The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-11-06
BY F.. H. JETER

L
One of the many interesting
events in North Carolina rural
life during this month is the fall
meeting of the Home Demonstra-
ton Club Federation of almost
every county. The women called
the occasion Achievement Day"
and representatives of each club
in every county are on hand to
make reports Of the work done
during the past year. Just the
other day. I attended such meet
ing. at Jacksonville in Onslow
county. The group gathered in the
auditorium of the uSO building
with Mrs. L. N. Sanders, FEEDER
alton president, as presiding Of
ficer. There was a roll call by
clubs, the usual collect, songs,
devotional, and other preliminary
features, after which women from
the various clubs told of the re-
suits secured with gardens, scrap
drives, clothing, food ccnserva-
ton and the other vital projects
which are being conducted by the
home demonstration forces in this
time of war emergency. The re-
ports, however, were not made
in the usual tiresome fashion.
One of the women went to the
piano and then the reporters be-
gan to come up in groups of two
and three. A tune was sounded
and the women would tell in song
just what had happened in gar
den, pantry, sewing room, poultry
yard and the like. They told how
many cans of vegetables and
fruits had been conserved in the
county; how they had helped in
the Red Cross drives and with
the United War Fund; how they
had made old clothes do after
careful renovation; how their
poultry yards had produced eggs
and broilers in abundance; and
how the war effort of the Nation
had been aided through their col
lections of scrap materials and
waste fats. 1t was a kind Of
Thanksgiving service told in folk
song and in the simple words Of
those who live close to the soil.
AS each story was told, the re-
porters in that particular group
added a placard to a figure that
had been forming in the back
ground and when the entire re-
port had been made and all the
placards put in place, giant
'V'- for victory resulted. The
"V' was based on the work OF
the women in their home demon
station :,clubs during the year and
the finale was chorus in which
all joined to tell the story of their
joint struggles on the farm in
1884,, TWAS an interesting per
Torrance. and while the, voices
may not have been equal to some
trained singer nor the. word ar
rangement comparable to classic
poetry, the observer gained a
clear idea OF what had. been done
and the difficulties which had been
overcome. g.
Let's not forget that there are
difficulties in farming in Onslow
county these days. The war has
changed that county from a dis
tinctly rural section into a place
where no houses are available
and no labor to be had at any
price. The county set town Of
Jacksonville is no longer recog-
nized as the quiet village. of for
mer days. There are housing
projects there now, new miles of
paved streets, a new and modern
hospital, and the stores can hard
ly keep food and merchandise
upon their shelves. Just eastward
is Camp nejeune, the modern, Ma
rine training base, stretching
across the low marsh lands to the
Atlantic Ocean and in itself one
Of the most efficient and most
beautiful of all such posts in the
nation. New River traverses the
entire county from north to south
and along the bends of this old
river, the Navy has built this re.
markable plant. 1t is here that
the Marines have trained for
their work in the Southwest Paclt-
ic. Their commanders found in
Ouslow the swamps, the Islands,
the water of sound and ocean
and the other ampnibious condl'
tons suitable for preparing their
men for the tasks which they are
doing so well.
Hugh Overstreet, one OF the vet
eran farm agents Of the Extension
Service, says that it is almost i'm
possible to get tenants for the larg'
er farming units in Onslaw. Those
without land of their own find the
wages at Camp Lejuene and. Tor
merly at nearby Camp Davis, TOT
attractive. It was thought that