The evening before pay day on a military base is a particularly lean time for the recruits, many of whom are teenagers in their first year of training.  This is certainly true for the recruits at Naval Station Great Lakes located north of Chicago.  To address this issue, the USO on this base implemented the aptly-named No-Dough dinner.  The dinners are served on the 26 evenings before pay day. Each dinner is served to 200-400 sailors.  The dinners are underwritten and staffed by local volunteers. The Illinois Dames are proud to underwrite and staff two dinners a year.

The Illinois Society sponsored the No Dough dinner on May 10, 2018. A total of 350 sailors were served.  Many thanks to the Dames who volunteered: Phoebe McMillan; Sonya Wolsey-Paige; Anne Hazelwood; Lynn Matthias; Christine Walker; Robin Hazelwood; Freddie Hayes; and to Candidate Anne Krauss.