St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1938-05-06
Here And
There
By w. M. Smith

very complimentary remarks in
vited me to come to st. Paul and
talk to a group of young women
recently organized by herself.
Busy at the moment, laid the
letter aside and have been unable
to find it since. could not remem-
Der the writer nor the address she
gave me. / have tried many times
and in various ways to find this
young person but vainly.
Only now has it occurred to me
that if she still reads this column
l might reach her through this
source.
1 would have her know that ] am
deeply apologize for my careless
ness which must make me appear
very ungraci0us.
If she will again get in touch
with me l will be most happy to
arrange a time when I can meet
and talk to her group.
A few evenings ago ! met at
Phyllis Wheatley Settlement House
large group of women, members
of the Order of the Eastern Star.
I met, also, Sam Ransom, high
ranking official from whom 1
learned the women were gathering
for a most unusual purpose
school of instruction. In our talk
Mr.. Ransom said some things /
thought were very significant. /
had confded to him the wonder l
had for the faithfulness and loyalty
of the women to their secret or
ganization. For myself had never
been able to properly evaluate
what they received for their time
and labor, ascribing their continu-
ing fealty to the lure of their uni
forms and the mysticism that sur
rounds their hidden activities.
Said Mr.. Ransom, all Of that
doubtless is more or less true but
in addition there has been a more
practical reason. Years ago the
impelling thought back of such or
ganizatiOn was the need for caring
for the sick and burying their dead.
Neither of these detectives were
properly met by the existing agen-
cies which were largely in the con-
troll of white people and therefore
subject to the embarrassments and
indifferences so frequently charac-
teristic of such circumstances. So
the organizations of the women
fiOurished and their work produced
many definite and satisfying re-
suits.
But time changes many things
and among others the conditions
enyironing the sick, needy and the
dead, so dear to the hearts of our
women. It has been possible in
these later years to secure better
disqualification, the services of
qualified professionals in the fields
of medicine, morticians and insur-
ance among our people and there
now arises new need to engage
the attention and serious consider
alton of our women interested in
the welfare of themselves and their
people.
Hence this school of instruction
that will bring not only greater
efficiency in both the private and
public work of the order but will
also analyze and discuss new and
more vital fields of activity, de-
velOping more effective cOOpera-
ton between themselves and other.
agencies of Negro well being.
Among other possibilities men
toned by Mr.. Ransom were a CO.
operative effort by units of the o.
E. S. and perhaps between them
and other secret orders whereby a
fund could be raised to provide
scholarships for ambitious and
worthy young people in the various
fields for which they possess the
talent but not the finances to train.
Continuing, this forward looking
citizen declared that the proper re-
turns from more careful invest
ment of its spending power was an
essential of future Negro study. All
of this Mr.. Ransom visions as a
possible result of the studies be-
gun in the school of instruction in
itiated by the women of the o. E. S.
I venture the prediction that
when and if these women reach
their objective it will furnish an
incentive for all our Minnesota
women and NAV have on ;ron,as