Evening star., 1943-04-25

Military Security
And Psychological
Approach Are Aims
By Betty Smith.

HHPS OUCH az Q AtVtS
By Betty Smith.
What about charm? Have you
got it or do you think you can be
taught it?
There are two schools of
thought on the subject-but, any,
how, the one thing they both
agree on is that whatever charm
you have certainly can be de-
veloped and brought to light with
a few instructions on manners
and clothes and health and car
riage and voice. And this is
what Is being done about it right
here in our own Nations Capital:
1t was early January when Dis
trict Commissioner and OCD Di-
rector John Russell Young issued
q directive which sounded at the
moment like a thunderbolt to
most of the city's USO and OCD
directors. Each hostess working
regularly with servicemen, the
order read, must take a 10-hour
course covering four major
points-first, basic precautions in
cident to military security; sec
ond, an acceptable psychological
approach to the uniformed guests;
third, aims and scope of the vari-
Gus local agencies serving the
armed forces, and fourth, the spe-
cific services offered them by the
agency with which the hostess
affiliates.
Like many another challenge
that has come to her since before
Pearl Harbor, Mabel r. Cook,
competent director of YWCA-
USO activities, accepted chair
manship of a committee on this
directive, and in few weeks she
had turned this stickler into one
more of the advantages she is
scoring for Washington's feminine
war workers.
At no cost beyond 10 Of their
after office hours, she set up
schedules for both regular host
esses and those more numerous
girls who flock to servicemen's
dances. Acting on her commit
tees advice, most of the local
agencies already have completed
at least one of these 10-hour
courses. These have featured
common sense talks by picked in
structors on such subjects as
"Poise and Etiquette of Good
Hostess" Good Grooming and
Good Health" and What the
Serviceman Expects From the
USO."
Miss Cook, herself one of the
most popular speakers at many
local gatherings for wartime prof.
ects, has addressed many of these
training sessions on the topic,
What Makes a Good Hostess?"
Miss Cook should have much to
say on this subject, because she
Is beloved by thousands of newly
arrived service men and women
and Government workers who
have shaken off homesick blues at
her USO. Meanwhile, at this
club of hers she has trained 1886
hostesses in two series of lessons
and soon will certify 125 more en-
rolled in current course.
Style shows, which pack into 80
minutes many practical hints on
cosmetics, accessories, budgeting
and rationing, have been specially
popular features of these WV
training schedules. Specialists
from Washington shops have
modelled prettiest class members
in their finery, from heels to top
feathers, explaining ensembles as
they were paraded through the
audiences. So we'll did these
hints work that graduates of the
second course took entire charge
of a style show which last week
clicked like a professional show
for the present YW-USO class.
In a charming, small auditorium
at the Washington Club Chat
handsome neighbor across the
street at Seventeenth and K,
which often befriends Miss Cooks
club, the girls modelled 18 cos
tunes ranging from sports and
business, to bridal outfits, with
only one labeled What Not to
Wear!" The Committee on Ar
rangements were Barbara Our
and, chairman; Marjorie Dellett,
Eva Karpischek and Jerry and
Nancy Jones, twins, all leading
juniors at YW-USO activities.
These girls prevailed upon
Miss Cook to give them carte
blanc on all arrangements for
this show and results surprised
her as agreeably as the rest of
the crowd. They enlisted for
their adviser and mistress of
ceremonies Lorayne Holmes, con-
sultant on styles and cosmetics.
To accompaniments by Barbara
Loomis and later in answer to a
barrage of questions, Miss Holmes