Evening journal., 1919-05-31
Y.W.C.A. GIRLS In
PRETTY PAGEANT
Hol.. day House Mask Has
Nature as Most Beautiful
Setting
GRACEFUL DANCES,
COMMUNITY SING

One OF the prettlcst, beyond doub
the most elaborate, and without ques
zion successful beyond the hopes o
those responsible for it. the pageant
The Spirit Of Holiday House." wa
produced at Holiday House yesterda!
afternoon. featuring the opening Of thi
summer home OF the y. w. c. \. fol
business girls. Magnificent summer
weather, beautiful costumes, dainty
music, attractive rustic scenery, prett!
girls and young women and an audi
ence numbering more than 1000, made
The mask the most popular ever glver
in the open here by Wilmington talent
There have been some requests for
repetition, but that Is question thal
has not been decided upon.
In The arrangement for and the pro
duction OF the pageant, the Wilmington
Community Service attaches figured
prominently. When such a spectacle
was urged by Miss Ruth McCOmb. in
dustrial secretary for the Y. W. C. A.
Harold Keats. director for the service
here. which Is the outcome OF the
United War Work campaign last fall,
Immediately offered the services Of Miss
GLADYS Passmore, recreatiOnal director
and an expert in staging pageants. Her
services were gratefully accepted. she
planned the pageant directed the re-
hearsals and supervised its production
in a manner that reflected deserving
credit
When 10 was suggested that 1t would
be novel TO have community singing
prior to the pageant. Mr. Keats got
busy and obtained the aid Of Dr.
Charles Wolsey. community song leader
OF Baltimore. DR.. W0lsey came to this
city yesterday and gave an exhibition
OF the kind OF work that has led to
the municipal authorities Of Baltimore
Offering him handsome salary TO quit
the community service organization and
take charge OF the bureau Of municipal
music, that Is TO be established in that
city.
Or. Wolsey forgot The heat and put
so much pep into his direction Of the
songs. that inside OF a short time he had
the hundreds OF sweltering humanity
standing and sitting about in the sun
<'enlhused and singing Justify.
Various other workers Of the COM
munity service aided the Y. w. C. A..
workers IN many particulars Of prep
araiion for the pageant and also In It's
production.
After the sing, Mrs Charles f.. VOL
laslon president OF the Y. W. G.. A. adj
dressed The audience. explaining that
Holiday House opened a year ago as
an experiment had proven more sue
cessnil than had been anticipated. 10 Is /
q summer home where girls and busi- /
ness women can obtain the comfort I
and recreation on week-ends at more 1
reasonable prices than they coHd at
home.
And then the pageant began Pro-
fess0r Charles Edwards al the piano,
with violin and cello, furnished cham
Der music for the sing and pageant.
The setting for the mask was excel
dent Fronting the grsndsiand was a
grassy space in the middle OF which /
was a sunken garden surrounded with
flowers. The stage backing was first
a white picket fence overhung with !
Strings Of greens and flowers and. the
Of shrubbery with artificial
flowers scattered about. while on the I
sides small trees had been transplanted
10 aot as the 'wings" for the outdoor
stage Mrs. Frederic ick Blatz was re- ,
sponsible for the stage and its setting /
and displayed wonderful artistic skill
and judgment.
The audience sat and stood about. \
OF lounged on the grass while more ,
than 100 automobiles grouped them
selves about In the rear.
Mrs. w. :. Calcott, prolocutor ad- q
Nanced TO the stand and announced the
coming OF the Spirit Of Holiday House
aiier an inactive winter She finds that r
spring has arrived and in come dancing
Nloles, danodils and apple blossoms.
FOLLOWING came the butterflies and ,
spirit nowers. an Of the groups taken
by airily clad girls and young women.
decorated with crepe paper dresses
over light summer frocks 10 repre-
sent some Particular flower.
Then came The spirits OF co-opera-
tion and recreation. the aides of the
Holiday House Spirit. Then the CITY
girls entered and were followed by the
raindrops, tennis girls, duster girls. far /
merettes, volley ball girls. campfire
girls, lreilies, mandolin girls and flag
squad.
The Camp Fire girls. IN addition TO
posing. sang a song and made a camp
fire. The pageant closing with a pa
driotie settling.
To select the most attractive group or
the one that dances the most gracefully
would hardly be possible. Each sectionI
or episode Of the mask was construct
ed to ilt in with the other. all max
ing a harmonious whole. Considering
the time for training and the difficulties
that have TO be overcome with sacn
large cast. there could be nothing but
praise and commentator.
Holiday House had many hundreds
OF visitors who saw the place for the
first time and the pageant made a pleas !
ant impression upon their minds, that
Will long linger there
After the pageant many hundreds OF |
The guests assembled about Holiday
House, where In the cool Of the big old I
trees Chat surround the house. they
produced baskets and boxes and pro-
;eeded TO enjoy supper, being provided
with coffee and fee cream by the Holi-
lay House committee. Is
There were many guests from pbila-
ielphia who made their first visit to
Holiday House and were delighted with
lhe quiet and atlractiveness OF the n
country.
some OF the cast remained overnight
~ Holiday House. but this afternoon 6
.he guests enrolled will number 40 for
VIC frst weekend party.