The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-06-20
COMMUNITY SERVICE
NEEDING AMERICANS
Important Department of Commits
mission On Training Camp Ac-
ttvities In Need of Men.
WANT SOCIAL WORKERS.
Thirty Are Now In Field. Together
with Seventeen business Men,
Seventeen Educators, Ministers,
and All other Glasses.

Especial to The Richmond VirgiHian!)
New York, June I9.---The war camp
community service Of the war and
navy department commissions on
training camp activities Is in need
Of men for it's field work, So the re-
porter was sent up to see w. 3. Dick
inson. in charge of the personal de-
partment at national headquarters |
Madison avenue. New York city. to
find out what sort or men were need
ed to help stimulate" the morale and
preserve the physical we'll being OF
our soldiers and marines" and to
promote wholesome. stimulating and
friendly relations between our civil
fans and fighting men" That's what
the literature of the war camp COM
munity service says that these men
are needed for.
What class or group OF men do
you fnd best qualified TO carry ON
your work2'' Dickinson was asked.
Dickinson smiled.
We have more social workers than
men of other groups" he said. but
that's because they have naturally
gravitated toward us. and where the
nature OF our work irlpelled us to
make the biggest drive. But men OF
other groups have done equally we'll
means all men who love these United
States.
We have thirty social workers in
the field, seventeen business men,
seventeen educators thirteen ministers,
eleven men who worked for us be-
fore the Recreation Association Of
America was called upon by secretary
Baker TO undertake war camp com
munity service. ten recreation work
ers. nine teachers, six lawyers. two
publicity men. and two secretaries of
chambers OF commerce.
Miscellaneous Group,
We have a miscellaneous group
which won't classify in this way This
includes an architect. an engineer. a
police department director. a super
lntendent Of building construction.
park com m issioner. a L. s. postoffice
director. doctor, the uperintendent
o. a park commission, an army chap
lain. a landscape architect, a park
board auditor. some newspaper men.
and a man who has hitherto devoted
his ttma to staging pageants. What
sort 81 men should you think we
wanted o.
where do they come from ?" the
interviewer parted feehly
From thirty-one states and Homo
tD IA. EGtt ipAthtGHOi pi@ASstf9Ettf e
We're taking on more every day, and
expect to have the other seventeen
states represented shortly.
y cant tell you what group or
class Of men we want" he continued
earnestly. ''but I can tell you what
sort of results I want these men to
accom- pl'sh."
He turned 10 a huge file containing
thousands of letters, and read ex-
tracts apparently at random:
My dear New Friend;
II may SO address you. wish
to extend my sincere thanks for the
great pleasure my beloved son, Le-
land. endured in the short time he
was with you. l have had several
letters since telling me of the great
time he had with you. And again
wish 10 thank YOU for the kindness
shown the boys and / am glad 70
know that they can find pleasure and
comfort while out in this great
world"
That's from grateful mother"
said Dickinson. Never mind the
spelling and the English. That's
what we want to know about our
community organizers work"
He took up still other letters.
The supply of letters" said Dick
inson, fis practically inexnaasubis.
Our workers get hundreds OF these
letters every day. II Leland and John
and Frank and the boy write to their
mothers at home that we are giving
them sane. normal, wholesome enter
tainment, keeping them from being
lonely and making them content with
their lot as soldiers. our work is good.
The sort Of workers we want for COM
rnunity organizers" he concluded.
"are the sort OF men who get letters
like these"