USA > Virginia > Frederick County > Frederick County > Our heritage : history of the Frederick County, Virginia, Extension Homemakers 1916-1976 > Part 5
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First on the agenda was hair cutting preparatory to giving home permanents. Each woman participating received a green shopping bag filled with beauty aids and a chart showing basic face shapes and types.
To accommodate the powerful lights which were necessary for the color filming the Northern Virginia Power Company had run special lines into the building carrying 250 amps each. Light- ing arrangements inside the building, done by Baker and Ander- son, included 6 batteries of lights each complete with twelve 150 watts units.
Forty-six substitutes were signed up in case any of the original 50 dropped out. Following the permanents there were cream wash facials. Next on the agenda were hair styling, hair analysis, and use of hair rinses. The third morning covered daintiness, dental care, hand care, special quick grooming for parties, and grooming help for husbands. Last on the agenda was figure measurements with women working in pairs, as preparatory for work with foundation garments.
All stages of the Jamboree were photographed by Yoern Gordts of Salt Lake City, Utah who had worked with Miss Hoag -: land'in six such events in the past several years prior to the local Jamboree.
Pepsodent, Lever Brothers, Bristol-Myers, Johnson & Johnson, Whitehall Pharmacy, Revlon, and Warner Brothers filmed it.
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Many of the 50 women who participated in the three-day event which covered all phases of personal care and fashion trends were photographed in their homes, on the 4th day, doing everyday chores and also dressed for festive occasions. All women received large supplies of beauty aids and also foundation garments. The sub- stitutes received recognition and beauty aids, also.
Six Frederick County HD women attended the Institute of Rural Affairs held at VPI in Blacksburg July 26-29. They were: Mrs. Anne LaRue, Mrs. E. C. Charnock, Mrs. A. B. Grove, Mrs. Miller Barley, Mrs. Charles Bass, and Miss Agnes Shirley, Ex- tension Agent. Mrs. W. W. Hunt, of National Fruit Products Com- pany, discussed grower-processor relationship. Dr. George Mat- ters discussed the problem of apple scald and latest methods to re- duce losses from it. After the speakers program, the attendants toured the horticultural farm and experimental plots of vegetables and ornamental plants.
On August 13 Hurricane Connie's fringe winds caused fruit damage, power and telephone problems, and brought the heaviest rain since 1942. The storm was not as bad as Hurricane Hazel in 1954 but the rainfall of 4.15 inches was the most fall in one day since October 15, 1954. Trees were blown down and some high- ways were blocked by debris and swollen rivers. Five days later Hurricane Diane hit Virginia. Her winds had diminished from 100 MPH to 40 MPH by the time she hit Virginia but she brought heavy rains that set an all-time record August rainfall of 10.46 inches for the month, and sent streams on a rampage again. Seventeen sec- ondary roads in the county were closed when the Opequon River, Back Creek and Hogue Creek overflowed their banks.
Only two months in the history of local weather records at the Winchester Fruit Research Laboratories had been more than the August 1955 record. Those were October 1942 when 15.01 inches were recorded and July 1945 when 11.19 inches were recorded. Those figures were for entire months while the August figure was for just 18 days. (We did not find any statement later whether August 1955 broke those records or not).
On October 26 a Recognition Program was held to honor Mr. and Mrs. Ernest W. Adams, Jr. and their family who had received the Master Farm Family Award. They were the first farm family to be so honored in Frederick County.
The HD Clubs did not have an Achievement Day but had edu- cational exhibits as part of the Frederick County Agricultural Fair of 1955. More than 2000 exhibits were entered by 400 exhibitors. Besides their exhibits at the Fair they had the following demon- strations during the year: Advanced First Aid by Red Cross, les- sons on Atomic Warfare and Bomb Shelters, County Government, Family Insurance, Social Security Law, Money Management, Wise Use of Accessories in the Home, Hooked and Braided Rugs, Gifts
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from the Kitchen, Slip Covers, Smoking, Simple Carpentry, and Crafts Clinic. Each Club gave canned goods for the Emergency Food Shelf, and participated in the Cancer Education Program.
The 1956 Mothers March on Polio began the same as it had been years before, with the sounding of fire sirens and factory whistles. The Mothers raised $1380.00, much less than the year before.
The District IX Meeting was held at James Wood High School with Mrs. Murl Hannum, Frederick County HD Chairman, hostess. Each county presented a skit on their outstanding activity of the year. Frederick County presented "Wills," with Joseph A. Massie, Jr., Commonwealth Attorney for Frederick County assisting HD members. The Fruit Growers Association and National Fruit Pro- ducers Company provided fruit and processed products for the meeting. The theme was "Our Home - Our World." The main speaker was Rev. Albert G. Edwards, Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Harrisonburg. Mrs. Ermal Geiss of Alexandria talked . on Home Economics as a Career. Mrs. J. Blaine Owin of Fairfax, VHDC President gave her President's Report. Devotions on the theme "World Friendship and Peace" and the Pennies for Friend- ship were led by Mrs. George Wire of Loudoun County, Vice-Presi- dent of District IX. Lunch was served by the Frederick County HD Clubs and all net proceeds went to the War Memorial Building ..
Mr. Edwards' Address stressed ten points for a happy home: 1. Do not nag; 2. Do not try to make your mate over; 3. Do not criticize publicly; 4. Be ready to express appreciation; 5. Remember the importance of little things; 6. Remember to be courteous; 7. Never let the sun go down upon your anger; 8. Be willing to for- give and forget; 9. Pray together and worship together; 10. Prac- tise the "diamond" rule which is "Do unto others as Jesus would do unto them."
The HD Clubs had educational exhibits again this year as part of the Agricultural Fair instead of an Achievement Day. Some of the exhibits were: candle making, flower arrangements, good grooming, hooked rugs, corsages, oil painting. Other lessons dur- ing the year were: kitchen planning, selection of kitchen utensils, better breakfasts, basic line in dress, slip covers, floor coverings for work areas. The Fair was held in the Armory in Winchester, Sep- tember 13-15.
. The HD program for 1957 started with the Mothers March on Polio with same procedure as years before. The March netted $3650.00. Mrs. William LaRue was the HD Mothers Chairman.
District IX Meeting for 1957 was held at Berryville April 17. - Mr. Frank L. Teuton, Information Officer for the Research Ser- vice Department, USDA, was the guest speaker. He spoke on "New Uses for Farm Crops." He used visual aids to show the flame- resistant cotton blankets, orange juice made from powder, rain-
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coats made from hog lard, varnish from Irish potatoes, and more than 100 other items of interest. There were new foods, new feeds, new drugs, new fabrics, and new industrial products. Pretty girls modeled garments made from the new fibers research had develop- ed. There was no report about attendance from Frederick County, except that plans had been made for some members to attend.
Commissioner of Agriculture Brinkley described the times as ạn "Era of agricultural adjustment - farms are more mechanized; fruit is supplemented by cattle and poultry."
The HD Clubs did not have an Achievement Day again in 1957 but had educational exhibits at the Agricultural Fair as they had done since 1954. The tenth annual Agricultural Fair was held Sep- tember 13-15.
On December 5, 1957 IFYE (International Foreign Youth Ex- change) certificates were awarded to Mr. and Mrs. D. L. Bowers and Mr. and Mrs. Sloane Wolfe for giving a home to Ingeborge .Lervany of Norway, an IFYE student. Green Clover pins for long service in 4-H were awarded to Mrs. John Whitacre for 20 years service, Mrs. Sloane Wolfe for 15 years, and to Mrs. Anne Car- baugh, Mrs. Richard Goode, Mrs. Charles Hammack, Mrs. Robert Whitmore, S. M. Pugh, Bill Bierer and Hammond McDonald for 5 years each. Records showed 435 4-H girls were enrolled in 822 home economic projects and 738 were completed.
Demonstrations for the year were: master mixes, one dish meals, mealtime magic, glass etching, clothing finishes, aids to bet- ter sewing, First Aid kits and home medicine cabinets.
The HD Clubs did not sponsor the Mothers March on Polio in 1958 but many members helped with the collections. Mrs. Clarence H. Hill of Winchester was general chairman of the March.
District IX Meeting was held in Leesburg April 23 with Miss Maude E. Wallace as guest speaker. Miss Wallace, Assistant Direc- tor, spoke on "As the World Turns." (There was no follow up on this story in the Winchester Evening Star.) 4-
Mr. Albert Beecher, State Specialist, taught leaders training on Planning Home Grounds. All HD Clubs planted Chinese Chest- nut and thinshell walnut trees.
Twelve HDC members from Frederick County attended the Institute of Rural Affairs held at VPI & SU in Blacksburg, Virginia. Mrs. Charles Bass was State Federation Program of Work Chair- man for "Art in Daily Living." Mrs. C. F. Babcock, State President, opened the 3-day program, July 25-28. Charles Wampler, Jr., Mem- ber of the House of Representatives, was the guest speaker. The HD women from Frederick County were: Mrs. Robert Whitmore, Mrs. Dorothy Anderson, Mrs. Hubert Cather, Mrs. Dorothy Painter, Mrs. Miller Barley, Mrs. Delilah Bell, Mrs. Howard Owings, Mrs. A. F. Lillard, Mrs. Bertha Venskoske and Miss Agnes Shirley.
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For the fourth year in a row, the HDC members had exhibits at the Agricultural Fair instead of an Achievement Day. The more than 3500 exhibits by 419 persons were of better quality than a year before when a severe drought hit all crops. The 11th Annual Fair was held September 1013, 1958. The HD exhibits were educa- tional exhibits on activities of the members during the year.
Demonstrations during the year were: proper wearing apparel, selection of suitable and becoming accessories, insect and pest con- trol, pruning, kitchen lighting, lighting work areas of living room, simple healthful refreshments; preparation of meals for the freezer, glass etching, Christmas music appreciation. Members had a Crafts work shop; had Christmas parties and exchanged gifts, and re- vealed secret pals; filled baskets of food for needy families; gave canned goods for the emergency food shelf; helped with the Can- cer education program; worked for and gave contributions to var- ious drives for funds.
Beginning with 1959 we had the extra resource of Miss Agnes Shirley's annual reports when she was Home Agent for Frederick County. Reports prior to 1959 had been lost or destroyed.
The HD women worked again for the Mothers March on Polio. This program had expanded and needed more funds. Net proceeds went to the National Foundation, formerly the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, which aids not only those stricken with po- lio but provides funds for polio serum, and helps those with arth- ritis and birth defects. Funds are used also for research on disor- ders of the central nervous system and on virus diseases in general. The drive was organized as in the past, with captains and com- mittees for various zones. There was no report on the results of the drive.
The Frederick County HD community project of planting trees had the distinction of being the first adult group in the nation to do this kind of project. Each club planted walnut and chestnut seeds, and planted many trees. The project had been started three years before when Mr. C. E. Koontz, former Soil Conservation Ser- vice man, had offered the HD members some 2-year old grafted thin-shell black walnut trees to set out at $2.00 each. About 70 trees were planted. Then he gave them 2 bushels of seed to plant. The next offer was Chinese Chestnut trees at 50¢ each, and more than a hundred were bought. Every club planted chestnut seeds and 4-H club members signed an agreement with their parents to "plant 3 chestnut trees each and take care of them" - 400 4-Hers received 1200 chestnut trees; 200 pounds of seed were planted for more trees for more 4-Hers and students. These trees were a blight-resistant variety. Some improved persimmon trees and Ha- zel nut trees were planted, also.
A demonstration, "New ways to use everyday foods," by Mrs. Mary L. Thompson, State Foods Specialist, provided recipes for
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dishes for picnics, church suppers, youngsters snacks, etc. Potato- burgers was a favorite with children and adults. The stuffed cab- bage head recipes aroused members to try other meats such as corn- ed beef, ground ham and beef, and even tuna fish - as well as sausage. She talked about the selection of cuts of meat and their preparation, also.
Miss Catherine Peery, State Rural Arts Specialist, demon- strated braided and hooked rugs at the War Memorial Building. Other demonstrations during the year were: Art through the Ages; slip covers and draperies; lamp conversion; consumer buying, clo- thing fabrics and ready-to-wear clothing; renew and remodel hats; how to handle wash-and-wear fabrics; clothing construction prob- lems; importance of reading and filing labels; time and energy sav- ing in the kitchen, laundry and in housekeeping; correct lighting in the home; chair caning and rope seating; needlepoint; swedish weaving; knitting, dried arrangements; First Aid, safety in the home; problem windows. Pressure cookers were kept in repair and gauges were tested for accurate pressure. Weight control was a special interest project. The result demonstrations were the family fruit plots of strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries and rhubarb. HD members rented freezer lockers space and filled them with fruits, vegetables and meats.
· The Rescue Squad was chosen as a county-wide project the past 3 years. Each club contributed to the Fund; also, to the Can- cer program, the emergency food shelf, TB seals and other civic programs.
The HDC members did not have an Achievement Day again, the fifth year in a row, but had educational exhibits at the Fred- erick County Agricultural Fair. They had 15 exhibits, and 187 members had other exhibits at the Fair. HD clubs manned the food stand and all net proceeds went to the Fair Association.
More than 100 HD members, from all clubs, attended the county-wide tea sponsored by the Stonewall Club to honor Mrs. Ed Grant who had been honored by having the 1959 Yearbook dedicat- ed to her.
The 1960 District IX Meeting was held at the Randolph-Macon Academy in Front Royal on March 24. More then 300 HD members from the six counties of Clarke, Frederick, Loudoun, Page, Shen- andoah and Warren attended the meeting. Mrs. Charles Bass, of Winchester, Past District IX President, reported on county activi- ties. Mrs. N. L. Hendrick, VHDC President, was a guest speaker. Mrs. Leslie Keyser, well known in educational circles and consul- tant in elementary education in Warren and Rappahannock coun- ties, was the principal speaker. She spoke on "Home - Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow," which was the theme of the meeting. The Skyline Caverns were toured after the meeting. Seventy-nine HD members from Frederick County observed National HD Week by attending the District IX Meeting.
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Miss Margaret Flickinger, Northern Virginia Power Company, gave a demonstration on "Making the Best Use of Home Freezer." Mrs. Mary L. Thompson, State Foods Specialist, gave the demon- stration "Choosing and Cutting Meats for Economy and Meat Prep- aration." Meat charts, bulletins and recipes were provided to 210 members, and they reported that the recipes were passed on to 300 others. Milk-burgers were a favorite with children and adults. Many lessons were carried over or repeated from the year before, such as, clothing construction problems, correct lighting, hooked and braided rugs, slip covers and draperies, selecting and adjusting patterns, and how to buy clothing fabrics and ready-to-wear gar- ments. Other demonstrations during the year were: good groom- ing and posture; remodelling garments; tailoring; space savers for kitchen shelves; selection of floor coverings for work areas and their care; how to repair, frame, mat and hang pictures, and make shadow boxes; furniture finishes and refinishing all types of wood; chair caning and rope seating; upholstery; laundry work - soaps, bleaches, etc. and how to handle wash-and-wear fabrics; spatter leaf painting; reed basketery; candle making; Christmas decora- tions, dried arrangements.
Activities included: Rescue Squad drive for funds, Mothers March on Polio, assisting at Ruritan Yard Party for benefit of James Wood School Band uniforms, TB seals, cancer educational program, supplying emergency food shelf at the District Nurses' Office. More than 1000 chestnut trees were set out in 1960 and more seeds were planted again for more trees. Pecans, English walnuts, filberts and shellbarks were added to the list of nut trees in Frederick County. HD members had 14 educational exhibits at the Frederick County Agricultural Fair and 189 entered other ex- hibits at the Fair. HD members manned the Food Stand and pro- ceeds went to the Fair Association. Home Beautification was car- ried as a project by 210 HD women who did some landscaping, planted shrubbery, improved entrances and mail boxes.
The HD Clubs held their first Achievement Day since 1954, on November 5, 1960 at the War Memorial Building in Winchester, with 140 in attendance. Mrs. John Bell, County HDC Chairman, presided. Mrs. Leslie Keyser spoke on "Our Home in a Changing World." Mrs. Charles Bass gave a report on "History of HD Work." A round-table on HD Achievement was conducted by Club Chair- men with Mrs. John Whitacre as moderator. Entertainment was the "Roaring Twenties" by club members. The 1960 Yearbook dedication was to Mrs. Charles Bass. Handbook, or Yearbook, dedi- cations began in 1953 and the following had been honored in the order given: Mrs. Harry P. Lovett, Mrs. Walter Adams, Mrs. Julian Larrick, Mrs. Miller Barley, Mrs. Walter Larrick, Mrs. Lee Whit- acre, and Mrs. Ed Grant.
Fields for study for 1961 were: housing (water systems, elec- tricity, and storage), house furnishings, upholstering, time and energy management, clothing, youth, health, nutrition, arts, crafts,
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good home lighting, home grounds, and nut trees propagation. It was felt that good home lighting needed special emphasis as elec- tricity was available to 95% of homes in the county, 2/3 of farm homes and 1/3 of non-farm homes; many homes were built prior to 1919 and were poorly wired, and most homes built since then did not have adequate outlets to provide adequate lighting in read- ing and study areas.
With more and more homemakers working outside the home, more and more varied community projects taking up more time, and with the cost of living steadily rising, the need to find time for preparing nutritious and well-balanced meals for the family was felt. So, lessons were presented on baking breads as an econ- omy measure, planning economical and nutritious oven meals, use of home freezer as a weight saver instead of eating leftovers, and also for food preservation. Table setting and service was stressed in an effort to build up the importance of the family members, and to teach children table etiquette as part of daily living. It was hop- ed that families would have more meals together, thus drawing the family closer together.
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There were demonstrations on home production of foods, food preservation and storage, and small fruit plots to help people pro- vide better nutrition for their families. There were demonstrations also, on how to save time, energy and money; clothing construction; studying the labeling law as it applies to fabrics and garments and studying the labels for information on sewing and taking care of the fabrics and garments; simple home repairs; study of paints on all surfaces and effects of color in various areas of the home; re- upholstering furniture, refinishing woods; chair seating; and sew- ing machine clinics.
Educational exhibits set up at the annual Agricultural Fair were: Paints for all Surfaces; Beauty in the Home with Color; Chair Seating; Light Bulbs; Sewing Centers; and Upholstering. Paint stores, department stores, Northern Virginia Power Company and other businesses cooperated by loaning paints, fabrics, etc. for use in the demonstrations and exhibits.
Crafts taught were: metal tooling, reed basketry, tray etching, lamp shades, candle making, and Christmas decorations. Many members beautified their homes by landscaping the grounds, plant- ing shrubbery, improving entrances and mail boxes.
Clubs contributed to the War Memorial Building Fund, spon- sored the Porchlight Parade for Polio, helped with the Cancer edu- cational program and assisted with the Ruritan Yard Party for benefit of James Wood School ( more than $6400.00 was raised over a 9-year period toward band uniforms, band instruments and ath- letic field bleachers). There was no emergency food shelf in 1961 as the Red Cross office was moved and there was no room for the “shelf."
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. Each HD Club had a 4-H Chairman. These Chairmen served on the Fair Committee as advisors, helped plan the Fair, acted as organizational and project leaders, furnished transportation, judg- ed at contests, furnished project materials, and helped train club members to become future leaders by giving them responsibilities. The HD. members assisted the 4-H clubs in all money-making events. They manned the food stand at the Fair and gave the net proceeds to the Fair Association.
For the Civil Defense program, Mrs. Lloyd Helwick, HD Fed- eration Program of Work Chairman, contacted the City Council and the Frederick County Board of Supervisors and got a coordinator, Mr. Jack McQuistion, appointed. A county-wide meeting was held, with an experienced speaker on "Fallout"; and movies were shown. The entire city and county were contacted through clubs, schools and churches. Literature was given and adequately equipped shelters for a 2-week stay were stressed. Many other community meetings were held, radio programs were given and news articles were printed. A number of bomb shelters were built and First Aid classes taken. Each Club had a Civil Defense Chairman who worked with the County CD Chairman, and each Club had the demonstration "Home Preparedness for Civil Defense." The Win- chester Evening Star printed a series of 15 articles by an expert, Professor Willard B. Libby, on what to do in the event an atomic bomb were dropped. Plans were made to carry Civil Defense as a county-wide project again in 1962.
The HD Achievement Day Program was held November 11, 1961 at the War Memorial Building. Mrs. Joseph Hott, County HD Chairman, presided. Mrs. Vernon Unger, County HD Secretary, gave the County Report. Dr. Melton Wright, guest speaker, ad- dressed the members on "The Foundation Stone of Society." En- tertainment was a piano selection by Linda Massie, a monologue by Georgia Carbaugh, and a song "Bless This House" by Dixie Branner - all 4-Hers. The Yearbook dedication was to Mrs. John D. Whitacre.
County-wide chartered-bus educational trips were taken to Baltimore to see the Sherwood Tulip and Azalea Gardens, to Wash- ington, D.C., to Florida, to California, and other historical places.
The Cuban Crisis had alerted everyone and brought a renewal of emphasis on Civil Defense. Each HD Club had a Civil Defense Chairman who worked with the County C.D. Chairman as they had the year before. An educational meeting for volunteer C.D. work- ers informed them of different phases of survival facts which could be used to answer questions by the general public. A series of news articles appeared in the Winchester Evening Star and the North- ern Virginia Daily on phases of nuclear attack as it affects rural water, feed and food supplies. Articles also stressed how people and livestock could survive, and the greatest emphasis was placed on the fact that humanity could survive through a nuclear attack.
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Several radio programs were devoted to survival topics of livestock and people on both WHPL and WINC. Educational programs on bomb shelters, food supplies and equipment, family plans, first aid, and the importance of a two-weeks food supply for survival were presented by the Extension Service.
Nutrition programs covered oven dish meals (meat substitutes and using leftovers), pickles and relishes, master mixes and quick breads, freezing foods, menu planning and methods of food prep- aration, and economical buying. A demonstration on Seafood Cook- ery was given by the Fish and Wildlife Department.
Crafts taught were: cake decorating, oil stenciling, knitting, dried flowers, hat making, metal tooling. There were classes in upholstering, chair caning, clothing construction, and furniture refinishing. Some of the Clubs exhibited articles at the Quota Arts and Crafts Show held in October.
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