Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1918-09-09
WHERE THE BOYS
MEET THEIR FRIENDS
IN CAMP MEADE
Hostess House, Where Mothers,
Wives and Sisters Are
Received
CONDUCTED BY
THE Y. w. c. A.
Here The Soldier Lads At The
Cantonment Gather When
Friends From Home Call

Annapolis Day" at Camp Meade
Hostess House has come TO be great
institution, and is a day looked for
ward to each week by ladies appoint
ed by the chairman of the Hospitality
Committee, Mrs. r. B. Dashiell, with
great pleasure. although it means
much work.
Indeed, Annapolis now has two days,
and sometimes three. Thursday is the
real. original, simon-pure Annapolis
Day at the Hostess House, but Fri
day, and even Sunday are frequently
Annapolis Days also.
Throughout Maryland, in fact
throughout every State in this great
country, there are many homes from
which one, or often several, of the
young male members of the family
are missing.
These missing members are in
camps, some "oyer there" others in
the camps at home preparing to play
the more important part in the great
theatre on the other side.
And in the homes there are mothers,
sisters, wives, trying to be brave, but
worrying over the idea that the boy
is away--that he is perhaps having a
hard time" and many a quiet tear
is shed. Sometimes these womenfolk
remain at home; sometimes they
journey to the camps to see their boys.
These mothers, and wives, and sis
ters, and sweethearts who follow their
boys to Camp Meade always find their
way to the Hostess House conducted
by the Young Women's Christian AS
sociation, and ever after, much of the
load is lifted from their hearts, for,
as many of the mothers express it
when saying goodbye to the Director
Hostess, DR.. Florence NJ Dyer, they
are $50 glad that the boy has a bit
of home right in camp.
The Hostess House at Camp Meade
was dedicated last December End, but
it was in operation before that time
and the first meal to be served at the
cafeteria in the building was on
Thanksgiving Day. There are sc of
these houses located in the various
camps, but it is doubtful if any of the
homes are more attractive and de-
lightful than the one at Camp Meade,
to which the Anne Arundel boys have
access.
The principal reason for these
Houses in the Camps was the need
felt for some place where the boys
could receive their mothers, wives,
sisters and sweethearts, to say moth
ing of the cousins and aunts. When
the officers Training Camp at Platts-
burg opened, there was a great rush
of feminine visitors and the officers
in command turned for aid to the
representatives of the Young Women's
Christian Association.
OF course. the organization re-
sponded and there quickly followed
houses in many of the camps, of
which the one at Camp Meade is
among the most delightful
The Camp Meade Hostess House is
charmingly situated in little clus-
ter of trees. 1t is painted sort of
khaki brown, but is gay with window
boxes in which varied colored BIOS
SONS nod gaily to the approaching
visitor. The big porches are screened
in the summer time. After you get
inside one of the most striking fea-
lures is a great red brick chimney
set in the center of the big living
room with an open fireplace on each
side-in winter time that living room
is wonderful
At the desk one finds DR.. Florence
Dyer, the director hostess, woman
with the sort of exquisite waternal
charm of manner that is not really
described by her formal title. To her
come the boys with all sorts of re-
quests and questions, and she re-
ceives and watches over the feminine
guests of the house.
'The Hostess Houses are supposed
to be for the convenience of the girls
and women who visit the camp she
replied in answer to a question "but
the boys use it also-in fact so many
come here that on Saturdays and
Sundays we have to make rule that
before O'Clock no man who is with
out feminine guests is admitted.
"It's very hard to have to do this,
but lack of accommodation makes it
necessary.
"The House is open all day now.
Formerly visitors were admitted to
the camp only on certain days in the
week, but General CASTOR has decided
that it may be open to visitors every
day, so every day is busy day for
us"