Sunday, April 6, 2014

Pasquotank Home Demonstration Work in 1945 Is Impressive, and Report Rhymes

1945-1946 Report by Mrs. Selma Harris James (Mrs. Vernon James) to District Federation meeting in Hertford, 1946 (April)

Report of 1945 year’s work

“All of you have heard that in Pasquotank
The bullfrog jumps from bank to bank
Lots of things jump in on county and city
For we have club women that are sure as a ditty
And to prove that some ladies are smart
I’ll report our accomplishments right from the start.”

We had 13 clubs with members totaling 328
23 new ones joined early in 1946 so as not to be late
Ninety percent of the club women a garden did grow
These helped to keep the food situation in tow
The women had to hurry and get 43 canners repaired
And with 22 new ones they all declared
Now in all there are 86 canners
24,991 containers saved deserves a banner.

Our agent said, “Your food budgets you must fill.”
Everyone work canning, drying, and had meat to bill
The number reaching goal were only 84
But everyone had gained and none were sore.

New clothes we wanted, but with prices to the sky
We began to feel out of date, but really why?
When all we had to do to be in style
Was touch up the ones we had all the while.
We ripped, turned and sewed in all 620
Everyone declared this was good if not a plenty.

With the food put by, and scores of babies new
There just wasn’t storage space, so closets we added totaling 52
Seven new dwellings made a pretty sight
46 remodeled ones were sheer delight
41 improved kitchens, spic and span
38 other rooms, just the best in the land
17 water systems were installed to help
And two vowed with cold water they would not yelp.

It was just before we heard that DDT was here
That 56 homes were screened to keep pests from coming near
Even though we were busy and had not time to spare
19 home grounds were improved and made into beauty rare
The curb market ladies topped all records with sales of $27,556.29
The home sales were $16,974.87 just so none could feel left behind.

In 1945, we all felt peace was sure to come
But that our fight on the home front had just begun
There was need of community service at every crossroads
So we all pitched in and helped carry the load
These please let me enumerate
Quickly before it is too late.

Fat collected – 840 pounds
War bonds - $9,800
Clothing relief – 2,500 pounds
Helped with 11 4-H Church Sundays
Hours helped in USO - 410
Cakes for USO – 61
Flowers for USO – 54
Purchased tuberculosis seals – 99
Infantile paralysis contributors – 87
Red Cross members – 212

Early this year our foreign neighbors needed help worse than ever
So we just collected 2,000 garments with this endeavor.

Just a word from the ladies of Pasquotank

To all of you for listening – thanks.

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