The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1917-04-11
CHAPTER OF THE RED CROSS
SOCIETY ORGANIZED IN
GREENWOOD.
A Call to the Citizens of Leflore Coun-
ty, Both Young and Old.

branch of the American Red Cross
Society, whose working she explained
by reading a letter from Miss Gober,
of Jackson, and a communication with
regard to the n in Memphis, which
places have within the past week or
gained for work in this great Society
the Greenwood Mississippi Chapter of
the American Red Cross Society was
organized with seventy members. The
following officers were elected:
Mrs. T.. R. Henderson, Chairman;
Miss Blanche Hall, Rec. Sec'y;
Mrs. Bessie Pepper, Treasurer.
1t vas decided to divide the men,
bership into branches for work and
study, each branch to elect it's own
leader. These different lines are for
the study of the following subjects:
First AID (for men and women) 10
lessons.
Elementary Hygiene and Home Care
of the sick (for women) Is lessons.
Home Dietetics( for women) Is les
sons.
Preparations of Surgical Dressings
(for women) 8 lessons.
And the Membership branch to build
up the membership.
The beauty Of this gre at organiza-
ton in times such as we are entering
upon, is that it gives " ry Individual
citizen, old and young, remand wom-
en-, an opportunity to -rve. 1t ans
wers as nothing else has ever done,
the craving of the individual heart
to have some part in the work of our
country when she calls to every son
and daughter: Il need you!-- Give me
the best that is in you of vein, money
and time" The hour which is prob
ably the most momentous in all her
history is now struck and dead indeed
must be the soul of any citizen which
does not purpose solemly and prompt
1y to give to her assistance to the very
limit of capacity. There r none too
old and none too young, none too rich
and none too poor, none too strong
and non too weak to need the care
and protection with which she purpos-
es to surround us. Is there one born
to this blessing so ignorant as not to
have said over and over: "Thank God,
/ am a citizen of these United States!
/ have the blessed privilege of Amer
lean citizenship. l am thus blessed,
because of the self-sacrifcing lives of
my ancestors, who wrought out of the
hard metal of persecution and pioneer
ing, of war and labor this land of the
free and the brave, that we their chill
dren, might keep with all the best that
is with us, the fires of hope alive
in the hearts of all the prosecuted of
the earth" Men and women, a great
and a terrible price was paid for this
dear country Of ours, and is there one
single heart filled with the blood of
those heroes and heroine which does
not answer promptly and gladly this
her call in her hour of need?
Nay, verify. For we know that each
one would, if only the way is pointed
out, do something. Our young men
are going into the army and navy,
thus placing their lives upon the altar
of country, and this other way is
here for each who does not go to the
| front to serve. Will you not accept it ?
Any man or woman, boy or girl, can
by the payment of $1.OO per year join
the Red Cross. Half of this is kept by
the local organization and half is sent
to headquarters at Washington, but
all is used for the benefit Of our coun-
try. / am expecting all the men who
are above the army age, all the boys
who are under it and every woman
and girl to join US and thus help to
win victory for right. I want a
branch of this chapter in each town in
the county and will take pleasure in
either going myself or sending some
one else to organize it. Won't you join
US? One big chapter with branches
can work more effectively than if we
have several small ones, because when
there is need for all to work together
for any one thing it is so much simp-
Ter to get united work started. Itta
Bena, Schlater F, Highlandale, She'll
mound, Sidon, Rising Sun, Sunny Side,
Minter City, Swiftown and Morgan
City, each should have a branch and /
think l can promise these towns that
if they will join US they will not re-
greet it. And let every body keep this
in mind: If you join the only thing you
will be obliged to do will be to pay
the $1.00 per year and this must be
paid when you join.
These study classes in Greenwood
will be instructed by Miss Johnson-a
graduate nurse-and some of the ply
sicians whose names will be published
with a list of the time and place for
the classes to meet. / think we should
all take these lessons, for when we
are in the thick of war all the trained
nurses and most of the doctors will
be at work in the hospitals for the
soldiers and we will need to go back
to u old time way of neighbors nurs-
ing each other, only we want to be
E