The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-10-31
PROUD RECORD
OF RED CROSS
War Council Tells Chapters of
Wonderful Work Done in
the Past Year.
LARGE SUMS WELL EXPENDED
In the Eighteen Months Since This
Country Entered the War the I'M
H1ense Amount of 1926, ooo, 900
Has Been Accounted For.


Has Been Accounted For.
Annual meetings of the 1854 chap
tiers of the Red Cross were held Octo-
Der o. The War Council of the or
ganization sent the following message,
covering the work 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 1913.
With these greetings go congratula-
tons 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 are it's bone
and sinew. They supply its funds,
they supply its men and women, they
supply its enthusiasm. Let US, 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 1, 1917, just before the ap-
pointment Of the War Council, the
American Red Cross had 4S6, 1914 mem
bers working through 562 chapters.
On July 81, 1918, the organization
numbered 2O,648. lob annual members,
besides 100000 members Of the
Junior Red Cross-a total enrolment
of over one-fourth the population OF
the 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 $115,0OOOOO The sub
amounted to upwards of S176000,0OO.
From membership dues the colIec-
tons have amounted to approximately
S24, 100000.
Splendid work Done by Women.
TO the foregoing must be added that
very large contribution of materials
and time given by the millions Of WON
en- throughout the country in surgical
dressings, in knitted articles, In hos
pital and refugee garments, in canteen
work, and the other activities the chap
tiers have been called upon to perform
1t is estimated that approximately
100000 women are engaged in can.
teen work and the production Of relief
| fhrOT1Oh
For the period up to July I. 1918
American Red Cross chapters, through
their workrooms, had produced:
400, 120 refugee garments.
T,123.621 hospital supplies.
1885, S9 hospital garments.
1913, sol knitted articles.
192, 748, 107 surgical dressings.
A total Of POI ,2S2 1873 articles-of ar
estimated aggregate value Of at least
$44.OOO,OOO.
These articles were largely thu
product Of women's hands, and, by thu
same token, Infinitely more preciou!
than could have been the output Of
factories or machines. These article:
going TO the operating room of the hos
pitfalls, to homeless or needy refugees
and carrying comfort to our own boy
In the field, convey a message of Low,
from the women of this country entire
" distinct from the great money valu
attaching to their handiwork.
Money Spent in Work.
By the terms under which the frs
Red Cross war fund was raised, tn
chapters were entitled to retain 25 pc
cent of the amount collected, in orde
defray local expenses, to carry on thei
home service work, to purchase ma
terials to be utilized in chapter produC
ton and otherwise to meet the numeT
Gus calls made upon them. The chap
tiers were thus entitled to retain nearl
S29,OOOyOOO. As a matter OF fact, thei
actual retentions amounted to onl
about SO, 100000.
Out of collections from annual mem
berships, the chapters have retaine
about 81, 100000.
From this total sum, therefore, Of $50
100000 retained by the chapters, the
have met all the oftentimes very heav
local demands upon them, and in add
ton have provided for use by nations
headquarters products valued, a
stated above, at upwards OF $4,000
600.
The chapters have in effect returne
20 the War Council. not alone the $50
100000 retained out Of the war fun
membership dues but, in value Q
actual product. an additional contribT