Archdeacon B. M. Spurr, Moundsville, W. Va., was elected President, and Joseph P. Byers, of Philadelphia, Secretary, for the next year.
Oklahoma City was selected as the place of meeting, and the time will be in whatever portion of October the Executive Committee may determine.
In this hastily prepared sketch the writer does not pretend that justice has been done to the many admirable features of the meetings of 1917 at New Orleans. Those who desire to have the full published account, containing the splendid papers read before the Association, will write to Joseph P. Byers, Secretary, Empire Building, Philadelphia, Pa.
Albert H. Votaw,
Delegate.
[B]WHAT SHOULD BE THE AIM OF THE NATIONAL PRISONERS’ AID ASSOCIATION.
Rev. James Parsons, National Superintendent Society for the Friendless.
It is fitting at times to ask the questions: what is the reason for our being, and what should we strive to accomplish? Last year at our meeting, the speaker outlined informally one thing that seemed to be desirable and a first step. That was to find out as far as possible what is being done by the various organizations that comprise our membership, and report the results at this meeting. A survey of this kind should at least furnish a starting point for further investigation, and possibly lead to something along the line of standardizing the work and reports, so that it would be possible to estimate a little more satisfactorily the results that have been attained.
A statement of the nature of the investigation desired was placed in the hands of the Secretary and the assurance given by him that the necessary work would be done, but it was finally discovered that on account of local duties and the call to arms, our Secretary was unable to do as he had intended. The President therefore at a late date sent out a questionnaire to as many organizations as he knew, asking that the questions might be answered as fully as records would admit.
Up to the present date fourteen organizations have responded. The questionnaire did not cover all conceivable lines, but aimed to include some of the fundamental things that are being done by most organizations in the various lines of Prisoners’ Aid Work. These are Jail and Prison Work; Probation and Oversight; Relief Work, and the Department of Public Information.