Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-02-18
Annual Election of Officers Of
Augusta Chapter Deferred
To Later Session - Child
Welfare Work Reviewed by
Miss Winn

| welfare WOTk Reviewed ny
Miss Winn
The annual meeting of the Angus
ia chapter of the Red Cross was held
at their rooms on Water street, We'd
nesday afternoon. The election of Of
ficers was postponed until the mex,
meeting, A nominating committee
composed of Willis Swift, DIR. w. B.
Sanborn and Mrs. Keith Ryan, was
appointed to make report at this
next meeting.
Home Service Report
The report of the home service sec
rotary, Miss Brann, is as follows:
| l am making my report cover the
period fro Aug. /, 1924, when the last
annual meeting was held, to Jan. /
1925. I am not quoting very many
| figures for they in themselves do not
mean so very much. There has, OF
course, been a decrease in the num-
Der of, cases handled over that OF
Previous years which in part is the
natural result of the fact that the Of
flee is now being run on a part time
| basis.
In the past seventeen months vari-
Gus kinds of service has been given
in 355 individual cases; 800 of which
were ex-service men, the balance be-
ing men still in the service and ci-
| villains. This service brought about
| 449 office calls and necessitated the
writing of over 500 letters. This was
! in addition to calls made at the Of
| fee by other people and letters writ
| ten in connection with the general
affairs of the chapter. Calls have
been made at the Office on an average
, of once in two weeks by various of
| ficials of the veterans bureau who
depend upon the Red Cross for q
great deal Of information. Several
visits have been made to the chap
ter by the field representative from
national headquarters and the nurs-
I ing supervisor.
In order to take care of the inter-
ests of the ex-Service men at the Au-
| gusta state hospital visit Is made
| there nearly every month. Claims
| for compensation are made and fol-
| lowed up for these men. Less fire.
| quent visits have been made to the
national home at Togus. Owing &c
! the limited time at my disposal it is
| of course impossible to follow up and
| iCSOlu VI SuCII llldll du
| mitted there but visits are made at
the requests of the men, their home
| chapters or the officials of the home
| Many Of these men come to the office
! for assistance of various kinds. AT
Christmas time through newspaper
publicity about three dozen glasses
of jelly was collected for Christmas
dinner at the home.
A number Of outside visits have
! been made, consisting of investiga-
lions for the Travellers Aid society
and the Associated Charities, visits
to the homes of veterans and also
| several visits to the branches in Win
throp and Hallowell and one in Read
field.
The Augusta chapter has four ac-
tive branches who retain their share
of any money collected through roll
call and who carry on some form of
Red Cross service. The Winthrop
! branch being the largest and having
| the most money cooperateS with the
church aid societies, is giving aid to
| needy families, etc. The Readfield
! branch contributes $40 each year to-
ward school lunches, and gives aid to
the amount of $40 to the families of
veterans, who may be in need. In
vestigations have been made in sew
eral cases by the chairman Of the Mt
Vernon branch.
The service given ex-Service men
and their families has been of vari
ed nature ranging from assisting in
filing claims for compensation and
obtaiing evidence to substantiate the
claims, assisting in applications fer
the last bonus, reinstatement and
~ -
poitment Of a guardian for a mental
ly incompetent man.
Investigations have been made al
the request of army officials to de-
termine the necessity of discharging
men in the service because of de-
pendent families and men have been
located whose whereabouts were not
known to their families.
Through the generosity Of Mrs.
Woodman it was possible for the
Chapter to retain the services of Miss
Winn for another year. The efficient
work which has been done through
her visits and the clinics at the hos
pital to which DIR. Sanborn has Civ
en- so generously Of his time and en-.
ergy has been more than appreciated
by the mothers.
1t is really impossible to say when
Red Cross service to the ex-service
men will end. A few years ago it
was thought that by this time the
necessity for such service would have
ceased but that necessity is still with
us and the end is not vet in sight.
Every bit of new legislation which
is passed by Congress comforting new
benefits means that the Red Cross
must help these veterans in present.
ing their claims. A vast amount of
legislation is now before Congress
and will undoubtedly be passed
which confers new powers upon the
Veterans Bureau and new dement's
upon the veterans. The Augusta
Chapter is in peculiar position in
that it is located in territory which
Is surrounded by several large towns
and that the Augusta State hospitaI
and the National Home at Togus
come within it's Jurisdiction.
If the work Of the Chant is CON-
tlnued a great deal can be done in
Junior Red Cross work for the su-
perintendent Of schools Is slowly be.
Ing won over to the advantages and
1t viii also be possible to put on a
good life saving campaign for the
present physical director is much in