CAMP WELFARE COMMITTEE
IN CAMP AND TRAINING STATION
To give the reader a clear understanding of the plan of organization adopted by the entire Christian Science field and put into operation so promptly, a detailed description of the procedure in a single state will suffice. Virginia may be chosen as typical, because of the varied lines of war activity represented there. Besides the great training camp at Petersburg, named Camp Lee, in honor of that beloved leader of the South, there were five important embarkation camps in the Tide Water District, known as Camps Morrison, Hill, Stuart, Alexander and Eustis. There was also Langley Field, an aviation center, a balloon school, as well as trench mortar and anti-aircraft schools, ammunition train and army supply bases. In the same district was located our greatest naval base. The Grand Fleet lay off Yorktown. Thousands of men were stationed at the navy yard at Norfolk and the big naval hospital at the same place was usually filled. Hampton Roads, Old Point Comfort and the naval operating base opposite were veritable hives of industry. Including both arms of the service there were probably never less than two hundred thousand soldiers and sailors in Virginia during the spring, summer and fall of 1918, to be served by our Committee. To meet adequately the varying needs of these numbers of men was the problem.
With this in mind, representatives of the three largest churches of Virginia met on January 6, 1918, and elected a State Camp Welfare Committee. This election was later ratified by the remaining churches and societies of the state. The Committee at once took
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