Page:Christian Science War Time Activities.djvu/102

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CHRISTIAN SCIENCE IN THE WAR

in hand the organization of the large task before them and soon had Workers at Camp Lee, Norfolk, Newport News and Hampton. Rooms were established at these four points and attendants placed in charge. At its maximum the work in Virginia required twelve persons, eight Workers and four Welfare Room attendants. Five automobiles were purchased for the Workers with the land forces and two boats for those who were to serve the forces afloat, and for many months thereafter, members of the Committee had little time for any activity save that connected with the army and navy. The expenditure of large sums of money necessitated great care and thought. Direction of the group of Workers stationed at widely separated points required much time, and the ever-present desire to do more and more each day to extend the work until it should reach every single man and place, no matter how remote, permitted no cessation of activity. A diagram of the Tide Water District is reproduced to aid the reader in forming an idea of the task performed by the Virginia Committee and its corps of Workers. In the section of this chapter devoted to the work in the navy will be found further details.

Unusual features in connection with the early development of the work were to be found in many states. The Massachusetts Committee in caring for the soldiers and sailors in and immediately adjacent to Boston alone, found it necessary to employ three Workers and an assistant. Camp Devens, in the same state, was the first to have a regularly appointed Camp Worker, though volunteer work had previously been done in at least two camps elsewhere. The con-

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