Club Minutes: Mutual Improvement Association, 1950

Rose Hill, January 5th, 1950, 1,083 meeting.

A delicious luncheon was served amid spring flowers beautifully arranged, inside, and outside the spires not to be outdone by these newfangled hot-houses bravely put out its dainty white blossoms. Guests came in carrying their coats, or left them in the car, as it was warm. As we sat in our meeting later in the lovely sunny living room we enjoyed watching a variety of birds darting in and out to several luxurious feeders.

The meeting was called to order by Dr. Crum, and the minutes were read and adopted. As this was the Jan. meeting the rules and regulations were also read. When election of Officers was called for it was suggested that the present officers be continued, as there was not too much objection, this was settled on with-out voting.

A minute of silance was then observed for the memory of Elizabeth T. Stabler, our oldest member in point of age and membership.

The Treasurer reported the Treasury balance the same as last month, however a number of members paid dues at the meeting.

The next place of meeting will be the Cedars, with Helen Hallowel and Helen Farquhar.

For her sentiment the hostess gave a new Years wish.

Rebecca Small had a book which had been owned by Caleb Stabler, written in 1802. It gave the boundaries of Maryland at that time, told of the twenty Counties of the State, and gave a discription of Baltimore, which then had a population of 15,000 which was housed in 2,500 houses, and nine churches looked after them spiritually.

Mariana Miller read an Editorial from The Baltimore Sun on a wonderful cat that traveled a thousand miles in three months to find his family who had moved to a strange locallity. She also read of the very large tax collected in the past few months from the sale of playing cards, which has increased with the popularity of "Canasta", a new craze which requires two full decks of cards with jokers. She then read an article or story about going through old boxes with the idea of weeding out, and of how precious each item becomes.

Mary Brooke, a cat story.

Alice Farquhar of a lost scrapper mysteriously found.

Ethel Thomas on Youth, a state of mind.

Elsie Stabler read a good article from "Forbes" magazine, on "Happiest Mortals", noteworthy because of being in an industrial Magazine.

Fanny Iddings, "Throw them away". An amusing story of the many things we use once and throw away. She also read a verse from a Christmas card.

Margaret Jones had Esther Stabler read a poem for her.

Helen Hallowell told of the dedication of the Memorial to the four Chaplins of different faiths, who lost their lives at sea while giving comfort to teh other passengers. "A chapel of the Four Chaplins" is to be the appropiate memorial.

Elza Thomas read a plea for help abroad, written in rhyme to those of us who feel we are too busy with our own families to sew for these needy people. She asked if anyone knew of a squirrel-proof bird feeder. Several suggestions were made.

Esther Stabler read of a community where, in 1926 when the article was written, Wom-Pom was still being made as it was when the place was settled in 1672 by the Dutch and called New Netherlands.

Grace Thomas read from the "Ford Times", of "My Isle of Hope", a wonderful place near Savannah where optimism is high and rents low.

Madge Winslow, a guest showed a beautiful needlepoint wallet made in 1762, containing priceless papers.

Sallie Brooke told of a very fine bird feeder her sister

Jane Smith has.

Catherine Adams read a very interesting article,

Helen Farquhar a short article of the safty of Air travel.

Deb. Willson, had a collection of school books of 1821 and before, which had belonged to her grandmother.

Mrs. Doody, a guest read a poem.

Dr. Crum asked whynin pressure canning often the jars are not full. Possibly pressure has been reduced too rapidly.

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As neither our school or hospital chairmen were present there were no reports.

Madge Winslow, who was a patient at the Hospital at Christmas spoke of how much the Carol singing was enjoyed. It is a lovely old custom to revive.

A good deal of discussion followed a querie about road-side dumping. There seems nothing to do about it, but it is certainly a menace.

Adjourned to meet at The Cedars.

Mary Reading N. Miller

Secretary.

The Cedars, February 2nd. 1950. 1,084 meeting.

After luncheon, served at The Cedars, we walked down the hall to West Cedars, where the meeting was called to order about 2 o'clock, by Rose Gilpin. The two sets of minutes were read, and those for Rose Hill were approved.

The Treasurer reported $17. in dues collected, which with the $21. in hand gives us a balance of $38. We deciced to send a $10. CARE package to Europe, and the motion was duly made, seconded and carried.

The next place ofmeeting will be Fairfield, with Fanny Iddings, Alice Pierce and Deb. Willson.

For her sentiment Helen Hallowell read a quotation by Geo. McDonald from the front of the Friend's Intelligencer, and for her's Helen Farquhar read an editorial from The Washington Star on Tolorance.

Helen Moore, an article by A.J. Cronin, "The Sun that could shine". How few of us give thanks for what we have and when things look dark, realize, "The Sun can Shine."

Rose Hutton read an item from the Public Health magazine, "What happened yesterday is history, tomorrow is guess-work, look to today."

Sallie Brooke, a guest told the person who said she knew worrying helped, because the things you worried aboue never happened.

Rebecca Small, an airplane view of Siberria, and life in that frozen place.

Dr. Crum had brought the same article.

Esther Stabler, two quotations from the front of The Intelligencer.

Mrs. Greotz, a guest, who has lived all her life in Japan, told of The Tokyo Woman's Club, of which she was President when the war started. They had 370 members, and met once a week. The membership included all nationalities, and they are just now re-organizing. The old Japan is a thing of the past, there is even very little of the national dress worn, and even their diet has changed with the foreign influx, as meet, fowl and bread have all been added. Many questions were asked, and answered in a most interesting way, giving the first hand knowledge of one who has not just visited for a short time, but who has spent her life there, and lived through the changes. One of the out-standing changes being in the Royal family, whom she had visited before and after the war.

Stella Moore read an article from a paper telling of the doll-house of 1820 and the wooden dolls carved over a hundred years ago for Dr. Sam Rumford's grandmother, and now owned by him. Before he became crippled he carved some furniture to add to it.

Ethel Thomas, "How an angel looks".

Isabel Wesley had a questionire, which we refused to answer as she did not offer a large enough "Jack-pot".

Elsie Stabler read a real classic, "How to guess your age".

Betsy Moore Mitchell, a guest expressed pleasure at being with us. She told of "The Waverly Club2, to which she belongs, and of which her mother-in-law was a charter member some fifty years ago.

Mariana Miller, "What can I do the whole year through". Her question as to whether there is another tinner available, was not answered, but made a lot of conversation. Mr. Murphy seems too busy

or something.

Madge Jones bemoaned to the grewsome games children play, race-riots, war, gangsters etc. The games of children are the signs of the times.

Grace Thomas read a chapter from a book on Flower arrangements.

Isabel Roberts, a guest from Baltimore read,

Take time ti live, The world has much to give Of sweet content, of joy At duty done, Of hope that every sun shall bring more fair employ;

Take time to live, Despite the cynic's sneer That all's forever wrong Ther's much that calls for song. To fate lend not your ear, Take time to live, The world has much to give.

We were glad to have as guests also, Nancy Bancroft Coles, Ellen Haller and Margaret Winslow. Nancy Thomas & Rusty.

There were no reports, so we adjourned to meet at Fairfield, March 2nd.

Mary Reading N. Miller,

Secretary.

Fairfield, March 2, 1950, 1,085 meeting.

It was not a very spring-like day when we met at Fairfield for this one-thousand eighty-fifth meeting of The Association. After luncheon the meeting was called to order by Helen Hallowell, and the minutes were read and adopted, the minutes of the last meeting at the charming place being read for information.

The Treasurer reported a balance after last meeting, when several paid dues, of $44.00. She had sent a check to C.A.R.E. as directed and had an acknowledgement from them. This leaves a balance of $34.

The next place of meeting will be with Rose Hutton in April, with the May meeting at The Briars, and in June with Enelene Hill.

For the Sentiment of the Hosstess, Fanny Iddings read a deligtful bit, which your Secretary failed to get.

Deb. read from "The Sermons and Prayers of Peter Marshall".

Fanny Iddings also read, "Patron of the Arts", the story of J. Blankford Martenet, by director of the Baltimore School of Art.

Elizabeth Ligon read from the book of folklore of the Mississipi River Men.

Rose Hutton read, "All the cake you can eat", of a wise father who told his children they could have all the cake they could eat, after they had eaten all the bread on the bread plate.

Margaret Jones had Elizabeth read her article, "We are wise if we do not ask too much of life."

Elizabeth Grey from the Countrymen's Yearbook", by David Grayson. She asked about having a letter translated which is written is Polish. It was suggested that the couple who live at The Beebee's could do it.

Elza Thomas read a letter she had from Gladys Tunbleson, who has been spending the winter in Mexico. Elza also told a little of her trip to Florida, and return when they stopt by the Magnolia Gardens, which were in their prime.

Mrs. Cooley, a guest, read a letter from a young minster who was a supply here, and is now in Hawaii.

Helen Moore read from Christopher Morley.

Father Stabler read from the second volume of The Annals, of the advent of the telephone.

Rebecca Small read from The Baltimore Sun, an article assuring us that the forced budding of bulbs in Jan. will not only not injure them, but in all possibility we would have handsomer blooms.

Catherine Adams read from David Grayson's, "Adventures in Contentment,".

Elsie Stabler wanted to know how to keep cheese from getting hard. Wrap in a piece of cheesecloth wrung out of vinegar, then wrap in aluminum foil of wax paper.

Isabel Stabler told an animal story, then read from a letter from Thomas Pleasants written in 1788 to William Stabler, who later married Beborah Pleasants. He told of a trip to Philadelphia, and attended a discussion about the adoption of The Constitution. He quoted Patrick Henry, John Mason, President George Washington, and others.

Bertha Crum read from The Farm Journel, "Let us go to the roots."

Ethel Thomas, "Ode to the pencil".

Helen Farquhar, read the poem Douglas wrote for The Farmer's