Evening star., 1923-11-04

| tThis column is conducted under the
auspices OF the fstrict OF Coiomoia
branch OF the National Congress Of
Mothers and ParentTeacher Associa-
tions.)
| A few years ago when the parent
teacher work In the District OF Column
| bia was just beginning to be organized
and the total membership OF our state
branch was between 500 and 500 we
started our clothes conservation work.
At first we gave made over and msnded
garments to dozens OF school. children!
then. in answer. TO many appeals. we
| began TO- give shoes which had been
| repaired from the worn ones collected
! from our members. This work has
grown just rs our organization has
grown. formerly there were only twenty
schools with well organised parent
teacher associations. today there are
about sixty and our active membership
is over 5000. Every parent. every
| teacher and every man and woman in
| Washington interested in child welfare
is a member Of the District Of Columbia
Congress of Mothers and Parent
Teacher Association. but we have only
| about 5000 active members. Today we
| are giving clothing. shoes and rubbers
| to hundrede of children, most of whom
would be kept from school without our
| help. When the work started we were
| given room in the Webster School, but
| very soon the room was needed for the
pupils, so when the new Central High
was finished our clothes conservation
we We're first given a group OF rooms.
but when the Junior High was organ
ICED our rooms were needed for the
Americanization work, so we were
u s~>~ ia. A..& N.Aa AA..S
also waaaeeded, 50 we were crowded
| into a smaller one. The Junior High
continued to grow. SO again our room
| was needed, and at the invitation OF
Mason House. For over a year the
work went on in comfortable quarters.
! but when Mrs. James died Mason House
was closed for welfare work and the
clothes conservation was Invited by
Miss Mary, Gwynne to e temporary
home in the Gwynne Child Welfare
House, When Miss Gwynne died, a
year ago., this work was stored In the
basement OF the chairman's house.,
| This fall there have been many calls
for clothing which the chairman, Mrs.
re-. s. Fraser, has been unable to meet
because her materials are stored. A
| committee has been appointed to seek
a room, centrally located, where this
man of the committee. The other men,
bers are Mrs Henry Spottswood, Mrs.
tE. J. Brennon and Mrs.sJoseph Randall.
| Cold weather is coming and there will
/ be great need Of warm clothing for our
school chcildren: These children. are
| Washington's future citiSens. and
much-needed clothing now will en-
able them to remain In school. where
| they can receive the education we
washingtonians owe every child
born In eur city,
In Boston the Nassachusetts Cum
tgress Of Mothers and Parent-Teacher
Assoeiation has Z building where |,
room and the pleasant companionship
tof other mothers. Other states have
tsimilar headduaEters. but Washing
ton, the capital OF the whole nation,
has no mothers building. though
lkvery day mothers from all over the
}country come here, many Of them
| In trouble and In need OF the help
and sympathy Of other mothers. Our
City has buildings for all purposes.
ihaYa no. other home, but n troubled
mother who; needs the sytnpathetic
fhAlN of another woman like herself
has no place to 60. Our work 10 not
Ia charity, hut il entirely ,educationa
and deals with SCHOOL shildren, The
understanding sister to another. We
need headduafters and we, need 1t
i now. Every, man In Washington Is
\ home mothers SON and many Of them
thaVe children Of their own, 30 In the
lhane Of their mother and their chill
dren's mother we ask them tohelp US
find home.
The Christmas sale is to take place
lin the Ebbitt. Hotel December II and
I1b under the direction OF q committee
: of which Mrs. Albert u. BaEgs Is