Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-29
LADIES OF THE G. A. R. BEGIN SESSIONS;
BUSY WEEK AHEAD FOR ORGANIZATION
Council of Administration Advisory Council and Credentials
Committee Meet-Members to Attend Informal Re-
ception at Camp Matthew G. Emery To-
night-Sketch of the Officers.

nigh
with national headquarters at the
New Willard Hotel, the Ladies of the
G. \. r. are meeting here in twenty
ninth annual convention. They are not
part of the G. A. r.. nor are they
affiliated with 1t. They are an indie
pendent organization working with
and for the Grand Army, with a men,
bership of $4,000 scattered throughout
the Union and a record of large bene-
factions in relief work and in estab-
fishing homes for needy members of
the Grand Army or their wives or
widows.
The convention of the Ladies of the
&, \. r. opened yesterday with a meet
ing of the council of administration.
Today meetings have been held of the
advisory council and the credentials
committee. with distribution of badges
to delegates. This evening the members
will attend the Informal reception in
Camp Matthew 6. Emery, LIST and B
streets northwest, where President
Wilson will receive all patriotic or
carnations and deliver an address
Comma nder-in-Chief Palmer OF the
q. A r. will also greet the guests.
An open meeting of the association Is
to be held tomorrow afternoon, follow
ing the Grand Army parade. in the
First Presbyterian Church, John Mar
shall place, between C and D streets
northwest. Greetings will be EXTENDED
followed by memorial service
Tomorrow evening in the parlors OF
the New willard Hotel the Ladies of
the G. A R. will hold their first social
function, a reception to COMMANDMENT
Chief Palmer and his staff. Mrs. Louie
Johnson has been designated as onlcial
hostess. In the receiving line VIII oe
the national officers and the depart
ment presidents. All members OF the
Grand Army and affiliated and pa
triotic organizations will be welcomed
Thursday morning. at o'clock. IN .ne
First Presbyterian Church the hrst
formal meeting of the convention VIII
be held Business meetings are TO De
held both Thursday and Friday and on
both days luncheon Will De ser'eo u
the voting delegates.
q Washington has three circles OF the
Ladies of the G. A. R.-Grant NO. J.
Mckinley No. , and Lincoln NO. D.
Members of these three circles are 90
Ing all that they can for the entertain
msnt and comfort of the visiting dele
gates.
Composed of Civil War Societies.
The Ladies of the G. A. r. as an or
sanization was evolved from societies
which sprang up during the civil war.
In 1881 five women met at Trenton.
\. J.. and organized the Loyal Ladies'
League, with other states following at
eintervals.
In 1856 a call came to meet with the
Ladies of the q. A. r. of Illinois. Other
societies at that time were called by
the one borne by New Jersey-Loyal
Ladies' League.
The Chicago convention, November Is.
1886. adopted the name borne by the
organization in Illinois and also ac-
cepted its ritual The organization
maintains number Of veterans homes,
has organizations in nearly all the
states and has membership of more
than $1,000.
These women are the originators of
unique memorial in California. that Of
the Civil War Memorial Grove. of which
the chairman was Mrs. Eliza H. Wag-
goner of Sacramento. There are more
than a hundred trees. which were
brought from as many battlefields. and
these form beautiful grove surround
ing the state capitol When tree
was received it was planted with elab-
The order is an organization COM
posed of mothers, wives. daughters.
sisters, granddaughters and blood kin
nieces of hoporably discharged soldiers
and sailors of the civil war. Ex-army
nurses are admitted as honored men,
bers and the comrades, sons of vet
Grams and grandsons as honorary MEM
bers, paying no fees or dues.
The omcers.
The national officers are: President,
Mary A. Jameson, Marine City. Mich:
secretary, Genevieve Hager Longheld
Lane, Chicago, Ill: treasurer. Nellie R.
Mcmillan, Leavenworth, Kan; senior
vice president. Ethel Irish. Fond du Lac.
.-;a IIot&
Warner. Kansas City. Mo-; chaplain.
Catherine A. Hoyt, Minneapolis, Mimi;
counselor, Edith b. Brown. Pacific
Grove. Cal; council of administration,
Comeford, Detroit, Mich; DIR. Mary
Il. Martin, Seattle, Wash; inspector.
Annie Kitchener, Pittsburgh, Pa;
patriotic inspector. Sarah J. Ehr-
respondent, Nellie Underwood, Chi
cago. ILL.,: assistant press correspond
ent. Mary 4. Hager Byrnes, Chicago,
Ill: corresponding secretary, Hannah
Hardness, Columbus. Ohio: registrar.
Orpha NJ. Whitaker. Philadelphia. Pa.
Mrs. Jameson has held number of
odices in the national organization.
and was national inspector the year
before she was elected to the highest
office in the gift of the order.
She is also past president of the De-
partment of Michigan. She boasts Of
having cared for two veterans person.
ally, as her nrSt husband was soldier
and after his death she again married
u veteran. During her office as
tional president she has been indefati-
gable in her work to upbuild the order
which she represents SO we'll.
great many new circles attest the
elimination of extra effort on the part
of the president and members.
Mrs. Jameson has travelled from coast
20 coast in fulfilling her trust as the
head of the organization, which has
more than $1,000 members.
Youngest National President.
Mrs. Lane of Illinois was SECRETARY
when her mother. Mrs Mary e. Hager,
vas national president. and she is the
only past national president who has
served as secretary. and was the
?oungest member ever elected as ma
tionai president. as well as one of the
most popular.
Mrs. Lane Joined the order in 1901.
and has held many of1ces In the state
besides that of president. She has
held almost every office in the national
organization. She has always been a
member of both state and national adj
v!sory councils.
Mrs. Mcmillan, national treasurer. at
sixteen years Of age Joined the Wom-