Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-08-16
GIRLS WILL DO THEIR SHARE
Form Local Branch of Patriotic
League.
May Choose Two Kinds Of Service, un.
der the Direction Of Leaders,
Headquarters to He at Neigh.
bprso0d House.

Nearly one thousand Burlington girls
expressed their willingness to do their bit
TO help their country during the war at a
meeting Thursday at the high school
building, where they formed local
branch Of the Patriotic League under the
auspices of the Junior War Work Council,
while the girls were waiting to begin the
meeting Miss Margaret LeSeur, who be-
cause she knows girls so we'll is a per.
nanent secretary of the Y. w. G. A. and
is going from town to town forming local
leagues, taught the girls to sing George
Cohan's lover There Miss LeSeur
then explained the object Of the league
10 the girls. She said in part:
rms Is the first time in the histor
our country that a challenge has
sent out to the girls. Our brothers
fathers have been asked to shouldei
gun and go to war; our mothers and O.
sisters nave been asked to work all day
the Red Cross rooms, but they haven
asked us TO do anything. Up to the pre-.
ent day girls were never considered very
important but the country has lust begun
to realize that the young girls of America
hold the destiny of the country in their
two hands. Therefore. the call has come
and it rings from Maine to California,
The country is to depend upon the young
girls to hold the standards of America
pure. -
Miss lie Seur then introduced Miss Ger
trude Ely Of the War Council, who was
one OF the 100 women who was called to
washington on June 6 and to consider
how the girls of America could do their
part
Miss Ely talked Of how the attitude of
the world toward girls had changed and
| then discussed what the real meaning Of
patriotism was. She said: I'VE must not
say that we are patriots unless we know
Just what patriot is" She told the girls
| that they must not be too mar
row in their patriotism, that they
| should help to make the statement
that all the people in America are free,
true one. She then asked the girls
what they considered their duty to the
negroes, Indians and immigrants who
came to this country. She spoke of the
Importance of an immigrant learning to
| speak English. and gave as an illus
| tration of this need a story in which
a Polish boy. after he had learned Eng
| fish. refused to say that he was any,
thing but American. She said: I'VE
must remember, patriotism does not
| mean my United States, but to be real
1t must be world wide" She then ex-
planned to the girls what she meant
and told them that no matter Of what
nationality a girl was. If she needed
help the only truly patriotic thing to
do was to help her.
Miss Ely then read the pledges which
the girls sign when they become mem.
bers. The girls sang America" and
then the organization Of the league was
explained. Every girl who gets eight
new members for the league becomes
a corporal and every girl who gets ~
mn nInr
captain is elected by the girls. Last
evening there were already FIVE SER
| geants and two corporals.
The girls were next introduced to the
heads Of the different branches of serv.
ice which they are to take up They
can take up only two kinds Of work
but they have their choice of first aid.
Red Cross. knitting. swimming, can.
ming. hikes. citizenship, good neigh.
bors. little mothers and dancing.
Every Saturday afternoon Mrs Ed
ward Allen will be at Rock Point to
teach the girls Of the league how to
swim. while those. girls who do not
wish to swim may take a hike with
Miss Mabel Brownell. leaving the
Neighborhood house at two o'clock
every Saturday afternoon. Miss Elsa
Allen will have charge of the canning
and the work of the girls will be to
| get vegetables from the gardens of diff
| ferent people. which might otherwise
be going to waste, and bring the prod
uce to Morrill, Hall, where it will be
canned by experts. The Red Cross
work will be under the direction of
| Mrs. Clarence L. Smith. The class will
meet every Thursday evening at 1880
and the girls will make hot water bag
covers, hem towels. napkins and tray
cloths and make comfort pillows and
bed socks. Mrs. william Linsley will
have charge of the welfare work, while
Miss Mary LOOMS will teach the girls
dancing.
The headquarters Of the league will
be at the Neighborhood house and Miss
Marjory Hickok will be manager, but
If Miss Hickok can not be reached at
any time Miss Tabouret matron of the
Neighborhood house. will be glad to
answer all questions regarding the
league AS no definite time can be set
for most of the classes until it is
known how many girls want to study
each subject, when the girls have reg
istered each head of 4 department will
send them cards telling them to como
| to the house at certain night to de-
eide what night in the week will be
most convenient for every girl des:r-
ing the course. Every alternate week
a general meeting will be held of all
the girls to sing and to talk things
over The meeting Thursday closed
with the singing Of THE Star Spangled
| Banner"