The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1922-01-05
LADIES OF THE AUXILIARY

We are within an hour going to close
the work of the year 1921, the first
complete year of our organization. We
are the Auxiliary to the American
Legion, the greatest var veterans Or
ganization that has ever been organ
lied since the birth of Christ. In our
youth we read of Xerxes crossing the
H~ellespont with that mighty army so
great in numbers that he marched
them through an enclosure and counted
the number of times the enclosure was
filled TO number them. The grandeur
of their battle array and the vast num-
bers Of them seemed marvellous. How
little did we dream that during our
lifetime a far greater army, with our
own American boys forming so i'm
portant a part, would go forth to BAT
tie, forming the largest, most won
derful. and most efficient army the
world had ever known.
In winding up this our first COM
plete year let us first look backward
then forward. A good business mar
takes an inventory at the close OF the
wear to know on what basis he is
ready to begin the new year. Whether
the business has paid well for the in
vestment and what the future offers.
We began last December with our
Community Christmas. W. took our
place with credit with cities three or
four times our size. We called on
churches and societies to assist. Our
schools we're something wonderful in
the response they gave. Never can
we forget the human flag OF about
six hundred children or the wonderful
Star of Bethlehem with nearly four
hundred children. We found out at
that time how truly wonderful the
people of our entire city could prove
themselves. Twenty-seven hundred
bags of candy, all made in our own
city, were given out. Not n child
was allowed to go without a gift Of
this candy. And all the sick and
aged were remembered. Then the
scenes from the birth of Christ, equal
to any work we have ever seen in
large cities by fine companies. Then
the Vikings with their most beautiful
service of song on the Sabbath. Fol
lowed on Monday by the camp fire
given by the dear old members of the
Grand Army of the Republic and their
efficient helpers. Four wonderful en-
tertainments with no collections to en-
barass the poor, free to all alike, thus
our year began. This was followed by
our January program when the girls
of the Business Girls Club favored us
with their pretty little play entitled,
The Red Rose" Later an evening
with lantern slides showing views of
Paris. Then came the call from the
Legion for us to serve a supper OF
lunch for seven hundred boys who
were called in from all over the
county. Oh. how we did have to fig
ure. No one knew how hungry seven
hundred boys might be. 1t was then
| found out how truly wonderful you
my friends of the Auxiliary could be.
You rallied to my call and you GER
tainly did work both willingly and
cheerfully.
Later we gave q minstrel show for
fhn Nnnnftnnn1 MON kp,pip thn yrnp
der Of our women, even the w. r. G,
and the w. C.. T. L. coming in to
boost and play and jolly the crowd
to add the nickels and dimes. In June
Mrs. Westaby came to us, with nc
financial consideration, and read sc
charmingly, making the life of Lin
coin her main theme. Even coaxed
her friend, Mrs. Reeve, to come and
sing her sweet Scotch songs between
the readings, making a drive of owe
eighty miles that this year of the
Auxiliary to the American Legion
might be more successful. We GER
tainly love and appreciate them both
Just about a week later, when the days
were so desperately hot, the Red Cross
shipped five hundred yards of curtain
material here to be made into drap
cries for the windows of the dormitory
for the vocational men. We gave tho
call, the work still looked like a grea'
mountain, so we called the mother
order. the Women's Relief Corps, t.
our help. Through the hot sun the
women of both orders came, not only
the long walk in the dreadful heat bur
three flights Of stairs had to be climbed
at the end. Nothing was too great TO
such women to do for the boys who
had faced the battlefelds. Three after
Moons of hard work completed the task
Then came the time Of year "wher
the frost is on the pumpkin and thu
fodder in the shock" that always hal
lowe'en. Every one seemed willing ant
glad tc work, decorate or do anything
that might make u soldier boys hap
by and forget the past and make the
evening the Gee the boys were nice
enough to pronounce it. This was fol
lowed by the Disabled Veterans of the
World War asking us to serve theil
banquet for their first state meeting
Tho ouosts said II was the hest eve,