The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-08

Miss Orire Barnett, Secretary of the Girls Social Service Club Says Organization Is Doing Splendid Work
By DOLLY DALRYMPLE

Among the latest recruits in the way of organization to the welfare and up- lift work of the city is the Girls Social Service club.
 It Is an organization 0 which little was known until the last few weeks. for as matter of fact it is still an infant in- dustry' so to speak
 It seems as if Birmingham is never at loss for some brand new, splendid or ganization to assist in helping those who need it, but it is rather an unusual CO., incidence for an organization to be com posed of a number of society girls, all but terflies of fashion, pretty, vivacious and in for good time. which seems hardly commensurate with youth and beauty, for anything so prosaic as work is hardly ever of interest; but the Girls Social Ser vice club refutes all such ideas and if there be any "doubting Thomases as to what so-called society girls can do they have but to give moments time to the Girls Social Service club and see for them selves what band of fine young women with sweet, noble impulses and generous kindly hearts can do.
 Miss Orline Barnett, the secretary of the Girls Social Service<club, is scarcely more than child, certainly in appearance. Her big pretty, brown eyes and dark olive skin and jet black hair, her petite figure. all suggest a schoolgirl who should be busy with her arithmetic problems and rhetoric essays rather than delving into social problems. prison reforms and uplift work generally, but if you chat with Miss Barnett half hour you will soon dis cover as l did that tucked away in her pretty little head is a whole armful of beautiful, big, philanthropic ideas, and her enthusiasm for the success of the things that she with others has undertaken is the uppermost theme in her mind.
 Parties, balls, pink teas and the rest are a mere issue with this young lady whose whole heart is immersed in the idea of making the Girls Social Service club a success.
 Yesterday Miss Barnett dropped in to see me, and talked about the plans of the Girls Social Service club which interested me very much in the work.
 She said in speaking of the organiza- tion of the club:
 Our club is not two months old yet, having been formed March 23, and while a lot of people do not know what it's purpose and motive is, still there are a lot more who do, and who have cooper ated wonderfully with us. In the first place anything that Mrs. Wilson Sea right has anything to do with is bound to be a success, and it is entirely through Mrs. Searight that the Girls Social Ser vice club was formed" {"
 You see it was this way" Miss Barnett Sti1 llt- Jaffe has been working with Mrs. Searght during the past winter. and one day she invited a lot of girls to come and hear Mrs. Searight talk about welfare work Everybody who was invited went, and the result was something perfectly wonderful Mrs. Searght touched the heart of every girl present, and made us feel that it was up to us to do something for the poor women prisoners who have fallen by the wayside because of no helping hand to sus- tain them or no sweet or kindly infiu- ence to help them. The result was the organization of the Girls Social Service club"
 The first time we came before the pub lie was when the concert at the Tutwiler was given last week, when a nice little sum was raised for our work" Miss Bar nett continued, but in the meantime we bad set about to open the detention home, which we have done with very satisfa ctory results. We have now in the home about F girls and these are cared for and looked after as gently and kindly as if they were In a good private home. We have two matrons, night matron and a day matron, and in the detention home the women prisoners are cared for comforta- bly, before their trial, and are taught to do some sort of work and influenced for the best as far as it is possible. Several federal prisoners are in the home and these are paying for their own mainten- ance. Judge Grubb has sent them to us and it has been our aim and object to help them and make them contented. Have you ever investigated the condi- tion of the jals?' Miss Barnett said pres ently, and then she went on to tell me of the horrible conditions in these ghasty, horrible places, where women must go while they are awaiting trial. Tt is some- thing frightful." she said. '.Such filth and miserable conditions l have scarcely ever seen Mrs. Searight told us of the con- ditions and surroundings of the women prisoners and this was the first incentive