ORGANIZATION:
The Woman’s Committee Council of National Defense of the North Carolina Division was organized at the request of the Government under the direction of the National Woman’s Committee. It has carried out in detail the plan proposed to coordinate women’s organizations and their working forces in order to enlist at once the greatest possible number in the service, which the national crisis demanded and to supply a new and direct channel of communication and cooperation between the women and the departments of the United States Government. The distinct idea being, that this organization was to be a clearing house for all women’s war work and not a new organization meeting in competition with other organizations.

Initial Meeting:
The initial meeting was called by the temporary chairman in Raleigh in the Senate Chamber of the State Capitol on the 7th and 8th of June, 1917. Those who were called into conference at this time were the Presidents or representatives of all women’s organizations having a state-wide scope, state branches of women’s national organizations and individual members representing educational, social and various other interests of the state. Sixty-eight women responded to the call. These groups with committees in counties, cities and towns, constitute the State Division.

Executive Committee:
The elected officers together with the chairmen of departments selected by the council, constitute an Executive Committee authorized to transact business for the Division under conditions which the Division was expected to define.

Departments:
The following departments were suggested as those which the committee believed would prove necessary to coordinate and make effective the work of the women of the state:

Registration for Service
Food Production and Home Economics
Food Administration
Women in Industry
Maintenance of Existing Social Agencies
Health and Recreation
Educational Propaganda
Liberty Loan
Home and Foreign Relief
Publicity
Finance

Counties and Townships:
The general method of organization for counties and townships is the same as the State Division and a committee was deputized to appoint temporary chairmen for each county, whose duty in turn was to appoint a chairman in each township to organized the women of the township.

The first meeting was a remarkable one for the surprising variety of interests it represented and for the unanimity of sentiment it expressed. Each of the state organizations represented gave assurance of their willingness to cooperate in every way possible with the Woman’s Committee, indicating specifically the logical line of endeavor and the departments each organization would cooperate with.

District Chairmen:
In order to facilitate the work of the chairman, District Chairmen were appointed from the Executive Committee for each Congressional District. Effort has been made to secure temporary chairmen for each of the 100 counties in the state with the result that eighty-eight have been secured. Fifty-three of these have not effected permanent organizations. Twenty-two counties are fully organized in every township with most of the state departments represented in our work.

State Council of Defense:
A commission was received from the Governor of North Carolina appointing her on May 28, 1917, a member of the State Council. She was present at the initial meeting May 31st and with the exception of the Chairman and secretary has been the only other member present at all the meetings. The closest and most friendly relations exist between the State Council and the Woman’s Committee, the State Chairman of the Council and the Governor showing an interested and cooperative spirit.

Machinery:
Since the organization of the North Carolina Division, the state has held a joint meeting with the State Council of Defense in Raleigh October 4th and 5th, 1917. Each branch held separate conferences joining for a large mass meeting one evening and for one afternoon when the State Chairman and the Chairman of the Woman’s Committee presented the work and matters were discussed which were vital to both factions.

A large meeting was planned for February 1, 1918, in Charlotte, but owing to the inability of Dr. Shaw to attend and the strict quarantine in the city at the time, it was indefinitely postponed.

The Executive Committee endeavors to meet quarterly and has held meeting in Raleigh on the following dates:

September 20, 1917.
October 4, 1917.
February 15, 1918.
July 11, 1918.

Regular Departments:
The work of the departments has been carried on by their respective chairmen in the most acceptable manner and without financial aid, stationary only being furnished by the Woman’s Committee. The Registration cards were furnished by the State Council, which proves one exception to the rule. There has also been one exception in regard to work accomplished by a department. No work has been accomplished in the department of Women in Industry except a survey in cooperation with the Y. W. C. A. This situation has been created by the request from Washington that we hold our appointment in abeyance until some important industrial problems could be settled which concern the nation.

DEPARTMENTS

REGISTRATION FOR SERVICE:
Of the 641,666 women in the state 11,358 women have registered for service to date, though registration is being continued, for with the knowledge of what it really means, no patriotic woman will fail to avail herself of the privilege. As a result of this registration one young woman has been sent to France as an ambulance driver¹, many government positions have been filled by those desiring them and amny are put in touch with the proper authorities for war work which they desire to render. Those who have registered are now answering the calls of county chairmen, as they are desired for definite work in the state. They have responded in great numbers in the recent drive in the War Savings Campaign, where the clerical work has been enormous, far exceeding anything yet undertaken by the Government.

FOOD PRODUCTION:
The food production of the state is four times greater this year than last---special stress being laid upon rotation of crops and hardy winter gardens. The chairman has been working along lines already laid down and through societies and clubs already successfully doing splendid work. She has given innumerable talks on practical gardens for summer and winter, food demonstrations and war work for women, as well as carrying on a tremendous correspondence with inquirers. Wilmington reports 3,000 war gardens.

FOOD ADMINISTRATION:
Seventy-four counties have been organized for food work amongst women. Seven cities have City supervisors. There are 142 canning clubs in operation. In two cities colored assistants have been employed, 20 mill villages asked for trained supervisors, five of these were supplied by trained home economics women who will give whole time to the work. In fifteen were placed trained women who will give from two to four months to instruct in gardening, canning and hygiene. Demonstrations in canning and food substitutes are given at the Farmer’s Institutes. Demonstrations have also been given in eight unorganized counties and twelve institutes.

CHILD WELFARE:
The proposed program sent out from Washington for a “Children’s Year” has been carefully planned and an active campaign is being carried on for children under school age. They have been weighed, measured and registered. The county Boards of Health have rendered great assistance in many localities. The recreational feature for children of school age is now being planned and is a necessary feature for the welfare of children during the summer months.

MAINTENANCE OF EXISTING SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES:
The big general idea expressed in the title of this department has been emphasized; our home charities must be maintained at their peace standard of efficiency at least in these war times when there is even greater need than normally. Through every means of publicity we have endeavored to put before the women that their luxuries must be the first item of expense to cut down and that their charities are not a luxury.

HEALTH AND RECREATION:
The coming to our state of an army cantonment has placed an individual responsibility upon the shoulders of every citizen. In order to cope with the situation the training camp activities commission has been organized and a progressive program planned for wholesome social environment and supervised recreation for the girls of the community, for the soldiers and for the women related to soldiers, cooperating with them are the avrious clubs and societies. This committee on Health and Recreation is expected to work with trained and experienced worker for War Camp Service. The committee also finds a large field of usefulness in the non-camp cities by keeping the girls from going to the camp cities. The Social Hygiene Division is assisting in the education of the civilian population showing the desirability of cooperating with the Government in cleaning up cities and towns.

Educational Propaganda:
An effort has been made to establish a Speakers’ Bureau. High School girls were requested to choose subjects from lists sent out bearing on the war. Fourth of July programs were mailed to county chairmen with the request that they be utilized. All Summer Schools were asked to arrange classes in patriotic speaking. A “Voiceless Speech” has been prepared for use in the counties to be used in public places from store windows and automobiles and on bulletin boards to be erected on school grounds.

LIBERTY LOAN:
The second Liberty Loan aggregated $4,846,900 and the third $7,887,750.

HOME AND FOREIGN RELIEF:
This department, which cooperates with the Red Cross, is the war work which appeals more generally than any other line of war work. The women can see the demand and supply and gives opportunity for splendid service, where there is no interest in economic lines of endeavor. All foreign relief work is referred to the Red Cross and we are asked to cooperate with the Civilian Relief of the Red Cross Society as the needs of soldiers’ families are brought to the attention of the Home Relief. This department has a long list of accomplishments as reported through the counties of the state to the chairman.

PUBLICITY:
The publicity work of the state has been carried on in a very systematic manner. The chairman sends from one to two hundred words to each newspaper in the state each week. News letters from the Publicity Committee in Washington have also been published. Publicity for the Liberty Loan drive, the Child Welfare and many other important phases of the work have in turn received attention.

FINANCE:
North Carolina having made no appropriation for State Defense, the Woman’s Committee has had a difficult time to accomplish the work expected of us at the hands of the Government. Coming in competition with states that have millions of dollars appropriated for war work, it has been no small embarrassment to us to undertake so much with so little at our command. We are indebted to the State Council for $600.00, to generous individuals for smaller amounts and to some of the counties for $24.00 each, many such sums being given by the county commissioners.

Special Work:
The Executive Committee in conference with the Chairman of the State Council of National Defense decided it would be fatal to good policy and success of the Council plan to organize separate councils composed of negroes. Good results have been obtained in North Carolina by the incorporation of negroes in county councils. As the work of the two races lies together, their organization should be together. The difficulty of financing the work would also be another and difficult problem. This is contrary to the suggestion of the Woman’s Committee in Washington.

The distribution of magazines to soldiers has been more or less a temporary plan, but we are urging a “regular-never-let-go activity for the Woman’s Committee. We are also endeavoring to have our leading papers in the state give subscriptions to the localities in France and in the camps of this country, where the North Carolina soldiers are stationed.

North Carolina contributed many desirable books (20,598) for the soldiers and sailors during the week of the Book Campaign, March 18th - 25th as well as giving money to the Million-Dollar Campaign.

Your chairman was appointed the chairman of the Library work at Camp Greene by the Fosdick Commission and we are listing the books and preparing a file for ready reference.

Your chairman has also served on the Executive Committee of the War Savings Societies, attending the first meeting in Winston-Salem and the large state meeting held in Raleigh. In this capacity she has endeavored to enlist the interests of all state organizations through the state presidents and all chairmen of the counties. Reports indicate that their support was effectual and general.

County Chairmen have been asked to write newspaper articles suggesting that cheering letters be sent to the soldiers in the camps by friends and kinsmen.

A National conference of the Woman’s Committee Council of National Defense was called to Washington May 13th, 14th and 15th. It was the privilege of your chairman to attend this important and interesting meeting and it will be gratifying to you to know that the second Vice-President, six chairmen of departments and two county chairmen were present.

From Washington most of your delegation represented the North Carolina Division at the “Win the War for a Permanent Peace” Conference in Philadelphia and your chairman was recognized as representing the North Carolina Division and invited to speak at one of the two breakfasts given to the women in attendance at the convention and at a luncheon given by the Pennsylvania Woman’s Committee your Chairman on Food Production was asked to talk about “Food”.

Extention of the Organization:
The extention of the organization in order to touch every school district is the aim of the State Council and the North Carolina Division. This is to be accomplished in cooperation with the Bureau of Education and the State Council and it is the suggestion of the Chairman of that Council that appointments to these committees be made irrespective of sex.

The most earnest efforts of your chairman have been given to creating this organization and while the task to a great extent is accomplished, it is not complete until every county, every township and every school district in the state has a perfect organization.*

No machinery is ever perfect unless it works. We must now test its efficiency and find out the weak spots in order to take measures to strengthen them. This is the purpose of the Bi-monthly reports-writes the chairman of organization in Washington--to show which departments and State Divisions are strong, and which need further help in getting under way. For this reason it is imperative that everything which a State Division is doing be included in the report, so that a fair estimate of the effectiveness of the Division may be formed.

We are told that the Department of Labor, the Surgeon General’s office the Red Cross and the Civil Service Commission are constantly sending inquiries to the Committee’s headquarters in Washington as to what the various state divisions are doing. The information sent in our reports is summarized and filed in the Information Department, so that any time they are able to send information from North Carolina, if we are punctual in sending our reports. We appreciate the difficulties which confront our chairmen in sending to the State Chairman their reports, but we are sure they will appreciate the necessity which leads your chairman to call for them.

A tremendous responsibility rests upon the Woman’s Committee in winning this war. After a year’s experience as your chairman, there comes an enlarged sense of duty and the work must fail utterly unless everyone serving in an official capacity, whether as chairman of a department, county of township chairman, feels this responsibility and seeks to give her best toward the building of this great organization for war. For when the war service of women of the country is written in history---and it is being written every day in Washington---the work of the women of North Carolina should stand at the top, but if we fail to “carry on” the work of our women will not be written there.