Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-07-14

~. y. CNUpLeT.
transcr1bing for the blind, dupncat-
ing the handmade pages and bind
ing the Braille books. The chapter
recently sent a request to the Ii.
brary of Congress Division Of Books
for the Blind to provide more work
for this corps. At present, 1t is
working on a large order of books
for New Zealand. Last year it rem
dered the telephone book of Lansing,
Mich, into Braille; Members of this
corps wear a dark blue uniform.
S. Canteen corps. This group per-
forms various services in connection
with food preparation and food sup
plies for various chapter duties and
functions. 1t aids in kitchen garden
developments, in preserving and
utilizing products and in preparing
hot school lunches. Members Of this
corps wear white uniform with q
blue veil.
6. Motor corps. This is the corps
d'elite of the Red Cross. Its mem
bers wear natty olive green gabar-
dine trouser- coat-boots-and over.
seas car uniforms which cost $65
each. The members provide their
own uniforms, and their chief in
the Office, Mrs. L. E. Harris, wears q
green dress uniform. The District
chapter has go women in this corps.
They drive veterans to and from the
Government hospitals. They take
the inmates of the hospitals to base
ball games in the summer. They
provide transportation for poor per-
sons who require treatment at hos
pital clinics. They drive the two
Red Cross ambulances, but they also
go about many of their duties in
their own cars.
7. Nurses Aid Corps. After a
course in home hygiene and care Of
the sick, and with one or more lee
lures on hospital ethics, and after
approval of the director of volun-
teer service, a volunteer is eligible to
join the Nurses Aid Corps and wear
the pink uniform. The members OF
the corps always act under the
direction of graduate nurses.
8. Home Service corps. These
volunteers, wearing lavender uni
forms, aid in home service work
and assist case workers in other
organizations.
9. Hospital and Recreation Corps.
These are the gray ladies'" They
assist in keeping up the morals Of
patients in military, Veterans Ad.
ministration and civilian hospitals.
On such wide field the Red Cross
volunteer functions. This is true
whether the world is at war or at
rest, but the case of Mrs. Mackay.
vice chairman of the special serv.
ices, illustrates the effect Of war.
In ordinary times, or right up to
the first week in May, Mrs. Mackay
paid only a restricted number Of
visits a week to her desk at the Red
Cross headquarters. But since the
German invasion of the Low Coun-
tries and France, which sent mill
lions of refugees on the road away
from their homes and opened up the
grave problem of feeding them all
and providing for their simplest
needs, Mrs. Mackay has arrived at
work every day in the week except
Sunday, at 9 am. and not left TIL
far in the afternoon. r. -.
This quick adaptability of the Red
Cross to sudden demand illustrates
the truth of an observation made
by Miss Boardman In her remarks
on the administration of the Voluff.
teer Special Services in the District
Chapters annual report for the cali
ender year 1889. E~:Et0i-
II may say here" Miss Boardman
reported, that it Is of the utmost
for our volunteers to
realize that the Red Cross is an
organization; that they
should be at all times prepared to
adapt themselves to new conditions.
Some one has compared the Red
Cross to q fire station. Under or
binary conditions, the firenen walk
down the stairs; but on an alarm
VI AbC ue A4eAt, tAACy o4Oc UOWIl Tile
poles. Now that is the type Of thing
we have got to recognize in the Red
Cross; that we must be able to do
things in an unusual way when
there comes a sudden, unusual de-
mand upon us. We should aL Of
US accept these changed conditions
graciously and without friction"
Last year the volunteer services
had 1902 workers who put In 49,
142 hours at Red Cross duty. This
year, because Of the wars intensity,
the number has gone up. Already,
Gen. Keefer has received reports
from representatives in Europe that
men, women and4 children refugees
are wearing clothing bearing the tag
Of the District chapter Of the Red
Cross. More than 200 of these
boxes have been sent to Europe.
Washingtons gift to the victims Of
the times. 80