, 1924-04-17
WYOMING MEN
ATTEND DENVER
LEGION MEET

Hon. Marshall S. Reynolds, COM
mander OF the American Legion De-
Dartment of Wyoming. and Z. H.
Chambers department adjutant, weT q
In Fenver last week attending a dis
trict conference at which the Legion
program for the care of cverv child
OF a deceased ex-service man was dis
cussed
George A. Withers Is the chairman
OF the Welfare Committee which has
this program in charge and during
been accomplished.
At the Denve meeting, which
opened last Monday, Legion leaders
from Wyoming and Colorado we're
present and the National Welfare
Committee vas assured OF the hearty
support OF the Legion In these two
states In Its program.
The Denver Post carried the fol-
lowing account of the work being
done by this committee as explained
by the chairman:
The program Of this welfare COM
mittee includes care for every child
of ex-soldiers deprived of their par
ents' care by sickness or death. With
ers told the conference. 1t was Of
ficially authorized at the last nation
al convention of the American Lee
gion, and since that time has cared
for 1.600 children.
Child conservation is the key
note of the program Withers said.
The legion recognizes as one of its
great responsibilities the care Of the
children OF former buddies. In many
cases the father or mother. or both.
are dead. In others the father is
RaTInng1v Ill frn~ diSu hitiffaJ NON
tracted in service. There Is some pro-
vision for the care of all such child
rem.
1--WE have adopted three classes of
service. The first Is where the
mother Is widowed. or the father too
Ill to work. In these cases we ex-
tend aid to the mother. obtaining Cor
her a mothers pension or other A.
nanciai assistance. In order that she
may keep her family intact. The sec
ond class Is where We find homes,
either by adoption or otherwise. for
such orphaned or dependent children.
THE last form of care we are Just
getting under way-the national To-
gion homes for children. At Otter
Lake, Mich. the first OF these has
been established. and Its success has
been remarkable. The Legion is
planning o. of these. and ultimate
ly there will % six of these homes
In various parts of the country.
In the Otter Lake home we have
departed radically from the ordinary
children's home or asylum idea. II
Is not the committees plan to make
these institutions such a type OF
home. We desire to have these I'M
fortunate children grow up as ordi-
nary young Americans. In close touch
with everyday life. suffering In no
way from being deprived OF their par
ents' care.
AT this Childrcn's Billet. as II Is
called. the children attend the cen
tralized public school at the Lake.
and there associate daily with the
more fortunate youngsters living in
their own homes. This keeps them
from falling into the Idea that they
are INSTITUTIONAL children. They
live under tho family group princi-
pal. each unit OF several children
having thier " little cottage home.
whore their life Is patterned AS much
as possible no what life with their
parents would have been like. There
IL also a farm attached to h billet.
and In addition. vocational work II
taught tho older students. These
sIilots viii he primarily FOR the child
rem too old for adoption. After car
ing for all OF the children OF cx-
soldiers we will. Cooperate with
every other national child welfare
agency In tho general work OF this
type. We nrc extending such co..
operation already.