Barry Township

Barry Township

The Barry Township Branch of the Pike County Chapter, American Red Cross, was organized May 28, 1917, with the following temporary officers: Chairman, Mrs. Rose Weber; vice-chairman, Mrs. Julia Gille; secretary, Dr. R. H. Main; treasurer, Miss Bessie Stearns.

By June 1 there had been secured 100 paid memberships. On June 20 a meeting was held to effect a permanent organization, and the following officers were elected : Chairman, W. W. Watson; vice-chairman, Mrs. Rose Weber; secretary, Dr. R. H. Main; treasurer, Miss Bessie Stearns. On June 21 a meeting of the executive committee was held to plan the work of the Branch, and Mrs. Nancy Blair was appointed superintendent of the work room. On Oct. 29, at the regular meeting, a report showed a membership of 639, which had been secured without a campaign of any kind. At this meeting officers were elected as follows: Chairman, Dr. R. H. Main; vice-chairman, W. W. Watson; secretary, Mrs. Clara Spann ; treasurer, Miss Bessie Stearns. Mrs. T. A. Retallic was at that time appointed superintendent of the work room.

The Membership Drive held at Christmas time, 1917, added 260 to the roll, and the Membership Drive of July 2, 1918, added 247 new members. The Fund Campaign carried on at the same time resulted in subscriptions to the amount of $3,874.45, which was more than the township's quota by several hundred dollars. The Auction Sale held on July 4 cleared $720.74 for the local branch. The 1918 Christmas Membership Drive netted 601 new members, and gave the local branch second place in the county in number of members.

The work done in the work room during the period of activity totals as follows: Hospital Supply Articles, 1,071; Articles for Refugee Relief, 174; 2 boxes clothing for Belgian Relief: 196 sweaters; 57 helmets; 163 pairs wristlets ; A scarfs; 90 pairs socks. About 100 of the sweaters were given to the boys from Barry when they went into service or were sent to them after they arrived in camp.

When the work of the Branch ended in November, 1918, there was on hand in the treasury $2,409.14, and on October 30, 1919, a balance of $2,660.79. The local organization has been doing relief work in the community since the end of the war, and has cared for several needy cases. The memberships have been kept up by the payment of dues from the treasury. The balance in the treasury on Sept. 1, 1920, was $1,776.15.

The Baylis Branch of the Pike County Red Cross Chapter was organized Sept. 20, 1917, by County Chairman Geo. C. Weaver, with a membership of more than fifty, and the following officers: Chairman, G. E. Stauffer, Jr.; vice-chairman, Sam Grammer; secretary, Mary E. Witham; treasurer, Kate B. Peacock; member Executive Board, R. H. Sykes. On Oct. 10th we secured the La Crosse bungalow for a work room, and Mrs. R. H. Sykes was selected as chairman of the sewing department. A meeting was held once each week on Wednesday afternoons. In the fall of 1918 the work room was moved to the Ida Fish store room, the use of both rooms being donated by the owners.

Mrs. Sallie Tournear was placed in charge of the cutting department, assisted by Mrs. Lura Henry and Miss Mary Fee. Mrs. Mame Boyd was selected as chairman of the knitting department. Mrs. Louisa Grammer was chairman of the soliciting committee. The allotment for the Branch in the drive starting May 20, 1918, was $750, and the chairman with his able assistants raised $844 in four days, every dollar being in cash, without a single pledge.

In the June drive for members in 1918 the Branch secured 197. members, also 58 juniors. At the close of the year 1918 we had 419 members and 65 juniors. The membership for the year 1919 was 247. During the time the organization was active there was delivered to county headquarters 91 knitted garments, 333 garments from sewing room, 667 garments for Belgian Relief.

Among some of our liberal contributions to the local funds were: An auction given in April, 1918, by the Rebekah Lodge, netting $216; from moving picture shows, $121; from pie supper by schools, $61. No call for funds went unheeded, as the Red Cross was our "pet" organization and our people were most liberal in responding. The total amount of cash received was $1,410.57. The amount paid out was $677.99, leaving a balance of $735.58. The territory included in the Baylis district was the east half of Hadley township, and Precinct 2 of New Salem township.

) The local unit of the Women's Committee, Council of National Defense, was organized Aug. 28, 1918, with the following officers: Chairman, Mrs. E. A. McAtee: vice-chairman, Mrs. W. N. Hart; secretary, Mrs. J. M. Snider; treasurer, Mrs. Adelle Berry. School district chairmen appointed were as follows: Mounds, Mrs. Ed. Hart; Williams, Mrs. Preston Williams; Boulware, Mrs. W. W. Triplett; Guss, Mrs. W. B. Miller: Blue Grass, Miss Amy Clark; Elm Grove, Mrs. J. H. Maher; Spring Valley, Miss Gladys Perry. Department ,chairmen were also appointed as follows: Registration, Mrs. C. A. Johnson and Mrs. Ella Stauffer; Publicity, Mrs. Myrtle McAtee; Courses of Instruction, Mrs. O. i Williamson; Finance, Mrs. G. H. Wike; Food Production, Mrs. W. M. Hailey; Child 1 Welfare, Mrs. T. J. McVay; Conservation, Mrs. C. A. Hess; War Information, Mrs. Harry f Fishel; Red Cross, Mrs. T. A. Retallic; Allied Relief, Mrs. Clifford McCarl; War Savings, Dr. M. V. Collins; Fatherless Children of France, Mrs. B. B. Watson: Girls' Patriotic League, Mrs. Byron Campbell; Americanization, Mrs. Karl Sessel; Community Singing, i Mrs. L. F. Bright.

Fatherless Children of France: The chairman, Mrs. B. B. Watson, supervised a Tag Day on which $150 was collected for French orphans, and succeeded in getting eleven orphans adopted by Barry Township.

Under the leadership of Mrs. McAtee there was raised $100 for the Emergency League and $100 for the Pike County Tuberculosis League. Mrs. McAtee was also township chairman of the Women's National Liberty Loan Committee and with her assistants sold many thousands of dollars worth of bonds; was chairman of Overseas Christmas Parcels for Barry and Hadley Townships; had charge of Armenian Relief Campaign for the township, raising $400. i War Savings: Barry Township went "over the top" with a rush in the sale of W. S. S.

as a result of the June drive. Our quota was $55,000, but by the middle of July we had, in sales and pledges, $57,150. During the balance of the year these pledges were redeemed, and the sales, which included those procured from the banks through the Federal Reserve, amounted to $72,930 for the year 1918. Barry had 24 "maximum" holders of the securities. For the year of 1919 the purchase of the stamps was quiet but steady. Dr. Metta V. Collins was township chairman et W. S. &-