1922 Cabaret Troop A @ Norfolk Genealogy | Transcriptions

1922 Cabaret Troop A

     This group (below) "was photographed upon the occassion of the two-night cabaret staged at the Armouries, May 18-19, 1922, under the auspices of the I.O.D.E.
     Proceeds amounting to nearly one thousand dollars were realized and were handed over to the Memorial Fund. This is only one instance of the splendid work accomplished by this organization since its inauguration here at the outset of the Great War.
     Following is a short resume of its activities since inception:
The Sir John Graves Chapter, Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire, was organized by Mrs. Rupert Simpson, August 8th, 1914, at the home of the
Hon. Senator Alexander McCall, with an initial membership of ten, namely
Mrs. Rupert Simpson, Miss Carrie McCall, Mrs. W. B. Tomlinson, Mrs. L. F. Aiken,
Mrs. John Porter, Mrs. H. F. Cook, Mrs. C. E. Innes, Mrs. J. C. Austin, Mrs. Julian Boyd and Mrs. R. L. Dugit.
     Mrs. Rupert Simpson was made the first Regent, and held that office until the year 1918, from which time on the office has been held by Mrs. Richard Edmonds, Mrs. W. B. Tomlinson, Mrs. A. T. Sihler, Mrs. E. E. Carter and Mrs. R. L. Dugit, the present Regent, respectively.
     The Chapter, being organized at the beginning of the World War, endeavored to carry on the great relief work occasioned by this great conflict. Due to the magnitude of this great strife and the ever-increasing phases of this great work, various county organizations were formed and funds raised to help with the work which had been started and so nobly carried on by this Chapter.
     Following the formation of these organizations, the Daughters of the Empire directed their energies and devoted most of their time to Red Cross work, meeting once each week for this purpose, and as the result many thousands of pairs of sox were sent over to our soldiers in France, together with the many surgical dressings, which were likewise sent to France.
     Also through the efforts of this Chapter, the membership of which increased during the period of the war from 10 to 225, approximately $27,000 was raised, from which cash donations were made regularly to the Red Cross, Field Commission, Shorncliffe, C.W.C.A., Prisoners of War, Tobacco Fund and to the Navy.
     It was on behalf of the Chapter that His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor,
Sir John Hendrie visited Simcoe and presented the colors to Norfolk's Own 133rd Battalion before it left for overseas.
     Since the close of the war the Chapter had made contributions to the Serbian and French Relief Funds, to the I.O.D.E. War Memorial Fund, and several grants to the local branch of the G. W. V. A.
     More recently and at the present time the Chapter's interest has been directed locally and along educational lines. The most recent undertaking of the Chapter, and a very praiseworthy one, is that of equipping the operating room of the proposed hospital, which is practically assured for the Town of Simcoe."

[Simcoe's Norfolk General Hospital was built the following year, 1925.]

Top row, reading from left to right -- Eva McCall, Lucille Kayser, Edith Lea, Esme Tracey, Helen Beemer, Norma DeCou, Mrs. Leonard Stacey, Florence Hotson, Grace Lewis.
Bottom row, from left to right -- Helen Innes, Katharine Boles, Grace Innes, Jean Borland, Mary Harper, Eileen Fitton, Frances Innes.

Source: Simcoe and Norfolk County published by Pearce Publishing, 1924
(Out of print. Copy available for inspection at Norfolk Historical Society.)
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