The Washington times., 1923-12-04
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Good Fellows Will Find Many
Opportunities for Real
Service This Year.

Appeals for Good Fellows are
pouring in. An opportunity for
every Good Fellow in Washington
to contribute happiness to chill
dren who must depend on others
for their Christmas joy this year
will be provided by the Good
Fellow editor. This is making
itself evident already and the
Good Fellow exchange has been
open but a week. Individuals,
men and women, planning to play
the role Of Good Fellow this year,
will greatly assist The Washing
ton Times Good Fellow exchange
by communicating with the editor.
Many of those appealing for
Christmas aid will require more
than one visit by the Good Fellow
becoming responsible for the
Christmas cheer.
Necessities Are Needed.
The. character or many Of the
appeals suggest this. While the
great demand il FOR toys, yet in
numerous Instances the requests in.
0lcate q home condition where the
very necessities Of life are lacking.
MANY children are asking that
i SHOES and clothing fill their Christ
mas stockings. Some of them tell
stories Of their inability to attend
school because they lack clothing.
This is far different from the Gus.
tomary request contained in COM
Inunications sent Santa Claus.
Then there are Ietters from
, grandparents. One reads them and
senses the domestic tragedy which
has disrupted home and added to
l1fe's responsibilities at a time when
the rewards of ripe old age, faith.
ful performance or duties to family
| and dependents, might rightly be
theirs. Surely such instances will
appeal to the grandfatherS and
grandmothers who in former years
appeared in the role Of Good Eel
lows. They can sense, as only pe--
sons with such family relationships
may Go, the pathetic character of
such appeals.
Touching Conditions.
Then come revelations of family
conditions where incapacitated
fathers are struggling to provide
Tor large families. They are men
who work, they work when they
can, some at trades, others at what
ever they can find to do, but whose
compensation at the best is scanty
compared with the demands made
by the home.
| From the children of such
[anliles come many sad appeals.
OIten the writer asks nothing for
him or herself, although but d
mere. child with ali the Christmas
longings filling it's heart that ex.
pectations OF d visit from Santa
| Claus excites. It is the younger
brothers and sisters for whom they
plead.
Spare them a. cheerless Christ.
mas" is the plant Of their appeals
washington has some large
families. There is no indication
that race suicide threatens here.
The appeals are Just commencing
to come in, but in many instances
| they embrace the wants of from
five to ten children in a single
FAMILY. Here Is a situation con-
| fronting the Good Fellows which
| the Good Fellow editor will assist
them in handling. Many Good Eel
lows feel they cannCA assume re-
| sponsibility for Christmas cheer be-
ing provided so many children in
one family. But they will not have
to do so. Let them provide for as
many as they can, The other
children will be assigned to another
! Good Fellow. This joint interest
IN the past has resulted in some
interesting acquaintances being
! formed between Good Fellows, later
blossoming into fast friendships.
| Good Fellows have only 20 call on
or write the Good Fellow editor to
be provided with the opportunity
! they seek. The appeals are SO
varied in character that every Good
Fellow can find just the kind Of a
case In which he or she is inter
ested.
One of the Good Fellow activities
| of unusual interest is being headed
| by Mrs. Arthur r. Killing. Of 719
| Argonne apartments, 1929 Columbia
road. Tt was Mrs. King who
| instituted the Christmas Toy Com
mission idea. Through this
| agency, made up of volunteer
| Christmas workers, it is planned to
salvage the thousands of, discarded
| toys hid away in city garrets and
closets and. repairing those need
ing such attention. distribute them
Christmas day among he children
to whom they will bring happiness