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17-795: Alice Throckmorton McLean founded AWVS in January 1940, 23 months before the United States entered the war, basing it upon the British Women's Voluntary Services , in order to help prepare the nation for the war. Most of the founders were wealthy internationalist women, and its headquarters was in New York City, making America's isolationists suspicious of AWVS. Others saw the organization as being alarmist. AWVS also encountered resistance because some men did not want women working. Despite these concerns, AWVS had about 18,000 members by

34-584: The ZIP code 13842. South Kortright Central School District, established in 1940, enrolls students from South Kortright as well as the neighboring village of Hobart and hamlet of Bloomville . South Kortright and its surrounding region was used as hunting grounds by indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands , specifically the Lenni Lenape prior to 1763. European settlement began in

51-584: The American armed forces and civilians during World War II. When the bombing of Pearl Harbor occurred, officially beginning World War II effort for the United States, the AWVS had more than 18,000 members who were ready to help the nation's defense efforts. They were formally trained in many skills including ambulance driving, fire fighting, evacuation procedures, mobile-kitchen operation, first aid, and other emergency services. During World War II, McLean remained

68-494: The International Assembly of Women, was held in a small upstate New York town of South Kortright where McLean lived. During the 10-day conference there, Eleanor Roosevelt joined McLean and about 200 female delegates from more than 50 different nations to discuss the political, economic and social issues in hopes of bringing peace to the world. Because the organization did not receive substantial support from

85-566: The age of 82 in Baltimore, Maryland. At that time, the AWVS was still in existence. South Kortright, New York South Kortright is a hamlet in Delaware County , New York , United States. The community is located along New York State Route 10 , 11.1 miles (17.9 km) east-northeast of Delhi . As of 2019 the hamlet has a population of 2349 and is 259.3 km (100.1 sq mi) in size. South Kortright has

102-620: The federal government, McLean spent much of her personal fortune to keep the AWVS financially viable. In 1944, McLean moved from her New York City home to her estate in South Kortright and lived there until the war's end in 1948. Then she moved to live with one of her sons in Baltimore . She donated her estate in New York to a foundation that was helping European children displaced in the war.   McLean died October 25, 1968, at

119-549: The first to join AWVS ranks and were soon followed by women joining units in Beaumont and Galveston , Texas, Hollywood , California, Omaha , Nebraska and Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania, among others. These AWVS members took classes in Morse code , first aid, map reading, nutrition, war photography, child care, and public speaking. In volunteer workshops, members knitted sweaters and caps and made blankets and children's clothing that

136-674: The hamlet, which in turn led to the eventual establishment of a Catholic church in South Kortright. In 1900 McLean funded the construction of a highly ornate stone bridge crossing the West Branch of the Delaware River with the cooperation of the Andrews Estate, reportedly costing $ 20,000 to build. From 1912 to 1914 James McLean built a new mansion on his property for a reported cost of $ 100,000. After his death in 1920 his daughter Alice Throckmorton McLean took control of

153-463: The house and estate and put it to use for her various philanthropic projects. She created an "International Valley" on the site for teaching the arts and hosted a large gathering of women from the United Nations with Eleanor Roosevelt at the mansion in 1946. She sold part of the property in 1953 and the mansion had various uses until 1992 when the property, by that point known as Belle Terre,

170-490: The late 1780s, with several tracts of land in the village bought and used by farmers. The village gained a post office and the name South Kortright in 1823. The hamlet grew in the late 1800s, with homes constructed along the main street and large estates built to the north and south of the river for Fifth Avenue Stage Line executive Samuel W. Andrews Sr. and copper baron James McLean, respectively. The construction and maintenance of these estates brought many European craftsmen to

187-668: The president of the AWVS. One of its missions was to help finance the war by selling war bonds and stamps. It's estimated that AWVS members successfully raise more than $ 1 billion for the war effort. By 1942, total membership had reached 250,000 women in 595 units in 30 states. By 1945, membership had grown to 325,000 women, and more than 200 junior auxiliary groups had enlisted 32,000 teenagers. When creating AWVS, McLean indicated that all women were welcome to join "regardless of race, color or creed." Women of color (including Black, Asian and Hispanic ethnicities) in New York State were

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204-565: The time of the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Eventually over 325,000 women were trained by AWVS. Doris Ryer Nixon founded the California chapter in August 1941 and became AWVS's national vice president. The group sponsored units in parts of the U.S. with heavy African, Chinese, and Hispanic American populations, which was met with media criticism. By 1944, despite hundreds of thousands of volunteers and large efforts to help win

221-500: The war, AWVS was accused of being lazy; its leaders decided to disband the organization at the end of World War II. AWVS inspired other volunteer service groups, such as "Laguna Cottages for Seniors". Alice Throckmorton McLean Alice Throckmorton McLean (1886–1968) was an American civic leader and founder of the American Women's Voluntary Services (AWVS) before the start of World War II. Alice Throckmorton McLean

238-407: The war, and modeled it after the successful Royal Voluntary Service , which was helping Great Britain in its war efforts. McLean recruited wealthy women who shared a global vision to help her establish the service. McLean's major goal of the large and highly successful organization was to help prepare the nation for the coming war and later to provide material aid, assistance and information to both

255-408: Was born March 8, 1886, in New York City. She was the youngest of three daughters born to American millionaire, James McLean, and Sara Throckmorton. In 1919, after a brief marriage to Edward Tinker, Alice Tinker took back her maiden name and also legally changed her sons’ surnames to McLean. Alice McLean founded AWVS in January 1940, headquartered in New York, 23 months before the United States entered

272-635: Was distributed to underprivileged members of their community. Each unit also included a Junior Auxiliary with girls from 14 to 18 whose work included a messenger service, nursing and taking training other courses. In New York, junior members were trained with the Red Cross Drive for Nurses' Aides and worked Harlem Hospital as volunteers. On May 26, 1942, two women of color were elected to the national AWVS board of directors. Both Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune and Mrs. T. Arnold Hill had already served in leadership positions in New York. On October 13, 1946,

289-565: Was purchased by Phoenix House to be used as a private drug-treatment facility. They operated in the hamlet until 2015, and the mansion and grounds were later sold to artist Hunt Slonem . The Andrews Estate was purchased by the New York State Division for Youth in 1967 and converted into a correctional and training school for boys, known informally as "the Boys School." The school remained active until 2011, when it

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