The Wilmington morning star., 1944-04-03
FARM COMMENT

One of the best organized groups
Of rural people in North Carolina
is the home demonstration club.
suspect, if the truth were known,
the women who hold membership
in these clubs are doing as much
if not moe than any other group
to bring about that high type of
county living which we all want
tc see come about. In recent days,
I have had the lleasure of seeing
some of this home demonstration
work in action and while my Wis.,
its were to clubs and individuals
in only three counties. feel that
what 1 saw is typical of that which
is happening all over North Caro-
lima. The reason for this close
study was phone call from Wash
ington saying that there was a
man in the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture who wanted
to see home demonstration as con-
Quoted from day to day and had
only a short time in which to see
it. This person was T. Swami
Harding who has the responsible
ity of advising with the general
magazines of the United States
about various phases of agricul-
tural work.
In Nash County, for instance,
we saw where the rural club wo-
en- have built and furnished per-
manent homes for their commu-
nifty meetings. The Gold Rock
club has a nice club house in
which practically all of the local
community business is transacted.
II is the scene of suppers for the
local high school groups, of square
dances, of motion picture shows,
OF Red Cross sewing parties, and
church services. The women
worked until they got deed to
the ground on VIII c h the club
house stands; they have small
room as a library; the large au-
ditorium equipped with 48 chairs
is the central meeting place; and
at one end of the building there
is a well equipped kitchen with
electric stove, refrigerator and
pantry. To say that these Gold
Rock women are proud of their
building is a marvel of understate-
ment, because they never tire Of
telling the visitor how they built
if and how they use it.
I saw other community build
irgs owned by home demonstra-
tim club women of Edgecombe
ard Pitt counties and in each case,
I found that they were used to
great advantage. At the time of
my visit to the Gold Rock Club,
the women fo,d leaders gave a
demonstration in how to m k e
meat and protein foods 'go fur
l1lCl. Liz WOlI4Sll duI1llClSQ LIld l
they had abou+ all the meat they
needed for home use but were in
terested in the extra dishes be-
cause they added variety to the
diet. When the club meeting was
called to order. the women re-
sponded to the roll call by telling
briefly what they intended to do
IL their gardens this season. That
was the most interesting thing
ever heard The women k n w
what they are about in growing
gardens and they gave definite
facts about how they intend to i'm
prove their efforts in 1914. 1 found
also that these local home dem
onstration clubs carry on about all
the Red Cross work for each
neighborhood; they collect the
waste fats, look after the recre-
alton of the community, and head
up all other activities having to
do with the improvement of the
section.
That evening, we visited anoth-
err home demonstration club meet
ing where the women were enter
tanning their husbands at post
poned dinner meeting. Food had
been brought to the meeting place
and kept warm until served and
nearly every club member had
her husband present to hear about
the activities of the club during
the past year. Incidentally, the
club served one of the best fried
chicken suppers that I have ever
enjoyed.
But these women not only act
in groups at club meetings to stu
dy important matters affecting the
rural life of the community. They
also serve as nieghborhood lead
ers. In an adjoining county, we
visited very comfortable but
very simple farm home where the
man and his life had been selected
by their neighbors to receive from
OntinuOuS Demand