New Britain herald., 1919-09-06
AMERICANIZATION
 WORK FOR YEAR
Benefits Are Cumulative, Like Those Of Churches, Report Says

The following brief report has re- gently been made to the Americaniza- ton committee of this city by their director, r. P. O'Brien, regarding the activities conducted and the progress accomplished during the first year of the work under that committee. But , even such a condensed Statem ent serves as an indication that much work must have been done to secure these results. The total benefit from such a program is cumulative in much the same way as the good work done by churches or other social organi- cations; and it does not lend itself to exact measurem ent any more easily than do other moral and educational forces, but it's importance is not a matter of doubt any longer. Instruction. In conjunction with the board of 1 education. 37 evening classes were organized, in three different school centers. There were also afternoon classes for mothers, and one class of mothers met evenings at the Russian church. No factory classes were or ganized, although the committee was not unwilling to conduct classes at the factories.
 During the year 1201 persons were enrolled in the classes organized This is 223 per cent of the number for the preceding year, when 537 were en- rolled.
 Three-fourths of these classes were composed of persons studying the elements of the language and the simple facts of Americanism Of these men and women, 6S per
 
 77 per cent of them had never been in evening school before; and about fifty per cent had received little or no schooling anywhere, even in their own native lands.
 The attendance averaged 66 per cent for all the schools. The years enrolment contained an especially augmented number of Pol ish, Russian, Ukrainian and Lithuan- ian people.
 Social Work.
 Fellowship, play, recreation and varied experience >have been regard ed as indispensable in training for dem ocratic team work. Accordingly the social sessions of the evening classes, on one evening of each week were meant to help provide for just such vital need, but more especially for the middle aged and younger members of the group. Games, mu- sic, pictures, talks, dances and even varied refreshments helped to make the evenings seem attractive and at the same time helped to ! @socialize those who were participants. Many of the special American hoI- idays were appropriately observed by extra features and programs.
 Citizenship.
 Naturalization has frequently proved to be an intricate, expensive ference of the native born operates to depreciate it's value for the candi- date, and often to invite certain alienation of interest in it's possession, as well as satisfaction with a mimi mum of. preparation and final com petence for citizenship.
 Hundreds of applicants have been provided with information and as sistance pertaining to naturalization.
 Several citizenship classes have been maintained to furnish free instruction for all those interested.
 The naturalization court is now dignified by being housed in the at tractivc chamber of the city council, and freed from it's former suggestions that were too easily attached to the police and jail building.
 Periodic public receptions for the new citizens have been instituted, both to elevate the experience for them and to make us all a little more conscious of our civic responsibilities. A special citizenship campaign, un-