Page 7 - cp19331935delinquency
P. 7
-•five--
slender budget to provide all of the headquarters facilities, telephones, supplies
and mimeographing.
The staff of the Probation Department, under the active leadership of Kenyon
Scudder, Karl Holton and Kenneth Beem, backed by the powerful Coordinating Councils,
were driving in ou the problem from another approach. Their efforts in the field were
directed toward home contacts in delinquency infested areas, reaching the pre-delin-
quents as well as the delinquents, counseling with parents, suggesting remedial action
and bolstering home morale. This program absorbed several hundred workers who were
designated as delinquency prevention workers (D. P.} to distinquish them from the
playground workers (P. G.), since the requirements and approach of each group were
essentially different.
Importance was attached at the outset to keeping accurate reports, records and
statistics on the progress of the work. This was fortunate as the entire nation became
interested in the experiment. Federal officials in Washington eagerly awaited the
weekly and monthly progress reports. The National Recreation Association was helpfully
alert and intensely interestedo All subsequent nation-wide developments under suc-
ceeding State and Federal agencies were based on the organization methods and systems
conceived in the Los .Angeles County work of 1933. The reporting, record keeping and
statistical sections~ under the supervision of c. E. Triggs, E. D. Golden, Charles
Brander and M. T. Falso.
The necessity for a training program was also considered of major importance at
the beginning. Practically all of the workers were totally devoid of actual training
and experience in, or knowledge of, a well rounded recreation program for all ageso
There was interest, enthusiasm and innate ability. These were potent elements to work
with but they needed guidance, instruction and development from the ground up. So a
system of weekly recreation training institutes covering the entire county was organ-
ized and conducted by Marion E. Miller, a recreation executive of ten years' experience
who had specialized in institutes and activities organization in Pennsylvania. She
carried on ten weekly sessions at centrally located schools, with an average enroll-
ment of 800 workers, continuing this work until Mlrch, 1934, when she was appointed
by Mr. Reid as administrator of the project. A manual of year-round recreation ac-