The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-03-01
SOCIAL FOR RED CROSS
BRINGS IN THE MONEY
Function At Spring Island
Was Great Success
fine PROGRAM is GIVEN
Paper Prepared BY Mrs. Alice
Councilman Proved To Be
Very Interesting
From Mondays Daily.

The Red Cross social given in
Spring Island Friday night by Miss
Rose Gaynor and her pupils was
well attended The seating capacity
of the school room was doubled by
removing desks and substituting
planks. Artistic decorations by the
use of the national colors and en-
blems looked very gay and cheerful
Eighteen numbers were given, all
worthy of special mention if space
allowed. The opening chorus, "Your
Welcome If You Keep Right Still'
was followed by an address of well
come by Ellen Holden. The soldiers
drill by twelve pupils was one of the
best numbers. A crack squad of small
soldiers in khaki and plumed hats,
bearing flags and drums, fierce bay
onets and guns, marched bravely on
the stage. They were followed by the
Goddess Of Liberty who headed a
procession of girls dressed in white
with the Red Cross insignia on their
arms and their fingers demurely
knitting. The song, Chop 1t Down,
called attention to the nearly forgot
ten fact that the nation was also
celebrating the birthday of George
Washington. How Jimmie Saved Pa,
acted by Mary Hynson, Philip An
derson, Forest Knoss, proved very
amusing. "a Mothers VIGIL" by
Mary Hynson and chorus was pref
ty and pathetic number "The Flag
Party" was acted out by sixteen girls
each carrying the flag of the country
she represented. All entered and
bowed low to the American Goddess
of Liberty. The song 'Is There Any
Better Country Than the u. S. A.?"
sung with great spirit, closed the
program. Miss Gaynor of Good
Thunder kindly assisted Miss Rose
Gaynor by playing the organ Miss
Genevieve Mccarthy and Miss Gay
nor helped with the box social. The
origin of the Red Cross movement
written by Mrs. Alice Powell, Coun
Gilman, and read by Mrs. E. L. Dorm
berg, preceded the sale of the boxes.
Arthur Mitchell auctioned the boxes
which were large and handsome, the
prettiest one brought $4.75. AS a
spellbinder he outdid the famous
Irish auctioneer for the forty five
boxes brought S136.25, which was
turned over to the Red Cross society.
Paper on "The Red Cross"
The following paper on 'The Red
Cross" prepared BY Mrs. Alice
Councilman, was read by Mrs. E. L..
Dornberg.
"The Red Cross is becoming a
household word with us, and with our
own Spring Island boys going to the
trenches, it is liable to become much
more so. But did you know that for
1859 years after Our Savior taught
the doctrine of loving your neighbor
as yourself, nations waged war and
men fought with no one to care what
became of the sick and wounded, or
the multitude of destitute and starv-
ing people, made destitute by the
ambition or greed of their rulers?
"a Swiss gentleman named Henri
Durant, saw battle in 1859, and was
moved by the agonies of the wounded,
thousands of whom died from lack of
proper care. He conceived the idea
of an organized effort by all the ma
lions to care for these suffering ones,
no matter to which side they be-
longed Thus the Red Cross started.
Fifty four years ago last October,
the first meeting was held in Switz-
erland, fourteen nations of Europe
responding to the call. They tried to
interest the United States, but we
were in the midst of our Civil war
and had our hands full We had an
organization called the Sanitary Com
mission, which was doing about the
same work, so did not join the league
of nations until 1877, when Clara
Barton was made president, 1t was
not until 1882, that we ratified the
Swiss convention, and began organ
izing real Red Cross societies as we
know them now.
cat first the work was largely
among the wounded IT sick in. time
Of war, but it has gradually broadened