A meeting was called of the four Women’s Committees and their Auxiliaries, at the auditorium of the Curtis Building through the courtesy of Mr. Bok; the plans were explained and met with a vigorous response. The women were to raise money in two ways. One was to procure five-year subscriptions of large sums. The other was to secure small subscriptions by the Group Plan. This idea was suggested because the business management could not arrange to take care of sums of less than $25.00. The accumulation of such, therefore, was undertaken by the women, with Mrs. Arnett as Chairman. This piece of work was as trying as any ever entered upon, on account of the detail of keeping small accounts yearly for so long a period. A group might include any number of persons but the minimum amount for each group could not be less than $25.00 yearly, for five years. The sum of $14,632.00 was raised by seventy-nine Groups, including two Junior Groups; but the most important feature of the plan was that it secured the interest of a number of hundred people who would otherwise have been deprived of the pleasure of assisting this cause. This was of infinite value to the Association. To Group Captains, who kept up their quotas of $25.00 yearly for five years, the orchestra owes much, for members often had to be replaced. The Women’s Committees have long acted on the principal that the active interest of many people was a necessity in building up an orchestra, and never was their belief more justified than at that time. The work of the women was prosecuted with enthusiasm and the response was remarkable, not only from Philadelphia, but from Pennsylvania towns as far west as Harrisburg and in New Jersey as far south as Atlantic City. Other ways of raising money were resorted to, such as chains of card parties, inaugurated by Mrs. John B. Thayer, Jr., whose own chain amounted to $2870, and various entertainments and concerts given by young people. These were necessarily gifts for one year and could not be included in the required $100,000. The amount including large subscriptions and groups collected by the four Women’s Committees was a total for five years of $186,000, this being twenty-five per cent of the Fund. In November, 1916, it was announced that the amount guaranteed for five years was over $500,000, more than stipulated under the contract with the Unknown Donor. It was then decided to ask the contributors to extend their yearly subscriptions two years longer, and many responded heartily. The name was changed to Seven Year Endowment Fund, and in 1923, the total had reached $788,400. About twelve hundred individuals contributed at this time, and through the groups over five hundred more. The “Unknown Donor” disclosed himself in 1920, and proved to be Mr. Edward W. Bok. The satisfaction was great of knowing at last the name of this generous friend of music, who had enabled the Philadelphia Orchestra to place itself on a firm foundation. CHAPTER III