Potosi journal. (Potosi, Mo.) 1894-1929, 1918-10-30
WHAT RED CROSS
DID LAST YEAR
Report Of War Council Surely
viii Thrill the Hearts OF
All Americans.
WOMEN GIVEN HIGH TRIBUTE
Contributions OF Materials and Time
Have Been Practically Intending
Figures Tell Of Work Done
BY the Various Chapters.


BY the Various Chapters.
October ~ the 1854 chapters Of the
Red Cross held their annual meetings
to elect officers and make reports. To
be read NJ all these meetings through
out the United States. the Red Cross
War Council sent the following an
uual message covering the work Of
the Red Cross for the past year:
To~the Chapters Of the American Red
Cross:
The War Council sends greetings to
the chapters Of the American Red
Cross on the occasion Of their annual
meetings for 1918.
With these greetings SO congratula-
lions on the great work OF the chapters
during the past year and. above all
things. on the wonderful spirit Of sac
rifice and patriotism which has per-
vaded that work.
The strength Of the Red Cross rests
upon its chapters. They nrc it's bone
and sinew. They supply Its funds,
they supply It's men and women, they
supply It's enthusiasm. Let MS, then.
review together the Red Cross story
OF the past year.
Some Idea OF the size to which your
Red Cross family has grown may be
gathered from the following facts:
On May !. 1917. just before the ap-
pointmcnt of the War Council. the
American Red Cross had 4S6, i94 mem
ters working through 5f2 chapters.
On July 81, 1915 the organization
mlm1 cred 20.Gis, lu3 annual members,
Junior Red Cross--a total enrollmcn.
OF over onefour,h the population OF
he United States.
Since the beginning Of the war you
Of the chapters have co-operated with
the War Council in conducting two war
fund drives and one membership drive,
In addition TO the campaign on behalf
Of the Junior Red Cross.
The total actual collections to date
from the first war fund have amounted
to more than SlI5.nnU1). The sub
scrip,lons 10 the second war fund
amounted 70 upwards OF $l16".oQo
From membership dues the collec'
tons have amounted TO approximately
So4 10000.
Splendid Work Done by Women.
To the foregoing must be added that
very large contribution OF materials
and tim" given by the millions Of WON
en- throughout the country IN surgical
dressings. In knitted articles. In hos
p.al and refugee garments. in chn'ecn
work. and the other activities the char,
ter, have been called upon to perform
II Is estimated that approximately
8.ooOUu women are engaged In can
teen work and the production OF relief
supplies through the chapters.
For the period up 20 July !. 1918
American Red Cross chapters. through
their workrooms. had produced:
4polno refugee garments
7.l@3.6cl hospital supplies.
lo,1s8, $50 hospital gartneh,A
ln.l34 sol knitted articles.
l92.14S,I07 surgical dressings.
A total Of I'll ~. SIS artIcles-~of mr.
estimated aggregate value Of At least
H4 100000
Thes. articles were largely the
product OF woincr's hands. and, by the
same token. infinitely more precious
than could have been the output o.
factories or machines These articles
going to III. operating room Of the hos
ptnis. to homeless or needy refugees
ard carrying comfort to our own boy
IN tho field. convey II message az love
from til" women OF this country "ntir"
~ t,lstlnc, from the groa, money yalu,
attaching Ia their hnndIwors.
Money spen, in Work.
Ey the terms Under which Tie flrs'
Red Cross war fund wns raised. ths
chapters were entitled 10 retain - pci
cent q! the amount collected. In ort}r,
dcfray local expenses. tu carry un theii
home service work. to purchase mn
tceials To hs utilized Ia chapter prutluc
ton and otherwise To meet the nuiu'r
uls CuIis made upon them. The Gimp
trrs were thus entitled To retain nrnrl,
SO COCO AZ n matter of fact. thril
actual retentions amounted 10 on),
about s.. 10000
Out of collectIMs from annual mem
bcrshlps. tho chapters have retained
about Sill .OOD,oun
From this total sum therefore. OF S.i3.
COO 900 retained by the chapters. the,
have met all the often,tmes very hcav,
local demands upon them. and in nddl
ton have provided for use by na,lonn
headquarters products valued, II,
stated above, at upwards OF $1,000
GO.
The chapters have In effect returned
to the War Council. not alone the S3s.
100000 retained ont Of the war fun'
membership dues but. in value a
actual product. an additional contribu
ton OF NJ least 81 ,0rbUO.
II VIII thus been seen that dur!n;
the eighteen months which have
elapsed since the United States en-
tered the war. the American peopl'
will have either paid In or pledged Il
the American Rcd Cross for It's WORT
II relief throughout the world. II
money or In material values, q ne
I toin! OF nj least s23225, 100000.
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