Newspaper Page Text
Oct. 31, 1917.
THE ARMY Y. M. C. A.
AT CAMP HANCOCK
x Spending SB,OOO a Month. Six
Buildings, Forty-five Secre
taries and Touching Directly
Ten Thousand Men a Day in
Great Army Camp.
World-wide in its scope of activ
ities, knowing neither racial nor
religious bounds, operating in the
armies of every nation now at war
with the exception of the Turkish,
the Young Men’s Christian Asso
ciation is one of the few organiza
tions offering the soldier gratuit
ous services- Its work is limited
only by the bounds cf the possible,
and its value to the men in the field
in inestimable, both in its direct
and in its psychological effects to
the men in khaki.
Roughly speaking, the Y. M. C. A.’s
activities may be divided into three
classes: recreational educational and
religious. Just which of the three is
cf the most benefit to the men of the
army is difficult to ascetrain, but a
popular vote among the soldiers would
Undoubtedly decide unanimously in fa
for of the first mentioned, as recrea
tion is as essential to the soldier’s wel
fare as is sleep.
It is especially a vital need in the
training camp, more so, in fact, than
In any other part of the army life where
the work is limited to the daily grind,
with none of the excitement of the bat
tle to alleviate the monotony of the
routine.
Work on the Border.
During the nine months of last year,
while the national guard of the country
was encamped at the Mexican border,
the Y. M. C. A. spent more than $280,-
000 for the maintenance of places of
amusement and writing rooms for the
citizen-soldiers, approximately three
dollars for every man under the colors.
The present program calls for a stu
pendous expenditure. A whirlwind
campaign for thirty five millions of
dollars will be opened on NX-ember 11,
to last a week, the entire proceeds of
which will be spent on the soldiers of
the United States and her allies.
Call for Needed Funds.
Pennsylvania’s quota has been fixed
at three and a half millions. Os the
thirty-five, eleven million will be spent
on the soldiers of the United States
in this, country, twelve on our soldiers
in France, three and a half on the sol
diers of the Russian »rmy, two and a
half of those of the French, one on the
Italian, ai.d one on the prisoners in the
various war camps.
Five millions have already been sub
scribed and will be included with the
total of the Y. M. C. A.’s November
drive.
Spending SB,OOO a Month at Camp
Hancock.
Upon the soldiers of the Keystone
state alone, encamped at the Georgia
cantonment, the expenditures of the as
sociation last month amounted to SB,OOO
not including the movies, entertain
ments, or supplies, which are paid for
by the New York office.
At present there are five Y .M. C, A.
shacks at Camp Hancock, costing $4,000
apiece, and one large tent. Plans for
the erection of several additional
shacks are being rushed, and they will j
be built as soon as the conditions make .
it posible. Each is supplied with a :
piano, a talking machine, stereopticon, l
moving picture machine, and a com
plete athletic outfit, Basketball, foot-!
ball and baseball sets, costing $250
apiece. i
Each week there are at least four- '
teen moving-picture shows given at the
camp free, in addition to entertain
ments and lectures. The secretaries,
endeavor to furnish some kind of en- !
tertainment every night for the boys ini
khaki, and the crowds that attend fur- '
nish an unanswerable indication of,
their appreciation.
Six expert physical instructors have '
been detailed to the camp to look after
the men of the 28th division, and al
though the strong, straight forms of
Pennsylvania’s fighting sons make their
positoins almost superfluous, they find
plenty to occupy their time as athletic
directors.
A comprehensive educational system
has been put into effect at the camp.
There are now more than twelve hun- (
dred men studying French, under com- i
petent instructors, and it is planned to'
increase the range of the classes until
every man in the division may study
the course. Classes for promotional
examinations are also being held, so
that the ambitious enlisted man may•
prepare himself for the responsibilities
of the shoulder bars, and be prepared
to step into the commissioned ranks
■when the opportunity presents itself.
A great deal of trouble has been ex
perienced in some of the up-state reg
iments with the foreign elements whose
grasp of English is so alight that they
are unable to understand the com
mands of their superior ofifeers. For
these an English course has been insti
tuted, and already the benefits are
making themselves shown.
A Chautauqua Circuit.
The regular Chautauqua Circuit has ;
been established at Camp Hancock, |
and all of the best speakers are billed j
to talk there-
Each Y. M. C. A. shack maintains a
TRENCH AND CAMP
circulating library, where the enlisted
man may secure books to suit every
taste. These are furnished by Penn
sylvania and Augusta individuals and
societies, and many come from the
American Library Association. The
latter will send an increasing amount
each month. Home newspapers are
kept on file, many of the Pennsylvania
papers sending twenty-five copies ev
ery .day for the use of the soldiers here.
Weekly Publication.
The Trench and Camp weekly is an
other of the Y. M. C. A.’s institutions.
Each ’week more than ten thousand
copies are furnished th > men, and great
interest is felt in pbulication
throughout the camp.
A “Thrift Campaign,” put into ef
fect la§t month resulted in the sending
of more than $40,000 to the home folks
during the week after pay-day. A sex
morality campaign is b&ng encessantly
waged, the effects of which are incal
culable among the men removed from
the influence of the home. In addi
tion to weekly talks on the subjevt of
morality awd sex hygiene, pamphlets
are distributed among the men, car
rying the work even further.
Religious talks and prayer meetings
are held in all the shacks several times
each week, and regular services every
Sunday. The Y. M. C. A. also fur
nishes clergymen to conduct the Sun
day regimental services when the units
are without a chaplain.
The quota for Camp Hancock of
Y. M. C. A. workers has been fixed at
forty-five, although at the present time
the full numbers is not yet here. Many
of these offer their time and services
free for the benefit of the soldiers, —
others receive only the expnses neces
sary for the Work, and refuse salaries.
AGED CARPENTERTONATED
HIS BIT FOR WAR WORK
At Camp Hancock, there is a car
penter named Rushing.
He has had charge of the erection
of one of the buildings of the Army
Y. M. C. A.
For six weeks he has seen the activ
ities of Army Association work.
At first, the work was conducted in
a tent and during wet weather, he and
his men were invited into the tent,
where they continued their work, mak
ing benches, shelves, etc.
Before the building was finished, the
secretaries moved in and abandoned
the tent.
There were many handicaps. The
noise of the hammers and saws con
tinued for several days. The old mas
ter carpenter tried to live up to his
name. At times the work went Rush
ing. Then the materials gave out and
the construction lagged.
These conditions did not daunt the
secretaries. They planned and labor
ed as though they were working in a
modern $300,000 building.
Thousands of men brushed by the
carpenters as they toiled day after day.
They were given writing paper, parcel
post rates were given; soetimes a
young soldier wanted the secretary to
wrap and address his package; ink,
pens, pencils, blotters, stamps, post
cards, money orders —all these were
furnished by the untiring secretaries
and the old carpenter witnessed the
room full of men writing home, or lis
tening to an entertainer or religious
speaker.
The Augusta
Herald
Delivered to Your
Company Street
At Camp Hancock.
Afternoons and
Sundays,
60c a Month.
Phone Your Order
to 2036 Augusta.
Notify Herald
Wagons.
Write a Post Card
and say, Send Me
The Augusta Herald
Daily Sunday
Evening Morning
One day, the religious work secre
tary was called, to leave the building
for two weeks to organize the small
communities for the coming $35,000,000
campaign.
He was leaving the building, when
the old carpenter asked: ‘Are-you go
ing to leave?”
Yes, for a time,” said the religious
director, explaining that he was leav
ing to assist in the $35,000,000 cam
paign.
"What’s all that money for?” in
quired the old carpenter.
Then the religious secretary stated
that is was absolutely necessary to
carry on the work at Camp Hancock
and all the other camps in the United
States, as well as the work to be done
in France, Russia and Italy.
“I want to do something for the
work,” said the old man. 'I want to
start the fund. Here’s a new dollar
bill. It isn’t much, I know, but after
what I’ve seen at this buildi.ig, I don’t
need anybody to tell me whta the Army
Y. M. C. A. is doing.”
And the religious secretary started
off on his campaign fired with enthu
siasm because of the old carpenter's
practical appreciation.
BUY A COPY OF
HISTORIC AUGUSTA
Read it. Keep it for reference, and send a copy
to your friend. Price 25c.
A. W. DELLQUEST BOOK CO., Publishers.
Leonard Building. 213-215 Seventh St. Augusta, Ga.
PHOTOGRAPHS
Come in and let us make your photograph for
Mother, Wife or Sweetheart, and send to them Christ
mas, Sammie Boy. Many Camp Hancock boys are hav
ing their work done here.
WE DO DEVELOPING.
R. E. QUARLES, Photography
842 Broad Street. Phone 462.
THE
MERCHANTS BANK
Extends a Most Cordial Wel
come to Soldiers, Visitors
and New Citizens.
Our ample capital, favorable connections, conve
nient location and large corps of efficient assistants
who are trained to courtesy and the transaction of
business in the simplest, most direct manner enable
us to offer a most satisfactory service to those desiring
to transact banking business, large or small.
Accounts, subject to check, large or small, are
invited. We conduct a Savings Department in which
we pay interest at the rate of 4 per cent per annum,
compounded. Deposits are accepted in any amount
from SI.OO up.
We have a large number of safe deposit boxes
which we offer for rent for storage of valuables and
other papers, at very low prices, ranging from $3.00
to $25.00 per year.
Please remember our bank is located at No. 821
Broad street, in the center of the city.
MERCHANTS BANK
AUGUSTA, GA.
CAPITAL AND SURPLUS $500,000.00.
ALBERT S. HATCH, E. E. ROSBOROUGH,
President. Cashier. ,
Wm. H. BARRETT, B. H. ELLISON,
Vice President. Assistant Cashier.
WASHINGTON AND
JEFFERSON ALUMNI.
Washington and Jefferson College
alumni in the 28th Division are planning
a celebration to take place in Augusta
at the time of the annual football battle
between W. & J. and the University of
Pittsburgh, on Saturday, November 10th.
These two colleges have always been
bitter rivals in all branches of sport and
especially in the November gridiron clash
which is he’d in Pittsburgh each year.
Wire reports will give the game play
by play as it progresses.
The whole affair will be staged at one
of the local hotels as soon as it is de
termined how many to provide for. Lieu
tenant Braden of Company H, 110th
Regiment, and Corporal Hague of Com
pany K, of the same regiment, have
charge of the arrangements for the cele
bration which will wind up with a,, ban
quet. All who have not been “interview
ed” as yet are requested to inform Cor
poral Hague of their whereabouts, and
as to the likelihood of their being pres
ent on this occasion.
There are fifty or more Red and Black
Alumni in the Pennsylvania division and
at least seventy-five Pitt men, so the
Western Pennsylvania, men who know
what happens in Pittsburgh on the eve
ning of one of the big battles can look
for a small sized edition of the celebra
tion here.
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