However, while approving the intent and basic concept of a National Service Corps as described by President Kennedy in his "Youth Message" of February 14, the federation has reservations regarding one important aspect of the bill to establish a National Service Corps which you have under consideration, S. 1321-H.R. 5625. This reservation pertains to the sharing of responsibility between the Federal Government and agencies or institutions in the local community in which a project would be undertaken. In his youth message, President Kennedy implied a high degree of local community initiative, and participation in establishing and conducting projects. Projects would be locally planned and initiated and would be under local supervision utilizing local facilities. The bill before you is far less specific or emphatic in this matter, providing only (in section 2) that corpsmen shall be made available "upon local invitation and in cooperation with interested governmental and nongovernmental agencies." Couched in those terms, the bill appears to demand no more than minimal or token community participation. The federation believes that much of the potential value of a National Service Corps will be lost if the principle of local participation is treated as a secondary consideration. Accordingly, the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies supports the President's concept of establishing a National Service Corps, and urges that the provisions of the bill dealing with community participation be strengthened. Very truly yours, THEODORE PEARSON, President. THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Senator HARRISON WILLIAMS, Jr., DEAR SENATOR WILLIAMS: The attached statement, welcoming the development of a National Service Corps, was adopted by the 175th general assembly of the United Presbyterian Church, U.S.A., on May 21 in Des Moines, Iowa. The general assembly is the highest court of the denomination, and is made up of equal numbers of ministers and laymen who represent the 196 presbyteries, and gather once a year as the elected representatives of the United Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. Although the general assembly does not pretend to speak for every United Presbyterian, it can be said to enunciate the official position of the United Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. Each year, through a long and careful process of study and consultation, the general assembly addresses itself to the most critical social issues which confront the church and the world, and about which the Christian community feels a sense of concern and responsibility. Sincerely yours, WILLIAM A. MORRISON, General Secretary. A NATIONAL SERVICE CORPS The church has continually felt called by its Lord to develop and support services and programs which attempt to minister to those in our society who are depressed, deprived, or disadvantaged. It has done this as a part of the ministry of local congregations, through special agencies officially supported by the church, by the initiative and support of churchmen for such programs and services which are community sponsored and privately supported by voluntary contributions and assistance, and through support of public programs. However, there are massive human needs that call for a greater involvement of the extensive human resources of the Nation. The awareness on the part of our national leaders of the vast untapped human resources, as manifested in the response to the oversea Peace Corps, helped call into being the concept of a National Service Corps. The policies and operating procedures for a National Service Corps, suggested by the President's Study Group, if adopted and strictly adhered to, would provide a safeguard against the misuse of such a program. Its operating principles include the formation of a small, temporary, and exemplary corps to attack social and human problems. Corpsmen would be locally invited, directed, and phased out, acting in concert with a counterpart effort by the host group. A National Service Corps can be an important element in a comprehensive and long-range program of community development and renewal. To the extent that the program increases public awareness of need, and involves more people in the interests of human welfare, there would be even greater recognition of the need for expanded social legislation and increased efforts to achieve a more equitable measure of social justice for all. The church recognizes the value of service in such a program, not only in its own right but also as a reminder to the church that its witness must be rooted in a deep commitment to the affairs of this world. It is a possible channel of God's preparation for, and call to, full-time church occupations. We recommend that the 175th general assembly: Would welcome the development of a small, temporary, and exemplary National Service Corps as a reflection of genuine concern for the welfare of all persons, and as a challenge to all citizens, to support and participate in meeting unmet community needs; and, if such a program is enacted— (a) Urges United Presbyterians and their judicatories to be involved in cooperative community efforts, private and public, in assessing needs; considering the feasibility of inviting temporary assistance from a National Service Corps; developing local resources for counterpart groups; and participating in sustained and continuing community betterment; (b) Commends to the consideration of United Presbyterian men, women. and youth the possibility of serving in a corps as an authentic expression of their commitment in Christ to minister to their fellow men; (c) Commends individuals and community groups who have demonstrated their awareness of human need, and encourages them to support this national effort to deal with problems of human welfare in areas of critical need. STATEMENT SUBMITTED BY THE REV. DR. W. HAROLD Row, ON BEHALF OF THE BRETHREN SERVICE COMMISSION, GENERAL BROTHERHOOD BOARD, CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, my name is W. Harold Row. I live in Elgin, Ill., and I serve as executive secretary of the Brethren Service Commission, General Brotherhood Board, Church of the Brethren, with general offices at Elgin, Ill. My commission and board have requested me to submit to this important committee testimony favorable to the proposed National Service Corps as contained in S. 1321. The Brethren Service Commission represents the service ministry of the General Brotherhood Board of the Church of the Brethren, and has been involved in programs of person-to-person helpfulness for many years. The commission maintains a volunteer service program which, during the last 15 years, enrolled, trained, and placed in service work in this country and overseas more than 1,800 young people. This is a richly rewarding experience for those of us administratively related to the program as we witness the creative work being done by volunteer workers, and the personal satisfactions and insights which come to the volunteers themselves. Out of this, and related experiences with several service agencies with which we are associated, such as International Voluntary Services, Inc., Ecumenical Work Camps, and Church World Service, Inc., we were led to support the initial studies and legislation which created the Peace Corps, and we are now led to support legislation establishing a National Service Corps. In our view, the values of the National Service Corps include the stimulation of local effort in areas of social deprivation, the cultivation of interest in social service professions, and the bringing together of resources unavailable otherwise to local communities in the solution of some of their most chronic or acute social problems. While we welcome a greater national effort in solving problems of mental health and retardation of migratory workers, of residents in the inner city and others, we feel that it is essential that this national effort be designed as a support and encouragement of local programs rather than a replacement of them. From our experience in community development programs in Salina. Kans.; Rocky Ford, Colo.; Modesto and Fresno, Calif.; Baltimore, Md.; Falfurrias, Tex.; Castaner, P.R.; and Washington, D.C., we have learned that it is unwise to initiate community-development programs in areas where the major responsibility must continue to rest with our own commission. It seems essential that, early in the process, responsible local groups must clearly identify both the problems needing solution and the most effective available means of solving them. Lack of local responsibility in the initiation of projects results in projects that require continuing support and resources from the commission, rather than in the development of programs which can be maintained by local agencies once our help is reduced and finally withdrawn. Errors generally occur because of mistaking our conception of a problem for the indigenous view of the situation, failure to take into account the resources within the community (It is so easy to assume that we are needed in this or that situation), and designing programs which cannot be maintained by personnel and resources permanently resident in the community. We are particularly interested, therefore, in the references in the National Service Corps bill to "local invitation." We strongly recommend that the program be built upon local initiative and local implementation. The National Service Corps should encourage local governmental and nongovernmental agencies to undertake studies of the social problems of their areas, and to inaugurate programs designed to mobilize the resources of the community to bring solutions to these problems. The community should be encouraged to supplement its resources, where necessary, through the National Service Corps. The National Service Corps should be prepared to bring new and creative efforts to the tasks of stimulating the conscience of the community and of sharing national resources. The principle of local direction will minimize the possibility of the National Service Corps sapping the vitality of the local voluntary efforts. A national program, independent of local programs, might seriously diminish local initiative for people to help themselves. Our country must not allow communities to go to the National Service Corps for personnel and money as an easy avoidance of their own responsibility. We believe that the full intention of the National Service Corps can be achieved only as our society accepts the problems of one segment of society as the problems of the whole society. This calls for a full identification of the servant with those who are served. We believe the National Service Corps should not be created by the Congress because of its potential value as a political image. A Madison Avenue approach to service activities, complete with a quick buildup and extensive press coverage, may be opportune politics, and may lead communities to believe the savior is coming in the form of Federal funds and manpower, but it has little relation to the intensely human problems which are the urgent justification for the National Service Corps. We recommend that the program start with a few projects to test out the principles and policies of the proposed National Service Corps and that growth and expansion of the program result from firsthand experience rather than because the image demands rapid expansion and success. There is a possibility that the National Service Corps will focus on the symptoms of social maladjustment rather than on its causes. Human deprivation invokes a direct human response that makes it difficult to see beyond symptoms to underlying causes. Helpful as the immediate service may be, there is danger of such service being only a sentimental gesture, while the causes of social maladjustment remain untouched. In order to insure that the National Service Corps will not be a superficial response, the Congress must be willing to carefully survey the existing areas of deprivation in our country in order to identify their underlying causes. These causes must be attacked not only through carefully designed programs of research, grants, and the stimulation of local voluntary action but also through legislation. The great opportunity for the Congress at this time may be in legislation for justice rather than legislation for service. Certainly a government that can generate the organization of a vast space program can initiate effective educational, health, and vocational programs for deprived American citizens. In conclusion, the Brethren Service Commission sees a great value in a national effort in a field where much private and sectarian work is already being done. In our judgment, the bill is fully adequate. However, we believe the Federal Government should carefully devise its program so that it will supple ment and encourage local effort and diligently avoid weakening existing programs. We recognize that this poses a significant problem in terms of the bill's implications for cooperation of local, State, and Federal Governments and the coordination of private and public agencies. The magnitude of the human problems toward which the proposed National Service Corps is addressed demands an intelligent, heroic, and comprehensive public effort in compassionate service, as well as legislative structures which provide the widest possible opportunity for the exercise of maximum freedom and justice for all persons, especially those less fortunate in communities all across the land. Therefore, Mr. Chairman and honored members of this committee and of the Congress, on behalf of the Brethren Service Commission, I urge you to act favorably on this bill to create a National Service Corps. JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF ESSEX COUNTY, Hon. HARRISON A. WILLIAMS, Newark, NJ., May 28, 1963. MY DEAR MR. WILLIAMS: The Jewish Community Center has 9,000 members in its Newark YM-YWHA and suburban YM-YWHA. We serve a wide range of age groups, especially teenagers, young adults, and adults. We are thoroughly familiar with the urgent need for vocational education and training to improve skills consistent with employment opportunities and for special public service programs and the establishment of a Youth Conservation Corps. We are very pleased that the Senate has approved the youth employment opportunities bill which we earnestly hope you will support enthusiastically. The urgency of the situation must be well known to you, as it is to us in our daily experience in working with so many young people. May we also solicit your support for the President's proposal for the establishment of a national service program which provides for a "small, carefully selected corps of men and women of all ages working under local direction with professional persons and part-time local volunteers, to help provide urgently needed services in mental health centers and hospitals, on Indian reservations. to the families of migrant workers and in the educational and social institutions of hard-hit slum or rural poverty areas." We, like many other social agencies, could be helped significantly to expand our services to the community through this valuable corps. With much appreciation for your favorable consideration of this legislation. Sincerely yours, JACOB GOODSTEIN, President. AMERICAN RECREATION SOCIETY, INC.. Hon. HARRISON A. WILLIAMS, Jr., DEAR SENATOR WILLIAMS: The American Recreation Society strongly urges your committee's favorable actions to create a National Service Corps as outlined in S. 1321 and other bills. Our society is a professional membership organization of recreation workers who serve in various recreation services throughout the United States and with our military and Red Cross groups over seas. We can see in this legislation some very significant help in relation to the ever-broadening leisure time needs which at present our limited resources in personnel, structures, and natural assets cannot meet. We believe that a National Service Corps can do much to help combat and prevent those things which lead to social illnesses within our society. We need volunteer assistance. but such assistance should be stimulated and guided by those who have received some training in working with volunteers. We feel that the National Service Corps program will stimulate, among other community programs, the answers to many of the needs and problems related to community recreation and, in that respect alone, would accomplish a great deal. However, we feel that there would be many other benefits as they relate to delinquency program, programs for the aging, programs in promoting good mental health, and the encouragement of family unity. Respectfully submitted. RAY R. BUTLER, Executive Director. STATEMENT BY THE Department of CHRISTIAN ACTION AND COMMUNITY SERVICE, THE UNITED CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY SOCIETY The oversea Peace Corps is almost 2 years old and soon the first of some 4,500 volunteers will be coming home. Few American Government sponsored programs today enjoy the almost universal acclaim that is accorded the Peace Corps. Both at home and abroad skeptics have been converted to supporters as the volunteers demonstrated that idealistic men and women with proper skills could perform useful service for the world's needy in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Demonstrating, as the Peace Corps did, that there is a vast reservoir of idealism and talent that can be called to humanitarian service, it was not surprising that President Kennedy should seek to recruit volunteers to attack the many pressing social problems here in the United States. His message to Congress calling for the establishment of a National Service Corps is not only a natural extension of the Peace Corps idea but also supports the already existing volunteer efforts of the churches and other voluntary agencies. The churches have long supported work with migrants, Indians, the mentally ill and retarded, the chronically sick, the maladjusted, the aged-the entire needy portion of our population. More than most citizens, churchmen involved in these projects recognize the vast unmet needs of these people. We have supported our work in these areas of need through the voluntary giving of our members and as citizens have backed Community Chest and governmental efforts to meet our full responsibilities toward those in need. A The National Service Corps would supplement the efforts of the churches and other voluntary agencies in important areas of human welfare. It would recruit men and women with skills and idealism who would work for 1 year on locally initiated projects. The primary purpose would be to assist local communities and voluntary agencies attack major problems of human welfare. significant element of the National Service Corps approach would be to encourage additional volunteers to work with them on a full- or part-time basis. As with the overseas Peace Corps, the domestic program undoubtedly would stimulate local volunteer activity as well as provide a training ground for young men and women who would discover future vocational opportunities. The Department of Christian Action and Community Service, the United Christian Missionary Society, believes this worthy program deserves the support of churchmen. We urge our churches to study the President's proposal and then express their views on it to their Representatives and Senators. STATEMENT BY THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I would like to join those who are supporting the legislation which would create a National Service Corps. Dedicated service by young people as well as by those who have retired can help people in need find ways to help themselves. Rural people in need can benefit fully as much from this type of dedicated assistance as those in urban areas. The problems of sickness and despair and poverty are less likely to be openly exhibited by those who have spent their lives in the semisolitude of the farm and the small community than by people in urban areas. By becoming a part of a community, by identifying themselves with the people and their problems. the corpsmen through their full-time effort can help find solutions to economic problems among rural people and can demonstrate how other citizens can serve the community in an equally effective manner. We believe that National Service corpsmen can help a great deal in our rural areas development program. Rural areas development is a program wherein |