Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-06-04
TELLS ROTARIANS WHY
LITTLE WONDERERS' HOME
IS WORTHY OF SUPPORT

IF | were a man who had money
to give, what would / want to know
about an organization that applied
to me for a contribution? was the
question asked by DR.. Frederick n.
Knight, superintendent of the New
England Home for Little Wanderers.
who was the speaker at the Rotary
club, Friday evening.
DR.. Knight then went on to tell just
what he would want to know and
answered those queries by telling the
facts in regard to the Little Wander
rr's Home. The first thing he would
want to know. he said, was this: rs
this organization thoroughly estab-
!ishcd and likely to continue?' The
answer TO this would be that the Lit
tie Wanderers Home was established
in 1860 and had never closed its doors
for one minute since that time. 1t is
more thoroughly entrenched now than
ever before and there is nothing TO
indicate but that it will be doing bust
ness Il century from now.
I The second questions would be. DO
its actual purposes correspond with
it's published statement of purposes"
TO this, DR.. Knight said that during
all The changes of The last so years.
the Little Wanderers Home had
chung tnnaciouslN TO the original pur-
pose Of the organization, to give a
fighting chance to the children OF
New England and had done this for
upwards Of 15.600 children. 1t is TAX
ing care of 500 children during the
current yeaF in a manner true to its
Il, clared purposes.
Third. Has ii the equipment neces-
sary to carry out it's purposes" DR..
Knight said that probably no organ
i1ation in the country pays more
careful attention TO the matter Of
equipment. The personnel of active
workers is carefully safeguarded
Every worker by training and eXpe-
ricnce is adapted 10 the work in
hand. There are both men and wo-
men on tho staff, which gives an OPP
portunity to deal with the older boy
problem, which would be iii fficult were
there only women on the staff. TIA
study home in Boston is the first Of
it's kind in the country and maintains
it's high ideals to this day.
What would be a Just character
ization of its spirit and method"
During all these years the Little
Wanderers Home has been kindly in
its work and in the latter years it has
been thoroughly modern and scien-
4 -, t,.,l -
to an organization" said DR.. Knight,
II would not contribute one cent TO
an organiZati ton which never learned
anything. whose management prides
itself on doing the same things it did
years ago. a certain amount of con-
servatism in the mana cement Of at
fairs means sanity: another type of
conservatism means death"
rs the financial side of the work
of the institution on sound bust
ness basis? To this Dr. knight
said that the Little Wanderers Home
is not niggardly. 1t pays its staff
generously. but it demands on the
part of the staff. efficiency and 10y
atty Every dollar is made to do a
full dollars work and no more. The
central board of managers and the
various local boards and branches
arcc hosen with direct reference to
character. altruism and sound bust
ness sense.
DR.. Knight further said that no
dollar of the endowment of the in
stitution was ever lost through a bad
investment. The accounts of the in
stitution are audited by a certified
ruhlic accountant. The society has