PBH Maps Big Social Service Year

Already on its feet with a freshman Open House last Sunday, Phillips Brooks House is counting on a year of continuing expansion--more men involved in volunteer service work, better contacts with the local social agencies served, and as a by-product of its upped manpower better "quality" in all the work that is performed.

The House, built in 1900 simply as a students' religious center dedicated to "piety, charity, and hospitality," still respects its original motto. But it since has grown and enlarged itself until today it is the College's volunteer service center with nine committees carrying on day and night activities for both Harvard and the entire Boston community.

This year, with 880 undergraduates expressing interest in PBH at registration, Brooks House has the potential manpower to operate at 25 per cent above last year--a year which in itself, in PBH history, was a big year.

Old Activities Widened

President N. Conant Webb '49 is planning most of last year's PBH activities for expanded repeat performances this year, plus several new activities. Top spots in PBH's program will go to "social service," as expressed in boys' group work in Boston's many settlement houses, and to tutoring.

Biggest of the committees, the Social Service Committee, will be seeking to improve its work in 43 local settlement houses and boys' clubs. Activities there range from basketball, wrestling, and carpentry to debating, dramatics, and science. Co-chairmen John c. Pittenger '51 and Jed Dreifus '50 hope to supply the settlement houses with well over 200 men this year.

"Special events" highlights will come when the Social Service Committee, through the cooperation of the Harvard Athletic Association, escorts some of its settlement house boys to the football varsity's games with Cornell, Brown, and Holy Cross.

Tutors Expanding

In the tutoring line, Brooks House has recently been enlarging its "Undergraduate Faculty" which helps underprivileged boys with their studies either individually or in study hall groups in the settlement houses. Piano instruction and help for blind College students are added features planned this year by Chairmen Anthony G. Oettinger '51 and associate Chairman David W. Allen '50.

Third on the PBH committee list are the Speakers and Entertainers, who speak and entertain regularly at the settlement houses. Hollowe'en party production is this committee's main fall concern.

The PBH Ticket Agency is one of Brooks House groups designed mainly to serve Harvard and Radcliffe. Chairman John M. Moore '51 and his committee will be open for business on Monday and every weekday thereafter from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at PBH.

This group prides itself on being the only local ducat agency where ticket-buyers can procure seats without going into town and without paying premiums. The agency is offering tickets for Boston plays and music programs as well as almost any Harvard or Radcliffe affair.

PBH has a special committee for those men (freshmen especially) who want to work with the House but can't choose any particular field. The reorganized "Brooks House" Committee has a program which enables new men to dabble in a number of PBH projects before settling down to any particular committee.

Still More Projects

Noteworthy among the House's smaller projects is the Loan Library, built up this year to over 1500 circulating volumes, which will offer College texts to those who need to economize on books, for 25 cents a term rental.

Final note should be made of two graduate student groups which operate with PBH. The Law School Committee will promote sports, dances, smokers and will publish a register for the University's would-be lawyers, while the Medical School Committee will administer physical examinations to boys at Dorchester House Clinte.