Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1931-10-23
Letter From DR.. Bird.
John Poole, Esq. President. Washington
Community Chest. 22S Investment
R,,iIdind Washindton. d. C..


Director, Mr.. William j. Plunkert. Of the
Washing ton Community Chest, recently laid
before the Executive Secretary of the
MONTGOMERY County Social Service League
the SUGGESTION that the League become a
member of the Washington Community
Chest. The members Of the Executive
Committee of the League have given extern
sive consideration to that suggestion. The
SUGGESTION, as we understand it, is not a
request from your organization that the
League Join the Chest. 1t is rather sue-
gestion that if the League expressed a
willingness to join. your board would
appoint committee to confer with repre-
sentatives of the League on details OF the
matter. and that your board would there
after take such action as it deemed advis-
able.
In order to facilitate consideration of
the suggestion presented by your Assistant
Director, our board of directors appointed
special committee. That committee held
several meetings. The first Of these meet
ings was attended by your Assistant
Director. Mr.. Plunkert. He discussed the
suggestion at considerable length with
members of the committee. and gave the
committee the benefit of such information
on the matter as he had available. We
ance.
We understand from Mr.. Plunkert that
the present SUGGESTION that the League
become a member of the Washington
Community Chest rises out of certain COM
plants of residents of Montgomery County
and other suburban counties in Maryland
and Virginia. These complaints are to the
effect that, while residents Of the counties
have been solicited to contribute and have
contributed In the past to the Washington
Community Chest, the member 0rganiza-
tons of the Chest have not, to cores
bonding decree, rendered services to the
residents of Montgomery County and other
suburban counties. take 1t that your
organization is of the opinion that this
criticism will be considerably lessened. SO
far as residents Of Montgomery County are
concerned. if the League became member
of the Washington Community Chest and
thereby a direct beneficiary Of the contri-
buttons made to the Chest.
Mr.. Plunkert in his appearance before
our special committee set forth fully the
considerable amount Of hospital services
being furnished by District OF Columbia
hospitals. members of the Washington
Community Chest. to Montgomery County
patients. OF course it is quite true, even
in the case of pay patients Goth private
patients and those paid for by the Board
of Commissioners of Montgomery County,
that Just as in the case of District of Column
bia patients. the amount paid for hospital
services does not fully compensate the
hospital for the services rendered, the
deficit being made up by the Washington
Community Chest. AS we understand it.
however, Mr.. Plunkert agreed with the
members of our committee that unques-
tionably the amount contributed annually
by residents of Montgomery County to the
Washington Community Chest is greatly in
excess of the amount OF services rendered
to residents of Montgomery County by
member ORGANIZATIONS of the Chest. Beyond
all doubt Montgomery County is now fully
paying its own way so far as the Washing
ton Community Chest is concerned. Mont.
gomery County residents have res pended
literally to the Chests annual drive for
funds, both through contributions from their
offices in Washington and as the result Of
solicitations by mail or by person at
their homes in the suburban portion of the
County.
In considering the suggestion made
by your Assistant Director. our Executive
Committee has attempted to view the
problem from the broad standpoint of the
best means of developing and maintaining
the social welfare work of the Greater WASH
ington Area and Of Montgomery County.
One of the advantages suggested. If the
League became member of the Washing
ton Community Chest. is that the League
would be relieved of the burden of conduct
ing an annual campaign for contributions.
Further. residents of the county would
thereby be relieved of contributing twice
to social welfare work, once to the Wash
ington Community Chest and once to the
Social Service League. However, il seems
very doubtful to us whether single cam
paign for the Washington Community Chest
would raise an amount equal to that raised
by the two campaigns for funds. as at
pre- sent. II tbs doubt proved correct.
| assuming that the Social Service Leagues
present annual budget were not decreased
should it become member of the Wash
ington Community Chest. it would mean
that the present member organizations of
the Chest would have less funds available
from contributions by Montgomery County
residents than at present. Such result
would not be in furtherance of the social
welfare work of the District OF Columbia
members of the Chest.
From the Montgomery County standpoint.
it is doubtful also whether substitution OF
single campaign by the Washington
Community Chest would be advantageous.
In the first place. the Greater Washington's
Area covered by the Washington Commu-
nifty Chest Includes only the lower or
suburban portion of the County. 1t would
still be necessary for the Leagu TO conduct
an annual campaign for contributions from
the residents of the large area of the upper
County. Again. while the campaign of the
! Washington Community Chest would be
conducted in the name of the Chest in the
suburban portion of the County and under
the supervision and leadership of the Chest.
doubtless the detailed work of actual
solicitation would still continue to fall upon
the shoulders of the officers and members
Oft the League who now conduct the Leagues
annual drive for funds. Practically the
energies of many Of the Leagues officers
and members would despite the member
ship of the League in the Chest, continue
to be taken up with problems OF obtaining
funds.
Further, that our Executive Committee
believes this to be a matter of the highest
importance, we feel that the single united
campaign for funds as conducted by the
community chests Of many cities of the
country has one serious defect. The organi-
cations constituting the members Of the
chest lose their direct contact with the
public and the public support and interest
that exists when an organization maintains
its own membership and lays its own case
directly before the public. This difficulty
does not now exist with respect to the
Montgomery Comfy Social Service League.
Under its charter. its membership is COM
posed of all those who, during the course
of the year. contribute one $l00 or more
to the League. The members elect the
board of directors that govern the activities
of the League. Contact with these members
is matained and their interest stimulated
throughout the County by the Leagues an
nua drive for funds and by personal com
munication, both oral and in writing. and by
publicity devoted exclusively to the League s
affairs in connection with the drive. 1t is
believed that much Of this public spirit and
interest would be lost to the League should
the League not conduct its own drive for
fonda Moraover ~ reaidanfa 0f the County