New Britain herald., 1917-11-08
Chairman Brooks Estimates Expenses While War Con- tinues-Oficers Make Re- ports at Annual Meeting.

| Qur1n8 the coming year to carry on the work of the New Britain Chapter of the Red Cross. This was an- nounced by Chairman W. F. Brooks at. the annual meeting held last night. The following officers were elected: ! Honorary Chairman-Mayor G. A.. { Quigley.
 ] Chairman--W. F. Brooks.
 Vice Chairmen-A. w. Stanley and l Rev. Lucyan Bojnowski. | Treasurer-R. R. Healy. . 1 Sacretary-E. w. Irving.
 Directors-Rev. J. T. Winters, Rev. Dr. s. O. Ohmann, M. D. Sake Andrew J. Sloper, Frederick G. Platt, H. s. Hart, G. W. Traut, Clarence F. Ben- 1 nett. George s. Talcott and Mrs. I. D. Russell.
 The only change in the above off, I'cial personnel is that MT. Irving suc- ceeds MT. Talcott as secretary and MT. Bennett and Mrs. Russell are new directors. C31airman's Report.
 The report of Chairman W. F. Brooks for the past year follows: ITO the Members of the New Britain Chapter. American Red Cross:
 Activity and expansion undreamed of has come to every Red Cross Chapter since our own country en- tered the war. Remarkable as the relief output has been here during the last few months and splendid as was the response here to the call last June to swell our membership and our treasury, we have no claih to any distinction, for the nation as a whole responded as heartily as we did. NTf 1oOY1 ho hot chapter was unprepared for we had not materially increased our member ship since the formation of the chapter in the fall of 1914, we had no committees except the executive committee and 1t was increasingly difficult to hold the relief work even up to the pittance our small member ship provided. But whatever the ex- perience of other places I am con- vinced that had we tried here to push harder before the great event of actual war had come it would have been uphill work, whereas we went forward last June with the whole community solidly behind us. We broadened our directorate. we found willing outside aid in a host of work CTS and in a whirlwtnd campaign en- tirely home made and home directed,
 
 ''We are now engaged in copying and placing inl a card index the 15,- 00O names. By way of explanation. l. might say that these names we are keeping separate from our early membership in order to make their dues fall a year from the June en- rollment instead of in November.
 Hard upon this campaign came the more difficult war fund cam paign.
 "Your chairman felt himself un- equal to this task and took refuge behind a finance committee which. with the sanction of your directors. he succeeded in getting MT. o. F. Ben- net to head. The campaign was. great triumph not only in dollars. 1 but in the city solidarity and fratern- itv 1t developed. Combined with the l Y. M. c. A. campaign it succeeded in l breaking all sectarian barriers and l in it's appeal as defence measure drew l in our great corporations as individual ] contributors to the fund. To the work ] CTS in both these campaigns, who are l too numerous to mention individually, ] the chapter expresses it's apprecla- | ton and the hope that as funds are needed in the future for this great 1 work the same people and the same patriotic devotion will appear at the call. s.., "
 "But our memberships and moneys are only means to the end that relief ! work may go forward and before any additional money was in sight the 1 woman's club very generously agreed to aid the chapter by assuming to provide the personnel for the relle1 committee After this initial push F1I11 cfoo am ahead and its direction has been more thoroughly organized by departments and a system of rotation so that the l burden does not rest too heavily on | any one. r-a. t..c "-
 "Immediately after the campaigns MT. William H. Hart turned over this i house on Court street for headquar- ters and his generosity has not only saved the chapter from rent paying, but has provided such ample and cen trally located rooms that we have been able to meet the growth of the work very comfortably.
 "Compared with the few hundred dollars we had from memberships 1 previously and from appeals for pr1-
 vate gifts it seemed as if the half of
 the membership money. which
 amounted to about $7,500, would have
 kept us in funds for this year. but il
 soon became apparent that the work
 was growing so far beyond this that it would be necessary to retain the
 percentage of the war fund allowed
 us.
 Besides the increase in the amour
 of material necessary to supply the re
 lief work, an important factor is thu
 increase in the cost of this material
 "Estimated on current output, VI
 shall spend this year and requir'
 each year while the war continues a
 least $40,0OO. I wish especially t.
 call to your notice that none of thi money goes in rent and very little il
 salaries. We are obliged to have on