Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-04-08
,D.BANNERl RED
CROSS STATE
IN THE UNION
Has Membership Of More
Than 100000, or Third
of Population.

membership Of more than 202.-
900 members. or better than TIL rty-
three. and. one.third Of its population,
North Dakota IS considered the ban
ner Rcd Cross state of the. United
Estates. according to figures made pub
lie here by Harry C;urran Wilbur.
executive secretary of the Red Cross
for North Dakota.
Mr.. Wilbur that to the
first Red Cross war fund. raised last
summer. the people of the state gave
a total of more than $146,O00 Addi-
tional amounts raised since that time
has swe,led the total to a sum better
than 5000, 900. The total expenses of
conducting the state headquarters
from July I. 1917 to March 1. 1915.
was $4.342.55. Compared to the to-
tai amount of overhead expenses OF
the state Red Gross headquarters is
only seven-tenths of n per cent.
The story Of the American Red
Cross in the State of North Dakota
like the story Of this wonderful organ
flee and SERVICE" said Mr.. Wilbur.
AS the first year of Americas par.
'ticipation in the world war closes,
North Dakotans have every s to
be proud of what their Red Gross has
done. When Judge n. c. Young and
l were drafted to take charge of the
work lin. North Dakota and establish
the state headquarters. the central di-
! vision at Chicago. Of which North Da-
hkota. was then a part. turned over its
complete records. 1t showed that
there was not a single county chapter
organized in the state. There were
eight auxiliaries at large and seven
teen small chapters. only half a dozen
of which we're really under headway.
The total membership in North Dako.
ia att that time, July /, 1917, was
about 1900.
There are now So chapters. one in
each county OF the state. having thei,
headquarters at county seats, bearing
the name Of the counties. and having
jurisdiction over the Red Cross work
within the counties. Operating under
the direction and supervision of these
chapters are more than 500 branche:
and auxilfaries. and there is today il
every city, town and vill.ge in NORTH
Dakota and hundreds that have theil
headquarters at some rural schoo
building or church a Red Cross organ
%iztion.
The Red Cross membership, exclu
sive of rtftesJunior Red Cross. ha
grown from that II 900 turned over t
the state headquarters on the first O
last July. to $1,000 as reported a
the close of the Christmas member
ship drive. In other words. % pc,
cent of the population of the state. .ex
tclusiye OF the Junior Red .Crosssnem
bers, s-are~today enrolled, under. tn
Red Cross banner. In addition to thi.
1929 schools have been organized a
school a%uxiliaries, with 35.282s pupi,
,%.enrollcd, as members. of the JUNO
5Red .CfnlsfslSs,s SIS.
"Adding this to the figures TO
e,Ntasa.r 8ssss fSiln DsH Of more q ,1'1 fha i
100000. or better than thirty-thre
and one-third per cent of its popula
tion. This makes North. Dakota tn
banner Red Cross state Of the union
so far as the figures that this tofiic
can secure show" :
Everywhere it is admitted that tn
North Dakota organization for eff
cheney. thoroughness and quick actio
is the best j n the country. Financia
reports OF the chapters are made di
rect to division headquarters in Min
%neapolis. and not to the Fargo office
save when special reports are calfe,
for. ~ Il
~ ITO the first Red Cross war fund
raised last summer, the people Of tn
state gave a total OF more than $146,
5000" said MIR. Wilbur. THE add
ftional amounts raised through mem
bership fees, donations, benefits an
auctions has .swelled the total. a
nearly as this office can, estimate,
better than $500. 600. This is a yer
conservative estimate and is we
within the actual figures. and yet
makes a showing Of which eve
North Dakotan has every reason to- b
proud. No North Dakota money
handled at this Office except as it hap
pens to be sent in here and We for
ward it to the proper officers. TIL
total expense of conducting the stat
headquarters from July l.. 1917 {
1 March 1. 1918 was $4.342.55. Com
pared to the total amount raised,
means h a the total overhead expens
of the state Red Gross is only seven
tenths of one per cent. dc not be
lieve it can be equalled anywhere. an
this record could not be made were
not for the fact men, women an
children everywhere donate .thei
} services and their time to the work {
the great American Red Gross organi
cation"