Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-20
GIRL AuxILlARIES TO
 COUNCIL OF DEFENSE

Girls Auxiliaries of the Connecti- cut State Council of Defense are to be organized all over the state.
 This was decided at a meeting of the council after discussion of the plan for the development of a unified state programme for girls which would include all of the organizations working with girls and young wo- men, as suggested by. Miss Jean Ham ilton. general secretary of the National League of Women Workers, at the conference on girls work held in the capitol on July 10.
 Back of the organization of the Girls auXiliaries stands the State Council of Defense with the Bureau of Health and Recreat ton directly re- sponsible. This puts to the service of the undertaking the splendid machin-
 cry of the council which has women's committees already in active effort in all the 16S townships in Connecti-
 cut. The plan of mobilizing girls for patriotic work. it is expected, will be greeted with enthusiasm by these wo- mems committees.
 Organizations like the Patriotic Leagues, the Girl Scouts. the Y. NJ.
 C. A, or the National League of wo- men WoS CTS already established in
 communities will not be hampered in
 any way by the new organization. It IS furthermore planned that member ship in any such association will ad- init girls to membership in the auxil- i iaries.
 Dr. Valeria H. Parker of Hartford. chairman of the Bureau of Health and Recreation of the State Council. has
 outlined the plans and purposes of 1 these Girls auxiliaries. Tie latter | will tend to stabilize girl workers. to l create in them definite responsibility
 for war and community work and to 1 help them to good wholesome recrea tion through their own initiation. 1 The Girls auxiliaries of the Con- necticut State Council of Defense are to be self supporting as far as possi- l ble by having a small membership fee. and by giving dances, parties and l dramatics. charging admission. They will be non -sectarian. govern ment with advice and suggestion from older trained leaders. will be 1 aimed 1t from the first.
 Americanization of foreign girls will 1 be included in the programme of the
 auxiliaries and special attention will be given to protective influence for the girls. It is not for temporary war time activity that these auxiliaries arc to be organized. EyeI.a effort will be made to develop the groups into permanent community assets. There will be no limit placed on the membership.
 This statewide plan for organizing girls for patriotic service will require the services of trained organizers. A state secretary will be employed and paid by the State Council or Defense for statewide work Her responsibil- ity will be to organize the districts into which the council determines to divide thS state Each district as it is organized will then employ a sec- ret&ry to be permanently in charge of the work of the dishict and to organ ize the girls in local groups The
 support of such secretaries will be a ! community responsibility.
 I District secretaries will be given a | free hand to meet the situation in diff | ferant localities. Their effort will be 1 to enlist all unorganized girls. Each
 district will have headquarters where
 war work, educational classes. auxil. | iary sings, dances, dramat:cs ap( | military drills can he held. If sucI undertakings are already being con ducted by other organizations in tho district, the secretaries will work tt
 expand them so that auxiliary girl:
 may participate.
 The National League of womer
 Workers, which organizes self support
 ing girls in evening recreational club!
 and has a membership of 15,G00 is co | operating with the Bureau of Healtl
 and Recreation of the State Counci
 of Defense in all these plans for tn
 girls auxiE&ries. The league ha temporarily loaned the services of it
 assistant secretary, Miss Ruth Reed, t,
 help with preliminary plans and tn details of rsaniza linn