The Key West citizen., 1952-10-15
Nary Wiues' Erecs
GiUe Impressions
Of Island City
Rx MARCO

BY MARCO
Lie as Navy wives has had its
ups and downs. the delegates here
for the National Convention of
Navy Wives Clubs said. But at least
one of them. Mrs. Waneta Gisarra
from Long Beach, Calf, the ma
| tional vice president, wouldn't t
trade if for any other life in the
world.
ReminiScing about the days be-
I fore the Second World War when
their children were young, money
was scarce, and living quarters
were hard to find, both Mrs. CHAR
ra and Mrs. Helen J. Walker, the
! poised and charming national pre-
sident from Bremerton, Wash, told
us Of their background as Navy
Wives both personally and as mem
bers of the club.
In its early days. the Navy Wives
Club was purely social organiza-
tion, the ladies said. 1t was started
to give some form Oh social activity
to the wives of enlisted men who
found that they could not, because
of limited finances. do much enter
tanning or going out.
Individual clubs found that they
could be helpful to their members
in the matter of finding them plac-
es TO live and helping out in other
ways, so welfare was soon added
as project of the groups. Later,
education was added to the aims
Of the club.
In asking questions about the
background Of the officers of the
club, we we're surprised to learn
that Mrs. Helen Friend, national
treasured, who halls just now from
N. Augusta, S. c.. is not now and
never has been Navy wife. Mrs.
Walker explained that according
TO the national constitution of the
club Is percent of the membership
may be made up Of women friendly
to and interested in the organiza-
tion. Mrs. Friend is one of the
friends.
She became interested in the Ma
Wy Wives Club when her husband
was a civilian design engineer in
Bremerton, and she has taken an
active mart in the organization ever
since.
Mrs. Walker. the president, came
the farthest distance of any Of the
Convention members. She flew
from Bremerton, and was greeted
at the Key West airport by
swarm of mosquitoes. But she has
not let this give her the wrong inn
preston Of our city. She said that
aside from the fact that she came
equipped with a lovely white coat
which she sees no chance of wear
ing, she is finding the weather plea
SAINT and the Key West people ex.
eeptionally friendly.
Although Mrs. Walker denies
bringing a hat to wear here. Mrs.
Gizarra admits that she brought
two chapeaux. Not only that, she
also came fully supplied with glove
and coats and all the items one
would need in most places for a
fall convention. But the ladies say
that they are finding the fashions
necessary here very comfortable,
and they are glad that life can be
so easy and relaxed even during
the necessarily hectic days of .
convention.
Mrs. Walker Is the wife of Chief
Storekeeper stationed now on the
USS Princeton. She makes her
permanent home in Bremerton
whre she is employed by the Carr
penter's Union. One Of her three
sons is now with the Air Force, and
two, aged "a and 8 are still at home.
She combines the jobs Of wife.
mother, business woman and club
woman effectively and easily.
Californian Mrs. Gizarrs remains
a ssaunch booster for her own state
but she admits that Florida is not
bad The northern regions Of Flori-
da are more like California than
eur own vicinity, she says, An EN-.
ployee q Douglas Aircraft, Mrs.
Gixarra is the wife Of a Chief Com.
misSary man now aboard the des.
,roser Samuel n. Moore Her only
son. age q. has followed his IA.
Tiers footsteps and is with the Sea.
bees getting ready TO sail soon for
duty in Subic Bay.
II these ladies are lyrical of the
Navy Wives Club AZ America, the
organization is bound to be a high
type, worthwhile concern.