Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1920-07-29
RED CROSS HOME
SERVICE; IT'S ORIGIN
AND Achievement


A little over three years ago, Presi-
dent Wilson requested the American
people to center in the hands of the
American Red Cross, SO Tar as possi-
BILE, war relief work for civilians in
Europe. and placed upon the Red
Cross a responsibility for human well
fare which was probably bigger than
has ever been undertaken by any hu-
mantarian agency anywhere at any
time The Red Cross. as a result,
went extensively into work for civil
ians in France. Belgium and Italy; it
also went extensively into the work
for our soldiers. and sailors families
in this country or wherever they were.
which came TO be known as Home
Service work. work undertaken 10
the double purpose of maintaining the
morale of our fighting forces and OF
contributing to the welfare of their
families
Three thousand, six hundred and
eighteen Red Cross Chapters and H.
1870 branches have been organized for
Home Service. This Red Cross activ-
ity is carried on in all of the 733
places in the United States of 5000 or
more people, and the 2.S45 chapter
towns having a population less than
5000 More than 100000 soldiers and
sailors families have come TO the Rec
Cross for information, counsel or
service. Approximately 10000 men
and women have served as members
of Home Service Sections.
Home Service, then. war-born, bred
as an emergency measure favored by
conditions, spread to all parts Of the
United States. 1. has extended, as has
no other social movement, into the
small towns and open country; it has
served constituency larger and more
democratic than was ever before by a
volunteer agency II has operated on
the principle Of local responsible,
and local control. 1t has brought to
communities previously unaware of
them dawning perception of social
needs, and social obligations. 1t has
developed an appreciation of training
service.
In tho larger places, Home Service.
under the leadership invariably de-
rived from established social agencies
has contributed to the stability of
those agencies and to the mainte-
nance of standards by relieving the
agencies of an immense volume of
work growing out of the war. 1t has
discovered new assets for these com
munities through the large number OF
which it has enlisted, and through
demonstrating to a larger public the
validity OF the various methods which
The established case working agencies
are using.
With the coming Of peace and the
sight of the ond of the wartime tasks
there could not he thought of discon-
tinuing Home Service until the pledge
of the Red Cross to soldiers and
sailors families had been fully and
finally discharged Just prior to the
date of the signing of tho armistice
and in the months Immediately follow
ing there came from all over the coun-
try evidence indicative of a desire to
carry Home Service as continuing
peace time activity 1t was most in
sistent from the chapters having
jurisdiction over places where, prev
ious to the establishment of Home
Service, no organized form Of COM
niunity-wide, neighborly service cx-
listed. After mature consideration, af-
ter full consultation with competent
advisors, outside the Red Gross as
we'll as inside the Red Cross, it was
decided by National Headquarters to
respond afiirmatiyely TO the desire OF
Home Service Sections to continue.
1t then became necessary for the
National Red Cross organization to
formulate certain general policies for
the guidance of the chapters in ex-
tending the peace-time activities.
These policies are:
First-That inasmuch as the Ameri-
can Red Cross is pledged through its
Congressional Charter to prompt and
efficient service TO the men of tbs
army and navy and their families, the
discharge of this responsibility must
be TIE paramount issue in CARRYING or
the work of the Home Service Section
Second-No peace-time work should
be undertaken which would compete
with or absorb the work of any other
social agency organized and equipped
to cover the field which the Home
Service Section was considering en-
tering
Third-The chapter should assume
fru responsibility for providing per-
sonnet, funds and facilities for Home
Service Work
Fourth-So long as the work should
be done in the name of the Red Cross
it must be in accord with the stand
ards set by the Red Cross.
Peace Time Activities
The peace-time activities which
Home Service Sections may UNDER
take are:
1. Work with civilian families sim