Evening star., 1956-12-16
Continued From First Page

unteers has been apparent since
1851. 1t has been especially acute
In northern cities and in large
industrial centers. In smaller
towns and In the suburbs Of
metropolitan areas, 1t has not
been felt SO keenly.
Where has the Vanishing
Volunteer" gone? The National
Association of Volunteer Bureaus,
in study of the situation, finds
flour principal causes for the dis
appearance of volunteers:
!. The greater number Of
women in part-time and full
time jobs. With a paying posi-
tion to occupy them. many
women have given up volun-
teering.
Q. Earlier marriages. Both men
and women, the report says, are
marrying younger. Concerned
with raising their own families,
they have less time for volunteer
work.
8. Rising birth rate. Children
keep parents tied to their own
homes.
4. Growing interest in cultural
activities. such as voters leagues,
international affairs, art, garden
clubs.
New Approaches Suggested
The associated suggests that
volunteer bureaus try these new
approaches:
i. Try to interest groups,
rather than individuals. in volun-
teer work. Military wives clubs,
bridge clubs. golden age" clubs
and college groups can supply
more volunteers for community
work. A club can take over re-
Sponsibility for an entire project.
2. Persuade community agen-
eies to take older and younger
volunteers than they have In the
past.
3. Try to get agencies to
schedule work for evenings and
week ends. when more working
persons will be free. Daytime
volunteer jobs are by far the
hardest to I'LL.
4. Seek volunteer jobs closer to
the neighborhood in which a po-
tential worker lives. With the
growth Of outlying suburbs. this
approach offers little help to
agencies in the central district.
s The end Of World War II was
the turning point for volunteer
work During the war years, the
national crisis lent a drama to
group effort which has since
disappeared. People were eager
to enlist in community enter
prises.
The Drama Disappeared
So many volunteers we're avail
able that hospitals, the Red
Cross. social service agencies and
other institutions put them to
work in some jobs formerly held
by professionals and in some
Jobs that were wholly new.
With the end of the war. how
ever, the obvious drama disap-
~peared and volunteers began
J, dropping of. At the same time,
institutional demands for their
services continued or increased.
. -Four or five years ago. the bal!
! ance point was passed, where
; demand outstripped supply.
Mrs. Huhbell. who is in touch
: with the volunteer situation
throughout the Washington area,
feels that the loss of wartime
drama is not the only answer.
She believes that a social revolu-
tion lies at the basis Of the
. change.
THE leisure class is disap-
pearing." she says. I'VE used to
get finishing school graduates.
who we're looking for something
useful to do with their time. Now
that class has been replaced by
the college graduate who has
professional training and wants
q full-time paying job"
Lady bountiful isn't with us
any more" she says. Sons and
daughters Of wealthy families
are cut loose when they grow up.
When they marry, they have to
start from scratch. can't afford
q maid and have to give all their
time to their families"
people Don't Feel Secure"
: The world picture is respon-
sible too. Mrs. Hubbell feels.
"The situation is so unsettling, "
she says, that people don't feel
secure. They have to feel secure
to volunteer If you're worried
about your family. you won't be
out looking around for something
else to do"
In the suburbs. the picture is
somewhat different. Mrs. Herbert
Whitehead is director Of the
Volunteer Referral Bureau Of
Montgomery County, the largest
suburban agency. She says find
ing willing volunteers has not yet
become her chief problem.
Her biggest difficulty is trans
portation. There are enough
women whose children have
grown up, or who can afford a