Evening star., 1951-08-26
Junior League Sees
Endless Work Ahead
On 5Oth Anniversary
By the Assoeioted Press

NEW YORK, Aug. 25.-The
Junior League, this year celebrat-
ing its 50th anniversary. was born
in barn. not mansion.
From a tiny group of bubbling,
well-intentioned debutantes, it has
grown into a seriouS-minded,
hardworking international organ
ization with ITS branches and &c.
600 members.
But after half a century of
little publicized effort, the league
never has quite shaken of public
misconceptions about its work.
MisconceptiOn Likely.
Mention Junior League to the
average person and chances are
he'll think of a social club COM
posed of rich girls: or heiresses
who contribute last nights cor
ages to public hospitals and send
the chauffeur with a food basket
to worthy poor family.
He doesn't realize that the
league. while still largely made up
of rich girls and girls with social
position. has membership which
rolls up its sleeves and works.
You can find Junior Leaguers
in the United States. Canada,
Hawaii and Mexico transporting
patients to cancer clinic, putting
on puppet show for children in
a public hospital ward, publishing
Braille books for the blind, super
viSing exercise classes of polio or
cerebral palsy victims or helping
nurses in a staff short sanatorium.
Founder Was Prophet.
On the leagues golden anniver-
sary it is apparent that Mary
Hartman. daughter of a railroad
baron, was shirt-waisted, POM
padoured prophet.
1T was in a barn during a rain
storm that I first remember Mary
Hartman proposing that three or
four of us, when we all came out
two years hence, should work in
some way for city betterment" re-
calls one of the founders Mrs.
Joseph R. Swan. "She said we
were a privileged group, and had
responsibilities that we should
recognize-and the possibilities
were endleSss. That was the germ
of the Junior League idea"
Eighty-f1ve New York girls made
their formal bows to the society
of 400 families during the 1901
season. A short time later all IS
worked together to produce a
charity tableau. 1t was called
"Morte D'Arthur," and netted
$500 which the girls turned over
to the New York College Settle
ment..
Job Expanded.
Basically, the league still is what
Miss Marriman had in mind. First
the girls contented themselves
with raising funds for charity.
Soon they became aware that more
than money was needed. and Of
fered willing hands. Eventually
it became apparent that to be most
effective. trained volunteers were
needed. The girls buckled down
to learn their jobs.
1t was then the Junior League
became of age. A group of Boston
society girls picked up the idea.
Gradually, the movement spread
Although joined together at top
level as the Association of Junior
Leagues of America. each league
is an autonomous unit and oper-
ates at community level, entirely
concerned with community better
ment. Its place among civic vol
unteer agencies is almost unknown
to the uninitiated, because the
league rarely goes before the pub
lie 1t plunges into most of it's
most important work through the
back doors of other community or
ganizations.
Lots of Hard Work.
Membership and admission
practices vary among the leagues,
but once woman-aged 18 to 40
has been tapped for member.
ship, she has plenty of hard work
ahead.
Each new member comes in as
q provisional" required to take
an intensive training course on her
community. its operation, services
and needs. When she passes her
course, she is assigned to a specific
league project.
"I don't believe there Is any
religion or nation of the world
not represented in our member