P. B. H. ACTIVITIES REPORTED BY CHEEK

The following report of the activities of the Phillips Brooks House for the past year, is written by M. A. Cheek Jr. '26, Assistant Gaduate Secretary.

Someday, the Lampoon will cast its cold glare upon the University and in its Harvard Issue, print a series of sketches under the general title of "Impressions by One Who Has Never Been There." Undoubtedly, one of the subtitles will be "The Phillips Brooks House,"--and what a field for imagination! Here in one corner would be--but then, it is better not to suggest things to the Lampoon. And after all, the Phillips. Brooks House Association hasn't cause for too great fear. Even the most determined of its strangers remember the name in the haze of Student Council Budgets or Lecture Posters, and unanswered Social Service invitations as connected in some way with that little black notebook that we used when we had to sing Fair Harvard for the first time. That was a mighty handy little book, and it didn't cost anything either. We remember it had a map of Cambridge in it which proved a big help when we tried to find out where Quincy Street was after reading a little notice on the front page of one of the Saturday Crimsons. (Of course, we lost our nerve Sunday afternoon, but then we have known ever since where Quincy Street was.) No, that little book was a good thing;--wonder what else the Phillips Brooks House Association does? Still quaking in its several boots at the thought of the glassy stare, that mysterious organization decides to answer this question, reveal all, and avoid the necessity of a break in relations with the Lampoon.

Dedicated in 1900

The Phillips Brooks House was built with funds freely contributed by a host of friends and admirers of Phillips Brooks. It was dedicated to his memory in 1900, to "Piety, Charity, Hospitality." Bearing out the ideas of its founders, it has become the center for the voluntary religious and philanthropic activities of the University, and takes a leading part in the reception and welcoming of new students and foreign students. In addition, it places itself at the service of any and all students and groups of students in the University, either as a place for meetings or for quiet thought and reading.

In chronological order, the work of hospitality comes first. Every year at the time the Freshmen-to-be are beginning to wonder what they are going to put into their trunks when they start for Cambridge; a letter of welcome is sent out to each by the President of the Phillips Brooks House Association. With the letter, a copy of the Harvard Handbook is sent. This Handbook is drawn up each year by a Student Business Board and about 2500 copies printed. It contains information on all extra-curricular activities of the University; schedules and important dates in the current college year, Harvard songs, a man of Cambridge and a host of other things of interest to the new student. Copies that are not sent to Freshmen are given to any new men in the University regardless of their department. But the Handbook cannot answer all the problems that confront the stranger in Cambridge for the first time, and to this end, a Bureau of Information is operated by undergraduate and graduate volunteers in the Parlors of the House during the week preceding and a few days after the opening of college. An average of about four hundred men a day make use of this Bureau and find those in charge not only willing to answer questions but to advise them in any problem they may have. Perhaps the greatest service of this Bureau is the information which it gives on lodging places about Cambridge. It is estimated that about two thousand men who are unable to secure rooms in dormitories are forced to live in private houses and apartments within a half mile radius of the University. The Phillips Brooks House Association maintains a printed list of all available rooms with special notes on the heating, lighting, price, housekeeping facilities and the like. Although by far the greatest demand for it is during the opening week the rooming service is continued through the year and is of inestimable value, especially as the Phillips Brooks House is the only place where such information can be obtained.

Receptions Given

Shortly after the opening of the University a series of receptions are given; one for the Freshmen, attempts to make them acquainted with various extra-curricular activities and with the work of the Phillips Brooks House Association. Another reception is accorded to the Foreign Students each year, and others are held for Graduate, Law, Dental and Medical students, the last two at their respective institutions. At Thanksgiving and Christmas it is customary to hold an "Open House" for men unable to get home. About one hundred men enjoyed the entertainment and food on each of these occasions this year.

Rather closely associated with the hospitality end of the Phillips Brooks House service, is the work of making easier the task of the student of limited means. In this connection, the Association, through the Graduate Secretary, cooperates with the Employment Bureau of the University in aiding such men to obtain paid social service work. It also maintains a Text book Loan Library of about 4,500 books which have been contributed by students. These books may be borrowed for the year by any student for the sum of five cents--a deposit of twenty-five cents a book being required, of which twenty is returned when the book is brought back. This year 1,650 books have been borrowed from this library and 205 have been borrowed from the similar Law Loan Library. Those students who are in need of clothing are helped by the annual Fall Clothing Collection. This year 588 articles of clothing were collected and those not used by students were distributed to various welfare organizations.

161 Volunteer Workers

The philanthropic work of the Association is done largely through the medium of the Social Service Committee. This is composed--as are all other Phillips Brooks House Association committees--of students, and serves as a sort of clearing house for work of this sort. This year one hundred and sixty-one men are engaged in part time volunteer activities which vary from Probation Court work to Sunday School teaching. By far the greater part of the service is in the leadership of Boys' Clubs in Cambridge and Boston. Every year hundreds of Harvard men are leaving their stamp upon the lives of boys in this way. Another phase of this work is in the distribution each Thanksgiving of twenty-five dinners to as many needy Cambridge families, and at Christmas of clothing presents to twenty-five Cambridge boys whose needs have been investigated. The Annual Fall Clothing collection includes a great number of magazines with the text books and clothes. As in the case of the uncalled for clothes, these are distributed to worthy welfare organizations. Likewise, the athletic equipment left in Hemenway Gymnasium in June is cleansed and distributed to various boys' clubs.

The Mission Committee carries on the work of philanthropy a step farther. In addition to arranging lectures and meeting for men interested in missionary work and maintaining contact with Harvard men engaged in such work, it conducts a Daily Vacation Bible School during the summer for some fifty Cambridge children. This school is as a rule under the leadership of a Harvard man. It gives the children two hours a day of handwork, singing, Bible study, and exercise.

Religion Expressed in Action

The religious work of the Phillips Brooks House Association is carried on chiefly through the medium of the various affiliated societies such as the St. Paul's Catholic Club and the St. Paul's Episcopal Society. It is distributed, however, through almost every activity of the house. For instance, the Social-Service Work includes some which is nothing short of definite religious leadership. Another phase of the Association work which has a definitely religious stamp, is that of the Deputation Committe. This Committee has sent out seven "teams" of from two to twelve men to near by communities on weekends during the first half year. These teams, made up largely of undergraduate but frequently including graduate students, have attempted to bring to the communities visited definite ideas of religion and the trend of the times, obtained through their educational experience. Not unlike this work, but of a less serious nature has been that of the twenty-odd men who have been sent out through the Speakers' Bureau to fill speaking engagements in nearby towns, at Y. M. C. A.'s, churches, community gatherings, and the like. Religion is coming to be expressed in action more and more in the present day and is less and less a thing of words. However, during the first half year a discusion group on religion has met weekly in the house, as have groups on other subjects. During the second half year, it is planned to have a regular weekly devotional meeting at the House to which all interested men in the University shall be welcome.

21 At Northfield Conference

Men are encouraged to attend religious student conferences when these occur. Last June 21 men attended the Northfield Conference, and during the Christmas recess this year ten men attended the conference at Milwaukee.

Another part of the work of the Phillips Brooks House Association is that of lectures on religious subjects. The Sunday Afternoon Lecture Course on Religion has been continued this year with an average attendance, during the first half year of about 300 men. Professor R. C. Cabot opened the course by speaking on "The Need of Religion." The Rev. A. F. Hickey spoke on "Roman Catholicism", Rabbi S. S. Wise on "Judaism," Dean W. L. Sperry on "Protestantism," Prof. Kirsopp Lake on "The Modern Trend of Religion," and Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick on "The Future of the Church." In addition to these speakers, Raymond Robins spoke on "The Outlawry of War," Prof. A. T. Davison, Prof. J. L. Lowes, and Prof. G. H. Edgell held and Dr. J. R. Straton with Prof. K. F. Mather gave a symposium on "Science and Religion". District Attorney Bucknor gave a lecture for law men, and Dr. G. B. MacGrath a lecture for medical men. The average attendance for all of these meetings has been about three hundred.

279 at Spread

Perhaps the last service that the Phillips Brooks House Association renders each year is that of the Annual Class Day Spread. Last year the spread was attended by 279 guests.

These are the more specific details of the work of the Association but its services are not limited to these alone. Up to January first the House has been used for seventy-three meetings other than those mentioned above at which 4284 people have been present. Altogether the total number who have used the House for meetings is 7823. A considerable number of men use the library and pariors of the House every day for quiet reading and writing. It is especially helpful to those men who live at home and have no place to make their headquarters during the day.

And so the story is written. If we take into consideration the number of students who use its parlors, its rooming list, its information Bureau, and its Handbook, and add to this the number that attend its meetings or who are actively engaged on its committees or in its work, we shall find but few who do not profit in some way by the giving or accepting its service. Much of its work is of the sort that cannot be cried from the house tops, and so it is that in this age of advertisement the question may some times be asked "What does the Phillips Brooks House Association do?" The answer is, "It is quietly and deliberately carrying out the policy of its founders in promoting Plety, Charity, and Hospitality.