ROTARY INTERNATIONAL

 

Work Pile News—

“It makes no difference who gets the credit so long as the work is done

21 January, 1944

In Davis, California —

—the Rotary club in connection
with its Work Pile activity is obtain-
ing through the records of the local
schools information on the educa-
tion and training each serviceman
had received prior to induction. The
club also checks on the occupation
of each at time of induction.

In Taylorville, Illinois —

—the Work Pile committee of the
Rotary club went before the direc-
tors of the Taylorville Association
of Commerce and obtained that
body’s agreement to handle the
Work Pile for the entire community.
The Association has appointed a
special committee for the purpose.

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In Indianola, lowa —

—the Rotary club has enlisted the
cooperation of the Lions Club in
planning and carrying through a
consumer survey which will cover
the entire county. Local men in the
service will be kept informed through
articles in the local papers.

In Lexington, Kentucky —

—a consumer survey check sheet
for the community is being devel-
oped by the Department of Com-
merce of the University of Kentucky
for use by the local Board of Com-
merce whose postwar planning com-
mittee is headed by a member of
the Rotary Club of Lexington.

In Baton Rouge, La. —

—the Chamber of Commerce has
selected a past president of the Ro-
tary club to be the general chairman
of its postwar planning council and
has decided to have a Work Pile sec-
tion. Survey check lists are in proc-
ess of preparation.

In Cohasset, Mass. —

—the Rotary club’s committee on
postwar planning has formed a
community-wide committee with
representation from 20 different lo-
cal organizations, to handle the
Work Pile and follow through with
all aid to returning servicemen.

Definite rules of procedure have
been drawn up and approved in form
of by-laws governing action of this
committee which is called “Cohasset
Veterans’ Service Committee.”

In Fairmont, Minnesota —

—where a Rotarian is chairman of
the local Committee for Economic
Development, postwar planning
work was begun over a year ago.
Rotarians have been active on the
steering committee which joined in
sponsoring a public meeting in the
high school auditorium at which
plans for the job survey of the city
were discussed and approved. Two
members of the 3-man committee
conducting the survey are Rotarians.
The results so far are encouraging.
It is planned to make a re-check
from time to time to keep the survey
up to date.

In Geneva, New York —

—the Rotary club invited the sec-
retary of the Chamber of Commerce
to attend a special club meeting on
the Work Pile, the president of the
Chamber being a member of the
club. The committee chairman, in
summing up, said that he would pre-
fer to work with the Chamber of
Commerce if there was assurance
that the Work Pile project would go
forward aggressively, but without
that assurance the Rotary club
would feel it necessary to set up a
committee to carry on the project.
The Chamber immediately appoint-
ed a full committee which has since
held weekly meetings. A public
meeting of citizens is scheduled to
bring the project before the general
public.

39

Supplemental to No. 5

In Fostoria, Ohio —

—Past Governor Fred Hopkins took
the lead in his newspaper in an
editorial “Fostoria Should Be Ready
When the Boys Come Home”. Among
the things he said. that led to the
holding of preliminary conferences
and eventually the appointment of
a city-wide committee was this:
“Fostorians must not sit back and —
wait for the end of the war to come,
and then flounder around for solu-
tions to the problems they will have
to face, or worse still, be forced
to accept tailor-made solutions of
theorists, in the postwar period”.

In St. Joseph, Missouri —

—the Rotary Club of the South Side
has already received 14 completed
Work Pile reports listing a total of
$20,160 worth of repairs on buildings
—work to be undertaken at the
cessation of hostilities “to keep
faith,” as the club says, “with de-
mobilized servicemen”.

In Ottawa, Canada —

—Rotarians regard employment as
the most important question of post-
war reconstruction. In a recent poll
of the club 66% named employment;
37% considered it possible to main-
tain the present volume of employ-
ment after the war; 34% regarded
it impossible; 29% gave conditional
answers. Only 66% said their pro-
fession or business had made plans
to absorb former employees; 14%
had plans with conditions attached.

In St. John’s, Nfld. —

—the Rotary club’s Work Pile com-
mittee induced the Newfoundland
Board of Trade to appoint a special
committee for planning activities in
the community.