Show ww ww 1 tins THIS WEEK 0 in washington with clinton davidson Dav ldson dividson Dev Idson COMMUNITY SERVICE ordinarily we dont go in program promoted a county much for contests As aa a rule they are conducted with a great deal of ballyhoo intended to grind some special ax of the sponsor there are of course excel eions one of those is the nation wide community service contest sponsored since 1048 1948 jointly by the national gran KC ge and the he sears roebuck foundation this is a contest in which more inore than a million farm and small town people work nearly million hours each year to make their commini ties lies a better place in which to work live and raise their fam illes tills this year grange members and non members have worked together in more than communities in 37 states to build schools churches community meeting halls balls hospitals and clinics playgrounds and parks and on hundreds of other worthwhile projects A self help program this Is a contest in which rural people survey the needs of their community then loin join together in meeting those needs judges pick the winner in each state then another se set of judges select the top ten from among the state winners five nationally known men then make a two weeks airplane tour of the top ten to select the first second third fourth and fifth place win ners awards range from 10 for first place to 1500 1 tor for fifth the other five receive 1000 each the contest has been called the greatest force for corn com improvement in am erica and the contest in which everybody wins because every community that participates improves itself in thousands of commini ties recreational and entertainment tain ment facilities have been provided for children and young people church attend ance has been increased safety projects have been undertaken to reduce accidents winners announced awards to the 1960 contest winners are to be made saturday nov 19 at the annual convention of the national grange oldest of the farm organizations in winston Wi niton salem N C the first prize of will be made to the community of vale oregon through vale grange second place award will go to volunteer grange near knoxville tenn third to flowing well grange at deaver crossing neb fourth to gazelle grange at gazelle calif fifth to Glaston glastonbury bury gran grange ge at glas donbury ton bury conn A brief listing of the pro ejects carried out by vale ore indicates the scope of CO community unity improvement in just one of the more than which participated in t the h a 1960 contest purchased an ambulance and donsted donated it to the county conducted conduct td a soil conservation i education and demonstration I 1 fair improved a local labor camp bu build d a p playground ay ground sponsored migrant families in community activities conducted a know your candidate campaign sponsored a blood bank a nursing program boys and girls 4 11 II clubs and a home economics club here is an inspiration for those who believe as we do that democracy and self reli ance have a firm foundation in the homes and towns of rural america |