Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1918-10-23
Annual Message of the War
Council to the Chapters of
The American Red Gross.

The American Red Gross.
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 annu-
al meetings for 1918.
With these greetings 60 congratu-
lations on the great work of the
chapters during the past year and,
above all things, on the wonderful
spirit of sacrifice and patriotism
which has pervaded that work.
The strength of the Red Cross
rests upon its chapters. They are its
bone and sinew. They, supply its
funds, they supply its men and wo-
men, 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 /, 1918, just before the
appointment of the War Council, the
American Red Cross had 4S6,194
members working through 562 chap
tiers.
On July l, 1918, the organization
numbered 2O,64S,103 annual mem
bers of the Junior Red Cross-a to-
tai enrolment of over one-fourth the
population of the United STATES.
These members now carry on their
Red Cross work through 1854 chap
ters, which again divide themselves
into some 10000 branches and auxil-
iaries.
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 mem
bership drive, in addition to the cam
paign on behalf of the Junior Red
Cross.
The total actual collections to date
from the first war fund have amount
ed to more than S115,000,0OO. The
subscriptions to the second war fund
amounted to upwards of S176,OOO,-
900.
From membership dues the collec-
tions have amounted to approximate
ly S24,50o,OOO.
4 4 s.
To the foregoing must be added
that very large contribution OF ma
terials and time given by the mil
lions of women throughout the coun-
try in surgical dressings, in knitted
articles, in hospital and refugee gar
ments, in canteen work, and the 9TH
er activities the chapters have been
called upon to perform.
It is estimated that approximately
100000 women are engaged IN can
teen work and the production of re,
lief supplies through the chapters.
For the period up to July 1, 1918,
American Red Cross chapters
through their workrooms had pro-
duced:
49O,12O refugee garments.
7,123,621 hospital supplies.
1G,7s6,4S9 hospital garments.
1O,134,5O1 knitted articles.
192,74s,1O7 surgical dressings.
A total of 221, ,2s2,s3s articles
of an estimated aggregate value of at
least $44,000,000.
These articles were largely the
product of women's hands, and, by
the same token, infinitely more prec-
ious than could have been the out
put of factories or machines. These
articles going to the operating rooms
of the hospitals, to homeless or needy
refugees, and carrying comfort to
our own boys in the field, convey a
message of love from the women OF
this country entirely distinct from
the great money value attaching to
their handiwork.
By the terms under which the first
Red Cross war fund was raised, the
chapters were entitled to retain 20
per cent. of the amount collected, IN
order to defray local expenses, to
carry on their home service work, to
purchase materials to be utilized in
chapter production and otherwise to
meet the numerous calls made upon
them. The chapters were thus entitled
to retain nearly S29,OOO,OO0. AS a
matter of fact, their actual reten-
tions amounted to only about S22,-
100000.
Out of collections from annual
memberships, the chapters have re-