The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-07-18
Ne1us Of the Churches. .azad Religious Activities

have a lot cared for by the associa- | tion, regardless of ownership. or who 1 has civic pride in caring for the cen1e-
 tery as a whole, may become mem Der, and continue a member. by pay | ing annual dues for temporary care 1 or by paying for perpetual care either l in cash or by installments The asso-
 citation obligates itself to all-time care ! of a lot designated by a member on the basis of payment of $50 for a lot 1 of 400 square feet, with a minimum charge of s75 for small lots. Those ! who pay for perpetual care are not requested to pay monthly or yearly | dues or any other sum. For the bene- | fit of those who wish temporary care l the association offers to maintain lots
 as long as dues are paid as the mini mum rate of s3 year.
 1 The trustees, who are elected each year by lot owners. are interested by ties of blood to keep up the cemetery l perpetually, and as their terms of office do not expire at the same time, experienced members will be retained each year. The present members Of | the board of trustees are:
 Samuel L. Earle, Hugh Morrow, Ar thur W. Smith, William C. Sterritt and B. Asbury Thompson. The officers of the association, to whose untiring ef- forts is due much of the success of the corporation, are: Arthur w. Smith, president; B. Asbury Thompson vice president; ChappeE Cory, secretary, and Samuel l.. Earle, treasurer.
 At a recent annual meeting of the association, the assured success of the corporation was proven in the report that more than S42,000 was on hand, the interest of which constitutes the present available perpetual trust fund. The men who are members of the asso- citation unanimously give much of the , credit for this financial success to the earnest women who through commit tees, have conducted two campaign to interest lot owners in the permanent maintenance of the cemetery.
 SECURING FUNDS
 The first campaign for s30,0o0. under the general chairmanship of Mrs. M P Northington, resulted in the report at the 1919 annual meeting that this amount was assured, and that by terms of contract, the city gave over the property and management of the ceme- tery to the Oak Hill Memorial Asso- citation.
 At this 1919 meeting a second cam paign, with Mrs. E. J. Smyer as gen. eral chairman, was planned for the pur- pose of increasing the trust fund to p0U-VVU Wlln l0t result thdt ot liiS recent meeting the treasurer's report showed that most of this amount had been collected. Mrs. SEiyer was re- elected to direct the campaign of 1920, with Mrs. w. E. B. Davis as vice chair man. to be assisted by the same loyal co workers who, with their respective committees were responsible Tor the gratifying financial report of the past year. The chairmen of these commit- tees who served last year and who will continue to serve during 1920 are: Mrs. Charles H. Abbott, Mrs. Benson Cain. Mrs John M Cartwright Miss Katherine Earle, Mrs. Frank V/'Evansl Mrs. Samuel l.. Ledbetter Mrs. Walter Moore, Mrs. R. H. Pearson, Mrs. John B. Simpson and Mrs. Charles E' Thomas.
 WOMEN WORKERS
 Last at the cross and first at the
 sepulchre." much of the ministry to the dying and to the memory of those
 gone before, is left to the thoughtful-
 ness of woman. It was through the
 thoughtfulness of band of Birmlng-
 ham women who met at Mrs. J. T. Nixon's home some twelve years ago to devise plans for the better maintenance
 of the cemetery where their loved ones
 were sleeping, that temporary or
 ganization was formed that after
 ward resulted in the permanent incor- poration known as the Oak Hill Me
 morial Association.
 Mrs. H. F. DeBardeleben was the first president of the temporary as
 sociation, organized for the purpose of interesting lot owners in giving care to. individual lots, that the linn ited funds of the city did not reach. A nominal sum was paid annually for l l. ro6 fa n a for such lots as owners were willing to pay for. Beginning with small en- rollment, the membership grew, and in four years gave evil dence of such sustained interest on the part of lot owners. that the per manency of the maintenance was con sidered Thereupon, several men were interviewed who were interested for the sake of their own beloved dead, in a well-kept cemetery, with the request that an investigation be made as to the possibility of building up a per- manent endowment fund After these men studied the plans of similar as- sociations over the country, and adopted the best features of each. the Oak Hill Memorial Association was incorporated with the first trustees named by the women of the tempo rary origaniZation. The articles of in- corporation and all legal matters per tainfng to the association. were care fully prepared by F. J. Smyer. and perpetual care certificates were is sued to those who were willing to de- posit sum of money which, put out at interest, would yield enough increase to care for their lots perpetually. As safeguard to investors a law of this Corporation requires that four out of five of the board must pass on making loan, and the management of the trust fund in perpetuity is entrusted to those who are interested in the cemetery because their loved ones are buried there.
 By terms of contract with the city of Birmingham. to which the cemetery formerly belonged. the city agreed to turn over the care of the property to the association when the perpetual care fund of s30 900 was attained. This