The Wilmington morning star., 1947-01-15

the last annual meeting was the
establishment of a Domestic Re-
lations Court and the consolidation
with it OF the present city and
county Juvenile courts. The Rev
erend Mortimer Glover was APP
pointed chairman of a special com
mittee to further this project.
In 1929 our state legislature en-
acted a lew to establish domestic
relations courts in cities or counties
with more than 25, 1000 population.
For reasons now obscure, New
Hanover County was specifically
exempted from the provisions of
this act. Since the removal of this
legal obstruction had to wait until
the converting of the present legis-
lature, there was little to be done
during the first part of the year.
Early in December, conferences
were held with our newly elected
representatives in the state legis-
l%ature, to suggest that they present
a bill to amend the present state
law to include New Hanover
County, and to further other social
legislative needs. At their request,
your Board of Directors appeared
before the Board of County Com
missioners and the City Council
and secured resolutions endorsing
the Domestic Relations Court pro-
posal. The two bodies also instruct
ed their respective attorneys to
confer with our legislators on the
matter.
Community Centers
The Recreation Division, last
January, proposed that the city
purchase the two USO buildings
owned by the federal government,
and make them available to the
public and private recreation agen-
cies of the community. This recon-
mendation was received most ia
vorably by the City Council, and
negotiations were begun immed-
lately. The transaction was COM
pleted during the summer, and the
USO building on Orange Street was
re-opened as 4 Community Center
under the direction of the City Rec
reation Department. Arrangements
are now being made by the city
for the reopening of the USO build
ing on Nixon street IS a Negro
Community Center under the direc-
ton of the Shaw Boys Club.
The survey of the Associated
Charities, by the State Board of
Public Welfare in July 1915, had
recommended that the present staff
and the public assistance functions
Of that agency be transferred to
the County Welfare Department,
and that the agency, together with
the Community Chest, establish a
Family Service Society to provide
caseWork services for family prob
lens where the need is not primar-
lily financial assistance. When the
officers of the Associated Chair
ties formally notified the Com
munity Chest that they were I'M
able to carry out these recommen-
dations, the Directors Of the Chest
requested the Community Council
to organize a Family Service
Society as a new Red Feather ser
vice of the Chest.
Swinging Immediately into ac-
ton, your Board of Directors first
prepared a tentative list of out
standing citizens as candidates for
directors of the new agency, then
by ballot elected q persons to
form the new board. An organiza.
ton meeting was held of the new
board, which included representa-
tives of the Associated Charities,
American Red Cross, Community
Chest and Community Council; of.
ficers were elected, and the new
Family Service Society was estab-
lished. During the summer the
services of an executive secretary
were secured, and an office open
ed in September. Results to date
of this new service to the commu-
nifty have been most gratifying.
The need for a complete direc-
tory of all social services in the
community provided by both pri-
vate and governmental agencies
was pointed out by the members of
the Welfare Division. Committees
were appointed by each of the three
divisions tn collect tho data in thpir