The Red Cloud chief., 1918-10-24
WHAT RED CROSS
DID LAST YEAR
Report OF War Council Surely
Will Thrill the Hearts OF
All Americans.
WOMEN GIVEN HIGH TRIBUTE
Contributions OF Materials and Time
Have Been Practically Intending
Figures Tell Of Work Done
by the Various Chapters.

october % the 3.Sji chapters OF the
Red Cross held their annual meetings
to elect officers and make reports. To
be read at all these meetings through
out the United States. the Red Cross
War Council sent the following an
nual message covering the work of
the Red Cross for the past year:
To the Chapters Of the American Red
Cross:
The War Council sends greetings to
the chapters Of the American Red
Cln>S on the occasion of their annual
meetings for 1918.
with these greetings 20 congrat,la-
lions on the great work of the chapters
during the past year and, above all
things. on the wonderful spirit Of sac
ricc and patriotism which has per-
vaded that work.
The strength OF the Red Cross rests
upoh It's chapters. They are Its bone
and sinew. They supply Its funds,
they supply It's 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 I, 1917. just before the ap-
pointment Of the War Council, the
American Red Cross had 1856. 1914 mem
bers working through 5G2 chapters.
On July 81, 1918, the organization
A ~ A "
besides S,OO0.O0O members OF the
Junior Red Cross--n total enrolment
OF over one-fourth the population Of
he 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 $11J00OO0O. The sub
scriptions to the second war fund
amounted to upwards Of S176,OOO,OOO,
From membership dues the collec-
tons have amounted to approximately
S24,5OO,OOO.
Splendid Work Done by Women.
To the foregoing must be added that
very large contribution Of materials
and time given by the millions of wOm-
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.
It Is estimated that approximately
S.0O0,OOO women are engaged In can
teen work and the production of relief
supplies through the chapters.
For the period up TO July l, 1918,
American Red Cross chapters, through
their wOrkrooms, had produced:
490l20 refugee garments.
7,l23,62l hospital supplies.
10,7S8. 4S9 hospital garments.
1O,134 .50l knitted articles.
1872, 74S,10 surgical dressings.
A total Of 221 ,2S2, S3S articles-of an
44,OOOOO0.
|, These articles were largely the
} product OF women's hands. and, by the
same token. infinitely more precious
than could have been the output OF
factories or machines. These articles
going to the operating room Of the hos
pitfalls, to homeless or needy refugees
and carrying comfort to our own boys
in the field, convey message of love
, from the women of this country entire
, " distinct from the great money value
attaching TO their handiwork.
> Money Spent in Work.
BY the terms under which the frs
t Red Cross war fund was raised, the
1 chapters we're entitled TO retain 20 pei
t cent of the amount collected In ordel
defray local expenses, to carry on thei
: home service work, to purchase ma
j terials to be utilized in chapter produc
0 ton and otherwise to meet the numer
Gus calls made upon them The chap
0 ters were thus entitled to retain nearl,
= 500, 100000. As a matter of fact, thei
e actual retentions amounted to onl
t about So, 100000.
= Out of collections from annual mem
t berships. the chapters have retaine
about 81 100000.
Q From this total sum, therefore, Of S33
Q 100000 retained by the chapters. the
:, have met all the oftentimes very heav
n local demands upon them. and in add
Z ton have provided for use by nationt
headquarters products valued, a
j. stated above. at upwards of $4,000
70 600.
a The chapters have In effect returne
It 10 the War Council, not alone the S3a
10 100000 retained out of the war fun
10 membership dues but. In value.
n actual product. an additional contrib
ton OF ut least $11 100000.
Il II Will thus been seen that durir
II the eighteen months which hay
II ELAPSED since the United States e
Ill | ....a L. .rnr the American nann