FOR AUXILIARY F.IL£I 44th ANNUAL CONVENTION OF THE NATIONAL AUXILIARY UNITED SPANISH WAR VETERANS 6tld Cd^4<r*i~ + LOxM a^ (C cfr-rt-C*' .*£-< £. ivf SUMMARY OF PROCEEDINGS Kansas City, Missouri August 24 - 28, 1947 / 4i : . 1 \l FOREWORD The purpose of this book is to give to the members of the National Auxiliary, United Spanish War Veterans, a comprehensive summary of what officially took place at the 44th Annual National Convention, held in Kansas City, Missouri, August 24 to 28, 1947, inclusive. It contains the proceedings of the Con­ vention, the report of the National President, National Officers, and Chairmen of the Na­ tional Committees. Auxiliaries are requested to keep this book as a reference. It should be placed in the Auxiliary file, and be a part of the perma­ nent records of the Auxiliary. Louise W. Williams, National Secretary Compiled at National Headquarters Washington, D. C. x3&*»« -*- mmm JULIA A. KULL National President 1946-1947 III JOHN WHITE Commander - - Chief United Spanish War Veterans VI 1 3 o 3 CO i^ CM ON CM ^ ON ^ ON ON £ 3 O a -' ?• o c 2 <£ (fl .£j HH P> C__ - C /-N _T W« ~-o § W - a> ?J rt a> (v i> hH co OX) +J ^^ C £ J3 PH - S? bfl^ C1"1 y ^ON i—i 3 rt ,—i & - .-S3.. a, CM ^ +•» K,-~ CM <u a> •"_ •*- CM t-T JC _J f/) HQ\ CTJ- (^ W'H ptN<H ^2o2 .5 -ON <L» M o <_ <u Woe -o O t,CM,2 § <>ON I .„ -M ^ be i H-5 CD If; £ <« ^| 1.1 o^ o»r VI1 5 I ^ W co .^ SON ON 0.22 < Cti CO HH W J* CO h W <2 o > S > 2 rt bo'£~ < ^ rt ^ c/a Q W QcfiJ H w <u , ___ s js g^O aN • W C £eo rt Xj 3 CO ^ »*J3 ON I—J CM U •-* h-1 co rt » ', co tr O '"J tflrX >< S _ _ ° < ON _* - H rt ^ £ bo c . W g W __ __ * >» < O _. W co « U O H > <U <L) • * rn s co H .^H ON -5 5 E _• < bO Vc ' Q.2_K ro£i«. HO'C03 VIII 1 MAUDE COLES WHITLOCK LOU ELLA ALLEN Past National President Past National President 1938-1939 1939-1940 BETTY BASSETT ELSIE H. NEWELL Past National President Past National President 1940-1941 1941-1942 IX HATTIE B. TRAZENFELD ETHEL CUMMINGS Past National President Past National President 1943-1944 1942-1943 _.... BERTHA M. FINKE i Past National President NORA V. EVELETH 1944-1945 Past National President 1945-1946 X PANSY DENUNZIO MARY ROSS McKAY National Senior Vice President National Junior Vice President GRACE M. ALEXANDER LILLIAN E. PAUMAN National Chaplain National Patriotic Instructor XI RUBY H. LYONS ANNA NUGENT National Historian LOUISE W. WILLIAMS HENRIETTA LYNOTT National Secretary National Treasurer XII WALTER E. DOWNEY Quarter Master General United Spanish War Veterans XIII PANSY DENUNZIO National President-Elect XV MEMORIAL SERVICE SUNDAY EVENING, August 24, 1947 The Memorial Service of the Forty-ninth National Encampment, United Spanish War Veterans convened in the Municipal Auditorium Arena, Kansas City, Miss­ ouri, at eight o'clock, Reverend Edward W. Potts, presiding. (Prelude—"Largo" by Handel, Pearl Roemer Kelly, Accompanist.) REVEREND POTTS: More than nine thousand comrades and friends have gathered here in this great municipal auditorium to honor those thousands of your comrades who have passed on during the year. I now call on Comrade Reverend Orva W. Stanbrough for the invocation. Let us stand. (The audience arose.) REVEREND ORVA W. STANBROUGH: We bow before Thee, O God, our Creator, Protector, Redeemer and Provider, and we offer Thee thanks for the national history and security of our great nation. We give Thee thanks for this occasion, the 49th National Encampment of the men who laid the foundations of our national security. We ask Thy blessing upon our great nation both now and in the future. May she continue to merit the blessings of our God. We ask Thee to help and care for our Comrades who are living and strengthen us for the battles that remain today. We ask Thee to help us to care for those who cannot help themselves. We ask Thy blessings upon those who are bereaved by the rapid thinning of our ranks, to be with those loved ones who are left behind and help us to be a blessing unto them. We ask thy blessing upon this encampment and upon the good people of Kansas City who have given us such a hearty welcome here, and now we commend ourselves to Thee for this entire program, and look to Thee to carry it out in the way that will glorify God and will strengthen us and cause us to be better men and women that we may stand for a better and greater nation. We offer these things in the name of Jesus, Thy Holy Son, Amen. (The audience was seated.) (Solo—"Holy City" —Edith Gustafson Clisbee, National Soloist, Accompanied by Mrs Merle Hunter of Indianapolis.) REVEREND POTTS: We come now to a most significant part of this ser­ vice, the placing of floral tributes. They died that you and I might live. They suffered untold pain. Have we united to keep the faith, or have they died in vain? I call upon Comrade Reverend Stanbrough who will place the first floral tribute. REVEREND STANBROUGH: I rise and speak to the honor of 3,284 of our Comrades who answered the last roll call within the past year. REVEREND POTTS: And for the Sisters, Grace M. Alexander, National Chaplain. NATIONAL CHAPLAIN GRACE M. ALEXANDER: Dear Comrades, Sis-, ters and Friends: We are gathered here tonight in the first official act of this En­ campment to pay honor and tribute to our dear Comrades and Sisters who, since we met a year ago, have passed beyond the veil that separates our earthly existence from the Heavenly life. May we say fervently: "There is no death, there is no night The loved ones passed beyond our sight Are living in Eternal Light. "There is no death; the stars go down To rise upon some other shore, And bright in Heaven's jeweled crown They -shine forever more." So, those who have left us awhile, have passed into the larger life. We are thank­ ful for the inspiration their devotion to our great organization has given us to re­ new our pledge of Fraternity, Patriotism, and Humanity. (Placing of floral wreath.) These flowers are placed in loving memory of eight hundred eighty-eight Sisters who have departed from our midst, among them Elizabeth Beagle, Department President of Kentucky who was taken before her year of service was concluded. (Placing of floral wreath.) These flowers I place in loving memory of Cora A. Thompson, National Presi­ dent in 1921 and '22, whose tireless efforts were expended in the last few years in behalf of the establishment of the Battleship Oregon Museum, and who this year was heading the Auxiliary Post War Planning Committee to organize Women oi of the World for peace. (Placing of floral wreath.) These flowers are placed in loving memory of Anna Nagle National President in 1934 and '35, who was the originator of the Hiker Plaque, the Auxiliary's gift to the convention city each year and who, as a Past National President continued her interest in, and loyal support and help, to the organization to the very last. "Dear is the spot where our loved ones sleep And sweet are the strains that Angels pour. O, Why should we in anguish weep ? They are not lost, but only gone before. "To live in hearts we leave behind Is not to die." REVEREND POTTS: And now for the Sons of Spanish American War Vet­ erans I call upon Past National President William J. Cullinan, Jr., who will place the floral tribute for the Sons. PAST NATIONAL PRESIDENT WILLIAM J. CULLINAN: On behalf oi the Sons of Spanish American War Veterans, in convention assembled, we place this wreath in memory of all the men who gave their lives in the Spanish American War of 1898 to 1902, and in memory of all the Comrades who passed on since then, also in memory of the Sons who belong to our organization who made the supreme sacrifice in World War II. .REVEREND POTTS: For the Daughters of '98, Ruth Mayer. 2 NATIONAL CHAPLAIN RUTH MAYER: I place this wreath in the name of the National Fort of the Daughters of '98. O God whose mercies cannot be numbered Accept our prayers on behalf of the souls of Thy servants departed, And grant them an entrance into the land of light and joy In the fellowship of the saints through Jesus Christ, our Lord. (Solo—"Going Home" by Dvorak, Edith Gustafson Clisbee, National Soloist.) REVEREND POTTS: The doctor has advised my friend in the ministry, the Reverend Fred R. Hamilton, that he shouldn't make an address this evening, so he has been prevailed on at least to introduce our memorial address speaker for this evening, and I will call upon him at this time to introduce our speaker of the evening. CHAPLAIN IN CHIEF FRED R. HAMILTON: Unfortunately, flowers that are for our Comrades arrived a little late and this basket of flowers here at my left is the floral tribute for our Comrades honored earlier by Chaplain Stanbrough. I rather regret that it is necessary to change the program tonight. I personally don't believe it was really necessary on my part.