Evening star., 1923-07-15
MANY BENEFITED
BY SOCIAL LEAGUE
montgomery County 0rgani.
= cation Has Been Real
Y Agency for Good.
special Dispatch to The Star.

ROCKVILLE, Nd, July 14.-Prob-
ably no organization has ever ex-
listed In Montgomery county that has
been an agency for more real good
than the Montgomery County Social
service League. Prompted by mo-
tives entirely unselfsh, its activities
are wide in scope and embrace vir-
Hally everything that ends to relieve
suffering. protect the weak, assist
the needy and uplift humanity gen.
orally.
The organization owes it's begin
ming to little band of women who
something like fifteen or sixteen years
ago were members of Bible class of
the Rockville Presbyterian Sunday
school. They are all still living in
brewer. Mrs. Henry ]. Finley. Mrs.
Laura Higgins. Mrs. Belle Mason, Miss
Lucy Simpson, Mrs. Edwin Smith and
MRS. Mary A. Spencer.
County Home Work Inspires.
The members of this class were in
the habit of visiting the County
Home, near Rockville. where they
conducted religious exercises, pro-
viding comfortable clothing and did
many other things to make more
bearable the monotonous lives of the
unfortunate inmates. This work led
these good women to feel that what
they were doing at the County Home
was doubtless needed elsewhere in
the county and that there should be
a permanent organization to prose-
cute such work. The organization,
In 1908, of the Social Service League
was the result.
At first it was an uphill fight to
p, get the people interested as is true of
TnoSt innovations, but the organiZa-
tlon finally got going and in 1913 had
assumed such Importance that incor-
poratton was deemed advisable. Since
then the activities and accomplish
apd rapidly increased until today 1t is
a firmly established wide-awake,
businesslike organization that is not
only proving boon to many needy
individuals but Is benefting society
at large.
The report of Miss Elizabeth. L.
Spamer, social director, of it's ac-
ttvfties during the month of June
IS doing. The organization, by the
way, is regarded as particularly for
tunate in having the services of this
young woman. A recognized expert
be the personification of industry and
ful OF enthusiasm for her arduous
task, which she performs in a cheer
ful and thoroughly bustnesslike man
ner. 1t has finally been realized, how
evfr, that her manifold duties, al
though willingly discharged, are prov
ing too great a. tax on her strength
and steps have been taken to provide
her with an assistant.
Many Given Aid
The report referred to shows that
during the period indicated Miss
Spamer worked on So cases of vari-
Gus kinds 13 of which were closed;
supervised 13 dependent children, 6
Of them wards of the uvenile court
In foster homes; looked after Z de-
pendent children. one ward of the
Juvenile court, that are being cared
for in boarding houses; worked with
,3S families and 81 children in their
homes, of the latter being wards
of the Juvenile court; held SO office
interviews, paid 139 visits and an
swertng fnnumerable inquiries.
Miss Spamer is also county pro-
baton officer and as such devotes a
gdod deal of time and work to ju-
venile court cases.
The leagues public health nurse
is Miss Hermne Badenhoop. AL
though she has been in charge of
such work in this county but few
months. she has demonstrated her
capability and is said to be main
tanning the high standards of indus
try and efficiency established by her
,several predecessors. Miss Baden
op's services are free to rich and
poor alike, but those who avail
themselves of her help and are able
to do SO generally contribute some
thlns toward the expenses of the
league.
Family-ChiId Welfare Work.
The family welfare and child well
fsEe departments are also important
branches of the leagues work The
former is in charge of Miss Martha
S. Poole, and the latter is directed
by Mrs w. Ernest Offutt. Neither
said to be much interested in their
work and put in many busy hours
"helping those who cannot help
themselves"
For the last several years the
league has maintained five portable
houses. They are in charge of the
county nurse, are in use virtually all
the time and prove a great conven-
ience in caring for persons affected
/ith tuberculosis. in addition to mini
mizing the danger of spreading the
disease.
All this, of course, requires money,
the estimate for the year beginning
July 1 being approximately $4,000.
The principal items Of the expense
budget are: Salaries. $4,000; trans
poftation, $1,000; hild-placing fund.
fund. 5000; printing. s125; office rent,
$500; telephone, s120; substitute
workers, 500.
The organization has a fixed annual
income Of s2,25O. OF this, 5000 comes
from the county commissioners to
pay the salary of the probation off,
Ger, $500 is realized from the sale
of Christmas seals. $3.50 is contrib
uted by the Maryland Children's s Aid
Society toward the childplacing
fund and 5000 is received in inter-
est on invested funds.
The invested money represents two
legacies-one of $4,000 and the other
of s500--to which the league has
fallen heir in recent years.
Membership Drive On.
Organizations and individuals are
relied upon to supply the remainder
of the necessary funds Most of these
contributions are in the form of
membership fees and range from 81
to 500, according to the character Of
the membership. A membership
drive Is now on and is progressing
fairly satisfactorily. In Rockville
acquisition of 800 members. with
prospects of materially increasing the
number. If the other sections of the
county do as well. sufficient funds to
run the league during the current
year probably will be. forthcoming.
of the affairs of the organization.
DR.. Jacob w. Bird. head of the Mont
gomery County General Hospital, at
Sandy Spring. is president. and Mrs.
Henry J. Finley of Washington and
Rockville. long a tireless worker In
president. The other officers are:
First vice president, Rev. James
Kirkpatrick: second vice president,
Joseph T. MCGUIRE; secretary, Miss
Esteiie Moore; treasurer, Mrs. Milton
H. Bancroft.
The chairmen of the various COM
mittees are: County institutions. Rev.
Nolan B. Harmon, jr.; publicity. Mrs.