The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-05-09

AAN NO. 4O
rur GOOD WORK OF ONE MAN AT
TEE CANToNMENT.
ransas city Man in ''Y'' at Camp
Dodge.
VIM. n. Washington, Kansas City
I. nan. who went into the Y. M. G. A.
.ervice at Camp Dodge last July, has
been having great time out there ac-
oording to what he writes. His first
;ob was in the "Y' tent in the tent
ccity detention area, where 10000
rockies passed through and spent four
weeks in quarantine before starting
their regular training This was where
the first jazz band was organized. It
consisted Of ten pieces and was the be-
ginning of the band that furnished the
music for the shows and entertainments
that did so much to drive away the
bomesickness of the men while they
we're so new to camp ways. Mr.. Wash
ington also had charge Of arrangements
for the shows that were put on by the
men, The plan was for the different
places represented in camp to each have
q night when they would furnish the en-
tertainment. The st. Louis boys, Min
neapolis, St. Paul. and the fellows from
Indiana each put on shows that were
the real thing, while the band ivened
them all up.
After a strenuous four months in
tent city, Washington was transferred
to No. 80, the newest and finest "Y"
building in camp, where his work was
to be among the men of the Labor Bat
talon. This was also a good stiff job
as the Labor Battalion was considered
the hardest bunch in camp from the
standpoint of morals. The work acre
was built around q band organization
also, although the first difficulty was to
get the consent of the military authori-
ties to undertake what they considered
a hopeless job. But their consent once
obtained, he worked night and day to
make good and justify the experiment.
He put it up to the fellows, "We must
make good or the battalion will be be-
ittled'' And so the band was started,
although it meant teaching some, of the
men to read music and helping and en-
couraging others so that all might work
together Meanwhile, Of course, there
was the regular work Of the building to
be done; running the moving picture
machine three nights a week, besides
the social programs and desk duty be
hind the counter.
The band has proved tremendous
success through Mr.. Washington g un-
tiring and constant effort. It now mum
sbers twenty-five pieces and there are
also fourteen pieces in the Jazz band
that varies the programs and plays on
less important occasions. All the mem
bers have been selected and trained by
Mr.. Washington. The band has given
concerts in several white churches in
Des Moines and plays regularly for the
church services at the Y. as well as
for the movie programs. At program
given by the band and orchestra at the
Red Cross house at the base hospital
there were seven hundred wounded and
convalescent soldiers present, among
them about a hundred who had to come
in wheel chairs. In fact it has been
said that the Jazz band is the best that
there has been in Camp Dodge. They
furnish the music regularly for the bat
talon dances held each week in the
Hostess House.
Three members of the band trained
by Mr. Washington have gone to the
famous Tenth Cavalry in the Philip
pines and expect to be in the band
there for three years. Among the per-
sonnel Of the organization are three
white sergeants who play with the band
and never miss practice.
Mr.. Washington expects to leave
Camp Dodge soon, as the battalion IS
about to be discharged. Among the
most cherished souvenirs that he Will
carry away with him is baton that
was presented to him as their Leader,
by the members of the band, in token
of their universal appreciation and the
good will they all bore toward him. ne
will probably return to Kansas Caty:
He was a member of the Allen Chapel
and musician in the Knights Templar
Band.
The editor Of the Bystander might
add that this band made it's last pupnc
appearance as an organization last sun
day, leading the Knights OF Pythlas
memorial day celebration. They maoe
their first appearance as an orchestra
at the Union Congregational Christian ian
Endeavor several months ago, and last
Sunday played their last public piece at
the same church for the Christian En-
deavor The members q this band rep
resented more than dozen dlnerent
states.
rr0rrr 1x4yuA
We are glad to see Mr.. Warren