The Lebanese Child-Welfare Society, alongside its concern for spreading free day nurseries, works to strengthen the spirit of social responsibility among all classes of the people, and to instill a spirit of close cooperation among all; for it desires to make every man and woman of Beirut feel that he is among the builders of its project and among the contributors to its flourishing. The charity fete which the Society held at the Military Club on Saturday afternoon, January 31, 1948, under the patronage of the wife of His Excellency the Prime Minister Riad Bey al-Solh, was the greatest proof of that: the Lebanese Army took part in preparing it with its band and by offering its club, together with the various institutes of Beirut and the child-welfare homes.

The fete opened with the Lebanese anthem, played by the Army band; then Mrs. Muniya Khair al-Din al-Fakhoury, secretary of the Society, delivered a word of welcome, followed by the Song of the Poor Child, sung by the students of the Ahliah National College. This song was composed especially for the Society by the gifted poet Mohammed Youssef Hammoud, author of the Song of the Tree, and the two Lieutenants Fleifel donated its setting to music.

After a delightful and charming musical interlude played by students

of the University — Ali Maqsad (Lebanon), Suad Zaghloul (Iraq), and Mamdouh Bami (Palestine) — the Misses Samira and Nuha Hitti (of the Junior College) performed a dance that won every approval; and then the Misses Samira al-Shab and Rosy Adel (of the Junior College) performed a duet dance that won the admiration of the audience. Then Miss Samia al-Hajj, one of the students of the Junior College, sang a song composed for her by her father, the poet Youssef al-Hajj, and performed it beautifully.

After refreshments were taken and the Army band heard, the well-known woman of letters Miss Marie Sabri, director of registration at the Junior College and its teacher of Arabic and philosophy, delivered the address of the fete, which fell most pleasantly upon the hearts of the ladies present.

Then the children of the child-welfare homes presented a highly varied program that won every approval; and after it Miss Najwa Shahin of the Junior College presented the song "Tanin al-Nahham" by the poet Fouad al-Boustani and "Come to Me" by His Excellency Sheikh Khalil Takieddine, delighting her hearers and performing beautifully. As for the final dance, it was performed by six students of the Khadija al-Kubra School, attached to the Maqasid Charitable Association, who carried it off with rare lightness and grace, and those present applauded them warmly. The closing word belonged to the militant Mrs. Zahia Salman, president of the Child-Welfare Society, who spoke in it of the importance of the child-welfare project and thanked all who had contributed to bringing this fete to life and had given donations to it, praising the struggle of the Lebanese Arab Women's Federation in the cause of good. And after the smallest of the children of the homes presented, in the name of them all, a basket of roses to Mrs. Faiza al-Solh, the Army band — which had been charming the ears from time to time — played the closing piece, and the company departed, every tongue full of praise for the Child-Welfare Society, every one of them ready to help it in its humane works, their hearts overflowing with tenderness toward those 150 children who had received them in the courtyard of the Club with clapping and cheering.

Mrs. Faiza al-Solh donated the sum of 200 L.L. Rose Zakkour, 50 Renée Elias al-Khoury, 25 The Lebanese Girls' Awakening Society, through its president Miss Linda Nassar, 26 The Women's League, 25 Mrs. Afaf Azmi Ghazi, 25 L.L. The daughters of Dr. Youssef Hitti, 15 Mrs. Stolgrens, 10 Mrs. Laure Tabet, 5 Miss Esther Johnson, 5 The wife of Dr. al-Salibi, 30

Likewise Mesdames Afaf Azmi and Blanche Georges Hanna placed their motorcars at the Society's disposal throughout the day of the fete. As for transporting the children of the homes, Mr. Victor Saad donated it. And the principal of the French Girls' College presented a number of woolen stockings and gloves to be distributed among the little ones.