One of the biggest and best organized Woman's Clubs in Grand Island is the one known as "The Mothers' Teachers' Federated Club of Grand Island."

In the fall of 1914 the teachers and mothers in the Jefferson school district organized the first club in the city. It started with a great deal of enthusiasm and has continued strong and active.

The school board observing the benefits the new club brought the Jefferson community, issued a request to the principals of the ward schools that they call the mothers of their districts together and organize similar clubs. When the five new clubs had been thus formed a mass meeting was called of the members of the six city clubs at which Mrs. Bayard H. Paine (then a member of the school board) acted as temporary chairman. The necessity of federating the clubs that they might work in closer harmony was thoroughly discussed at this first meeting and later was per fected, Mrs. Paine becoming first president by unanimous vote.

The work of the federation was two fold. It outlined the year's programs for the district clubs and lent its strength to securing the reforms which the individual clubs proposed. The federated club worked on securing a proper isolation hospital. In this they were sucessful, getting it located in a good district and in a good building.

They worked very hard on securing school nurse and medical inspection for our schools. They brought Dr. Johann of Lincoln, school inspector there, to describe the system as worked out in Lincoln. They have secured the promises of all surgeons, dentists, and physicians of the city for free clinics as soon' as the school nurse is secured.

Under the leadership of Mrs. R. B. Ray they registered for Uncle Sam one thousand nine babies and in connection with this held two welfare weeks, with free lectures, exhibit and physical examinations. In one clinic a ,baby of fourteeen months was discovered to be totally blind and the mother did not know it another baby over a year old had never saialone and weighed less than twelve pounds. Both of these children were given free attention by Drs. Carson and Higgins and Dr. Reilley and Dr. Woodruff. Another case of a girl of school age whose eyes were defective were cared for by Dr. Wingert.

These are a few of the startling cases where the parents were in impoverished circumstances. A great many minor defects were discovered where the parents were able and glad to get them corrected. The federation work since it has been taken into the state federation of women's clubs (two years ago) has taken part in the movements in which the women of the state are working. But as a local organization they do a great deal of charity work for mothersand children. The individual clubs work toward meeting the needs of their own districts, the playground equipment, sanitary conditions of the schools, etc.

Each child has worked in the Red Cross war work. At the Jefferson club the knitting department under Mrs. Colwell and Mrs. D. A. Geil made 498 sweaters, 122 pair socks, shelmets, 11 pair half hands, 40 pair wristlets. They were Mrs. Clark's best bunch of knitters. The sewing department under Mrs. Chamber lain also turned in a great deal of work. The Dodge and Wasmer clubs under Mrs. Buck and Mrs. Wright combined their efforts, working together in both sewing and knitting. They took the scraps from the cutting room, sewed carpet rags and sold rugs. The Platt school, with Mrs. W. W. Ray as knitting instructor, turned in a creditable amount of work.

The Jefferson has always held the lead among the clubs but the Howard this year with Mrs. Engleman as president ran them a close second.

The Jefferson during the time Mrs. McGrath was president instituted the "penny lunch" where the under-nourished could get a glass of milk or a cup of cocoa and a sandwich for a penny, or if the penny were lacking a kind teacher slipped a ticket for the lunch to the needy child. They and the Lincoln mothers have served for the needy and they have also furnished Christmas baskets to those who would appreciate them most. Some of the clubs have helped in buying victrolas and records for the schools and at decorating school floats at fair time. Each school has bought an emergency kit for its own school and. each has yearly entertained the "21 Club" boys.

The greatest benefit to the club members themselves has been in getting together on things of common interest and the develop ment of a community spirit. The federation officers for the present year are: Mrs. D. E. Chamberlain, president, Mrs. J. E. Buck, vicepesident, Mrs. B. R. McGrath, second vicepresident, Mrs. Fred Miller, secretary-treasurer.