Woman's enterprise., 1922-04-07
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE
TRAVELLERS AID FROM
MARCH 1921 TO MARCH ,22

lhere is an excellent law in tn
travellers Aid, by which there mus
De rotation in office, and the tern
1or which an office can be held i
three years; in 1921, as I had som
important business unfinished, thi
law was suspended, giving me anothe
term, so today l complete my fourtI
year as President and will make plac
Tor another, to whom | wish to pledg
faithful service. AS chairman of tn,
FINANCE committee | shall have a spe
clal interest in the collection and dis
Dursement of money, as Vice-Presi
dent and member of the Commtte,
OF the Travellers Aid Home. shall
stlll take a very active part in thu
work which holds my heart.
1t may be of interest to give {
brief synopsis of these four forma
tive years, to show how the Travellers
Aid has been built up by the aid Of
many willing hands and generous
hearts, and is now a business organi.
zation, prepared to take a civic as
well as a charitable part in the life
OF the community, and to progress
each year to greater efficiency and
usefulness responding to each need
as it arises.
In 1917 the Travellers Aid in New
Orleans, as in most cities, was doing
quiet work under faithful leadership,
handicapped by very small income
and limited opportunities, but strug-
Cling bravely to keep alive.
Then-America went into the
War. In 1918 when l was elected
President, camps were being establish.
ed at Alexandria, Hattiesburg, Texas,
Montgomery, Atlanta, and New Or
leans became an important military
center. There was an immediate and
crying need for the Trevelers Aid to
take care, not only of the families
Of the soldiers and War workers, NOV
ing from place to place, but of the
girls. most of them very young, who
followed the soldiers, and to protect
the soldiers from girls and women of
another type. 1t was time of
storm and stress, Washington looked
to US for aid, General Gorgas urged
and encouraged US, the Fosdick Com
MISSION co-operated with US, the Train
ing Camp Activities paid one Agent
the Mayor found money for the I'M
mediate emergency, which was greatly
increased by the influenza epidemic,
when each depot installed hospital
room and the agents became volun-
teer nurses in addition tv their otner
duties. A Tag Day supplemented our
funds, the Council of National De-
fense, the Red Cross and all upon
whom we called for aid, responded
promptly, the Executive Committee
and the Organization sustained the
President with unfaltering courage,
meeting the new demands day by day,
and the Agents, by good will, patri,t-
ism and by the experience they gained
were able to do good work, and so
we emerged from the storm, having
met each need as it came, with some
money in the treasury and an increase
In membership, but scarcely organized
for steady and normal work.
In 1919-1929, many of the War or
ganizations wound up their activities
much Of their work devolved upon US
as rehabilitation was going on. The
work became more and more systema.
tized and a simplifed Constitution
worked we'll.
Our Charter limits US to special
work, to which we devoted our entire
emery and effort.
Our membership increased and our
great effort was to provide a fixed
income the City increased its appro-
priation as became more Of use to its
"Transient Guests, as Mr.. Pattison
aptly calls them.
To supplement our valuable active
membership, we built up, brick by
brick, an intelligent sustaining men,
bership Of Churches of all denomina-
tion receiving letters Of approval from
Cardinal Gibbons, always interested
in New Orleans, the Archbishop, Min
listers and Rabbis; Associations, Mas
ons and Benevolent Orders, business
firms, enlightened citizens, men and
women who with knowledge. and ap-
preciation of the value Of the work,
give us their support and can be
counted upon to continue their men,
bership from year to year.
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