Purpose of 'Polio' Chapter Is to
Assure Fund to Fight Dread Malady
Miss Florence O. Eby, one of
the Valley residents named to the
executive committee of the re
cently formed official chapter of
the Infantile Paralysis Association
for the Third Division, gave a de
tailed explanation of the work
ings and purpose of the chapter at
the regular meting of the Mata
nuska Valley Health Council. The
other two committee members
from Palmer, are Dr. Lee L. Mc
Kinley, and the Rev. Victor Alf
sen.
To secure funds to fight infan
tile paralysis, commonly referred
to as polio, there must be an offi
cial agency through which the ,
National Foundation works loc- j
ally. Miss Eby’s comprehensive !
report is printed as follows by the !
Frontiersman so that the com
munity may be informed on how i
to fight the dread malady.
“On the evening of Dec. 12,
1950. approximately 30 people rep- :
resenting several communities in :
the Third Division of Alaska met '
in the studio of radio station j
KENI to consider the organiza- !
lion of an official chapter of the ;
National Infantile Paralysis Foun- j
dation.
Mayor Loussac of Anchorage j
opened the meeting at 8:30 p.m.
by introducing West Altenberg, j
regional director of the National !
Foundation from New York City, j
Mr. Altenberg outlined briefly j
the history of the National Foun- j
dation, as follows:
The first President Birthday j
Balls were given in 1934 to obtain ;
funds to support the Georgia j
Warm Springs Institution in j
which President Franklin D. j
Roosevelt had a personal inter- |
est. The money collected from
the balls was sent to the President
at Washington. Many people
throughout the United States ob- i
jected to this procedure, and in !
1935 70 per cent of the funds were ‘
left in the local communities and j
30 per cent was forwarded to the !
t~> : j _± 4. — 4*— 4-t i
tion basis. Right now, there is
available to the Territory of
Alaska $29,000 which also will be
distributed on a population basis.
Mr. Altenberg hoped that the
people in the meeting would or
ganize a local chapter so that this
money could be transferred to it.
Anyone wishing to join could
belong to the local chapter. An
executive committee elected by
the chapter members would con
duct the business of the chapter as
long as there were seven mem
bers present at any meeting.
A motion was made and carried
to accept the charter organizing
a chapter of the National Founda
tion in the Third Division with
headquarters at Anchorage. The
following persons were elected to
the executive committee:
Diana Page. Valdez; Mrs. D.
Chamberlin, Anchorage; Miss
Florence Eby, Palmer; Miss Nor
ma Rucker, Anchorage; Mrs.
Sophie Erickson, Spenard; Mayor
Loussac, Anchorage; Sidney Rood,
Spenard; John Gibbons, Kodiak:
Don Goodman. Anchorage; Orin
Kimball, Kodiak: James Norene,
Mt. View; Dr. Lee McKinley,
Palmer: Mrs. Mildred Durant,
vSpenard; Rev. Vic Alfeson, Pal
mer; Mrs. Pat Carter, Wasilla;
Mrs. Victor Mayham, Seward;
Mrs. L. Bie. Seward: Molly Tryck,
Anchorage: Mr. Bias Malassarte,
Ft. Richardson; Mrs. R. Atwood,
Anchorage; Mr. Don Smith, An
chorage.
Mr. Altenberg explained that
a few of the functions of the
executive committee were:
1. To appoint a medical ad
visory committee.
2. To appoint a chairman of
the women's activities.
3. To appoint a campaign
manager.
4. To prepare educational ma
terial for public information.
5. To raise funds for medical
care of polio patients.
6. To lay plans for community
participation in the event of a
polio epidemic.
At this point two questions
were asked from the group:
1. Question: What happens to
money raised on an army post?
Answer: Ordinarily 50 per cent
of the money raised in a local
community goes to the National :
Headquarters and 50 per cent re- ;
mains in the community. How
ever, 10 per cent of the money I
raised on an Army post goes to
the National Headquarters, and
50 per cent of that sum is re
turned to the local, official chap
ter. 50 per cent of the money
raised on the base at Elmendorf
Field or Fort Richardson would
be returned to the Anchorage
Chapter.
2. Question: Will the money be
used only for those patients who
are in the acute stage of the dis
ease?
Answer: No, the Foundation
guarantees treatment as long as
it will benefit the 'patient.
Orin Kimball stated that Kodiak
had organized a local polio com
mittee when the outbreak started
in Alaska. This group raised
$2,000 which it sent to the Na
tional Foundation. Mr. Altenberg
said that $1,000 of this would be
returned to the Anchorage Head
quarters.
The general meeting then ad
journed, and the executive com
mittee met to elect officers, as
follows:
Chairman, Mrs. Dorothy Cham
berlain. Anchorage; vice-chair
man, Mrs. R. Atwood; secretary,
Miss Norma Rucker, Anchorage;
treasurer, Mrs. Sophie Erickson,
Soenard.
At the next meeting of the ex
ecutive committee it was planned
I ot appoint a medical advisory
i committee, a chairman of wom
i en’s activities, and a campaign
manager.
There being no further business
| the meeting adjourned at 10:15:
p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Florence O. Eby.
study of infantile paralysis. In
1938 it was decided to establish |
a national foundation which
would function in the field of re- i
search.
The proceeds from the first
March of Dimes campaign in 1938
were turned over to the newly
formed National Foundation.
There were adverse reverbera
tions to this procedure, also.
Many communities wondered
what to do with the funds which
had been left in local areas. The
National Foundation decided the
answer was to organize local
chapters. This was done, and at
the time there are 2894 such
chapters in the United States.
The National Infantile Par
alysis Foundation laws require i
mandatorially that any funds |
allocated by them for local use
be in the hands of a local, legal
entity, such as a chapter grant
ed a charter to receive and dis
burse funds. When the polio
outbreak occurred in Alaska
this year no such official chap
ter existed, so Dr. C. E. Al
brecht, commissioner of health
for Alaska, was appointed as a
temporary agent to receive
funds until local chapters were
formed. An official chapter has
been organized in Southeastern
Alaska, and Dr. Altenberg
hoped two more would be orga
nized, one in the Third Division
and one in the Second and
Fourth Division.
Mr. Altenberg gave some fig
ures showing the marked increase j
of polio cases in the U. S. since
1938. In that year there were
5.000 cases reported. During the
next three year period there were
9.000 cases; the next 18,000; the
next 23.000; and for the years
1948, 1949 and 1950, 33,000 cases.
In 1949 the Foundation spent 31 Va
million dollars for the medical
care of polio cases.
The money was distributed to
the various chapters on a popula-!
I
SIXTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE
ALASKA MOOSE ASSOCIATION
RESOLUTION NUMBER TEN—BREAD and BUTTER LETTER
Palmer, Alaska. September 23. 1950
WHEREAS': The Sixth Annual Conference of the Alaska
Moose Association has been held at Palmer, Alaska, from Sep
tember 21 through 24, 1950, and
WHEREAS: the Brothers of Palmer Lodge Number 793 of
the Loyal Order of Moose, located in the heart of Alaska’s
agricultural region have shown country hospitality and have \
given unstintingly of their time and effort to make our visit a j
pleasant one; and
WHEREAS: the delegates to this Conference have accom
plished much work, and have had a lot of fun and have learned
many things about the Matanuska Valley, its people, its products
and its possibilities;
Now, Therefore, BE IT RESOLVED that this Sixth Annual
Conference of the Alaska Moose Association express its heart
felt thanks to the Brothers of Palmer Lodge Number 793 and
to their co-workers, the Women of the Moose, Chapter Number
942.
We also wish at this time to express our thanks to the ladies
of the Lutheran Church for the fine meals they served us and
the demonstration of the quality and flavor of Matanuska Val
ley Products incidental to those meals;
to the American Legion for the use of their hall;
to the members of the Palmer Board of Education for the use ;
of their school gymnasium;
to the Lutheran Church for the use of their hall;
to the Matanuska Hotel and its related enterprises for their
kindness and hospitality; ;
to the Associated Press and United Press for their cooperation;
to Brothers Jack Maze and Doc Sims for the coal used in heating
the convention hall;
and to Brother Ralph Moore for the electric energy used in
lighting our meetings as well as the physical and nervous energy
used in making the conference a success.
(Signed) L. E. EVANS,
Chairman, Resolutions Committee
JAPANESE TO USE RADAR
TO SPOT WHALES AND ICE
TOKYO — Japanese whaling
boats will use radar to spot
whales and icebergs in their next
expedition to the Antarctic, the
Kyodo News Agency has an
nounced. Japan will import 78
radar sets for its commercial ves- !
>els this year, Kyodo said.
RALPH MOORE GOES TO
WORK FOR CHUGIAK
Ralph Moore, who has been
with Matanuska Elctric Associa
tion for the past nine years has
resigned to accept a position with
Chugiak Electric Association in
Anchorage. The family will con
tinue to make its home in Palmer
with Mr. Moore commuting to his
work.
Olivera's
519 E. FIFTH » ANCHORAGE DIAL 34255
Italian Dinners and Cocktail Bar
Also American Dishes
Finest in Home-Made Italian Spaghetti and Raviola.
Fried Chicken, Frog Legs and Steaks.
COME ONE COME ALL
Grange's Annual
Gala New Year's Eve
DANCE
W
DECEMBER 31
at the
HIGH SCHOOL GYM
Starts at 9 P. M.
Noise Makers Paper Hats Balloons
Bring you many pleasant hours,
l deeper friendships, good health
£ and happiness ...
t We hope, too, that our bank may
play a part in making your hopes
l come true in '51.
|c
J Closed New Year's Day
January 1st.
jc
K
N
|e
p
|e
Ic
p
j:
i
MATANUSKA VALLEY BANK
Palmer, Alaska
Open Friday Evenings—5 to 7 P. M.
2 PER CENT ON SAVINGS
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