Evening star., 1923-08-05

Two washington girls have inSti-
| l. tuted a new entertainment for
the benefit of children on local play
grounds. Mrs. Rhodes, superintendent
of that department.. is exceedingly
proud of them both. and with reason.
They are sisters and graduates of
Central High School where both
won honors in athletics and made
good scholastic records. The girls
are Lillian and Myrtle Lewton of Ia
koma Park. Lillian was born in
Philadelphia twenty-five years ago
and Myrtle in Lansdowne, Pa, three
years later, yet they have grown up
in Washington and vicinity and claim
the capital city as their home town.
This summer these girls inaugu-
rated a novelty for the children by
arranging hiking parties. first for
the directors of the sixty play
grounds of the city and then for the
hundreds of children on those play
grounds. The hike for the initiation
of each group starts al 18th street
and Columbia road about 9 o'clock
in the morning and ends by 1870 in
the afternoon. The tramp is from
that point to Pierce'S Mill and back.
About twenty-five children go on
each hike, with sometimes as many
as forty in the party. Because of her
special study along lines of natural
history, such as botany. ornithology.
zoology and geology Lillian Lewton
is able to increase the interest of
the hikes very much for the small
folk. by telling them about the trees
and flowers that are passed on the
trip.
Lillian is one of those girls that de-
light the defender of the modern
American girl. in particular. and any
friend. Capable and full of initia-
tive, she has in her score of years
accomplished much and had more ex-
periences in life than many women
literally turned her hanr to the
plough of life and earned Il living by
her own wits and perseverance,.
Sister Myrtle is not far behind her,
either.
Both girls went TO the Takoma
Park public school and later to Cen
trail High. graduating from high
school in 1920 and 1921. respectively.
Lillian gained distinction in her scho-
lastic record while at high school and
was a leader in swimming, winning
her school letter in that sport. Last
spring she passed the examination
for the Red Cross life saving crew
a college. Next fall she returns to
she is specializing in horticulture.
for her senior year. Because OF her
excellent work as far back as 1914,
when she had the champion garden
in Washington, and later work IN
gardening at Walter Reed Hospital,
and poultry raising. she won the
scholarship offered by the Womens
National Farm and Garden Associa-
tion for the promotion of women in
agriculture. Lillian was the second
of the two girls to receive this schol-
arship to date. The other girl was
from Connecticut. For the past three
years it has afforded her $3.50 each
year toward her college expenses.
and she has practically put herself
through college with this sum added
to what she has earned by work in
vacation periods.
When Lillian had a weeks vacation
from school in 1914 because of the
excellence of her garden. she was en-
tertained, with seventy other cham
'pion child gardeners from various
states. at the White. House and was
personally greeted by former Presi-
dent Wilson. She was ip the eighth
grade at the time.
Then she became even more inter-
ested in garden work and was pres1-
dent of the Takoma Park Garden
Club and local club leader of the Ia
koma Park Poultry Club. The sum
mer of 1917 she worked in the office
of the Boys and Girls clubs in thte
extension division of the Department
of Agriculture. The next summer she
was a Girl Scout messenger in the
surgeon generals office of the War
Department. The summer of 1919
Lillian and Myrtle both worked for
the first part of the summer in the
greenhouses of Walter Reed Hospi-
tai and later acted as checkers in the
cafeteria of the munitions building
In the summers of 1920 and 1921 Lii
ian worked in DR.. Denton's office of
the home economics division of the
Department OF Agriculture, doing ex-
perimentai canning. Last summer
both Lillian and Myrtle took charge
of Camp Fire group apiece in Ia
koma Park while the regular leaders
of those groups were on vacation.
The Lewton girls were not Camp
Fire girls themselves, but members
won the golden eagle, the highest
award granted scouts They wear
the pins, Lillian on her sweater and
Myrtle on her tie, in the picture. The
pins were granted them in a group
of twenty-one Washington girls win
ming this award, and were presented
by Elizabeth. Queen of the Belgians,
in the Breckenridge Long home in
1919.
1t is customary to have this honor
awarded by the wife of the President
of the United States, as she is hon
orary president of the scout organ
ization, but at the time these girls
were entitled to the award PRESIDENT
" ilSoH was SiiouSly III ana Mrs.
Wilson could not leave him for such
duties. Therefore, at the request of
Mrs. Baker, wife of the Secretary of
War, Queen Elizabeth graciousIy con-
sented to officiate in the ceremony
1t was matter of special interest TO
the visiting queen at that time. be-
cause her daughter, the Princess Ma
rie.Jose. had just Joined the Girl
Guides in Belgium
Lillian has been engaged in MANY
activities while at college in addi.
ton to her studies. During her
freshman year she was a member of
the swimming team; as a sophomore
she was on the pin-ball team; last
year she was in several athletic en-
terprises and also a member of the
girls varsity debate team, organized
last year, which won the debate with
Kalamazoo Normal School. taking
the negative side of the question Of