The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-02-07
BIRMINGHAM GIRL IGNORED

Birmingham feels indeed proud that ! two of her daughters have been accepted 1 to go overseas in the near future with the first overseas unit of the general fed eration of women's clubs to do recreation work among the soldeirs in France and Switzerland.
 For sometime it has been understood that Miss Avis Myatt. daughter of MT. and Mrs. Mark Myatt. and Miss Pattie Southall, daughter of Mrs. Southal of the Birmingham seminary, were to be Ala bama's representatives, as each state was to have two young women workers be- sides the chaperones.
 These splendid young women have re- gently completed ti.eir training at Co., lumbia university, New York, and are now making their necessary arrangements for foreign duty. There were many appli- cations and the requisites were many and most exacting.
 Wholesome American girls with Ameri- can ideals were demanded. Girls capable of submerging selves to the considera- ton of those coming in their charge; girls fitted to give touch of home life to the men in arms across the water; girls familiar with team work and able to adapt themselves to the entertaining of the masses and yet girls free from romance and in full command of that quiet dignity and self-respect which all men recognize and yield to at glance. All of these requisites were found in 1 Miss Myatt and Miss Southall, both of i them the finished product of Birming- l hams educational institutions. The for mer is an impersonator of rare merit, white Miss Southall is well known as a talented musician. One was teacher at the seminary and the other filled a sim liar position at the Margaret Allen school, both institutions now under the conduct of Miss Hattie Morton.
 The many friends of these young wom- en presented them with many parting gifts and one of the most appreciated was a wrist watch given by the Clionian club, of which Miss Myatt Is a member. The watch was presented by Mrs. John Elliott in a most graceful manner Miss Southall was also given lovely watch by friends at the seminary.
 The unit to which they will be attached | is composed of 100 girls and four older women who are experts in social service work.
 Mrs. James R. Hagan of Mobile whC l is president of the Alabama federation 1 of women's clubs and Mrs. l.. J. Haley | or this city general federation director are prominently connected with this movement, Mrs. Hagan being Alabama's l representative on the IeuoIdtiOI cOlliHi'- l tee of the war victory commission which was to have erected the furlough house 1 throughout France.
 i This recreation work for soldiers ir
 /; France on leave was initiated in the spring by the general federation of wom- ens clubs, under authorization of the
 l war department commission on training
 camp activities, because the organization
 l felt that it could furnish in the personne
 | of it's own women workers exactly the | kind of influence that would surround
 our boys and men when in their owr
 | homes At that time it was expected tC
 erect, or lease and equip houses for the purpose. Under the new military ruling ! this is no longer necessary, as the V
 | NJ. c. A. must provide the houses. In thi'
 1 one fact lies the only difference in thu
 plans. The federation can now use thu
 funds on hand to equip more worker,
 than originally contemplated.
 1 The overseas unit while abroad will bt
 stationed at the tourist centers of Flu
 rope and will become familiar with thu
 features of such localities as Monte