Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-10-21
WAR ACTIVITIES
CLUBS FOR GIRLS
Something The Girl Graves.
Something She Needs. Some
thing That She Must Have
INTEREST IN THE WORK

If you take something away from
a group of young people, you must
substitute something in its place, has
been the decision of the Social Moral
ity Board of Young Women's Christian
Association, which, under the leader
ship of Doctor Anna l.. Brown, has
been giving lectures throughout the
United States to groups of girls.
This is the idea that has started
the plans for girls clubs to be organ
lied in the walks of the lecturers on
social morality. These lectures have
been given in 214 different communi-
ties. to girls from factories, from
schools and colleges, girls working in
domestic service, foreign-born girls,
colored girls-all the types of girls
there are in this country To all of
these girls the speakers have made
the appeal of patriotism. the true and
higher patriotism which does not
throw itself away in a cheap emotion
alism wasted on every man in khaki,
but which does a real and lasting
good to all men in khaki The appeal
10 the better natures of American
women has had an immediate re-
Spouse in every case
This is the very time" said one
of the staff of Doctor Esther Jeffreys,
after the lecture at Burlington, Ver-
mont, ITO interest these girls in
community club with the wholesome
interests that they need
Two of the staff stayed at Burling-
ton while Doctor Jeffreys wen. on to
the next town scheduled. A talk with
mothers and with other women who
were interested showed the workers
just what was needed and what could
be done: out-of-doors recreation for
the girls who worked in the great fac
tory that turned out more than 100000
army blankets every day.
First a place must be found.
Everything seemed placed right
in our hands," said one of the young
women who helped to organize the
club. There was beautiful country
place, with a big house, just outside
of town, which had not been occupied
for thirty years. 1t belonged to Mrs
Seward Webb of New York. When
we spoke to her she was glad to let
us have it for the girls"
The Webb estate did not need much
building over. The house had thir-
ty-five rooms. The ground covered
about $40 acres. There was space
for tennis courts, handball, baseball
grounds, and plenty of spacious lawn.
There was water for boating and
swimming. A month after the lecture
had been given in Burlington the girls
began to come out to their own coun-
try club for evenings and week-ends
The club, known as the Oakledge
Club is ten-minute trolley ride from
the city. Eight hundred girls were
members last summer. They paid
membership fees of one dollar each.
Hany interested men and women of
Burlington took out sustaining MEM
bership of SIS each, and many donated
money TO rthe club.
During the warm months, number
of girls camped on the place during
their vacations. Supper was served
every evening; it cost the girls IS
cents. There was never an evening
when the lawns and courts were not
full of girls. They put on costumed
pageants that all Burlington same out
to see.
The Oakledge Club is an institution
Doctor Brown and her assistants be-
lieve that it is the first of hundreds
more which will be established in the
girl-communities of the country. The
club gives the girl something she
Graves. something she needs, some
thing that she should have.
The Social Morality Board is bend
ing its immediate energies, as are all
the other branches of the Association
at present, to furthering the success
of the United War Workers Drive, to
begin November IL, in which seven
organizations are united, the Young
Mems Christian Association, the
Young women's Christian Associa-
ton, the National Catholic War Coun-
Gil and Knights of Columbus; the Jew
ish Welfare Board, the War Camp
Community Service, the American Lii
brary Association and the Salvation