Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-05
CALL DIR. VAN SCHA|CK
Urged to Accept Associated
Charities Secretaryship.
CHOICE Is UNANIMOUS
Pastor of Church of Our Father
and Charity Worker.
THIRTY DAYS TO CONSIDER
Board of Managers Grant Time for
His Decision-Selection Is
Heartily Commended.

the Church of Our Father and proml-
nent in the charitable circles of the city
! for number of years. has been rendered
| the position of general secretary OF the
! Associated Charities. The action was
taken by the board of the organization
| which had unanimously agreed at a ses-
| sion held last week that Rev Mr. Van
Schaick was admirably adapted for the
| position Rev. Mr.. Van Schaick has
! asked for thirty days to consider the
! proposition. At the end of that time he
/ is expected to give Il decision in the
matter.
| 1t became known today that at the time
of the farewell reception to Charles +.
Weller ten days ago. little group of
| prominent social workers were discussing
| the matter of his successor when the
name of Rev. Mr.. Van Schaick was
| mentioned. 1t was at once accented by
| every member of the group as the natural
! soiutlon of the problem. The board of
! managers OF the organization at once
| 'ooh the matter up for consideration.
DR.. Van Schaick's Position.
\ rumor of the proposed action coming
TO the attention of Rev Mr. Van Schaick
ne at once wrote personal letter to
| William Fl. Baldwin of the board in
| which he said:
hefore he left last Monday MIR. Weller
.oid me OF his plan to propose me as his
successor. 1t is IL great honor to be 1nan1
toned for that position and I annreriate
oeepiS your kind words in relation to the
! matt" l do not however. want the
board TO spend any thought upon the
question OF my availability. for l could
not accept the position.
do not feel myself competent for the
| WoIF. much as love it, | feel that we
ought TO have the largest. ablest man
. tnd. is aVaia BILE. am deeply anxious
lines projected / fear that even the in
formal suggestion of my name may cause
some OF my friends to dread a possible
connlct between an inclination to please
me and what they regard their duty to
the society. So pleasa let those who have
how feel.
What l wan: to do. if God gives me
strength, IN the next twenty five years
either in Washington or somewhere else
| is to bring the churches and philan-
thropies closer together. With all my
heart ] believe that the church needs
organized philanthropy as a close ally.
in order that high and noble spirit of
| religion may have the best channel into
which to flow. On the other hand. or
ganized philanthropy must have close
relation with religion or II will lose its
vision and its power. In other words,
| the church needs the charity worker:
i the charity worker needs the church.
To the best of my ability want to help
ever. / may be able to exert must be
| through the Christian ministry In a
very c.d-fashloned sense ] believe ! am
called of God for the work. ] may be
| mistaken ] may some time leave the
ministry. As ] look al it now it seems
to me as if there were nothing under
heaven that could induce me to do it,
Urged to Accept.
| Upon receipt % this letter the board
took immediate acton. Rev. Mr. Van
Schaick was unanimously elected 10 the
position and committee was appointed to
call upon him a his residence and urge
him to accept. That commit se consist
ed of Col. George F. Truesdel. DIR. George
| VI. kober. Cuno Fl. Rudolph Prof B. J.
Janney. William ri. Baldwin and George
S. Wilson, secretary of the board of chari-
ties. Mr.. Baldwin presented the matter
! for the board and said that he did not
Know of any one who could unite all the
religious and charitable forces of the
| community better than Mr.. Van Schaick.
lie said that what was needed now was a
large inspirational work and that Catho-
! lies and ProtestantS and Jews would all
| unite in support of the work under the
! leadership OF one whom they had learned
to trus-. Continuing. he said no MEM
bers of the board underestimated the oP-
! VI
Schaick had in his parish. but thai they
| felt they were calling him TO larger
field. where he would be concerned not
simply with the needs of comparative
! ly resourceful group of the community.
hut rather with the needs of a very much
larger group. for whom the Associated
! Cha rites tried to render effective help. In
nine years liz Washington. Rev. Mr.. Van
| Schaick. he said. had proved that lie had
a broad knowledge of social problems and
| nnI off q
with intricate social questions.
In reply Mr.. Van Schairk said that in
! all thc weeks since Mr.. Weller had ten
! dered his resignation he had never once
| thought of himself possible success
! Sor. He felt that in addition to having Il
| trained social worker as general secre-
! tary the society ought to nave an eX-
perienccd business man; that he doubted
his ability for the work. that ne felt that
| lie could be of larger service as private
| individual than as a paid worker. but
| that no honor mad come to him III con-
| uection with his experience i'll Washing
| ton which touched him 20 deeply as this
! mari; of confidence on the part of social
| leaders and rcsourceful business men OF
| this community. He said If it were
| ever possible for him 10 leave the min
! istry that now il would be proven. He
! doubte ed if he would be able to see his
way clear To accent the position.
! The members of the board in reply
urged tnat il he felt impeled to decline
/ but that If he could accept they would be
/ glad To have him accent at once.
! Has His Hearty Sympathy.
| When seen today Rev. Mr.. Van Schack
! said: 1T was my wish that this matter
| should not he made public. Too many
people, however. know about H. and too
! many people are interested in it for it
| to he kept quiet. appreciate deeply the
nIessag which ! have received during
! the rast week urging that ] accept No
society in Washington is doing larger
/ work for the community than the AS
! soCiated Charities. What appeals to me
! in the work is that il Is not simply re-
pressive. but constructive. Every officer
/ and agent is trying to destroy paupersm
/ but "A. the same time TO transform the
/ unit into the fit and effective.
| Il have been for some years connected
| with the Associated Charities a a volun-
teer worker and n member of the
/ board of managers. | have been brought
into close association with represo natives
OF every creed and no creed There has
L Z