24 Dec. 1943 The News Letter USCNB Supplement No. 12—1943-44 Service to War Prisoners Rotary clubs in many centers are cooperating with committees of the Y.M.C.A..which serve prisoners of war in all countries, supplying im- plements to meet leisure time needs such as textbooks, athletic equip- ment, musical instruments, etc., hoping to build morale and lessen administrative problems. The men served in this way are both Allied prisoners in Axis coun- tries and Axis prisoners in Allied countries. The results of this service may help also to solve some of the perplexing problems which will con- front the United Nations when the war is won. Rotary clubs which are in com- munities near prison camps and interested in the possibilities in such work, will undoubtedly be able to secure information from their local Y.M.C.A., or by writing to: Y.M.C.A., Prisoners of War, 347 Madison Ave- nue, New York, N. Y. Swine and Calf Clubs The boys’ swine club, organized by the Rotary Club of Weyburn, Sask., Canada, has proved a very success- ful youth service activity. The boys, organized into three clubs, were “adopted” by the Rotarians. 35 pure bred sows were purchased by the club at $40.00 each and each boy paid $5.00 for one of the animals, giving his note for $35.00 to the bank. The note was guaranteed by the boy’s sponsor. The sows were cared for and bred ' at.a farm, which is run in connec- tion with the government mental hospital, and at the proper time delivered to the boy owners. The boys met in their clubs each month where they received instructions on how to care for the animals. The litters averaged seven pigs. Seventy young boars were sold at auction, bringing an average of $39.50 each, which enabled the boys to redeem their notes. The rest of the proceeds and the remaining pigs were then the property of the boys. Weyburn Rotarians feel that the project has shown a good financial return, has given the boys good experience, and will encourage some to go into the hog-raising business. The club is now engaged in the organization of a calf club. Twenty. calves have been purchased for $980 and distributed among several boys’ and. girls’ calf clubs on a plan simi- lar to the swine club. The calves will — ‘be shown at the fair next summer and sold. Whe PL Poctitles for Piishiap Employment One of these days the bells will ring and the whistles will blow again as they did on November 11, 1918. We will rush out into the streets and throw our hats into the air—but will we be able to say to our boys—““Come on home. Come home to the community that you loved so well. We have a job waiting for each-and every one of you?” They are going to be a group of disappointed and disillusioned young men if they come back to the home of which they have been dreaming and find that a grateful people offer them only an opportunity to live on government dole because there is a “no help wanted” sign on our door. Such a sign will be an invi- tation to the politician to provide futile legislation. We cannot—we must not—let that happen! _ Postwar planning for employment is not something that need be left to the gov- ernment alone. It is not a problem that can be solved by the large industrial organ- izations. Unemployment is directly a local matter. Practically all of the employment - can be handled right in your own com- munities—provided that all employers, in- cluding professional men, farmers and even the individual home owner, are ready with their plans when the “Go ahead” signal is given. : That is the thought behind the Work Pile Plan which has been accepted by the Memorial Books The Rotary Club of Galveston, Texas, on the passing of a member, instead of sending flowers, places a memorial book in the city library with a suitable inscription on the inside page or fly-leaf. A letter is sent to the family expressing con- dolence and explaining the action. The club feels that this is appre- ciated far more than the flowers and lasts almost indefinitely. They Do Their Own Cooking Sugarcreek (Ohio) Rotarians do the cooking for the members at the club’s weekly evening meetings, three Rotarians serving each week. As proof of the Rotarians’ culinary ability—all 24 members attended every meeting during the month of October! For the Individual Rotarian Vocational Service is a matter for the individual Rotarian. It is the only full- time activity a Rotarian has in his capacity as a Rotarian. It cannot be done by proxy. A committee cannot do more than inter- est, encourage and point the way along which vocational service might travel. —Arthur Mortimer Representative Dist. No. 13 Rotary clubs as our number one objective — for the year. There is nothing mysterious nor complicated about the Work Pile. It is merely a plan through which you can find and record jobs of all kinds in your com- munity, which will become available when the war ends. It is an accumulation of prearranged work in factory, store, farm, office, and other places to insure that every worker who needs a job will have some- thing constructive to do. All surveys indi- cate the certainty of a period of economic hesitancy immediately after the war. Th2 Work Pile is merely the Shock Absorber which will enable us to withstand the im- pact without damage to ° our economic system. Rotary claims no credit. for originating this activity. We do not offer it as a program for Rotarians exclusively within the community. Our only interest is to see that the job is done in every com- munity so that we will be ready for that day of victory when it arrives. ge President, Rotary International A Good Use for Old Costume Jewelry A National Service activity which is both novel and very helpful has been conducted with great success by the wives of the members of the Rotary Club of Altoona, Penna. They canvassed all their friends for cast- off costume jewelry which is sent to servicemen in the Pacific Islands and in Africa. The boys find these trinkets are much more valuable than money for getting merchan- dise and service from the natives, and have asked for more. A similar activity can be easily adopted by any club and a consider- able pile of “junk jewelry” gathered in, for every woman’s dresser drawer will yield some pieces that she would be happy to contribute. Don’t send the jewelry directly to the boys, but when it is collected mail it to: Chief Special Service Branch N.Y. Port of Embarkation Arsenal 64th St. & 2nd Avenue Brooklyn, New York The Field of Opportunity Rotary expects and encourages Rotarians to serve as individuals in whatever ways and places they find opportunity.