout the country
Nrs. J. Borden Hartman presided
90 last nights meeting District Az
tOrney Whitman. newly enrolled ae a
member and Francis CroWnlnshlcid
delivered addresses. Mrs Belmont
was the orator OF The evening The
original purpose 90 the society. she
said, was 10 prevent compulsory Civ
ing by girls In stores and factories 30
their employers. the custom OF c0ilec-
tive giving which the girls felt they
could not afford but which they could
not avoid without embarrassment ana
possible loss of their positions This
was one of the chief objects of the
society. she added. hut not the only
one. Another prime attainment sought
she said. was general cultivation,
vs. all CLASSES III glvcrs. of more
thoughtfuincss and expression 0f per-
sonaliiy In making Christmas gifts
I'VE do not dlsapprovc Of collective
giving when II is done on the spur
of tho moment" she said. cor for
some particular cause, because then
it means that you have
sense of human fellowship OF which
the money collected Is but an express
sion. We do approve OF 1t whom il
is for the man lower down instead of
for the man higher up.
"Some persons think that we OPP
pose giving Far from Il: we do not
oppose giving. but we advocate in
tolligent giving giving that is done
with the Christmas spirit OF good
win as distinguished from giving that
is compulsory. from fear or with the
hope of obtaining rcward-~whether
. ulat reward bo the favor. Of the man
hirhcr up or advancement The
world at large should put more of the
Christmas spirit into giving. Christ
mas should be a time Tor every per-
son 20 do his or her share.
some folks say Go as. OF course,
YOU want TO promote useful giving
The word useful has many changes
of moaning. Usually, when one
thinks OF useful present IA Is
present decidedly middle-class or
commonplace So we do not attempt
TO promote useful giving In the COM
monty accepted definition of that
word The thing We are really out
to do Is To abolish something. We
feel that when we have done that
there will follow good sense IN giving
and that everybody will be profited
thereby
I'VE propose 10 decrease the cost
az the gift and increase the good will
20 make the heart OF Father Christ
mas rejoice by little acts Of kind
moss. unselfshness by putting
thought into IA, gift we sent our dear
ones Give generously; hut from
your heart. with an your thought.
Don't make a business Of giving, make
II an art Don't waste what should
be q season of goodwill freely given"