Evening star., 1941-06-12
u. ). 0. Drive Holds
Fate Of SeIectees'
Recreation Program
Volunteer Workers Are
Willing to Proceed. but
Funds Are Lacking

Multiply by a thousand the de-
tails that go into planning church
supper and you have some idea
why the District Defense Council
needs funds to carry out its recre-
alton services for the boys in
uniform.
In increasing numbers, Washing
ton citizens are volunteering their
services for the Defense Council
program. Under the Councils Com
mittee on Welfare and Consumer
Interest are dozen subcommittee
to work out the program.
But there are thousands of de-
tails to worry about, loose ends TO
be tied, arrangements to be carried
out. On money loaned from bank,
on volunteer and loaned services,
these details have been handled.
The District Building Office where
the work has been done has been
run on an uncertain shoestring.
For these recreation services,
everything depends on the success
of the United Service Organizations
campaign. Volunteer solicitors are
going from door to door, from Office
to Office now to raise $3.50 900.
Washington's share in the national
campaign. OF that total, s145 900
will 90 to the national goal. The
remaining sl05,0OO will be divided
locally among nine agencies. One
of them is the District Defense
Council.
The Proposed Program.
Here is what the subcommittee
under the Committee on Welfare
and Consumer Interest have done
and want to do:
Each week, 1,200 dance hostesses
are sent to nearby camps. Some
camps have standing orders for
100 or more girls for certain night
each week. Others call the District
Building and ask for anywhere from
so to 300 girls.
The Army prefers to keep its men
on the reservations and the men
like to dance. Expectations are that
before long the number of dancers
requested weekly will increase to
1000 girls.
The girls must be notified. Ar
rangements must be made for
chaperons, for transportation. De-
tails must be ironed out with the
camps.
Then there is the colored pro-
gram at Fort Belvoir. The colored
soldiers are being encouraged to
stay in camp. To do that, the
colored committee is sending a pro-
gram to the camp every night in the
week. There is talent night, COM
munity singing, socials, boxing,
variety shows. dances. On the
Fourth of July, the committee will
stage a track meet for the boys.
Serious Housing Problem.
One of the most serious problems
to be faced by the Committee on
Consumer and Welfare Interest was
housing. Officials say the need has
been met. The Welfare and Recre-
alton Association agreed to equip
and operate lodgings for boys on
week end leave. At the George
Washington University gymnasium
and at Banneker Recreation Center
about 800 men are being cared
for each week. If it is needed, the
tourist camp pavilion in Potomac
Park will be put to use July /.
Within the next few weeks, the
committee will set up an information
booth at the point of the triangle
where E street runs into Pennsyl-
| vania avenue NV. The w. P. A.
is building it and training a staff
of volunteers to run it. There a man
in uniform can find out where he
will get place to sleep, where he
can take his mother for a chat,
| where he can check his baggage,
what dances and games are going
on, and anything else he wants to
know.
Other subcommittee judge en-
tertainment before it goes into the
camps, arrange athletic events be-
tween the camps and local teams,
line up entertainers, work with the
churches and the armed forces and
do a dozen other jobs. all of which
have their hundreds of details.
Plans for Service Club.
Awaiting the results of the u S. o.
campaign are plans for service club
for men in uniform. Equipping it,
providing supervision and janitorial
service cannot be done unless the
campaign is successful. The COM
mittee is hoping that much will be
donated in the way of equipment