The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1918-10-24
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
mense Amount of $685. 100000
Has Been Accounted For.

| HaS Been accounted + or.
Annual meetings of the 1854 chap
tiers of the Red Cross were held Octo-
Der %. The War Council of the or
ganizatlon 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 1918.
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 pers
vaded that work.
The strength Of the Red Cross rests
upon It's chapters. They are its 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 /, 1917, just before the APP
polntment of the War Council, the
American Red Cross had 1856, 1914 mem
bers working through 562 chapters.
On July 81, 1918, the organization
numbered 2O,64S.1O3 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 $115,0O0000. The sub
scriptions to the second war fund
amounted to upwards of $176,000,0O0.
From membership dues the collec-
tons have amounted to approximately
S24,5OO,0O0.
Splendid Work Done by Women.
70 the forging 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, ana the other activities the chap
ters have been cantd upon TO perform.
It is estimated that approximately
100000 women are engaged in can
teen work and the production of relief
supplies through the chapters.
For the period up to July !, 1918,
American Red Cross chapters, through
their workrooms had produced:
490,120 refugee garments.
5,123,62l hospital supplies.
10,7SG,4S9 hospital garments.
1O.1346Ol knitted articles.
192,74s,107 surgical dressings.
A total of 22l, 2S2, S3S artcles-of an
estimated aggregate value of at least
Si40OOOOO.
These articles were largely the
product Of wOmens 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,
70, Gttr
in the field, convey a 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 first
Red Cross war fund was raised, the
chapters were entitled to retain % per
cent Of the amount collected, in order
defray local expenses, to carry on their
home service work, TO purchase ma
tcrlals to be utilized In chapter produc-
ton and otherwise to meet the numer-
Gus calls made upon them. The chap
tcrs were thus entitled to retain nearly
! $20OO0,000 As a matter Of fact, their
| actual retentions amounted to only
about So 100000
out Of collections from annual mem
bcrShlps, the chapters have retained
about $l1,OO00O0
From this total sum- therefore, of $33,-
100000 retained by the chapters. they
have met all the oftcntimes very heavy
local demands upon them, and in addi-
ton have provided for use by national
headquarters products valued, as
stated above at upwards Of $4,000
600
The chapters have In effect returned
TO the War Council, not alone the S33,-
100000 retained out of the war fund
membership dues but, in value OF