Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-22

| Community" is the next word in
our good combination. Sometimes
those OF us who live here show a tend
| ency to forget about the community
part OF our everyday life. There are
those who say that Washington is an
untriendly city. They charge that
friends seldom call on friends, unless
orloge is TO be played, or something is
offered to eat. Members of Congress
have been known to exclaim that the
citizens of this District OF Columbia
seem to have difficult time agreeing
among themselves as to Just what they
do want from Congress.
These charges have been made and
answered elsewhere; what remains to
be said, In our present connection, is
that there not only is a whoIesc me
community spirit existing in Washing
ton, but that it is growing stronger
every year. When the long toll of the
decades is told, in some far distant time,
let no one be surprised If the organi-
cation known as the Washington COM
munity Chest, and what it stands for
shall not be given q great deal of credit
for Strengthening and solidifying this
wholesome sentiment of community
spirit.
Sometimes the Organization" end OF
any organization tends to llnger too
long IN the mind, creating DOUBT, sus-
plclon. But some OF us know OF men
who have given hours OF their time
sitting in what would be stutfy meet
lngS, II 1t were not for the genuine
spirit of service which animated them
We have seen ccnsecrated men and
women doing ChriSts work in the world
of today, and doing it in our COM
munity, not in some lar place, but right
here where we live. That is what
Community" means.
X X ~
Chest" 1t seems to us, is the word
which contains the active allure. There
must be, in all things, an active kind of
allurement, no matter how good, how
noble, an object may be.
Girls have their hope chests, In
which womanly hopes are set forth
years in advance. The word chest
usually includes the idea of some sort
of treasure, whether monetary, physical,
mental or spiritual.
A chest which is built on the Wash
ington community, which springs from
it, and goes back to it again, is real
treasure chest, a real hope chest. 1t is
a treasure chest because it permits
every one of us, no matter how I'M
social we may be, as persons, to become
actively social through the agency of
others. To much stress, we believe,
has been placed on the fact that social
workers, of all types, must eat and live,
and have homes OF their own. Ger
tainly they muStl Surely the laborer Is
worthy of his hire.
Unity of purpose, addressed to neceS-
sary social work, in order to help make
Washington a fit city for us all to live
in, is what is secured by the gathering
of the Community Chest. One has only
to stop and think a moment of a man
sitting at home, listening to his radio,
or reading book, to realize that there
is nothing social about that. That is
individualism, right enough in its way
Social thinking and acting, toward
worthy ends, is not the aim Of many
of us. nor have most of us the oppor-
tunity. About our sole opportunity is
this Washington Community Chest
Here we may step out of our little
selves, for once, and become a part of
something which addresses itself to
helping others in a city-wide way. No,
social work Is not perfect, butt few
things are, in this world; 1t Is perfect
enough, and its intent is high enough,
to merit our active support. Let us
forget about a bit of high pressure -
which, after all, is blood pressure from
the heart, in the interest Of the poor.
the downtrodden and the helpless. Don't
be offended If some one tries to argue
with you about the Community Chest.
1t Is worth arguing for, and giving to.
Put yourself in 1t, and see how good
1t makes you feel.