SERVICE REPORT

The Mary McDowell Settlement

4630 South McDowell Avenue, Chicago, IL

October, 1961

 Community Area #61

Preface: The contents of this service report have been assembled by a new staff unfamiliar with the past internal operations of the agency. The new Executive Director assumed his responsibilities on September 5, 1961 without any carry-over of personnel from the former staff group. The information contained herein by-and-large represents the point of focus and direction as viewed by the new director and his staff—all of whom have been hired by him and in consultation with appropriate board members and/or committees.

A. Purpose and Objectives of the Agency “The purpose for which the corporation is formed is to provide a center for educational and philanthropic work and social services; to engage in and pursue such activities at such places and in such manner as may be necessary and desirable, not including the care of neglected and dependent children.”

Specifically, the current aims of the agency, as outlined by staff and approved by the Board of Directors is as follows:

1. To furnish social group work services to small groups of children, youth, adults and the aged. In addition, the agency will be prepared to consider the validity and necessity for providing specialized programs of intensive work with individuals in groups as necessary and when specific problems and needs are identified.
2. To provide “short term” individual and/or family assistance and counseling services. Basically, this service will be referral centered.
3. To provide educational services to adults of the community centering around family life and neighborhood living, and
4. To do community work with institutional and organizational representatives designed to coordinate existing services and programs for residents, to ascertain specific gaps in services to residents as these may exist, and to work cooperatively with these representatives filling these gaps in services.

The unique feature of the program and services to be developed and implemented in this new direction can be found not in any new purpose or objective, but rather, in the crystallization of those basic principles employed by the founders in the establishment of the settlement. It is hoped that uniqueness (from the operational viewpoint) may be found ultimately in:

1. The application of method used in the development of programs and services,
2. In the focus put upon specific services, and
3. In the attempt to be made by staff and board to validate the effectiveness of programs and services to be rendered.

B. Area Served

1. Historically, the area served by the agency has been identified as being bounded by Damen Street on the west, Morgan Street on the east, 43^rd Street on the north, and 51^st Street on the south.

This delineation of 180 square blocks represents 25% of the total of community area #61.

2. A number of churches in the wider community maintain recreational social programs for youth throughout the week using local parish halls and facilities. In addition, a well organized Day Nursery program is maintained for children at the Guardian Angel Day Nursery and Home for Girls which is located immediately north of the Settlement at 4600 South McDowell Avenue.

The Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council (4600 S. Ashland Avenue) functions as the principal coordinating agency for the “promotion of the general welfare of all residents” of the community and uses as its basic tool of operation, community organization methods.

C. Board of Directors The present Board of 37 persons includes four lawyers, six business men, three bankers and four educators among the men of the board. Among the women are an editor, a doctor, two business women, and a number of housewives. There is only one couple on the board, resulting from the appointment of the wife of a board member as the representative from one of our auxiliary groups. Our board members serve, as a practical matter, for as long as they remain interested and active. We have generally sought to avoid naming couples to the Board in order to get a broader and more diverse board membership.

We do not retain board members who are inactive (in the absence of special circumstances) and we are constantly searching for suitable new members. An active committee (Nominating Committee) is charged with receiving and sifting suggestions from our present board members. For a number of years we have had a luncheon or dinner in the spring and in the fall to which we invite prospective board members for a discussion of the settlement and a tour of the house. This is usually followed by an invitation to serve on the board.

There are a number of active board committees, the major ones being Program, Finance, Personnel, Camp, Nominating, Volunteers, Bargains Unlimited (our thrift shop) and Expansion of Service. We are attempting to rotate committee chairmanships and new chairmen have just been appointed for about half of these committees. The other half will serve under chairmen who were in office last year. The number of board members appointed to each committee varies from two on the Nominating Committee to six on the Program Committee.

The regular Board meetings are held nine times a year in Chicago. These meetings have been held at the Settlement House once a month, but it is contemplated to hold a number of the monthly meetings at a downtown location to accommodate Board members living in the west and northern suburbs. In addition to these meetings, there is a regular meeting occupying the better part of the Saturday every September at Camp Farr. Generally, there are no Board meetings in July or August. From time to time special Board meetings are held to consider matters requiring immediate attention. Attendance at Board meetings generally varies from 25 to 30—never less than 20.

The frequency of committee meetings depends on the nature of the committee work, but by and large all committees are active during the course of the year.

In addition to the foregoing listed committees, there is an Executive Committee comprised of the officers of the Settlement and Chairmen of major committees. This Executive Committee meets once each month in the week prior to the Board meetings. Attendance at Executive Committee meetings is generally 75% to 80%.

The work of the Board is the supervision of overall operations of the agency, principally the making of major program decisions in consultation with the Executive Director. The Board is principally concerned with the character and emphasis of the program, the age distribution of persons served and the geographical areas affected by our service. We try to make a continuous assessment of the needs of the community and the extent to which we meet them. The board accepts it primary responsibility to finance the operation of the agency. Its activities in this area are elsewhere reported.

It is the intention of staff to recruit and develop a “McDowell Neighborhood Advisory Committee” which will be made up of residents, business and professional representatives of the area generally served by the settlement. When fully organized, this group would provide staff with a direct channel for sharing ideas and thoughts regarding program and service development within the agency. It is envisioned that the Committee would be helpful in providing advice and consultation to staff on problems and needs of the community, prior to the actual establishment of specific programs as well as to make recommendations as to priorities and other area of services that should be taken under consideration by the board and staff.

In addition, the group would be responsible for interpreting to the larger community the services of the agency and would otherwise become a principal connecting link with other facets of community life.

This recommendation has been well received by the Board of the agency which is prepared to invite 2 representatives of the organization to sit as voting members on that body.

D. Program

Note: The program outlined below results by and large from superficial observations made by the staff in the first month of operation regarding problems and needs of individuals and families living in the immediate vicinity of the agency. Staff is intent upon being able to justify for itself, the board, community and to appropriate planning bodies of the city, its reasons for developing programs and services in specific directions.

Staff is also cognizant of the necessity to move slowly in the direction of newness and change. It is our present estimate that change and movement in some areas of program development will be both slow and difficult but it will be in the direction of aims and goals outlined in Section A.

The program here described while it relates to the general aims and objectives discussed, is in fact, tentative—pending further survey and inquiry in depth of community needs and unmet problems.

1. Social Group Work Services to Small Groups:

Observation: In interviews and discussions which staff has had with constituents thus far, it has become evident that few, if any groups, in past programs, have had much opportunity for experiencing group process and decision-making resulting from their participation. On the basis of this observation, services geared toward this aim are being directed as follows:

a)     For children 6-10 years of age:

The program basically will evolve around the foundation and development of “multi purpose” groupings which will provide opportunity for exposing the child to most of the basic arts, physical activities and development skills. Inherent in this program will be an initial exposure to the fundamental decision-making process.

In addition to these small groupings, a monthly mass program is planned which will be based on specific themes developed by the groups themselves; organized, planned and executed with the assistance of staff.

b)    For children 11-14 years of age:

It is envisioned that the basic method to be employed in providing services to this age will be the social club grouping. It is hoped that staff will be sufficiently skilled with these groups to provide greater opportunity for self-determination and for making decisions.

Staff will encourage the natural friendship group to participate in programs on this level. At the same time however, we will need to be extremely sensitive to the individual isolated child. For this youngster social groups will be formed by staff.

For this age group, in addition to the above, it is intended that these youngsters will have opportunity to begin to develop some specific skills through the formation of special interest groups centering around drama, music, art, etc. all of which is offered on an individual choice basis. Also, programs will be developed for the beginning experiences in social relationship, outside the social club grouping and with the opposite sex.

c)     For children 15-18 years of age:

In the past years, this group traditionally has been encouraged to develop strong internal central organization designed to effect self-determination in program participation, policies governing behavior, and criteria for membership into what has been called the “Young Adult Inter-Club Council.” At the present time, this Council is made up of representatives of three female and four male groups. These combined groups comprise the bulk of the teen constituency of the agency’s program and represent the status groups of this age level.

The present staff has become aware of and has already been confronted with a number of basic problems inherent in this system of autonomy and self-determination. While these problems need not be specified here, the staff has identified four primary intensions in regards to servicing this age grouping. These are as follows:

1)    To provide well trained adult leadership to each of these groups so as to enhance the possibility of broadening the vista of social and cultural experiences which seem to be lacking,

2)    To aid in developing a service concept within the membership of these groups whereby service and aid to others outside the realm of their own peer group could be rendered,

3)    To reach out to a large number of teens in this age level who are unaffiliated and unserved in the community and who have been reticent to attempt to “break through” the highly structured but rather exclusive Council of their peers,

4)    To affect a split in identification and participation of these groups in the Council (who are, in fact, young adults) from those groups on the lower rung of the age scale.

In addition to the more structured and direct social club experience which needs to be provided, the staff will offer this age group, on the basis of individual choice, participation in programs including the arts, discussion, a full fledged youth leadership training program, and a good diet of mass activity programs.

d)    For individuals 18-25 years of age:

At the moment, the programs described for this age are merely projections. Staff will need to explore more fully the basic needs of this group before implementing program and services.

During the first month of operation, staff has encountered a number of single men and women in the upper teens and early 20s who’ve used facilities of the Settlement since childhood and who still look to the agency for fullfillment of some personal need, although in only a limited number of cases have these individuals been able to verbalize their desires and expectations. Service by the agency to this age group in the past has been extremely limited.

In this initial phase of operation, staff will want to explore the degree of interest of this group in a number of areas: i.e. pre-marital counseling programs, high school completion courses, educational and employment services, drama, choral singing etc.

Whatever the service pattern to be developed, staff is convinced that the overall program for this age will have to be well developed and organized and will have to include a well structured social component.

e)     For Adults:

The one area of service which has received the least attention in the settlement in past years has been work with community adults. Services tentatively projected for this group will be geared to three specific levels:

1)    To the rather large number of young adults (18-21) who marry and almost immediately are confronted with the responsibilities of family life,

2)    To the major portion of established families of the community containing both mother and father, and

3)    To the large numbers of senior citizens residing in the census tracts immediately adjacent to the settlement area.

CAMP FARR

Organization:

The policy making body of Camp is the Board of Directors. A standing subcommittee on Camp is active throughout the year. The Camp Committee concerns itself with questions of program, maintenance, and improvement of buildings and facilities. In addition, the Committee does intensive work in recruitment of Camp Farr friends.

The Camp is under the direction of the Executive Director who delegates a full-time staff member to direct program in Camp during the summer months. In addition, there is a Camp Manager who lives on the premises year around and provides administrative and technical assistance to groups using the facilities during the “off season” between Labor Day and the end of June.

Purpose

Camp and its facilities is seen by staff as being an integral part of the services and programs provided the constituency throughout the year. The aims and objectives of Camp are identical to those stated in Section “A” of this report. In addition the intimate setting of Camp life lends itself to the necessity and opportunity of sharing in the fun of planning work and play together, the necessity of having to face reality problems of living together, the appreciation of the individual’s role in the process of making decisions, and it provides great opportunity for enhancing the child’s appreciation for the natural and artistic sense which exists in the country.

Program

It is the intent of the present staff to intensify the identification of Camp as an integral part of the agency and its total program. Toward this end the following directions will be taken:

1. Attempt will be made to increase the amount of family camping throughout the year.
2. Priority will be given to residents of the service area for resident summer camping.
3. A stepped up campaign to interpret to service area residents the existence of Camp and what it has to offer,
4. A serious look needs to be taken of the use of Camp for special services to children and adults.

Camp Site Camp Farr consists of 40 acres in a farm county near Chesterton, Indiana. The physical facilities include: six cabins for campers (each can house up to 12 campers), central shower and bath house, craft shop, recreation and dining hall, farm house, swimming pool, barn and tool shed, and a 14 x 16 summer cabin for older boys (Wranglers).

2. “Short Term” Individual and/or Family Assistance and Counseling

It should be noted that the services to be provided in relation to this aim are basically coordinating in nature, rather than provided on an intensive basis as an integral part of the overall program. The professional social workers employed on staff shall:

a)     Provide initial contracts and work-ups on individual or family situations coming to our attention,

b)    Provide assistance to immediate needs of individuals and,

c)     Will refer to appropriate agencies (locally or city-wide) those cases which will require assistance of a more intensive nature.

3. Educational Services to Adults Centering Around Family Life and Neighborhood Living

It is anticipated that programs developed around this aim will include; among others, three principal phases of operation:

1)    Direct services to adult neighborhood groups designed around civic, educational needs of participants,

2)    Development of ancillary services to the current membership now studying in the Board of Education Americanization and Citizenship classes, and

3)    Provide consultative services to other community adult groups interested in adult education programs

4. Community Work with Institutions and Organizations

Staff should be prepared to assist institutional and organizational representatives of the community in the development of cooperative and/or self-help programs for residents of the broader community.

In this regard, it is recognized that the degree to which the Settlement can become identified as a bona fide agent of the community is dependent upon the degree to which staff is capable of relating to and cooperating with other established institutions of the area in attempting to provide new services to meet new needs of residents of the community.

It is recognized that of the four aims indicated, the latter perhaps will be the most difficult to achieve, for it will require skill, understanding and patience on the part of the settlement staff. Real partnership in community organization endeavors is earned, not inherited. Accessibility of staff to community organizations, sensitivity to the basic intentions of these organizations to provide services to meet needs of residents, and skill in enlisting support of organizational in providing service to community on the basis of their stated intentions—these are essential requirements for solid community organization practices. It is on the basis of these essential requirements that staff, in the course of this first year operation, will begin to operate.

Whom the Agency Serves:

In 1960 the agency staff reported the following—“approximately 51% of children attending the settlement, 46% of the teens, and 41% of adults live within a ¼ mile radius of the settlement. 93% of children, 63% of teens and 73% of adults live within a ½ mile radius of the settlement.”

“The settlement serves 17 different nationalities. The two predominate nationalities served are Polish and Mexican, with the percentage of the latter being about 40%.”

The Intake Policy of the settlement has undergone a rather abrupt change in the first month of operation. Children desiring to enroll and participate in after-school program must be registered in the presence of a parent or guardian. Extensive interviews, which are conducted by professional staff are held with the child and the parent at the time of registration. For the bulk of parents involved in this intake procedure, this represents a definite departure from past practices.

However, from the point of view of staff, this process is essential for a number of reasons; It is here that the first interpretation of the agency and its services is made. It is at this point that staff can begin to develop a feeling tone from adults regarding their attitudes of the agency as well as their concerns and aspirations for themselves and their children as residents of the community. It is at this point that the beginning partnership and relationship between community adults and the agency staff is established.

In reference to the necessity for having to establish this adult relationship, it has become “housepolicy” for each staff member to make an initial home visit of all individuals registered in children’s program for which that staff member is assigned within one month after the group has been activated. Subsequent to this initial visit, the staff member is requested to make home visits as often as may be required to facilitate the provision of assistance needed for individual youngsters in the agency program.

The settlement does not have a written statement regarding termination policies nor does it envision a time when such a policy statement will be required. The staff, through the Board, is committed to provide assistance to groups and individuals who voluntarily seek the services of the agency. It becomes the responsibility of staff, when services sought are not available, to properly refer the group or the individual to an appropriate agent located in the community or elsewhere. Referral here connotes responsibility of staff to make certain that the group or individual actually receives the service sought and that in the interim period, the individual or group is “active” on the service roster of the agency.

All services of the settlement are available to individuals and groups without regard to race or creed. Services are made available first to those residents of the neighborhood living in the boundary of the area described, second to residents living in the broader community area #61 and third, to residents of areas in other parts of the city.

New Programs (Projections)

Mental Health Division, Chicago Board of Health:

Through the Commissioner of Health Dr. Harold Visotsky, Director of the Mental Health Division, has requested sufficient funds in the 1962 appropriation for the establishment of a “fledgling” mental health clinic to begin serving residents of Community Area #61. The size of the staff to be attached to this unit cannot be ascertained until after the Board of Health budget request has been approved by City Council. The extent of personnel assigned will of course depend upon the allocation provided for this new service.

In discussion with administrative staff of the Mental Health Division, the following are pertinent facts:

1)    The unit will be housed in the settlement in one office with additional space to be made available as a reception area.

2)    The unit will consist of an unspecified number of psychiatrists and psychologists. This team would do social histories and work ups of cases. Treatment required over extended periods of time would be referred to the main clinic at 54 W. Hubbard.

3)    The settlement staff will participate in this cooperative program to the extent of sitting in on the “staffing” of those individuals in treatment at the request of the unit coordinator, and will provide as necessary and planned, ancillary services in group settings for those youngsters and/or their parents as part of the over-all treatment program.

After considerable discussion, it was agreed that a valid beginning for this type of specialized service was to be centered around a) high school drop-out or the individual identified as a potential drop-out and b) the elementary school student failing in basic social adjustment.

A more detailed accounting of this program will be shared with the Planning For Services Committee of the Welfare Council at a point when the plan is fully developed.

Pre-Marital Counseling

Observation: The community contains a high proportion of young men and women who marry at an early (19-21) age. Couples are often confronted with the task of assuming responsibility for children rapidly coming in the very early years of marriage. In these circumstances, couples are afforded little opportunity for personal adjustment to each other. In addition, they enter the period of parenthood with limited knowledge regarding the trials and tribulations of child rearing.

In view of this community more, staff is exploring the degree to which young couples, in contemplation of marriage, would be receptive to a program of pre-marital counseling and discussion. The cursory examination thus far would indicate some substantial amount of interest in this area of service.

Staff is aware of the necessity for having to share this program possibility with a number of organizations and institutions of the community having a primary interest in the spiritual and welfare needs of this segment of our population. In particular, staff will desire to consult with city-wide organizations skilled in providing leadership for this type of service. It occurs to us that the success of this service will of course be dependent upon the degree of support and cooperation received from these basic indigenous institutions.

Here again, at a point when other pertinent facts are compiled regarding this need, staff will be anxious to share their recommendations with the Planning for Services Committee of the Welfare Council.

At this early stage of our operation, staff has only a superficial relationship with the Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council.

E. Personnel:

Administration– Executive Director and one Administrative Assistant, both of whom are full-time employees. For 1962, one half-time stenographer-receptionist is budgeted to relieve the very heavy burden of the present Administrative Assistant.

Program,- One Program Director, three (3) group leaders (Antioch students) who are all full-time. In addition, there are two (2) part-time (20 hours weekly) employees also assigned as group leaders for a period of nine months ending of July of 1962. There is no provision for added personnel in the “house” program for 1962.

Maintenance– One full-time engineer—janitor and one half-time housekeeper. No other personnel in this category is budgeted for 1962.

The Executive Director has the necessary qualifications, both in experience (20 years) and training, to fulfill the functions and responsibilities of his office. A graduate of the School of Social Work from the University of Illinois. The Director has had extensive experience in private community center agencies as well as public welfare agencies in Chicago. In addition, his background includes over nine (9) years of faculty relationship as field instructor in four schools of social work (Illinois, Chicago, Minnesota and Atlanta).

The Program Director is a graduate (1958) from the Pennsylvania School of Social Work with extensive experience in settlements in Philadelphia prior to his arrival in Chicago in 1959 when he was employed with the Jewish Community Center. His principal area of work in the J.C.C.’S has been with the aged.

The two part-time staff workers are both employees with long records of work in youth serving agencies in Chicago. Both are college graduates with an interest and potential for the field of social work.

For the Antioch students, their assignment is the work-study plan, represents an initial exposure to the philosophy of community centered operation which encompasses a multi-service function to community.

None of the five staff members described above have professional degrees in any field. However, their employment in the agency results from a rather intensive screening process by the two key staff members.

In recognition of our need, during the first full year of operation, for study, survey, exploration and identification of problems and needs of residents of the area served, the executive is satisfied that the present staff is sufficiently competent to fulfill this task.

The Executive is the immediate supervisor for two staff members: the program director and a second year graduate student from S.S.A. in Community Organizations. The Program Director is responsible for the direct supervision of the five staff members described earlier.

At this stage of the Settlement’s program, the two supervisors find it necessary to have individual consultations with staff on the average of three times weekly. In addition, a total staff meeting is held twice weekly. These meetings currently serve two purposes: 1) to clear administrative and mechanical details for beginning program; and 2) to begin to instill content, purpose and direction to those phases of operation ready to be implemented. In addition to the internal orientation and in-service programs, all staff is encouraged and directed to participate in orientation and skills development services and institutes provided under the auspices of Social Welfare Planning Bodies both locally and city-wide. To date, staff in whole or in part aside from the internal in-service training programs already underway in the house, has or shall shortly participate in training and orientation programs of the Welfare Council of Metropolitan Chicago, Association of Community Councils, Citizen Schools Committee, Back of the Yards Neighborhood Committee, Public welfare Forum and the National Federation of Settlements, Training Center at Hull House.

The Settlement does have a written statement of personnel practices and policies which was reviewed and revised in 1959 as a result of a joint effort of Board and staff representatives.

The staff anticipates a rather broad use and involvement of volunteers in the operation of programs and services in the settlement. Volunteers will be recruited locally as well as in the Metropolitan Chicago Community. The notion of using volunteers comes as much from personal conviction of present staff as it does from the historical tradition of the settlement movement. It is our firm belief that constituents of a community centered agency can benefit enormously as a result of exposure to and contact with persons from many diverse backgrounds. This conviction of using volunteers comes not out of a need to substitute “free labor” for what should be paid, but rather in recognition of the fact that what is needed cannot be bought in reality.

By and large, volunteers will be used in the capacity of instructors in special interest groups. Specific assignments of these individuals will of course be based upon the person’s own special interest and skill. In special situations, again dependent upon the individual, the volunteer may be used as an advisor to a social club grouping. In either case, the volunteer is looked upon as being an integral part of the total staff of the agency.

Each volunteer staff member is assigned specific program responsibility, participate in staff deliberation, be a voice of the agency to community, be assigned a supervisor with whom he will consult regularly, and will otherwise engage in other tasks as deemed necessary and advisable so as to enhance the over-all impart of staff upon service to constituents and community alike.  

F. Physical Plant

The main building is a four story brick building erected in 1905. It is owned by the agency. It contains living accommodations for resident staff members and their families. The resident facilities consist of four apartments and one floor of single rooms.

For use of program there are two gymnasiums (one large and one small), seven club rooms, a large meeting room, a quiet lounge, a teenage lounge, a drop-in lounge, a large craft and woodshop room, a gameroom, a playroom, two kitchens, and adjoining the building is a small playground and a large playfield. The roof over the large gymnasiums is fitted for recreational activities. The building meets building requirements, fire and electrical codes, and is adequately covered by insurance.

The Mary McDowell Settlement owns its camp in Chesterton, Indiana.

The bulk of physical facilities are used most extensively each weekday between the hours of 3:00-10:00 p.m. Traditionally, the agency has limited the use of its facilities on weekends to neighborhood groups for meetings, parties and special occasions with very little attempt made to use these periods for extended opportunity for on-going programs.

While the staff is committed to a philosophy of extended use of facilities on weekends and holidays, the shortage of personnel makes it impossible in this current year, to expand upon the further use of the agency’s facilities.

G. Agency Statement on Meeting Standards of Social Welfare Planning Bodies The Board of Directors of the Settlement are committed to the principle of developing practices in the agency that would meet the general membership standards of social welfare planning bodies. The recent activities of the Board during this past year leading first to the study and internal examination of the settlement’s past operation and second the action and decision taken by them in the view of the results and recommendations contained in that study—both actions represent evidence of the board’s desire to maintain high standards of operation—for the community which is served by the settlement as well as to meet membership standards of city-wide social welfare planning bodies.

In regards to the Standards for the Field of Work, both the board and staff are confident that program as outlined under section “D” of this report will when fully implemented measure up to standard for the field of practice with which the agency identifies. In terms of personnel, the Executive and the Board is aware of the ultimate necessity for up-grading the quality of staff to be employed in the agency. Suffice to say at this point, that personnel will be hired on the basis of the skills, competence and training required to perform specific tasks within the agency’s operation. The agency is a member of and participates in planning programs in the following:

1. Welfare Council of Metropolitan Chicago
2. Chicago Federation of Settlements and Neighborhoods Centers
3. American Camping Association, Chicago Section
4. The National Federation of Settlements and Neighborhoods Centers

H. Statement on Review of Programs

Section “A,” “D,” and “G” of this report are in fact, prepared with the results of a review of 1961 in the agency’s program in mind by an outside agent., in cooperation with the Welfare Council, Chicago Federation of Settlements and the Board. The study was designed to determine effectiveness in accomplishing objectives and in meeting community needs.

I. Statement in Relation to Community Welfare Programs and Welfare Needs

The basic aims of the agency as outlined in section “A” of this report are clearly understood and acceptable by both, the Board and staff of the agency. The program, as outlined in section “D” and related to the basic aims set up results thus far from a cursory examination of community welfare problems, welfare needs and unmet needs.

In the months ahead, staff will want to examine the programs and services developed, share these developments with the Neighborhood Advisory Committee, the Board, other organizations and institutions of the community as well as to consult with Division and Department representatives of the Welfare Council and other city-wide planning organizations to determine the validity and effectiveness of each phase of the program developments.

It should be stated that which the staff and board of the settlement cannot justify in terms of needs of the community, will need to be reevaluated in terms of continuation as an integral part of the total service pattern of the agency. The staff of the agency will consider itself as a partner and will desire to participate as such in local as well as city-wide planning bodies designed to bring more effective services and programs to the community in which the agency is located. In addition, staff will be anxious to share their own experiences in one community with staff likewise engaged in other areas of the city and outside.

___________________________

The Service Report was prepared by Mr. Guido J. Tardi, Executive Director and Mr. Jacob Logan Fox, President of the Board of the Mary McDowell Settlement. GJT, October, 1961

Source: University of Chicago. School of Social Service Administration. Office of the Dean. Alton Linford Records, 1956-1969, [Box 14, Folder 11], Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.