The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-01-30

The Red Cross conference Of district
Managers and women delegates Of the
southwestern division, which includes
the counties of Oklahoma and the Pan
handle section of Texas, met Mrs. Nor
gan, director Of the bureau of develop
ment, and Mr.. Dickson, of the legal
executive board of the st. Louis head
quarters, in the Chamber of Commerce
rooms in Oklahoma City Saturday and
Sunday, have returned to their homes.
Reports from the managers who COW
cred the counties in the Christmas
drive were filed with useful data and
interesting incidents.
Mrs. Morgan and Mr.. Dickson talked
at length upon the need of organizing
the counties into working units-as
chapters branch chapters and auXiliar-
les.
Mrs Morgan, who is considered one
of the best informed women in national
service, possesses rare magnetic charm
and held the attention of the audience
while she spoke Of the object and pur-
pose Of her mission, the necessity Of
Immediately following up the Christ
mas drive-which raised the member
ship Of the southwestern division from
10000 to over 100000 by a system of
well organized work that will make
every individual a working member of
the Red Cross. Mrs. Morgan empha-
sized the fact that SO long as man
or woman considers his relation to the
organization to be a dollar bill, just so
long will he regard his membership as
a very loose tie, and that five dollars
from one individual is not so much to
be desired as five dollars from five in
dividuals
Mrs. Morgan made a plea that men
be exempted from some branches Of
service i'm the Red Cross that women
can fiji, but the financing of the chap
ters, branches and auXiliaries rest upon
the shoulders of the men and that they
devise ways and means to secure a
steady income for the work Many
unusual and spirited reports along this
line We're given by the chairman at this
point
The manager from Woodward stated
| that his chapter had standing order
at headquarters in St Louis for 5000
worth Of material per week, the order
to be filled with anything the nation
needs most. Money for this was raised
| by a committee which visited the bust
ness men with twelve checks, one for
each month of the year, made out in
denominations Of two dollars and up,
and after the signatures were secured
turned over to the finance committee,
| which Cashcd each check on the date
! and month mentioned, like club dues
or water bills" The chairman stated
This to be the easiest way to secure
funds to promote the work.
The adyisability of having one chap.
! ter to a county to which all branches
and auXilaries must belong was dis
| cussed. Some chairmen thought where
! school districts were too small they
should work with the branch nearest
them, others advocated that in every
| instance where a unit of any size coult
exist separately it should have thai
! privilege, providing careful reports are
| made regularly each month. One
chairman spoke enthusiastically of the
results he was getting from having
two chapters in one county with al
established rivalry existing among
them.
Both Mrs Morgan and MI Dickson
lrged harmony and unity as the only
| possible way to obtain good and last
ing results, as in every business the
spice Of competition may enthuse anC
stimulate workers, but personal or fac
tional elements must be avoided.
The Red Cross is not temporary
organization covering just the period
Of the war, but must endure il
strength and usefulness through thu
period Of reconstruction after the enc
Of the war. The smaller branches anC
organizations are manifesting a right
eous impatience to be set to work alonl
definite lines and a great deal of cor
respondence has been received at head
quarters asking for instruction. II
some school districts no effort at or
ganization has been made. In Others
it has not been perfected, while in othe,
places the work is systematized anC
running smoothly.
Miss Pauline WitherspOon. trained
organizer from Red Cross headquarters
will tour the counties and conduct in
stitutes to teach county organizers how
TO organize and perfect the work O
creating branches and auxiliaries il
every school district of the state.
Educational campaigns through
newspapers and personal visits will hell
the work. SO much has been accom-
plished in SO short a time that it is bu
natura land to be expected that mis-
takes have occurred both at headquar
ters and in the field. However, al
effort should be made 10 correct these
and with that view every member o
the Red Cross must work. Report