The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-10-22
THE DIRECTORS REPORT.

THE DIRECTORS REPORT.
The Bureau of Catholic Charities
was organized on August IL, 1920, and.
began to function on the first day OF
incorporated on the fifteenth day OF
February, 1921. Its objects and its
aims are set forth as follows:
THE general purpose of this corpo-
ration shall be the Capitalization and
coordination of all Catholic charities
in the City of ST. Paul and the doing
and performing of all other things and
the transacting of all other business
that social and charitable corporations
organized pursuant to Chapter So Of
the Revised Laws of Minnesota for
1905 and all laws amendatory thereof
and supplementary thereto may do,
perform, or transact.
"The plan of operation of this cor
poration shall be to act as the central
coordinative and administrative agen-
cy and representative for all pur-
poses of various Catholic Charitable
ORGANIZATIONS Article /, Articles of
Incorporation.
The plan as outlined in these Art
.icles of Incorporation was not so easi-
ly reduced to a practical working
basis. The problem of determining
the relationship between the Bureau
and the organizations in the field
prior to it's inception was not an easy
one. These agencies, through their
ho1
administering relief and doing welfare
work in practically all of it's different
phases. Needless to say that without
the aid of a central I'D * aEstsrr 8 house
there was considerable overlapping
and reduplication of effort, but after
the Bureau pointed out specific in
stances of this the difficulty was soon
cleared up. Now every case is first
reported to the central office and from
there it is assigned to the department
or agency equipped to handle it. A
second obstacle to be overcome wa:
the fear of these organizations tha
if the Bureau operated in accordance
with the plan as outlined it would take
over their work and they would cease
to function as individual units. Blu
it proved to be quite the contrary
Each organization is now workinl
more successfully in its own fielt
through the assistance given it by th'
paid workers of the Bureau.
Location and Office Administration
Our agency is especially indebte'
to the Amherst H. Wilder Charity Ao
ministration, through whose genel
osity and kindness four large offic
rooms furnished with light and hea
in the Amherst H. Wilder Charit
Building have been turned over to u
for executive purposes. In this built
ing all the charitable agencies of tn
city are housed, thus rendering CT
operation among them easier. TIL
details of equipping the offices OF tn
Catholic Charities with furniture an
forms and establishing a system {
case records, together with directin
cases through their proper channel
in the beginning, were handled by or
paid assistant, whose training in cas-
work and practical experience in tt
field of social service has we'll fitte
her for the task The cases wei
handled through two department
namely: Service and Relief and "
department of Juvenile Court wor
But as the volume of work increase
and became more complex, it WI
necessary to take on additional wor
ers and to subdivide these two depa1
ments. The Service and Relief d
nf
employment and the Juvenile Cou
Department pressed the demand +
Child Placing and Community WoI
With a view toward meeting the
needs the following departments we
established with Director in char
of each: General Administration [
partment; Registration and Emrtt
ment Department; Service and Rel
Department; Juvenile Court Work I
partment; Community Work Depa
ment; Child Placing Department
General Administration Departme
All matters of policy are, referred
this Department. 1t also decides up
the transfer of cases from one
partment to another.
Registration and Employment Deps
nient.
All cases are first referred to t
department Here the first intervie
are made. The cases are then clear
through the Confidential Exchar
and referred to the Administration
partment, from which they are ASST
ed to the department equipped
handle them Problems of unempl
ment are also dealt with.
Service and Relief Department.
The Bureau administers rel
when necessary, but more especia
does it aim at preventing the eau
of poverty by applying the requi
remedy. We cannot hope to prev