Page 6 - cp19331935delinquency

--four--

Full speed ahead was the order of the day - and nighto One week after the appro-

val was given, t he plan of organization and operation was set up covering the entire

countyo All details of the assignment of workers, timekeeping and reporting, end the

control of the project were worked out. At the outset it was necessary to set ups

rotating schedule of assignments to each job because of the variation in the number of

monthly working hours allowed each worker by the County Wel:f'are Department. The family

relief budget determined the number of work hours and hence the earnings. It was found

that a rotation of three workers was required to man each job continuously on scheduled

working days.

Interviewing and selection of workers to fit the wide range of a year-round re-

creation program, to discover special qualifications and avocations and to asoertein

the background of education, training and experience, was a huge and painstaking task.

To be of any real value, it had to be done thoroughly end well, for in a large measure,

the success of the work depended on it. A special. service record form was devised and

these were filled out by every worker. As the job progressed it was found that avo-

cations weighed heavily in selections and resultso Frequently the avocational contri•

butions to the program proved of greater value than educational and training background.

They were spontaneous, and the spirit of the worker was a dynamic motivating forceo

The final selection and placement of all workers was made by Major Millero All of this

organization work was so expedited thet by July 15, 1933, there were 300 workers actu-

ally working on the project. Eventually more than 1500 workers, many of them college

trained, were assigned to the project on a rotation basis which allowed a maximum of

500 workers a day on the job.

The permanent recreation departments throughout the county quickly absorbed all

of these workers and appealed for more. The rapid adjustments made by these depart-

ments to meet the emergency program was an outstanding credit to the resourcefulness

These were
of their executives and the initiative and flexibility of their staffs 0
the city recreation departments of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Pasadena, Santa Monica,

Glendale, Compton, Pomona and Alhambra, the Los Angeles City school system, the County

Department of Education and the County Recreation Department which stretched its