Evening star., 1947-03-13
Fairfax Chest
Asked 10 Limit
Aid 10 Agencies
Social Survey Advises
HoItine Funds to Units
Not Incorporated
By Robert c. RoIIinqs

NoUStt ~. NOiiu9S
A recommendation that the Fair
fax Community Chest discontinue
grants to all agencies except those
which are incorporated and have
responsible boards of directors,
heads the list of recommendations
made by the social survey report on
the organization and structure of
social work, released today.
Also released today are the reports
on adult education and on voca-
tional adjustment. The three are the
final sections of the survey which
also covered the fields of welfare,
corrections and recreation.
"The Chest has been aware for
many years of the fact that many
of the services it supports are rem
dered by committees and not by
well-organized, incorporated, social
welfare agencies. Attempts have
been made to crystalize such CON-
mittee projects into solid organiza-
tional forms, but to date there has
been, only limited success" the sur
very declares.
Agencies Should Meet Standard.
"As result, community funds are
being spent by committees which
have yet to mature into true social
agencies, established to meet known
needs, organized about well-de-
veloped written objectives, incor-
porated and responsible under the
law, with responsible boards of di-
rectorS for establishing policy, with
carefully outlined methods of work
geared to high standards and with
professional full time paid per-
sonnet"
Within the next year all agencies
which receive support should be re-
quired to meet the standards or
funds should not be granted except
on short-time emergency basis or
for demonstration purposes, the re-
port recommends.
The second recommendation re-
garding social work is that the Com
munity Chest develop a social PLAN
ming council within its own struc-
ture.
Reorganization in Order.
GAS first STEP" the report states,
"this should be a committee estab-
lished to plan the reorganization Of
the private and public welfare pro-
gram of the community. Its func-
tions. status and responsibilities
should as rapidly as possible become
OF as great or even greater impor-
tance than the Embarrassing and
fund administering aspects of the
Chest"
The planning council should be
responsible, in cooperation with
others, to plan, coordinate, and de-
velop the whole social welfare pro-
gram of the community and should
work closely with public agencies in
this connection, the report declares.
It's interests should be broader than
those encompassed in traditional
social work and should include such
related fields as adult education,
vocational adjustment and COUNSEL
ing, social legislation, race relation
and housing, according to the report.
There should be no further divi-
sion of Chest services along racial
and sectarian lines and no expan-
sion of the services so offered, the
report states. The report also asks
that private social agencies, sup
ported by a community wide fund
raising organization, account for
the services rendered as well as
funds spent.
Review Board Suggested.
Establishment of an appeals re-
view board, composed of outstand-
ing citizens representative of the
major interests of the community"
is recommended.
"Such board should develop
principles and machinery for the
review of all appeals for funds for
health and welfare purposes. This
should be done towards the end of
insuring the soundest possible in
vestment of voluntarily subscribed
funds for health and welfare. and
in order to protect the community
and all legitimate social and health
agencies independent of Chest
supporteO from waste, inefficiency,
unsound investments, misrepresen-
tation or fraud" the report asserts.
The survey points out that the
Chest has not accepted RESPONSE
bility for social welfare planning of
the private and public welfare pro-
grams" and that funds contributed
locally, although growing, are "far
behind the local financial needs of
the Chest supported agencies"
Council on Adult Education.
The report recommends that steps
be taken to set up a countrywide
committee or council on adult edu-
cation to assist In developing pro-
grams of adult et alton.
For vocational 1justment, de-
velopment of a consolidated in
formation and referral center at
some convenient location is recon-
mended.
This should not be the type Of
service which merely waits for peo-
pie to come and ask questions" the
report declares. I'm a community
which is as scattered and poorly re-
lated as this county, it would be
necessary to use various school and
community newspapers regularly to
educate people to the use of the
service and to recent developments.