Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-09-13
Cooperation Slogan
for New Year of City
Welfare Department


by the new head of the city well
fare department Of the Rock Is
land Womans CLUB, Mrs. r j.
Rote, as she assumed her duties at
the first meeting of the year yes
terday afternoon in the Masonic
temple, succeeding Mrs. X. T. An
/ derson. Mrs. Phil Wells also took
up her duties as secretary. Mrs.
Rote urged the members to attend
the meetings this year. as it re-
mains for them to make the meet
| ings worth while.
Yesterdays meeting, which
| opened the work for the year, was
| the annual one, at which reports
of the retiring officers and com
mittee heads were given In gen
eral the reports were not as en-
couraging as they might have been
had not the epidemic of last year
made it necessary to do away with
two of the meetings, and which
hindered the efforts of the workers.
During the summer, the depart
ment'S activities have practically
been limited to playground work.
which has been carried out in four
y
suits. The playground work was
more discouraging than at any
time because of the destruction of
work and equipment by boys at
night. In the hill park alone it is
estimated that some $500 worth Of
material has been destroyed. some
of it even before it had been used.
At one of the parks 500 worth OF
equipment, which had not even
been unpacked, was completely
wrecked. In spite of this trouble,
new tennis courts and basketball
grounds were laid out and the
work was carried on under the in
struction of local girls who proved
most efficient.
Mrs. c. L. Thompson gave the
report for the Long View park
playground, stating that there was
an average attendance at the
grounds each day Of 442 children,
166 in the morning and 276 in the
afternoon. An average of 81
adults attended in the morning
and 1O6 in the afternoon. Two
quilts were made by the children
during the summer. These, with
the ones made at other parks, will
be given to Bethany home. Miss
Mary Heelon, reporting for the
Thirtieth street playground COM
mittee stated that the children in
attendance ranged from to "A
years of age, and that the average
attendance was co. The boys
proved very troublesome in this |
park. The Denkmann park report. !
given by Mrs. A. w. Champion, |
stated that the mothers took un-
usual interest in the work done at !
this park this summer, and CO. |
operated with the supervisors. |
The children also helped by TAX
ing care of their equipment. The |
work was hindered by the destruc
ton of property, however. The re-
port of the hill park committee
VISA not given.
Mrs. K. T. Anderson, retiring
president of the department, in her
report urged that the Fairgrounds
be municipality owned, with the
work supervised by the women,
protection which seems to be nee /
essary here could be secured. She
also recommended a change in the
which would provide
for the election of officers in the
spring and their assumption of
work Immediately, instead of wait
ing until fall as is the ruling now.
The work for last year started
out with every prospect for a
splendid year, but when the No
and December meetings
had to be given up because of the
influenza epidemic, the work be-
gan to lag and like all other organ
cations, the results were not as
hey would have been under other
conditions. The soldier welfare
work which was started two years Il
ago was carried on until June,
With good results. After many
previous attempts police woman
vas at last secured and Installed in
Ter office. She continued her dut-
es for one month, when a change
n the city administration made
he appointment null and no new
Dfficer was available. II
Mrs, William Paulsen, the sec
'etary for last year. gave her re
)ort, which stated that eight reg
liar meetings were held during
he winter, with an average at
enhance Of between rs and 80 {
members. Seventy-three members {
we're enrolled in the department.
Mrs. NJ. T. Stevens, Mrs. ]. c. {
3odewig and Miss Clara Lamphere i
we're elected on the nominating {
committee, and announcement was {
made that Mrs. Charles Myers and t
Irs. Fred Titterington had been i
.ppointed on the committee by the
ioard, with the third place still
acant.
Captain o. E. Carlstrom Of Aledo, r
5 to be the speaker at the next d
1eeting, in October. This meeting 6
will be an open one, to be held in 4
he evening, to which the general n
ublic is invited, men as well as r
Yomen. AS the date for the meet c
1g falls during the last Of the u
unday campaign, Oct, 10. it was \
ecided to change the time of the
leeting to the preceding Monday 4
vening, if Captain CarlstrOm can -
e secured for that evening, SO as =
OF to conflict with the work of II
he evangelist
Mrs. c. L. Thompson. reading the
eport for the bylaws committee
f which Mrs. W. A. Schaeffer is =,
cad, proposed several minor -
1anges in the bylaws, pertaining u
} the time of the election of Off u
ers and committees.
ROe-ROSeman. .
Miss Nancy Roseman, daughter al
. n 81