Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1953-03-26
County USO
Must Reduce
Operations

The USO in Montgomery
County is one of the many U.S.O.
operations throughout the coun-
try which have been notified that
budget cuts have been made
necessary because of the failure
of the United Defense Fund to
meet it's goal of $15,000,000 in its
drive for funds last fall, it was
announced today by Frederick M.
Kerby, Chairman of the local
U.S.O. Operating Committee.
After May /, funds allocated to
USO work here will be limited
to 300 of the former budget.
AS result of curtailment of
funds, the local USO has closed its
office, formerly located in the
Bethesda Y-Cottage, 4911 Moor
land Lane, and will be administered
through the office of the USO-
Penthouse, in the Washington
YWCA. This plan will make pos
sible the services of a part-time
professional staff worker as part
of a decentralized USO program
operated from the USO-Penthouse.
The Montgomery County USO
will continue to operate USO pro-
grams at the Bethesda Y-Cottage,
on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from
to IL pm; and at the Silver
Spring Y-Cottage, Jesup Blair
Park, on Tuesdays and Thursdays,
from 1880 pm. to II pm. and
Sunday from a to II pm.
Also to be continued will be
the USO dances at the Glenbrook
Club on the second and fourth
Saturdays of each month, the par
ticipation by USO Union Hostesses
in Ward Parties and Troop Com
mand dances at National Naval
Medical Center and Walter Reed
Army Medical Center, and the
Tuesday suppers for patients from
the military hospitals at both USO
clubs.
The USO will also continue
many of the special events such
as picnics, fishing trips, and other
activities which do not require the
expenditure of organization funds.
Formerly, the USO of Mont
gomery County had the services of
two professional workers, and a
part-time secretary. About 500
of the former budget was expended
for salaries, and for other admin
strative costs, inc ludi ing the
amount paid to the YWCA of
Montgomery County for use of it's
facilities at the Bethesda and
Silver Spring Y-Cottages. 1t is
these administrative costs that will
now be eliminated by having the
USO operated from the USO-
Penthouse.
No change will be made in the
amount paid to the YWCA until
May 1, but an immediate cut in
staff has made it necessary to cur
tail the program as quickly as
possible.
Since it is the USO policy to
make a charge whenever possible
for such items as dances, meals,
coffee, and other program ex-
penses, only a small part of the
budget had been allocated for this
purpose. In Bethesda, however,
the USO had formerly maintained
a drop-in center for servicemen,
and had been open from A to
IL pm. every night except Friday
and Saturday, and from 10 am. to
pm. on Saturdays and Sundays.
Many USO volunteers have
offered their services to the
YWCA to help keep the Bethesda
Y Cottage open under YWCA
auspices for similar center, and
it is believed that many facilities
formerly offered servicemen by
USO will continue to be offered
by the Montgomery County
YWCA.
USO volunteers have also agreed
to work with the Service Wives
Club and nursery for preschool
children, which meets Wednesday
afternoons, and the regular Sun
day night suppers, until the YWCA
is able to make plans concerning
these programs formerly under
USO auspices.