THE FORTY-NINTH STATE BOARD

The New Mexico State Board of the American Red Cross was appointed on February 26, 1913, this being the forty-ninth Board organized since the inception of the State Board form of organization.

Immediately the new States of Arizona and New Mexico were admitted to the Union the first steps looking to the organization of Red Cross Boards therein were taken. The cordiality with which Hon. William C. McDonald, Governor of New Mexico, and Hon. George W. P. Hunt, Governor of Arizona, entered into the negotiations was keenly appreciated by the Red Cross officers at Washington, and it is hoped that the announcement of the completion of the Arizona Board will be made in the not distant future. The membership of the New Mexico Board is as follows:

A decision has not as yet been made as to which of the above-named members will be appointed Treasurer of the Board, but no time will be lost in putting the Board into workable shape.

The past election brought changes in the gubernatorial chairs of twenty-three of the States in which the American Red Cross has State Boards. Men elected to such important positions in the governments of the various States must find little time at the beginning for matters other than those pertaining strictly to their new offices, yet out of the twenty-three new Governors fifteen have already accepted the Presidency of the Boards in their respective States. That the Red Cross can make this announcement gives it great satisfaction, and it feels confident that the remaining eight new Governors will also accept the leadership of their State Boards as soon as the first rush of their new administration is over.

During the past year the State Boards of Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana and Mississippi again demonstrated, during the relief work incident to the Mississippi flood, as did that of West Virginia in connection with the flood in the Northwestern part of that State, the value of the plan adopted by the Red Cross and which comprehends in each State a group of successful business and professional men to act as its financial representatives and advisers in connection with disaster relief work.