Evening star., 1915-11-30

| social service army--to "the reservists
of peace as they have been called
these two great gifts, new willing
ness to learn, and new spirit OF
democracy.
Willingness to learn implies, on the
part of our social agencies. ability to
train and to teach, and, in what have
| to say tonight, I wish to dwell espe-
cially upon this period OF initiation,
an Associated Charities like your own
when 1T accepts the service of new and
untried volunteers. 1t owes them. In
return, Interpretation of their expert
which uses with economy and with far
| reaching social aim all the time and
good will that the new recruits bring
to the joint enterprise"
Importance of Training.
I Miss Richmond spoke of the impor-
| tance of systematic training for social
work. She said:
The first schools for social workers
We're organized by leaders in our char
ity organization movement, and the
nrst systematic attempt to give volun-
teers who took social work seriously q
chance to study it and SO to add skill
70 their devotion, originated also with
our Associated Charities. I remember,
IN TINS connection, the dismay of
| volunteer who, after four years of sue
cessluI service, encountered former
ciassmate at college, who had also en-
tered in another city some work of
personal service. but who seemed to be
completely disillusioned about 1.-THE
poor were SO unsatisfa ctory.' The
ciassmate had not been hard or incon-
slderate in the old college days. and all
the more did it seem a wasteful thing
TO have flung her in, as had been done,
without Interpretation or leadership, to
an experience in which she had sorely
needed both of these things Contrast
with this failure the results that we
get When volunteers are given fair
tiate.
w hen I go back to Baltimore and
Philadelphia, where l formerly worked
carrying the city's burdens, wherever
there is hard work to be done, with
small chance of glory, there they are
stlll, because they were taught years
pefore the discipline and the joy of
service. and no doubt it is the same
with you here in Washington.
Drawbacks to the Work.
The Towering time of social service
mas its drawbacks-its popularity has
brought the butterflies, too, who fit
from Hover to flower, glorying in their
up-to-dateness. but keeping at no one
task long enough to achieve solid re-
suits. The probationary period of train
ing and hard work, if still more gen
eraiiy adopted, would relieve social
service of some embarrassments
Training and the determination to
be thorough would destroy, too, any
last vestiges of condescension. In a
zeal democracy, how can any one hu-
man being dare to patronize another
very important by-product Of our
family work is that it puts the en-
phasls squarely upon the fundamental
virtues common to rich and poor alike,
and classifies it's volunteers. not by
what they have to bestow. but by what
they are. If. among some of the fam
mes applying to US, we find an alb
sence of wants, lack of ambition,
winch marks the laggards in the race
everywhere, we cannot look beneath
the surface of their condition-our VOL
unteer workers cannot so look with
out discovering in themselves a strong
desire to simplify their own multiply
ing personal wants and then to rally
all the forces of society to an eoualiz-
ing or opportunity, to that nearer aD-
proach 10 the democratic ideal which
was IN the minds of the wfsest of our
forehears when this government at
Washington began to live"
~ ASS etA 0DJCSl AGSSOu.
A playlet in three scenes. entitlca
THE Old Way Versus the New WAY"
was presented by members Of the
Junior League as the closing feature Of
the evening. Based upon actual hap
penings in the work of the Associated
CHARITIES. 1t served to demonstrate how
much more effectively and with what
greater permanent results charity
work Is carried on today as COMPARE,
with a few years ago.
j. W. Faust OF the Associated
Charities off1ciated as stage manager
and scene shifter, and also read the
prologue to the play, which stated
that advancing philanthropy, while first
renewing the immediate distress, makes
nor TINS the END: but the premises or
startins point from which to work
back and find the cause and the way Of
prevention of the distress.
PRESENTED by capable cast. the play
fuliy accomplished its object-that OF
showing the contrast between the old
charity and the new social service-tbe
service Of immediate relief plus posi-
tive. militant friendship; the service
which begins by housing, feeding and
clothing ones brother in distress hut
then. with indomitable purpose and un
tiring energy. goes out to find and re
move the cause of distress, whether il
be loan shark or the common drinking
cup insanitary housing or inadequate
or improper laws on child labor, en-
ployers' liability or wages or other
causes.
Those who took part in the play were
Miss Alice Brice. Mrs. John William
Thompson, Mrs c. Ashmead Fuller, Miss
Leslie Cameron. Miss Matilda Auerbach
Miss Julie Brice. John William Thomp-
son and Ross d. Thompson.
Resolutions Adopted.
Prior to adjourning the audience
adopted resolutions. presented by for
mer District Commissioner Henry B. F.
Macfarland, expressing the organiza